Human adenoviruses (HAdVs) contain seven species (HAdV-A to -G), each associated with specific disease conditions. Among these, HAdV-D includes those viruses associated with epidemic keratoconjunctivitis (EKC), a severe ocular surface infection. The reasons for corneal tropism for some but not all HAdV-Ds are not known. The fiber protein is a major capsid protein; its C-terminal “knob” mediates binding with host cell receptors to facilitate subsequent viral entry. In a comprehensive phylogenetic analysis of HAdV-D capsid genes, fiber knob gene sequences of HAdV-D types associated with EKC formed a unique clade. By proteotyping analysis, EKC virus-associated fiber knobs were uniquely shared. Comparative structural modeling showed no distinct variations in fiber knobs of EKC types but did show variation among HAdV-Ds in a region overlapping with the known CD46 binding site in HAdV-B. We also found signature amino acid positions that distinguish EKC from non-EKC types, and by in vitro studies we showed that corneal epithelial cell tropism can be predicted by the presence of a lysine or alanine at residue 240. This same amino acid residue in EKC viruses shows evidence for positive selection, suggesting that evolutionary pressure enhances fitness in corneal infection, and may be a molecular determinant in EKC pathogenesis.
Researchers have described the optimal timing for COVID-19 patients to take the antiviral, Paxlovid, to get the most benefit from the treatment, according to a study published April 16 in eLife.
The availability of new technologies for deep sequencing, including next-generation sequencing (NGS), allows for the detection of viral genome variations. The epidemiological determination of SARS-CoV-2 viral genome changes during the pandemic waves displayed the genome evolution and subsequent...
The COVID-19 pandemic has underscored the critical need for the advancement of diagnostic and therapeutic platforms. These platforms rely on the rapid development of molecular binders that should facilitate surveillance and swift intervention against viral infections.
Intranasal administration of neomycin sulfate in murine models shows promise as a prophylactic and therapeutic agent against respiratory viruses like influenza A and SARS-CoV-2 by inducing interferon-stimulated gene (ISG) expression, independent of microbiota and interferon activation.
Vaccines remain the gold standard of protection against dangerous pathogens, but take considerable time and vast resources to develop. Rapidly mutating viruses such as SARS-CoV-2 can blunt their effectiveness and even render them obsolete.
The single-celled organism Naegleria fowleri ranks among the deadliest human parasites. Researchers around Matthias Horn and Patrick Arthofer from the Center for Microbiology and Environmental Systems Science at the University of Vienna, in an international collaboration, have discovered viruses...
Viruses need hosts. Whether it's measles, the flu or coronavirus, viral pathogens cannot multiply or infect other organisms without the assistance of their hosts' cellular infrastructure. However, humans are not the only ones affected by viruses: animals, plants and even microorganisms can all...
Earth was long thought to be the only planet in our solar system with an ocean, but it is beginning to look as though there are underground oceans inside even the most surprising icy bodies.
Alaskan waters are a critical fishery for salmon. Complex marine food webs underlie and sustain this fishery, and scientists want to know how climate change is reshaping them. But finding samples from the past isn't easy.
Whole genome sequencing was crucial in combatting the COVID-19 pandemic—from real-time monitoring of SARS-CoV-2 spread and evolution, to guiding public health responses, treatments, and vaccine development.
Building on this, Struelens et al. advocate for integration of pathogen genomic data and epidemiological data into globally interconnected One Health surveillance systems. Their lead article outlines necessary enablers for deploying real-time genomic surveillance of pathogens and antimicrobial resistance worldwide—including data-sharing platforms, new sequencing technologies, and cross-sector collaborations.
Citation: Struelens MJ, Ludden C, Werner G, Sintchenko V, Jokelainen P and Ip M. Real-time genomic surveillance for enhanced control of infectious diseases and antimicrobial resistance. Front Sci (2024) 2:1298248. doi: 10.3389/fsci.2024.1298248
Adjuvants enhance immune responses stimulated by vaccines. To date, many seasonal influenza vaccines are not formulated with an adjuvant. In the present study, the adjuvant Advax-SM™ was combined with next generation, broadly reactive influenza hemagglutinin (HA) vaccines that were designed using...
Initially reported as pneumonia of unknown origin, COVID-19 is increasingly being recognized for its impact on the nervous system, despite nervous system invasions being extremely rare. As a result, numerous studies have been conducted to elucidate the mechanisms of nervous system damage and...
SARS-CoV-2, the causative agent of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, has revealed a broader impact beyond the respiratory system, predominantly affecting the vascular system with various adverse manifestations.
WHAT IS ALREADY KNOWN ON THIS TOPICCancer can be controlled by T cells that recognize tumor antigens. Checkpoint immunotherapy increases the effectiveness of T cells in controlling cancer by restoring function to exhausted T cells. In a significant fraction of patients, immunotherapy is not successful, most likely because there are not a sufficient number of T cells that target tumor antigens. Dendritic cells present tumor antigen epitopes to T cells on major histocompatibility complex class I but may not activate a sufficient number of antitumor T cells. Therapeutic dendritic cell vaccines that present tumor antigen to T cells have seen some clinical success. Lentiviral vectors provide a means to achieve long-term expression of transgenes by virtue of their ability to integrate into the host cell chromosome.
Despite huge advances in our understanding of COVID-19 over the past four years, the disease is still very much among us—and there remains a lot to learn.
A new paper published today (April 24) in the journal Nature by an international team of 279 scientists led by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew presents the most up-to-date understanding of the flowering plant tree of life.
Scientists at the Leibniz Institute of Plant Biochemistry (IPB) have succeeded for the first time in stably and precisely inserting large gene segments into the DNA of higher plants very efficiently.To do this, they optimized the gene-editing method CRISPR/Cas, commonly known as "genetic scissors."...
Complex systems in nature, like their synthetic counterparts in technology, comprise a large number of small components that assemble of their own accord through molecular interactions. Gaining a better understanding of the principles and mechanisms of this self-assembly is important for the...
Plants are made up of very rigid cells. Much like bricks in a wall, this feature gives them the structural support to maintain their shape and to stand upright against gravity. However, just like any living organism, plants can be injured, for instance, by wind or animal grazing.
Despite their ancient ages, some stars orbiting the Milky Way's central supermassive black hole appear deceptively youthful. But unlike humans, who might appear rejuvenated from a fresh round of collagen injections, these stars look young for a much darker reason.
Sometimes, all you need for a new discovery is some creative math. That was the case for a new paper by Edward Williams and Laurent Montési of the University of Maryland's Department of Geology. They released a brief paper at the Lunar and Planetary Science Conference (LPSC 2024) last month that...
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