- Status loss due to COVID-19, traditional masculinity, and the prediction of suicidal ideation and recent suicide attempts -
Background: The COVID-19 pandemic is causing extensive job loss leading to a loss of social status in many men. Endorsement of traditional masculinity ideology may render some men particularly sensitive to status loss and thereby to an increased risk for suicidality. Methods: In this anonymous online survey conducted in German-speaking European countries, 490 men completed questionnaires regarding loss of social status due to the pandemic, suicidal ideation and past-month suicide attempt. Furthermore, prototypical and male-typical externalizing depression symptoms, self-identified masculine gender orientation, endorsement of traditional masculinity, and gender role conflict were measured. Results: Out of a total of 490 men, 14.7% of men reported experiencing a status loss due to the pandemic. These men were more than twice as likely to report suicidal ideation during the past two weeks, and more than four times as likely to have attempted suicide in the past month than men not reporting a status loss. Depression symptoms, self-identified masculine gender orientation, endorsement of traditional masculinity, but not gender role conflict were positively associated with status loss. Suicidal ideation and suicide attempt were associated with prototypical and male-typical externalizing depression symptoms, but not masculinity- related constructs. Conclusion: Status loss emerges as risk factor for suicide and is associated with depression symptoms, higher masculine gender orientation and endorsement of traditional masculinity. Men with high levels of traditional masculinity and status loss due to the pandemic are at increased risk for suicide.
- Examining the role of traditional masculinity and depression in men’s risk for contracting COVID-19 -
Background: In the light of the COVID-19 pandemic and claims that traditional masculinity may put some men at increased risk for infection, research reporting men’s health behaviors is critically important. Traditional masculine norms such as self-reliance and toughness are associated with a lower likelihood to vaccinate or follow safety restrictions. Furthermore, infection risk and traditional masculinity should be investigated in a differentiated manner including gender role orientation, underlying traditional masculine ideologies and male gender role conflict. Methods: In this pre-registered online survey conducted during March/April 2021 in German-speaking countries in Europe, 490 men completed questionnaires regarding contracting COVID-19 as confirmed by a validated test, fear of COVID-19 (FCV-19S), and experience of psychological burden due to COVID-19. In addition, depression symptomatology was assessed by using prototypical internalizing and male-typical externalizing depression symptoms. Furthermore, self-identified masculine gender orientation, endorsement of traditional masculine ideologies, and gender role conflict were measured. Results: A total of 6.9% of men (n = 34) reported having contracted COVID-19 since the beginning of the pandemic. Group comparisons revealed that men who had contracted COVID-19 exhibited higher overall traditional masculine ideology and gender role conflict. Logistic regression controlling for confounders (age, income, education, and sexual orientation) indicated that only depression symptoms are independently associated with the risk of having contracted COVID-19. While prototypical depression symptoms were negatively associated with the risk of having contracted COVID-19, male-typical externalizing depression symptoms were positively associated with the risk of having contracted COVID-19. Conclusion: For traditional masculinity, no robust association for an increased risk of contracting COVID-19 could be established, while higher male-typical externalizing depression symptoms were associated with an increased risk of having contracted COVID-19.
- Antisense oligonucleotide to SARS-Cov-2 trs gene: antiviral activity on an in vitro model and possibilities of vital and postmortem diagnosis of COVID-19. -
The data on the relevance of the 5 ‘-AGC CGA GTG ACA GCC ACA CAG antisense oligonucleotide for binding to the trs-gene of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, which causes the new coronavirus infection COVID-19, are presented. The high stability and conservatism of this section of the SARS-CoV-2 genome is shown, which allows it to be used as an application point for antisense oligonucleotides. By evaluating plaque inhibition, the ability of this antisense oligonucleotide with phosphorothioate and 2’-oxymethyl modification to suppress viral replication was found. The effective dosage reducing the virus titer by 50% is 3.84 mcg/ml. No toxicity was shown up to a dosage of 100 g/mL, which is more than 28.8 chemotherapeutic index. The ability of this oligonucleotide conjugated to the fluorescent dye TAMRA to detect the SARS-CoV-2 virus in the fluorescent hybridization reaction in situ in cytological preparations of nasopharyngeal smears and blood smears, as well as in histological preparations of internal tissues is shown.
- Host and viral determinants of airborne transmission of SARS-CoV-2 in the Syrian hamster -
Airborne transmission is one of the major routes contributing to the spread of SARS-CoV-2. Successful aerosol transmission occurs when people release respiratory particles carrying infectious virus in the fine aerosol size range. It remains poorly understood how infection influences the physiological host factors that are integral to this process. Here we assessed the changes in breathing, exhaled droplets, and released virus early after infection with the Alpha and Delta variants in the Syrian hamster. Infection with the two variants led to only nuanced differences in viral tissue titers, disease severity, or shedding magnitude. Both variants led to a short window of detectable virus in the air between 24 h and 48 h, which was poorly reflected by upper respiratory shedding measured in oropharyngeal swabs. The loss of viable air samples coincided with changes in airway constriction as measured by whole body plethysmography, and a decrease of fine aerosols produced in the 1-10 m aerodynamic diameter range. We found that male sex was associated with greater viral replication in the upper respiratory tract and virus shedding in the air. This coincided with an exhaled particle profile shifted towards smaller droplets, independent of variant. Transmission efficiency of Alpha and Delta did not differ on average but exhibited clear variation among donor individuals, including a superspreading event. Transmission leading to substantial dual infections only occurred when both viruses were shed by the same donor and exposure was prolonged. These findings provide direct experimental evidence that quantitative and qualitative assessment of exhaled aerosols may be critical for understanding the limitations and determinants of efficient airborne transmission, thus allowing us to control the pandemic with non-pharmaceutical interventions.
- CD98 is critical for a conserved inflammatory response to diverse injury stimuli relevant to IPF exacerbations and COVID pneumonitis -
Progressive fibrosing interstitial lung diseases (PFILDs) cause substantial morbidity and mortality. Antifibrotic agents slow progression, but most of the clinical need remains unmet. The archetypal PFILD is idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). Chronic progression is driven by transforming growth factor (TGF-){beta}1 signalling. It is punctuated by inflammatory flares known as acute exacerbations (AE-IPF), which are associated with accelerated decline and high mortality. We hypothesized that acute injury responses underlying exacerbations and the mechanisms of chronic fibrosis overlap at the molecular level, via a cell surface assembly nucleated by galectin-3 that we term the ‘gal-3-fibrosome’. We focused upon a putative pro-inflammatory galectin-3 ligand, the CD98:integrin complex. Our data indicate CD98 and {beta}1-integrin co-localise with galectin-3 within epithelial cells in IPF lung tissue, and within 40 nm in human lung tissue treated with TGF-{beta}1 compared to controls. CD98 is required for interleukin (IL-)6 and IL-8 responses to biochemical and biophysical conditions mimicking stimuli of AE-IPF in vivo, ex vivo and in cells, and for an interstitial neutrophilic response in a mouse model. We demonstrate this pathway progresses via intracellular influx of Ca2+ mediated by TRPV4, and NF-{kappa}B activation, operating in positive feedback. Lastly we show the CD98- and galectin-3-dependence of IL-6 and IL-8 responses to the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein receptor binding domain and the conservation of this response pattern between lung epithelial cells and monocyte-derived macrophages. Taken together our findings identify CD98 as a key mediator of both pro-fibrotic and acute inflammatory responses in the lung with relevance to AE- and chronic progression of IPF, and the priming of fibrotic lungs for acute inflammatory responses. They similarly implicate CD98 and galectin-3 as mediators of COVID pneumonitis and worse outcomes in ILD patients with COVID.
- SIRT-1 connects autophagy and release of virus-containing vesicles during picornavirus infection -
Enterovirus D68 is a re-emerging enterovirus which causes acute respiratory illness in infants. EV-D68 infection has recently been associated with Acute Flaccid Myelitis, a severe polio-like neurological disease that causes limb weakness and loss of muscle tone in infants. There is currently no FDA-approved drug or prophylactic vaccine against EV-D68. Here, we investigated the role of the histone deacetylase, SIRT-1, in autophagy and EV-D68 infection. We show that SIRT-1 plays an important role in both autophagy and EV-D68 infection. siRNA-mediated knockdown of the cellular protein blocks basal and stress-induced autophagy and reduces EV-D68 extracellular viral titers. The proviral activity of SIRT-1 does not require deacetylase activity, since transient expression of both wild-type and deacetylase-inactive SIRT-1 mutant plasmids increased EV-D68 release. In non-lytic conditions, EV-D68 is primarily released in extracellular vesicles, and SIRT-1 is required for this process. Knockdown of SIRT-1 further impedes EV-D68 release in the autophagy-deficient ATG-7 knockout cells. Knockdown of SIRT-1 also decreases titers of poliovirus (PV) and SARS-CoV-2, but not Coxsackievirus-B3 (CVB3). CVB3 is the only tested virus that fails to induce SIRT-1 translocation to the cytosol. Our data suggest a correlation between SIRT-1 translocation during viral infection and extracellular vesicle-mediated non-lytic release of infectious viral particles.
- Evasion of Neutralizing Antibody Response by the SARS-CoV-2 BA.2.75 Variant -
The newly emerged BA.2.75 SARS-CoV-2 variant exhibits an alarming 9 additional mutations in its spike (S) protein compared to the ancestral BA.2 variant. Here we examine the neutralizing antibody escape of BA.2.75 in mRNA-vaccinated and BA.1-infected individuals, as well as the molecular basis underlying functional changes in the S protein. Notably, BA.2.75 exhibits enhanced neutralization resistance over BA.2, but less than the BA.4/5 variant. The G446S and N460K mutations of BA.2.75 are primarily responsible for its enhanced resistance to neutralizing antibodies. The R493Q mutation, a reversion to the prototype sequence, reduces BA.2.75 neutralization resistance. The mutational impact is consistent with their locations in common neutralizing antibody epitopes. Further, the BA.2.75 variant shows enhanced cell-cell fusion over BA.2, driven largely by the N460K mutation, which enhances S processing. Structural modeling revealed a new receptor contact introduced by N460K, supporting a mechanism of potentiated receptor utilization and syncytia formation.
- Visualizing the impact of COVID-19 on internal and international migration in the Spanish provinces -
Drawing on register records from 2019 to 2021, we analyse the impact of COVID-19 on internal and international migration across the 50 Spanish provinces (NUTS 3 regions of Eurostat). Our results show that net international migration declined in all the provinces during the pandemic, particularly in high population density areas. Certain depopulated provinces registered significant positive net internal migration rates, while the most populous areas displayed population losses through internal migration. Generally, the total migration balance (internal + international) decreased in most provinces, primarily driven by the drop in international migration. Changes in internal and international migration persisted over time, while monthly data suggest that patterns tended to converge to pre-pandemic levels in late 2021.
- Individuals with recent prior SARS-CoV-2 infection are at reduced risk of Omicron infection and associated hospitalization -
Omicron sub-lineages such as BA2.12.1 and BA5 have breached prior infection-induced immunity and vaccine-induced immunity. This capacity of Omicron to reinfect patients calls for a characterization of vaccination, infection, and reinfection patterns. We analyzed de-identified longitudinal electronic health records for 389,746 individuals (88,679 fully-vaccinated, 184,205 boosted, 73,184 with prior infection) across a multi-state health system. Compared to individuals with only full vaccination, the rates of SARS-CoV-2 infections in the Omicron era were reduced for individuals with additional prior infection (1.4 to 1.8-fold reduced, depending on vaccine status) or booster vaccination (1.3 to 2.0-fold reduced). Although prior infection was associated with lower incidence of SARS-CoV-2 infection, we found that the relative risk (RR) of infections for individuals with prior infection has increased during Omicron. During October, 2021, RR was 0.11 [0.10-0.13, 95% CI] while during May, 2022, it increased to 0.57 [0.46-0.68, 95% CI], suggesting an increase in reinfections with Omicron. Furthermore, we found that time since prior infection is associated with risk of reinfection, providing evidence of waning immunity. Prior infections before June, 2021, were associated with marginal reduction in risk of infection (eg., RR = 0.80 [0.68-0.90] for prior infection during January, 2021), while recent prior infections were associated with significant reduction in risk (eg., RR = 0.24 [0.20-0.29, 95% CI] for prior infection during November, 2021). Despite an observed increase in reinfections and vaccine breakthrough infections, our findings emphasize the protective effect of natural and vaccine immunity, with prior infection providing ~6 months of protection from reinfection.
- The P681H mutation in the Spike glycoprotein escapes IFITM restriction and is necessary for type I interferon resistance in the SARS-CoV-2 alpha variant -
The appearance of new dominant variants of concern (VOCs) of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus type 2 (SARS-CoV-2) threatens the global response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Of these, the alpha variant (also known as B.1.1.7) that appeared initially in the UK became the dominant variant in much of Europe and North America in the first half of 2021. The Spike (S) glycoprotein of alpha acquired seven mutations and two deletions compared to the ancestral virus, including the P681H mutation in the polybasic cleavage site that has been suggested to enhance S cleavage. Here, we show that the alpha S protein confers a level of resistance to the effects of interferon-b (IFNb) in human lung epithelial cells. This correlates with resistance to an entry restriction mediated by interferon-induced transmembrane protein 2 (IFITM2) and a pronounced infection enhancement by IFITM3. Furthermore, the P681H mutation is essential for resistance to IFNb and context-dependent resistance to IFITMs in the alpha S. However, while this appears to confer changes in sensitivity to endosomal protease inhibition consistent with enhanced cell-surface entry, its reversion does not reduce cleaved S incorporation into particles, indicating a role downstream of furin cleavage. Overall, we suggest that, in addition to adaptive immune escape, mutations associated with VOCs may well also confer replication and/or transmission advantage through adaptation to resist innate immune mechanisms.
- Evaluation of COVID-19 Spread Effect on the Commercial Instagram Posts using ANN: A Case Study on The Holy Shrine in Mashhad, Iran -
The widespread deployment of social media has helped researchers access an enormous amount of data in various domains, including the the COVID-19 pandemic. This study draws on a heuristic approach to classify Commercial Instagram Posts (CIPs) and explores how the businesses around the Holy Shrine were impacted by the pandemic. Two datasets of Instagram posts (one gathered data from March 14th to April 10th, 2020, when Holy Shrine and nearby shops were closed, and one extracted data from the same period in 2019), two word embedding models – aimed at vectorizing associated caption of each post, and two neural networks – multi-layer perceptron and convolutional neural network – were employed to classify CIPs in 2019. Among the scenarios defined for the 2019 CIPs classification, the results revealed that the combination of MLP and CBoW achieved the best performance, which was then used for the 2020 CIPs classification. It was found out that the fraction of CIPs to total Instagram posts has increased from 5.58% in 2019 to 8.08% in 2020, meaning that business owners were using Instagram to increase their sales and continue their commercial activities to compensate for the closure of their stores during the pandemic. Moreover, the portion of non-commercial Instagram posts (NCIPs) in total posts has decreased from 94.42% in 2019 to 91.92% in 2020, implying the fact that since the Holy Shrine was closed, Mashhad residents and tourists could not visit it and take photos to post on their Instagram accounts.
- Circulation of respiratory viruses during the COVID-19 pandemic in The Gambia -
In many countries, non-pharmaceutical interventions to limit SARS-CoV-2 transmission resulted in significant reductions in other respiratory viruses. However, similar data from Africa are limited. We explored the extent to which viruses such as influenza and rhinovirus co-circulated with SARS-CoV-2 in The Gambia during the COVID-19 pandemic. Between April 2020 and March 2022, respiratory viruses were detected using RT-PCR in nasopharyngeal swabs from 1397 participants with influenza-like illness. Overall virus positivity was 44.2%, with prevalence higher in children <5 years (80%) compared to children aged 5-17 years (53.1%), adults aged 18-50 (39.5%) and >50 years (39.9%), p<0.0001. After SARS-CoV-2 (18.3%), rhinoviruses (10.5%) and influenza viruses (5.5%) were the most prevalent. SARS-CoV-2 positivity was lower in children <5 (4.3%) and 5-17 years (12.7%) than in adults aged 18-50 (19.3%) and >50 years (24.3%), p<0.0001. In contrast, rhinoviruses were most prevalent in children <5 years (28.7%), followed by children aged 5-17 (15.8%), adults aged 18-50 (8.3%) and >50 years (6.3%), p<0.0001. Four SARS-CoV-2 waves occurred, with 36.1%-52.4% SARS-CoV-2 positivity during peak months. Influenza infections were observed in both 2020 and 2021 during the rainy season as expected (peak positivity 16.4%-23.5%). Peaks of rhinovirus were asynchronous to the months when SARS-CoV-2 and influenza peaked.
- A Comparative Assessment of Murder Counts Pre, During and Post-COVID-19 Restriction In Trinidad And Tobago (working paper) -
Stringency measures associated with governmental responses to COVID-19 have reportedly had varying effects on crime. As countries worldwide continue to remove restrictions there is concern related to post-COVID-19 restriction crime patterns. This study specifically examines the change in murder counts in Trinidad and Tobago pre, during and post-COVID-19 restrictions. Tie series analysis was used to assess non-linear trends and seasonality, while Date Time Warping was used to assess similarity between time periods. The results suggest that murder counts did decrease substantial during COVI-19 with 2020 having the lowest average murder count in a 8 year period. However, murder count have return to pre-COVID-19 levels in 2022, with all restrictions having been left in November 2021. It was concluded that while the exogenous shock caused by COVID-19 did decrease murders the effect was temporary. The removal of the treatment led to a return to the previous state of murders.
- COVID-19 made some population groups more miserable than others -
The COVID-19 pandemic has brought a lot of suffering to many people across the whole world. The disease not only directly devastated people’s health but also disrupted normal lifestyles and increased the risk of mental health issues [1,2]. A recent study by Kim et al. (2022) published in the Journal of Personalized Medicine (IF 3.508, according to JCR 2022) [3] revealed that the prevalence of stress, depression, and suicidal attempts did not change significantly during the COVID-19 pandemic compared to before. However, the 19- to 39-year-old group in the 2020 group had a higher rate of depression. The study employed data from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey in 2019 and 2020, with a sample of >=19-year-old 11,873 participants. The research sample is highly representative of the Korean population.
- Current Perception of Epidemic between Traditional and Social Media: an Italian Case Study -
Aim. More than two years after the beginning of the global epidemic period, most governments have adopted questionable strategies, aimed at the progressive reduction of the people freedom and pushing in a non-transparent way on the forced use of genic drugs, improperly called vaccines. The purpose of this work concerns the different way in which news relating to the epidemic reached citizens from traditional media (main TV channels and main national newspapers) and from social media, in particular from Telegram. Methods. The paper considers the situation perceived in Italy up to the first months of 2022 by analyzing the news appearing on mainstream TV channels and how they are described by national newspapers, as opposed to what can be deduced from some social media platforms who are still enough free from censorship. Results. The analysis underlines that there is a clear discrepancy between traditional and social media; the official narration of the traditional media is not only questionable, but does not give rise to the possibility of a free discussion on the hottest issues of this epidemic. Only Telegram appears to be the most censorship free channel among the studied traditional/social media in this paper. Conclusions. The attention placed on the official narrative of Covid-19, on the use of the methodology still in force in Italy for fighting the epidemic, on the strong nonsanitary limitation of individual freedom and on a possible underlying plan about what is globally happening leads to the conclusion that in Italy there is an attempt to give an ambiguous, equivocal and inconsistent version of the facts, contradicted by experimental data and scientific papers appearing more and more numerous in qualified international journals.
Clinical Study to Compare Efficacy and Safety of Casirivimab and Imdevimab Combination, Remdesivir and Favipravir in Hospitalized COVID-19 Patients - Condition: COVID-19
Interventions: Drug: Casirivimab and Imdevimab Drug Combination; Drug: Remdesivir; Drug: Favipiravir
Sponsor: Mansoura University Hospital
Completed
A Study to Measure the Amount of Study Medicine in Blood in Adult Participants With COVID-19 and Severe Kidney Disease - Condition: COVID-19
Intervention: Drug: PF-07321332 (nirmatrelvir)/ritonavir
Sponsor: Pfizer
Not yet recruiting
Cognitive Rehabilitation in Post-COVID-19 Condition - Condition: COVID-19
Intervention: Behavioral: Goal Management Training (GMT)
Sponsors: Lovisenberg Diakonale Hospital; University of Oslo; Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai; University of Toronto; UiT The Arctic University of Norway; Oslo University Hospital
Not yet recruiting
Social Network Diffusion of COVID-19 Prevention for Diverse Criminal Legal Involved Communities - Condition: COVID-19
Interventions: Other: Education; Other: Motivational
Sponsor: University of Chicago
Not yet recruiting
A Study of Booster Immunization With COVID-19 Vaccine,Inactivated Co -Administration With Influenza Vaccine and Pneumococcal Polysaccharide Vaccine - Condition: COVID-19
Interventions: Biological: Adult group in immunogenicity and safety study of combined immunization; Biological: Elderly group in immunogenicity and safety study of combined immunization; Biological: Adult group in safety observation study of combined immunization; Biological: Elderly group in safety observation study of combined immunization
Sponsor: Sinovac Biotech Co., Ltd
Completed
EFFECTS OF INSPIRATORY MUSCLE TRAINING IN POST-COVID-19 PATIENTS - Condition: Covid19
Interventions: Other: TREATMENT GROUP (TG); Other: CONTROL GROUP (CG)
Sponsor: University Vila Velha
Completed
Long-term Effects of SARS-CoV-2 on the Central Nervous System and One-year Follow-up of “Long COVID-19” Patients - Condition: Long Covid19
Intervention: Diagnostic Test: Perfusion brain scintigraphy imaging
Sponsor: Brugmann University Hospital
Recruiting
Evaluate the Safety and Efficacy of Allogeneic Umbilical Cord Mesenchymal Stem Cells in Patients With COVID-19 - Condition: COVID-19 Infection
Interventions: Biological: Allogeneic umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells; Biological: Controlled normal saline
Sponsor: Ever Supreme Bio Technology Co., Ltd.
Active, not recruiting
Temelimab as a Disease Modifying Therapy in Patients With Neuropsychiatric Symptoms in Post-COVID 19 or PASC Syndrome - Condition: Post-COVID-19 Syndrome
Interventions: Drug: Temelimab 54mg/kg; Drug: Placebo
Sponsor: GeNeuro SA
Not yet recruiting
Active Cycle Of Breathing Technique Verses Breathing Exercises In Post ICU COVID-19 Patients - Condition: Post Covid-19 Patients
Interventions: Other: Chest physiotherapy with breathing exercises and ACBT; Other: Chest physiotherapy with breathing exercises
Sponsor: Riphah International University
Recruiting
The Effects of a Sublingual Sprayable Microemulsion of Vitamin D on Inflammatory Markers in COVID-19 Patients - Conditions: COVID-19; Vitamin D Deficiency
Intervention: Dietary Supplement: Vitamin D 25 (OH) 12000 IU in the form of a sublingual sprayable microemulsion
Sponsor: Pauls Stradins Clinical University Hospital
Completed
Addressing Vaccine Hesitancy and Increasing COVID-19 Vaccine Uptake Among African American Young Adults in the South - Conditions: COVID-19; Vaccine Uptake
Intervention: Behavioral: Tough Talks COVID
Sponsors: University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill; University of Alabama at Birmingham; National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD)
Not yet recruiting
rSIFN-co Among Healthy Subjects and Subjects With Mild or Asymptomatic COVID-19 - Conditions: COVID-19; SARS-CoV-2
Interventions: Drug: rSIFN-co Nasal Spray; Drug: Placebo Nasal Spray
Sponsor: Sichuan Huiyang Life Science and Technology Corporation
Recruiting
Huashi Baidu Granule in the Treatment of Pediatric Patients With Mild Coronavirus Disease 2019 - Condition: Coronavirus Disease 2019
Interventions: Drug: Huashi Baidu granule; Drug: compound pholcodine oral solution
Sponsor: Shanghai Children’s Medical Center
Completed
Evaluation of Safety and Immunogenicity of the Recombinant ZR202-CoV and ZR202a-CoV Vaccines in Adults. - Conditions: SARS-CoV-2 Infection; COVID-19
Interventions: Biological: ZR202-CoV; Biological: ZR202a-CoV; Biological: Comirnaty®
Sponsor: Shanghai Zerun Biotechnology Co.,Ltd
Recruiting
Upregulation of PD-1 Expression and High sPD-L1 Levels Associated with COVID-19 Severity - COVID-19 has several mechanisms that can lead to lymphocyte depletion/exhaustion. The checkpoint inhibitor molecule programmed death protein 1 (PD-1) and its programmed death-ligand 1 (PDL-1) play an important role in inhibiting cellular activity as well as the depletion of these cells. In this study, we evaluated PD-1 expression in TCD4+, TCD8+, and CD19+ lymphocytes from SARS-CoV-2-infected patients. A decreased frequency of total lymphocytes and an increased PD-1 expression in TCD4+ and CD19+…
Increased TRIM31 gene expression is positively correlated with SARS-CoV-2 associated genes TMPRSS2 and TMPRSS4 in gastrointestinal cancers - Besides typical respiratory symptoms, COVID-19 patients also have gastrointestinal symptoms. Studies focusing on the gastrointestinal tumors derived from gastrointestinal tissues have raised a question whether these tumors might express higher levels of SARS-CoV-2 associated genes and therefore patients diagnosed with GI cancers may be more susceptible to the infection. In this study, we have analyzed the expression of SARS-CoV-2 associated genes and their co-expressions in gastrointestinal…
Evolution of Type D Personality Traits After Cochlear Implantation in Severely Hearing Impaired Adults 55 Years and Older: An Exploratory Prospective, Longitudinal, Controlled, Multicenter Study - CONCLUSION: Cochlear implantation has a positive effect on type D personality traits in older adults with a severe-to-profound hearing impairment.
Lipid nanoparticle-mediated lymph node-targeting delivery of mRNA cancer vaccine elicits robust CD8+ T cell response - The targeted delivery of messenger RNA (mRNA) to desired organs remains a great challenge for in vivo applications of mRNA technology. For mRNA vaccines, the targeted delivery to the lymph node (LN) is predicted to reduce side effects and increase the immune response. In this study, we explored an endogenously LN-targeting lipid nanoparticle (LNP) without the modification of any active targeting ligands for developing an mRNA cancer vaccine. The LNP named 113-O12B showed increased and specific…
Disulfiram blocked cell entry of SARS-CoV-2 via inhibiting the interaction of spike protein and ACE2 - Disulfiram is an FDA-approved drug that has been used to treat alcoholism and has demonstrated a wide range of anti-cancer, anti-bacterial, and anti-viral effects. In the global COVID-19 pandemic, there is an urgent need for effective therapeutics and vaccine development. According to recent studies, disulfiram can act as a potent SARS-CoV-2 replication inhibitor by targeting multiple SARS-CoV-2 non-structural proteins to inhibit viral polyprotein cleavage and RNA replication. Currently,…
Schaftoside inhibits 3CLpro and PLpro of SARS-CoV-2 virus and regulates immune response and inflammation of host cells for the treatment of COVID-19 - It is an urgent demand worldwide to control the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) virus. The 3-chymotrypsin-like protease (3CL^(pro)) and papain-like protease (PL^(pro)) are key targets to discover SARS-CoV-2 inhibitors. After screening 12 Chinese herbal medicines and 125 compounds from licorice, we found that a popular natural product schaftoside inhibited 3CL^(pro) and PL^(pro) with IC(50) values of 1.73 ±…
Antibiotic-Induced Primary Biles Inhibit SARS-CoV-2 Endoribonuclease Nsp15 Activity in Mouse Gut - The gut microbiome profile of COVID-19 patients was found to correlate with a viral load of SARS-CoV-2, COVID-19 severity, and dysfunctional immune responses, suggesting that gut microbiota may be involved in anti-infection. In order to investigate the role of gut microbiota in anti-infection against SARS-CoV-2, we established a high-throughput in vitro screening system for COVID-19 therapeutics by targeting the endoribonuclease (Nsp15). We also evaluated the activity inhibition of the target by…
Human surfactant protein D facilitates SARS-CoV-2 pseudotype binding and entry in DC-SIGN expressing cells, and downregulates spike protein induced inflammation - Lung surfactant protein D (SP-D) and Dendritic cell-specific intercellular adhesion molecules-3 grabbing non-integrin (DC-SIGN) are pathogen recognising C-type lectin receptors. SP-D has a crucial immune function in detecting and clearing pulmonary pathogens; DC-SIGN is involved in facilitating dendritic cell interaction with naïve T cells to mount an anti-viral immune response. SP-D and DC-SIGN have been shown to interact with various viruses, including SARS-CoV-2, an enveloped RNA virus that…
Characterization and Structural Prediction of Proteins in SARS-CoV-2 Bangladeshi Variant Through Bioinformatics - The renowned respiratory disease induced by the severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) has become a global epidemic in just less than a year by the first half of 2020. The subsequent efficient human-to-human transmission of this virus eventually affected millions of people worldwide. The most devastating thing is that the infection rate is continuously uprising and resulting in significant mortality especially among the older age population and those with health…
Green Approaches, Potentials, and Applications of Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles in Surface Coatings and Films - Interest in the use of zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) in surface coatings and films has increased as its incorporation can significantly improve the mechanical and antimicrobial properties of coatings and film solutions. In an effort to produce green or eco-friendly products, the potential use of ZnO NPs biosynthesized from natural resources to replace conventional petroleum-derived polymers has been investigated. This review provides an insight into the growing trend of incorporating ZnO…
Role of ethno-phytomedicine knowledge in healthcare of COVID-19: advances in traditional phytomedicine perspective - CONCLUSIONS: Since medicinal plants are the sources of modern biotherapeutics development, it is essential to build collaborations among ethnobotanists, scientists, and technologists toward developing the most efficient and the safest adjuvant therapeutics against the pandemic of the twenty-first century, COVID-19.
Neutralizing immunity against SARS-CoV-2 Omicron BA.1 by infection and vaccination - The emergence of the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron BA.1 (B.1.1.529) variant has raised questions regarding resistance to neutralizing antibodies elicited by natural infection or immunization. We examined the neutralization activity of sera collected from previously SARS-CoV-2-infected individuals and SARS-CoV-2 naïve individuals who received BBIBP-CorV or CoronaVac to BA.1 and the earlier variants Alpha, Beta, and Delta. Both sera from convalescent patients over three months after infection and two-dose…
Dual effects of supplementation oxygen on pulmonary infection, inflammatory lung injury, and neuromodulation in aging and COVID-19 - Clinical studies have shown a significant positive correlation between age and the likelihood of being infected with SARS-CoV-2. This increased susceptibility is positively correlated with chronic inflammation and compromised neurocognitive functions. Postmortem analyses suggest that acute lung injury (ALI)/acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), with systemic and lung hyperinflammation, can cause significant morbidity and mortality in COVID-19 patients. Supraphysiological supplemental…
In vitro evaluation of the impact of Covid-19 therapeutic agents on the hydrolysis of the antiviral prodrug remdesivir - Remdesivir (RDV, Veklury®) is an FDA-approved prodrug for the treatment of hospitalized patients with COVID-19. Recent in vitro studies have indicated that human carboxylesterase 1 (CES1) is the major metabolic enzyme catalyzing RDV activation. COVID-19 treatment for hospitalized patients typically also involves a number of antibiotics and anti-inflammatory drugs. Further, individuals who are carriers of a CES1 variant (polymorphism in exon 4 codon 143 [G143E]) may experience impairment in their…
Proteomic analysis and identification reveal the anti-inflammatory mechanism of clofazimine on lipopolysaccharide-induced acute lung injury in mice - CONCLUSION: This study can provide significant insight into the proteomics-guided pharmacological mechanism study of CFZ and suggest potential therapeutic strategies for infectious disease.