Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Hua-Long Xiong, Jia-Li Cao, Chen-Guang Shen, Jian Ma, Xiao-Yang Qiao, Tian-Shu Shi, Sheng-Xiang Ge, Hui-Ming Ye, Jun Zhang, Quan Yuan, Tian-Ying Zhang, Ning-Shao Xia
Summary: The combination of Clomiphene (citrate), Vortioxetine, and Asenapine (hydrochloride) shows potent inhibitory effects against COVID-19, demonstrating potential as a treatment option.
FRONTIERS IN PHARMACOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Jingyuan Cong, Xiaoying Feng, Huiling Kang, Wangjun Fu, Lei Wang, Chenlong Wang, Xuemei Li, Yutao Chen, Zihe Rao
Summary: This study investigates the structure-function relationship of the L-P complex of Newcastle disease virus (NDV) using cryo-EM and enzymatic assays. The research reveals distinct conformations and interactions between L and P proteins, advancing our understanding of Paramyxoviridae RNA synthesis and providing potential therapeutic targets.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Immunology
Delphine C. Malherbe, Drishya Kurup, Christoph Wirblich, Adam J. Ronk, Chad Mire, Natalia Kuzmina, Noor Shaik, Sivakumar Periasamy, Matthew A. Hyde, Julie M. Williams, Pei-Yong Shi, Matthias J. Schnell, Alexander Bukreyev
Summary: The study developed a SARS-CoV-2 ConVac vaccine which, through animal experiments, showed that a single dose of the vaccine could rapidly control viral replication after disease challenge, protecting animals from weight loss and lung virus replication, with some inflammation still detected.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Stefania Dispinseri, Massimiliano Secchi, Maria Franca Pirillo, Monica Tolazzi, Martina Borghi, Cristina Brigatti, Maria Laura De Angelis, Marco Baratella, Elena Bazzigaluppi, Giulietta Venturi, Francesca Sironi, Andrea Canitano, Ilaria Marzinotto, Cristina Tresoldi, Fabio Ciceri, Lorenzo Piemonti, Donatella Negri, Andrea Cara, Vito Lampasona, Gabriella Scarlatti
Summary: The study reveals that antibody responses to SARS-CoV-2 spike protein play a significant role in neutralization and protection against severe COVID-19, unaffected by heterologous boosting or common cold immunity, and can last for up to 8 months.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2021)
Article
Immunology
Daisy A. Hoagland, Rasmus Moller, Skyler A. Uhl, Kohei Oishi, Justin Frere, Ilona Golynker, Shu Horiuchi, Maryline Panis, Daniel Blanco-Melo, David Sachs, Knarik Arkun, Jean K. Lim, Benjamin R. tenOever
Summary: This study investigated the systemic response to SARS-CoV-2 infection in hamsters and found that inflammation was present in all tissues but not enough to prevent disease progression. Bolstering the antiviral response with intranasal administration of recombinant IFN-I reduced viral disease, prevented transmission, and lowered inflammation in vivo. This suggests that intranasal IFN-I could be an effective early treatment for SARS-CoV-2 infection.
Article
Immunology
Hiva Azizi, Jason P. Knapp, Yue Li, Alice Berger, Marc-Alexandre Lafrance, Jannie Pedersen, Marc-Antoine de la Vega, Trina Racine, Chil-Yong Kang, Jamie F. S. Mann, Jimmy D. Dikeakos, Gary Kobinger, Eric J. Arts
Summary: The researchers used vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) as a platform for a potential HIV-1 vaccine. However, they faced obstacles in selecting a highly immunogenic HIV-1 Envelope (Env) for maximum expression on recombinant VSV particles. By fusing the transmembrane domain (TM) and cytoplasmic tail (CT) of SIVMac239 with the HIV-1 Env, they created a novel chimera that expressed high levels on a VSV vector carrying the Ebola virus glycoprotein (GP). This new chimera, derived from a subtype A primary isolate, showed promising results in terms of antibody levels and neutralizing activity.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Annette Runge, Melissa Mayr, Theresa Schwaiger, Susanne Sprung, Paolo Chetta, Timo Gottfried, Jozsef Dudas, Maria C. Greier, Marlies C. Glatz, Johannes Haybaeck, Knut Elbers, Herbert Riechelmann, Patrik Erlmann, Monika Petersson
Summary: The etiology and architecture of head and neck cancer are diverse and complex, making it difficult to predict patient responses to specific cancer immunotherapy or combination treatment. To bridge this gap, researchers have developed a patient-derived HNSCC (head and neck squamous cell carcinoma) slice culturing system. This system preserves the heterogeneous contexture of the human tumor ecosystem and functional immune cell compartment, allowing for assessment of immunomodulatory effects and oncolytic virus action.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2022)
Article
Virology
Katherine E. Havranek, Judith Mary Reyes Ballista, Kelly Marie Hines, Melinda Ann Brindley
Summary: The viral lifecycle is highly dependent on host lipids, which are important for viral entry, replication, and egress. This study used an untargeted lipidomics approach to analyze changes in host lipid species during vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) infection. The results revealed significant alterations in glycerophospholipids and sphingolipids, suggesting that these changes impact the properties of host membranes and are hijacked by the virus for replication.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Stephanie L. Foster, Courtney Woolsey, Viktoriya Borisevich, Krystle N. Agans, Abhishek N. Prasad, Daniel J. Deer, Joan B. Geisbert, Natalie S. Dobias, Karla A. Fenton, Robert W. Cross, Thomas W. Geisbert
Summary: Nipah virus is an emerging highly lethal zoonotic disease that can be transmitted via respiratory droplets. A study has shown that a recombinant vesicular stomatitis virus-based vaccine can rapidly protect monkeys from lethal Nipah virus infection.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2022)
Article
Immunology
Wenjun Zhu, Guodong Liu, Wenguang Cao, Shihua He, Anders Leung, Ute Stroher, Michael J. Fairchild, Rick Nichols, Joseph Crowell, Joan Fusco, Logan Banadyga
Summary: This study confirms the protective efficacy of a cloned rVSV candidate vaccine against MARV and highlights the potential predictive value of the guinea pig model in evaluating MARV countermeasures.
Article
Oncology
Jingshu Xiao, Jiaming Liang, Junjie Fan, Panpan Hou, Xiaodong Li, Haipeng Zhang, Kai Li, Lang Bu, Ping Li, Miao He, Yongheng Zhong, Liping Guo, Penghui Jia, Qiaoqiao Xiao, Junyu Wu, Hong Peng, Chunmei Li, Fan Xing, Deyin Guo
Summary: This study presents a promising strategy for the treatment of aggressive glioblastoma (GBM) by combining CDK4/6 inhibitors with oncolytic viruses (OV). CDK4/6 inhibition enhances the efficacy of OV by promoting autophagic degradation of MAVS, impairing antiviral responses, and amplifying oncolysis. Furthermore, CDK4/6 inhibitors and OV synergistically induce immuno-genic cell death and boost antitumor immunity, inhibiting tumor growth and prolonging survival in GBM models.
Review
Immunology
Yuguo Zhang, Bolni Marius Nagalo
Summary: This article explores the use of vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) as an immunovirotherapy in human cancers and discusses future perspectives and research areas to improve VSV-based oncotherapy.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
D. G. Roy, K. Geoffroy, M. Marguerie, S. T. Khan, N. T. Martin, J. Kmiecik, D. Bobbala, A. S. Aitken, C. T. de Souza, K. B. Stephenson, B. D. Lichty, R. C. Auer, D. F. Stojdl, J. C. Bell, M-C Bourgeois-Daigneault
Summary: Vaccination with oncolytic viruses co-administered with tumour antigenic peptides is as efficient as antigen-engineered oncolytic viruses, providing a potential alternative for personalized anti-cancer vaccines targeting patient-specific mutations.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2021)
Article
Veterinary Sciences
David Vasco-Julio, Dayana Aguilar, Alexander Maldonado, Euclides de la Torre, Maria Soledad Cisneros-Montufar, Carlos Bastidas-Caldes, Juan-Carlos Navarro, Jacobus H. de Waard
Summary: In 2018, there was an outbreak of vesicular stomatitis in Ecuador, primarily affecting cattle and swine. The virus showed different transmission patterns in different regions of Ecuador. Transmission in the Amazon region was likely vector-borne, while transmission in the Andean and Coastal regions was caused by the movement of livestock and/or fomites. Further research into vectors and vertebrate reservoirs is recommended to understand the mechanisms of virus reemergence.
VETERINARY SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Virology
Qiang Hu, Yuhang Zhang, Jiafu Jiang, Aihua Zheng
Summary: A study found that two spontaneous mutations, M749T/C617R, in the Gc glycoprotein of a recombinant vesicular stomatitis virus-based vaccine candidate for SFTSV significantly increased the vaccine's titer. These mutations enhanced glycoprotein traffic to the plasma membrane, facilitating virus assembly, without affecting the vaccine's broad-spectrum immunogenicity. This finding could contribute to the future development of rVSV-SFTSV as an effective vaccine.
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Christian Boeing, Christian Sandten, Eike R. Hrincius, Darisuren Anhlan, Andreas Dworog, Stephanie Hanning, Thilo Kuennemann, Christopher Niehues, Thomas Schupp, Edyta Stec, Julius Thume, Daniel Triphaus, Markus Wilkens, Holger Uphoff, Josef Zuendorf, Anja Jacobshagen, Martin Kreyenschmidt, Stephan Ludwig, Hans-Christoph Mertins, Alexander Mellmann
Summary: This study aimed to develop a simple, inexpensive, and ecological method for decontamination of disposable FFPs while preserving filtration efficiency and material integrity. The results showed that immersion in a 6% acetic acid and 6% hydrogen peroxide solution for 30 minutes completely eliminated contaminants without compromising the performance of FFPs.
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF INFECTION CONTROL
(2022)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Yvonne Boergeling, Linda Brunotte, Stephan Ludwig
Summary: Influenza viruses have evolved viral proteins with multiple functions to compensate for their limited coding capacity. They exploit cellular processes which need to be dynamically regulated during the replication cycle. The phosphorylation of proteins is crucial for controlling cellular responses in influenza virus replication.
BIOLOGICAL CHEMISTRY
(2021)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Janine J. Wilden, Jasmin C. Jacob, Christina Ehrhardt, Stephan Ludwig, Yvonne Boergeling
Summary: This review summarizes recent findings on the immune responses during co-infection with influenza virus and Streptococcus pneumoniae or Staphylococcus aureus, describing how the interactions between different pathogens influence disease outcomes through altered intracellular signaling processes.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Viktor Wixler, Igor Z. Zaytsev, Rafael Leite Dantas, Tanja Schied, Yvonne Boergeling, Veronika Luehrmann, Georg Varga, Doerthe Masemann, Stephan Ludwig
Summary: The restoration of immune tolerance is crucial in treating autoimmune diseases. Small splenic peptides (SSPs) have been found to convert dendritic cells (DCs) into tolerogenic cells, leading to the differentiation of naive CD4+ cells into Foxp3-expressing T regulatory cells (Tregs), and effectively suppressing the development of psoriatic arthritis.
Article
Immunology
Yeonsu Kim, Xiaoyan Zheng, Kathrin Eschke, M. Zeeshan Chaudhry, Federico Bertoglio, Adriana Tomic, Astrid Krmpotic, Markus Hoffmann, Yotam Bar-On, Julia Boehme, Dunja Bruder, Thomas Ebensen, Linda Brunotte, Stephan Ludwig, Martin Messerle, Carlos Guzman, Ofer Mandelboim, Michael Hust, Stefan Poehlmann, Stipan Jonjic, Luka Cicin-Sain
Summary: CMV vectors induce long-term cellular immunity and long-term immune protection against clinically relevant respiratory pathogens.
CELLULAR & MOLECULAR IMMUNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Andre Schreiber, Dorothee Viemann, Jennifer Schoening, Sebastian Schloer, Angeles Mecate Zambrano, Linda Brunotte, Aileen Faist, Michael Schoefbaenker, Eike Hrincius, Helen Hoffmann, Markus Hoffmann, Stefan Poehlmann, Ursula Rescher, Oliver Planz, Stephan Ludwig
Summary: The Raf/MEK/ERK signaling pathway may represent a target for therapeutic intervention against SARS-CoV-2 infections, and ATR-002 shows promising potential as a candidate drug with strong antiviral activity and the ability to prevent COVID-19-associated inflammation.
CELLULAR AND MOLECULAR LIFE SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Virology
M. Zeeshan Chaudhry, Kathrin Eschke, Markus Hoffmann, Martina Grashoff, Leila Abassi, Yeonsu Kim, Linda Brunotte, Stephan Ludwig, Andrea Kroeger, Frank Klawonn, Stefan H. Poehlmann, Luka Cicin-Sain
Summary: The emergence of new SARS-CoV-2 variants with spike mutations highlights the potential for adaptation and evolution of the coronavirus, despite the stable consensus genotype of clinical isolates.
JOURNAL OF VIROLOGY
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Jonas Schuhenn, Toni Luise Meister, Daniel Todt, Thilo Bracht, Karin Schork, Jean-Noel Billaud, Carina Elsner, Natalie Heinen, Zehra Karakoese, Sibylle Haid, Sriram Kumar, Linda Brunotte, Martin Eisenacher, Yunyun Di, Jocelyne Lew, Darryl Falzarano, Jieliang Chen, Zhenghong Yuan, Thomas Pietschmann, Bettina Wiegmann, Hendrik Uebner, Christian Taube, Vu Thuy Khanh Le-Trilling, Mirko Trilling, Adalbert Krawczyk, Stephan Ludwig, Barbara Sitek, Eike Steinmann, Ulf Dittmer, Kerry J. Lavender, Kathrin Sutter, Stephanie Pfaender
Summary: This study found that different subtypes of IFN-alpha have varying antiviral activity against SARS-CoV-2, with IFN-alpha 5 showing the highest efficacy. Combination treatment with the broad antiviral drug remdesivir enhanced the antiviral effect. These findings are important for understanding the mechanism of IFN-I-mediated antiviral response and developing treatments for COVID-19.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2022)
Article
Cell & Tissue Engineering
Yotam Menuchin-Lasowski, Andre Schreiber, Aaron Lecanda, Angeles Mecate-Zambrano, Linda Brunotte, Olympia E. Psathaki, Stephan Ludwig, Thomas Rauen, Hans R. Schoeler
Summary: Several studies have shown that SARS-CoV-2 can infect and replicate in retinal cells, inducing inflammatory responses and relying on ACE2 for infection. Therefore, it is important to monitor the potential effects of COVID-19 on the retina.
Article
Respiratory System
Katja Hoenzke, Benedikt Obermayer, Christin Mache, Diana Fathykova, Mirjana Kessler, Simon Doekel, Emanuel Wyler, Morris Baumgardt, Anna Loewa, Karen Hoffmann, Patrick Graff, Jessica Schulze, Maren Mieth, Katharina Hellwig, Zeynep Demir, Barbara Biere, Linda Brunotte, Angeles Mecate-Zambrano, Judith Bushe, Melanie Dohmen, Christian Hinze, Sefer Elezkurtaj, Mario Toennies, Torsten T. Bauer, Stephan Eggeling, Hong-Linh Tran, Paul Schneider, Jens Neudecker, Jens C. Rueckert, Kai M. Schmidt-Ott, Jonas Busch, Frederick Klauschen, David Horst, Helena Radbruch, Josefine Radke, Frank Heppner, Victor M. Corman, Daniela Niemeyer, Marcel A. Mueller, Christine Goffinet, Ronja Mothes, Anna Pascual-Reguant, Anja Erika Hauser, Dieter Beule, Markus Landthaler, Stephan Ludwig, Norbert Suttorp, Martin Witzenrath, Achim D. Gruber, Christian Drosten, Leif-Erik Sander, Thorsten Wolff, Stefan Hippenstiel, Andreas C. Hocke
Summary: This study reveals that severe lung injury in COVID-19 may result from macrophage-triggered immune activation rather than direct viral damage to the alveolar compartment.
EUROPEAN RESPIRATORY JOURNAL
(2022)
Review
Cell Biology
Aileen Faist, Josua Janowski, Sriram Kumar, Saskia Hinse, Duygu Merve Caliskan, Julius Lange, Stephan Ludwig, Linda Brunotte
Summary: Respiratory infections with newly emerging zoonotic viruses can cause severe disease and high mortality by perturbing the human immune responses. This review discusses the similarities and differences between SARS-CoV-2 and highly pathogenic avian influenza viruses in terms of immune induction, disease dynamics, and long-term sequelae. It also highlights important lessons about the effectiveness of antiviral and immunomodulatory therapeutic strategies learned from this pandemic.
Article
Immunology
Sebastian Schloer, Daniel Treuherz, Aileen Faist, Marlous de Witt, Katharina Wunderlich, Rainer Wiewrodt, Karsten Wiebe, Peter Barth, Joo-Hee Waelzlein, Susann Kummer, Anne Balkema-Buschmann, Stephan Ludwig, Linda Brunotte, Ursula Rescher
Summary: In order to study the viral life cycle, describe the pathophysiological consequences of viral infection, and explore possible drug targets and treatment options, it is necessary to establish physiologically relevant models. This study established a murine lung tissue explant platform for studying influenza A virus and SARS-CoV-2. The platform demonstrated efficient viral replication, release of inflammatory cytokines, and induction of antiviral interferon response.
EMERGING MICROBES & INFECTIONS
(2022)
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Andre Schreiber, Benjamin Ambrosy, Oliver Planz, Sebastian Schloer, Ursula Rescher, Stephan Ludwig
Summary: In this study, researchers found that the MEK1/2 inhibitor ATR-002 can synergistically enhance the effect of direct-acting antivirals against SARS-CoV-2, reducing the effective concentrations of the drugs and minimizing side effects.
Article
Virology
Stephan Ludwig, Stephan Pleschka, Oliver Planz
Summary: Acute hyperinflammatory virus infections, such as influenza or coronavirus disease-19, are still a major health burden worldwide. Direct-acting antivirals may induce viral resistance, while a host-targeted strategy using inhibitors of the cellular Raf/MEK/ERK kinase cascade shows potential in blocking virus replication and suppressing cytokine response. The MEK inhibitor Zapnometinib has shown evidence of clinical benefit in a phase-II clinical trial.
CURRENT OPINION IN VIROLOGY
(2023)
Article
Cell Biology
Matthias Rohrbeck, Verena Hoerr, Ilaria Piccini, Boris Greber, Jan Sebastian Schulte, Sara-Sophie Huebner, Elena Jeworutzki, Carsten Theiss, Veronika Matschke, Joerg Stypmann, Andreas Unger, Huyen Tran Ho, Paul Disse, Nathalie Strutz-Seebohm, Cornelius Faber, Frank Ulrich Mueller, Stephan Ludwig, Ursula Rescher, Wolfgang A. A. Linke, Karin Klingel, Karin Busch, Stefan Peischard, Guiscard Seebohm
Summary: Using a transgenic mouse strain (TG) containing a CVB3 Delta VP0 genome, we have revealed virus-mediated cardiac pathophysiological processes in vivo and in vitro. Transgenic mice showed significant alterations in cardiac function, pathologic ECG alterations, calcium homeostasis, intracellular organization, and gene expression. The results also suggest that mitochondrial impairment may contribute to cardiac contractile dysfunction.