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Topic Review
Ivermectin as Broad-Spectrum Host-Directed Antiviral
The small molecule macrocyclic lactone ivermectin, approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for parasitic infections, has received attention in the last eight years due to its exciting potential as an antiviral. It was identified in a high-throughput chemical screen as inhibiting recognition of the nuclear localizing Human Immunodeficiency Virus 1 (HIV-1) integrase protein by the host heterodimeric importin (IMP) α/β1 complex, and has since been shown to bind directly to IMPα to induce conformational changes that prevent its normal function in mediating nuclear import of key viral and host proteins. Excitingly, cell culture experiments show robust antiviral action towards HIV-1, dengue virus (DENV), Zika virus, West Nile virus, Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus, Chikungunya virus, Pseudorabies virus, adenovirus, and SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19). Phase III human clinical trials have been completed for DENV, with >60 trials currently in progress worldwide for SARS-CoV-2.
  • 14.6K
  • 30 Sep 2020
Topic Review
COVID-19
Researchers present an overview of the current state of knowledge on the SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19 pandemic. In addition to an overview of the epidemiological, clinical, and radiological features of SARS-CoV-2, researchers also summarize possible therapeutic options currently under investigation and the future outlook for the disease. Whereas the trials on SARS-CoV-2 genome-based specific vaccines and therapeutic antibodies are currently being tested, this solution is more long-term, as they require thorough testing of their safety. On the other hand, the repurposing of the existing therapeutic agents previously designed for other virus infections and pathologies happens to be the only practical approach as a rapid response measure to the emergent pandemic. The current pandemic emergency will be a trigger for more systematic drug repurposing design approaches based on big data analysis. Further on, regression analytical review is presented on the virological and evolutionary history of SARS-CoV viruses, indicating to the autoimmune pathogen.
  • 7.8K
  • 14 Jan 2024
Topic Review
Polio Virus
Poliovirus is a member of a family of viruses called the Picornaviridae.
  • 7.7K
  • 16 Sep 2022
Topic Review
Viroids: Definition and Features
Viroids are plant-restricted parasites that represent a remarkable model system to analyze many aspects of host-pathogen interactions at the genomic level. As the smallest known agents of infectious disease (247-401 nucleotides, nt), they have a highly structured, single-stranded circular naked and non-coding RNA genome. Although the list of known diseases caused by viroids and molecular characterization of the causative agents has expanded since they were discovered, their origin, evolution, and interaction with host genetic machinery to induce symptoms or escape the defensive system remain unclear.
  • 7.7K
  • 01 Nov 2020
Topic Review
Essential Oil Prevents COVID-19
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV‑2), also known as coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19), is a pandemic disease that has been declared as modern history’s gravest health emergency worldwide. Until now, no precise treatment modality has been developed. The angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptor, a host cell receptor, has been found to play a crucial role in virus cell entry; therefore, ACE2 blockers can be a potential target for anti-viral intervention. In this study, we evaluated the ACE2 inhibitory effects of 10 essential oils. Among them, geranium and lemon oils displayed significant ACE2 inhibitory effects in epithelial cells. In addition, immunoblotting and qPCR analysis also confirmed that geranium and lemon oils possess potent ACE2 inhibitory effects. Furthermore, the gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC–MS) analysis displayed 22 compounds in geranium oil and 9 compounds in lemon oil. Citronellol, geraniol, and neryl acetate were the major compounds of geranium oil and limonene that represented major compound of lemon oil. Next, we found that treatment with citronellol and limonene significantly downregulated ACE2 expression in epithelial cells. The results suggest that geranium and lemon essential oils and their derivative compounds are valuable natural anti-viral agents that may contribute to the prevention of the invasion of SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19 into the human body.
  • 7.5K
  • 13 Feb 2021
Topic Review
History of Virology
The history of virology — the scientific study of viruses and the infections they cause – began in the closing years of the 19th century. Although Louis Pasteur and Edward Jenner developed the first vaccines to protect against viral infections, they did not know that viruses existed. The first evidence of the existence of viruses came from experiments with filters that had pores small enough to retain bacteria. In 1892, Dmitry Ivanovsky used one of these filters to show that sap from a diseased tobacco plant remained infectious to healthy tobacco plants despite having been filtered. Martinus Beijerinck called the filtered, infectious substance a "virus" and this discovery is considered to be the beginning of virology. The subsequent discovery and partial characterization of bacteriophages by Frederick Twort and Félix d'Herelle further catalyzed the field, and by the early 20th century many viruses had been discovered. In 1926, Thomas Milton Rivers defined viruses as obligate parasites. Viruses were demonstrated to be particles, rather than a fluid, by Wendell Meredith Stanley, and the invention of the electron microscope in 1931 allowed their complex structures to be visualised.
  • 4.9K
  • 31 Oct 2022
Topic Review
Monkeypox Virus
Monkeypox virus (MPXV) is a double-stranded DNA virus belonging to the Orthopox genus in the family Poxviridae. It has a zoonotic origin and MPXV infected wild rodents and primates have been found in central Africa. In humans, symptoms of MPXV infection include fever, head and muscle ache, lymphadenopathy and a characteristic rash that develops into papules, vesicles and pustules which eventually scab over and heal. Monkeypox is less often fatal (case fatality rates range from less than 1% to 3.6% depending on geographic localisation, viral clade and age group) than smallpox (up to 30%) caused by a related Variola virus. MPXV used to be endemic in sub-Saharan Africa, infecting wild animals and occasionally causing zoonotic outbreaks. Exotic animal trade and international travel combined with the increasing susceptibility of the human population due to lack of vaccination facilitated the spread of MPXV to new areas. Since April 2022, over 15.000 of MPX cases have been detected in >60 non-endemic countries around the world, predominantly among men who have sex with men, making it the largest described MPXV outbreak known to date.
  • 3.3K
  • 21 Jul 2022
Topic Review
IB and ND in Poultry
Infectious bronchitis (IB) and Newcastle disease (ND) are among the most important viral diseases of poultry with substantial global economic impact . Infectious bronchitis is caused by the IB virus (IBV), a member of the Gammacoronavirus genus, family Coronaviridae, and subfamily Orthocoronavirinae. IBV is commonly referred to as avian coronavirus and it belongs in the same family and subfamily as the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), which is currently ravaging the world, although the latter is in a different genus—Betacoronavirus. Newcastle disease (ND) is caused by ND virus (NDV), which belongs to the genus Avulavirus in the family Paramyxoviridae. Both viruses have genomes made up of single stranded RNA (ssRNA). 
  • 3.0K
  • 21 Jan 2021
Topic Review
Detection and Diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19
Latest weeks the humanity is faced with the spread of a new coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2 that causes a respiratory illness with high mortality rates, COVID-19. Since there is no approved treatment or vaccination against that specific coronavirus the reduce in virus spread is essential. That is based in the use of appropriate tools, enabling the accurate and early detection. Molecular biology and immunological techniques are widely used in order to predict the COVID-19 cases in a very short period of time. These are commonly based either in identification of the SARS-CoV-2’s genetic material or in detection of antibodies that have been produced by the immune system against the virus. Many of the above mentioned tests have been validated and approved by local authorities. However, there are much more companies that provide detection tests, without basic validation processes, contributing in non-precise data. The present review aim to analyze the most common platforms that are used in COVID-19 detection, analyzing their advantages and weaknesses. Therefore, each physician will be equipped with appropriate information required for each test.
  • 3.0K
  • 29 Oct 2020
Topic Review
Potato Virus Y
Potato virus Y origin, emergence and evolution.
  • 2.7K
  • 21 Dec 2020
Topic Review
Rhinovirus
Rhinoviruses (RVs) are non-enveloped positive sense RNA viruses with a lifecycle fully contained within the cytoplasm. Despite decades of study, the details of how RVs exit the infected cell are still unclear. Current literature strongly suggests a role for necroptosis and/or autophagy in RV release, with the caveat that all the literature is based on RV-A and RV-B strains, with no studies to date examining the interaction of RV-C strains with cell death pathways.
  • 2.7K
  • 15 Jun 2021
Topic Review
Canine Adenoviruses
Canine adenoviruses (CAdVs) can be the backbones of viral vectors that could be applied in recombinant vaccines or for gene transfer in dogs and in serologically naïve humans. Although conventional plasmid-based reverse genetics systems can be used to construct CAdV vectors, their large genome size creates technical difficulties in gene cloning and manipulation. Here, we established an improved reverse genetics system for CAdVs using bacterial artificial chromosomes (BACs), in which genetic modifications can be efficiently and simply made through BAC recombineering. Our established BAC-based reverse genetics system for CAdVs would be a useful and powerful tool for basic and advanced practical studies with these viruses.
  • 2.6K
  • 04 Nov 2021
Topic Review
Orthopoxviruses
Zoonotic diseases, defined as diseases or infections that are naturally transmissible from vertebrate animals to humans, represent a significant threat to global health. Among the species recognized as pathogenic to humans, more than half originated in animals, and some have been characterized as emerging or re-emerging pathogens. Most zoonotic pathogens originated in wild and domesticated mammalian hosts such as bats, rodents, and primates. The analysis of global trends indicates that new zoonotic threats will continue to emerge at an accelerating rate, and are mainly associated with an growthing population, changes in land use, climate changes, increased intercontinental travel, and expanded trade networks. Poxviruses are among mankind’s longest and best-known viruses mainly because of their most feared and lethal representative, Variola virus (VARV), the causative agent of smallpox. Orthopoxvirus is the most important and well-characterized poxvirus genus, mainly due to its impact on human and animal health. Orthopoxviruses are remarkable for their wide host spectrum, ranging from humans to domestic and wild animals.
  • 2.6K
  • 22 Jan 2021
Topic Review
Diagnosis of Plant Virus Diseases
Among the plant pathogens, viruses (and viroids), which are transmitted by a living organism called a vector, are the major infectious agents that cause plant disease. Once a plant virus infects a susceptible host, it can spread to another plant by means of vector-mediated transmission (horizontally) or from parents to offspring (vertically). Since accurate diagnosis methods are of pivotal importance for viral diseases control, the current and emerging technologies for the detection of these plant pathogens are described.
  • 2.5K
  • 27 Jan 2022
Topic Review
Hesperidin and SARS-CoV-2
Among the flavonoids, hesperidin has recently attracted the attention of researchers, because it binds to the key proteins of the Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Several computational methods, independently applied by different researchers, showed that hesperidin has a low binding energy, both with the coronavirus “spike” protein, and with the main protease that transforms the early proteins of the virus into the complex responsible for viral replication. The binding energy of hesperidin to these important components is lower than that of lopinavir, ritonavir, and indinavir, suggesting that it could perform an effective antiviral action. Furthermore, both hesperidin and ascorbic acid counteract the cell damaging effects of the oxygen free radicals triggered by virus infection and inflammation.
  • 2.5K
  • 26 Oct 2020
Topic Review
Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) Biology
The genomic RNA of HIV-1 enables employing complex splicing patterns the encryption of multiple proteins within a limited coding capacity. The viral RNA and related proteins mediate toxicity via multiple different pathways. The circumvention of the host cell immune system and the progressing elimination of T helper cells leads to AIDS and opportunistic infections. The aberrant interaction of viral RNA-binding proteins can result in cellular transcriptional deregulations, tumor formation and apoptosis.
  • 2.4K
  • 02 Mar 2022
Topic Review
Transformation of Natural Philosophy
Is there any reason, to believe a modern natural philosophy makes sense? The history of natural philosophy is marked by the search for principles that determine all beings independently whether they are abiotic matter or living organisms. Empirical data on the key features of life contradict even the possibility to find such principles because life in contrast to abiotic matter offers some main characteristics that are completely absent on abiotic planets. This means, if a modern natural philosophy should have any benefit it must be divided into a natural philosophy of physics or cosmology and a natural philosophy of life. If it is possible to give an updated definition of life, empirically based, non-reductive, non-mechanistic and without metaphysical assumptions, this would be an appropriate basis for a global consensus how future of humans may be generated in symbiosis with global biosphere. If we think on billions invested in health and drug research a new natural philosophy of life could orientate future of research on health and new drugs and avoid misinvestments.
  • 2.4K
  • 09 Nov 2020
Topic Review
Viroids
Viroids are a group of infectious plant lncRNAs that are composed of RNA genomes and replicate by using the host enzymatic activities.
  • 2.0K
  • 30 Oct 2020
Topic Review
In Vitro Lung Models
In vitro lung models are used to faithfully model basic human pathology and the complexity and diversity of human respiratory tissues and to study emerging viral respiratory pathogens and diseases. These models include conventional cell lines, primary human airway epithelial cell (hAEC) cultures, lung organoids, lung-on-a-chip technology, ex vivo lung perfusion (EVLP) models and human lung tissue explants.
  • 2.0K
  • 23 Jun 2021
Topic Review
Diversity and Role of Latex in Plant Physiology
Latex, a sticky emulsion produced by specialized cells called laticifers, is a crucial part of a plant’s defense system against herbivory and pathogens. It consists of a broad spectrum of active compounds, which are beneficial not only for plants, but for human health as well, enough to mention the use of morphine or codeine from poppy latex.
  • 2.0K
  • 30 Nov 2021
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