Review
Medicine, General & Internal
Dan H. Barouch
Summary: This article reviews the protective effects of vaccination and prior infection on severe Covid-19, and proposes future research directions.
NEW ENGLAND JOURNAL OF MEDICINE
(2022)
Article
Health Care Sciences & Services
Agata Blasiak, Anh T. L. Truong, Alexandria Remus, Lissa Hooi, Shirley Gek Kheng Seah, Peter Wang, De Hoe Chye, Angeline Pei Chiew Lim, Kim Tien Ng, Swee Teng Teo, Yee-Joo Tan, David Michael Allen, Louis Yi Ann Chai, Wee Joo Chng, Raymond T. P. Lin, David C. B. Lye, John Eu-Li Wong, Gek-Yen Gladys Tan, Conrad En Zuo Chan, Edward Kai-Hua Chow, Dean Ho
Summary: IDentif.AI-x is a clinically actionable artificial intelligence platform that can rapidly identify and prioritize optimal combination therapies against COVID-19. It revealed strong candidate drugs and identified actionable drug interactions.
NPJ DIGITAL MEDICINE
(2022)
News Item
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Emily Waltz
Summary: Vaccines that are inhaled through the nose or mouth could potentially halt the spread of the coronavirus, but there is currently limited evidence from human trials.
Review
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Deborah K. Ngan, Tuan Xu, Menghang Xia, Wei Zheng, Ruili Huang
Summary: This study analyzed the correlation between the activity profiles of approved drugs and their anti-SARS-CoV-2 activity. The study found a significant correlation between the activity profiles of hERG, PLD, and cytotoxicity screens and anti-SARS-CoV-2 activity. The findings help identify preferred drug candidates and avoid potential toxicity.
DRUG DISCOVERY TODAY
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Zeli Zhang, Jose Mateus, Camila H. Coelho, Jennifer M. Dan, Carolyn Rydyznski Moderbacher, Rosa Isela Galvez, Fernanda H. Cortes, Alba Grifoni, Alison Tarke, James Chang, E. Alexandar Escarrega, Christina Kim, Benjamin Goodwin, Nathaniel Bloom, April Frazier, Daniela Weiskopf, Alessandro Sette, Shane Crotty
Summary: Multiple COVID-19 vaccines have successfully protected against symptomatic cases and deaths. Comparisons of T cell, B cell, and antibody responses to different vaccines can provide insights into protective immunity against COVID-19, particularly immune memory. mRNA vaccines and Ad26.COV2.S induced strong T cell responses, while mRNA vaccines showed substantial declines in antibodies.
Review
Environmental Sciences
Ishnoor Kaur, Tapan Behl, Aayush Sehgal, Sukhbir Singh, Neelam Sharma, Vetriselvan Subramanian, Shivkanya Fuloria, Neeraj Kumar Fuloria, Mahendran Sekar, Hamed Ghaleb Dailah, Amal M. Alsubayiel, Saurabh Bhatia, Ahmed Al-Harrasi, Lotfi Aleya, Simona Bungau
Summary: This article provides a comprehensive overview of various treatment options for COVID-19 and lists the research and clinical trials on different categories of drugs in hindering disease progression. The article emphasizes the critical need to find suitable treatment and alleviate the chaos caused by the global pandemic.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH
(2022)
Editorial Material
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Peter Hotez
Summary: To halt the spread of the coronavirus, a high-level counteroffensive against new destructive forces is necessary.
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Tofael Ahmed Sumon, Md. Ashraf Hussain, Md. Tawheed Hasan, Mahmudul Hasan, Won Je Jang, Eleus Hussain Bhuiya, Abdullah Al Mamun Chowdhury, S. M. Sharifuzzaman, Christopher Lyon Brown, Hyun-Ju Kwon, Eun-Woo Lee
Summary: The COVID-19 pandemic caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus originating in Wuhan, China has resulted in over 1 million deaths and nearly 57 million confirmed cases worldwide across 220 countries, posing the greatest threat to global public health. Efforts to find effective drugs and vaccines against COVID-19 are ongoing, with a focus on repurposing therapies and identifying potential drug targets. This review discusses the pathogenesis of COVID-19, clinical symptoms, updates on candidate drugs and vaccines, and in silico approaches for drug repurposing, highlighting limitations and safety concerns of each method.
FRONTIERS IN MOLECULAR BIOSCIENCES
(2021)
Review
Oncology
Caroline Joseph Kiriacos, Monika Rafik Khedr, Miray Tadros, Rana A. Youness
Summary: This article introduces some herbal remedies that have potential anticancer activity, immuno-modulatory roles, and promising anti-SARS-CoV-2 actions, with special attention given to matcha as a novel potential protective and therapeutic agent for cancer and immunocompromised patients.
FRONTIERS IN ONCOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Jiahui Chen, Kaifu Gao, Rui Wang, Guo-Wei Wei
Summary: This study examines the impact of mutations on the spike protein of COVID-19, particularly on vaccines and antibody therapies. The research findings reveal that certain mutations may weaken the binding between the spike protein and antibodies, potentially reducing the efficacy of current treatments. Moreover, it is discovered that some mutations could enhance the binding between the spike protein and human angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2), leading to more infectious variants of the virus.
Review
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Sazada Siddiqui, Heba Waheeb Saeed Alhamdi, Huda Ahmed Alghamdi
Summary: COVID-19 is highly contagious and has caused major disruptions around the world. Prevention is crucial through measures such as self-isolation and vaccination.
FRONTIERS IN PUBLIC HEALTH
(2022)
News Item
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Elie Dolgin
Summary: In the scramble to combat the pandemic, vaccine dosing decisions relied on past experience and best guesses, with modelling tools potentially playing a role.
News Item
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Heidi Ledford
Summary: Safety concerns have led to delays in the use of two COVID-19 vaccines, prompting scientists to seek answers to important questions.
Review
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Mengyu Guo, Muya Xiong, Jinying Peng, Tong Guan, Haixia Su, Yanyi Huang, Cai-Guang Yang, Yang Li, Diana Boraschi, Thanigaimalai Pillaiyar, Guanbo Wang, Chengqi Yi, Yechun Xu, Chunying Chen
Summary: The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has caused global concerns in public health and economy, leading to continuous development in therapeutics and vaccines. The use of multi-omics approaches has been instrumental in understanding the virus and its molecular features, aiding in the design of potential treatments and expediting vaccine development. This overview highlights the latest applications of multi-omics technologies in addressing COVID-19, providing suggestions for the development of effective therapeutics and vaccines based on comprehensive knowledge.
NATIONAL SCIENCE REVIEW
(2023)
Review
Immunology
Bruna Aparecida Souza Machado, Katharine Valeria Saraiva Hodel, Larissa Moraes dos Santos Fonseca, Vinicius Couto Pires, Luis Alberto Breda Mascarenhas, Leone Peter Correia da Silva Andrade, Marcelo Albano Moret, Roberto Badaro
Summary: The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in the largest vaccination campaign in history, but the emergence of new variants and decreasing efficacy rates of vaccines pose challenges. Furthermore, the long-term safety of vaccines, reliability of child immunization, and persistence of the virus in society remain uncertain.
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Elisa Calabrese, Liberata Guadagno, Marialuigia Raimondo, Andrea Sorrentino, Simona Russo, Pasquale Longo, Annaluisa Mariconda
Summary: This study reports the synthesis and characterization of PEGMA-based copolymers incorporating different percentages of HEMA-UPy and evaluates their thermal properties and healing efficiency. The results show that increasing the amount of HEMA-UPy moiety leads to slight changes in glass transition temperature and significant changes in crystallization and melting temperatures. Dynamic mechanical analysis demonstrates the ability of the copolymer to recover its original storage modulus values.
MACROMOLECULAR MATERIALS AND ENGINEERING
(2023)
Review
Chemistry, Physical
Assunta D'Amato, Marco Sirignano, Simona Russo, Rubina Troiano, Annaluisa Mariconda, Pasquale Longo
Summary: Due to their accessibility and wide range of reactivities, alkynes are considered fascinating building blocks. Selective alkyne carbon-carbon triple bond reactions or activation of the terminal alkyne C-H bond can be used for functionalization. Monocationic coinage metal complexes with a d10 electronic configuration have been found to be effective catalysts for alkyne activation. Silver(I) and gold(I) N-heterocyclic (NHC) systems are emerging as promising catalysts for multicomponent alkyne activation reactions, particularly in A(3) (aldehyde-amine-alkyne)-coupling and carbon dioxide fixation. This study compares the silver and gold complexes used in these processes and evaluates the benefits provided by the easily tuneable NHC backbone in terms of chemo- and stereo-selectivity.
Review
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Domenico Iacopetta, Jessica Ceramella, Alessia Catalano, Elisabetta Scali, Domenica Scumaci, Michele Pellegrino, Stefano Aquaro, Carmela Saturnino, Maria Stefania Sinicropi
Summary: The cytochrome P450 (CYP) enzyme family plays a major role in the metabolism of xenobiotics. Polymorphic and inducible enzymes in this family can alter or enhance drug metabolism and toxicity. Drug-drug interactions can occur due to the inhibition or induction of CYP enzymes. The review aims to summarize significant examples of commonly used drugs and highlight the activity and toxicity of their metabolites.
APPLIED SCIENCES-BASEL
(2023)
Review
Oncology
Fabiano Svolacchia, Sergio Brongo, Alessia Catalano, Agostino Ceccarini, Lorenzo Svolacchia, Alessandro Santarsiere, Carmen Scieuzo, Rosanna Salvia, Francesca Finelli, Luigi Milella, Carmela Saturnino, Maria Stefania Sinicropi, Tommaso Fabrizio, Federica Giuzio
Summary: Cancer is a dangerous disease with no permanent therapy. Breast cancer is one of the most common cancers in women. This review examines the potential role of natural products in the prevention, treatment, and progression of breast cancer, summarizing various in vitro, in vivo, and clinical studies. The findings suggest that natural substances can be used as adjuvants in breast cancer therapy and have a significant impact on its prevention, treatment, and progression.
Article
Infectious Diseases
Jessica Ceramella, Rubina Troiano, Domenico Iacopetta, Annaluisa Mariconda, Michele Pellegrino, Alessia Catalano, Carmela Saturnino, Stefano Aquaro, Maria Stefania Sinicropi, Pasquale Longo
Summary: Ruthenium N-heterocyclic carbene (Ru-NHC) complexes were designed, synthesized, and evaluated for their biological activities. The complexes displayed significant anticancer activity against triple-negative human breast cancer cell lines MDA-MB-231. They also showed potent antibacterial activity against Gram-positive bacteria Staphylococcus aureus and strong antioxidant ability.
Review
Infectious Diseases
Alessia Catalano, Annaluisa Mariconda, Maria Stefania Sinicropi, Jessica Ceramella, Domenico Iacopetta, Carmela Saturnino, Pasquale Longo
Summary: In this review, recent studies on ruthenium N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) complexes are summarized, with a focus on their antimicrobial and antiproliferative activities. The results indicate that ruthenium NHC complexes have strong activity against Gram-positive bacteria but limited activity against Gram-negative bacteria and fungal strains. In terms of antiproliferative activity, these complexes demonstrated higher cytotoxicity than standard anticancer drugs.
Article
Chemistry, Medicinal
Maria Rosaria Perri, Michele Pellegrino, Mariangela Marrelli, Stefano Aquaro, Fabiola Cavaliere, Fedora Grande, Maria Antonietta Occhiuzzi, Carmine Lupia, Claudia-Crina Toma, Filomena Conforti, Giancarlo Statti
Summary: Stilbenoids are plant phytoalexin polyphenols known for their anti-inflammatory potential. In this study, pinosylvin, a naturally occurring molecule found in Pinus nigra subsp. laricio var. calabrica, was identified and compared with resveratrol for their in vitro anti-inflammatory activity. Pinosylvin exhibited significant inhibition of pro-inflammatory cytokines and NO mediator in stimulated cells, as well as downregulation of JAK2 and STAT3 proteins in the JAK/STAT signaling pathway. Molecular docking study confirmed the capability of pinosylvin to bind to the active site of JAK2.
Review
Virology
Alessia Catalano, Domenico Iacopetta, Jessica Ceramella, Michele Pellegrino, Federica Giuzio, Maria Marra, Camillo Rosano, Carmela Saturnino, Maria Stefania Sinicropi, Stefano Aquaro
Summary: Antibacterial resistance is a growing problem in public health, and the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated this issue. Antibiotic misuse and improper access have increased during the pandemic, potentially amplifying the future antibacterial resistance pandemic. Infections caused by multidrug-resistant, extensively drug-resistant, difficult-to-treat drug-resistant, carbapenem-resistant, and pan-drug-resistant bacteria continue to rise. This review highlights the current state of antibacterial resistance worldwide, focusing on important pathogens such as Enterobacterales, Acinetobacter baumannii, and Klebsiella pneumoniae and their resistance to common antibiotics.
Article
Chemistry, Medicinal
Domenico Iacopetta, Chiara Costabile, Marina La Chimia, Annaluisa Mariconda, Jessica Ceramella, Domenica Scumaci, Alessia Catalano, Camillo Rosano, Giovanni Cuda, Maria Stefania Sinicropi, Pasquale Longo
Summary: N-Heterocyclic carbene metal complexes have versatile functionalization properties and are of interest for potential medicinal chemistry applications. Among them, silver and gold complexes show promising anticancer properties, affecting the growth of breast cancer cells significantly.
ACS MEDICINAL CHEMISTRY LETTERS
(2023)
Article
Polymer Science
Simona Russo, Maria Rosaria Acocella, Annaluisa Mariconda, Valentina Volpe, Roberto Pantani, Pasquale Longo
Summary: An effective non-covalent compatibilization method for graphite and low-density polyethylene is achieved by synthesizing and mixing pyren-1-yl-stearate (P1S) with graphite. The P1S improves the dispersion of carbon filler in polyethylene through π-π stacking interactions with graphite and van der Waals interactions with the polymer chain. Ball-milling mixing is more effective in promoting the interactions between P1S and graphite, as demonstrated by thermogravimetric analyses and X-ray diffraction measurements.