Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Kirk Chan-Tack, Patrick Harrington, Timothy Bensman, Su-Young Choi, Eric Donaldson, Julian O'Rear, David McMillan, Laine Myers, Mark Seaton, Hanan Ghantous, Yu Cao, Thamban Valappil, Debra Birnkrant, Kimberly Struble
Summary: This article summarizes the regulatory pathway for FDA approval of brincidofovir as the second antiviral approved via the MCMi to combat smallpox, highlighting the unique regulatory approach based on the FDA Animal Rule and the collaborative efforts of academic investigators, the pharmaceutical industry and government agencies in the development process.
ANTIVIRAL RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Medicinal
Danielle R. Garcia, Felipe R. Souza, Ana P. Guimaraes, Martin Valis, Zbysek Pavelek, Kamil Kuca, Teodorico C. Ramalho, Tanos C. C. Franca
Summary: This study identified 5 potential selective inhibitors of VarTMPK through docking and molecular dynamic simulations, with free energy calculations confirming their binding to the active sites. These compounds have the potential to serve as template molecules for smallpox treatment.
Article
Microbiology
Diego Forni, Rachele Cagliani, Uberto Pozzoli, Manuela Sironi
Summary: The ongoing monkeypox outbreak is caused by viral lineages related to but distinct from Nigerian MPXV viruses. APOBEC-mediated editing might be responsible for the high number of mutations observed in hMPXV1 genomes. Mutation analysis revealed a prevalence of C-to-T and G-to-A mutations, consistent with the preferences of human APOBEC3 enzymes. The impact of APOBEC3 enzymes on the evolution of different orthopoxviruses was also demonstrated.
Article
Virology
Reed F. Johnson, Lauren A. Keith, Timothy K. Cooper, Srikanth Yellayi, Nicole M. Josleyn, Krisztina B. Janosko, James D. Pettitt, David Thomasson, Katie R. Hagen, Robin Gross, John G. Bernbaum, Debbie Douglas, Jeffrey Solomon, Mark Martinez, Kurt Cooper, Marisa St. Claire, Danny R. Ragland, Peter B. Jahrling, Jens H. Kuhn, Andrew E. Arai
Summary: The experiment results showed the presence of acute late-stage myocarditis with lymphohistiocytic infiltrates in the cowpox virus model of hemorrhagic smallpox.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Yogesh B. Narkhede, Avneesh K. Gautam, Rohaine V. Hsu, Wilson Rodriguez, Nehemiah T. Zewde, Reed E. S. Harrison, Pablo R. Arantes, Zied Gaieb, Ronald D. Gorham, Chris Kieslich, Dimitrios Morikis, Arvind Sahu, Giulia Palermo
Summary: Researchers investigated the selectivity mechanism of poxviruses, finding that bovine C3b is more prone to selectively bind VCP, while human C3b shows lower selectivity towards SPICE. However, human C3b exhibits a highly preserved electrostatic core, suggesting it may be less selective in binding different ligands.
FRONTIERS IN MOLECULAR BIOSCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Microbiology
Aline R. V. Souza, Annika Brinkmann, Jose Esparza, Andreas Nitsche, Clarissa R. Damaso, Rino Rappuoli
Summary: This study investigates the gene content and genomic structure of historical smallpox vaccines used in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The findings reveal differences between these vaccines, contemporary vaccinia viruses, and horsepox viruses. The study suggests the coexistence of different horsepox-based vaccines and potentially unsampled progenitors of modern vaccinia virus. This research contributes to our understanding of the origins of contemporary vaccinia viruses and the evolution of smallpox vaccines.
Letter
Medicine, General & Internal
Dedong Li, Minrun Duan, Xiao Wang, Pengyue Gao, Xin Zhao, Kun Xu, George F. F. Gao
Summary: New variants of Omicron express spike mutations that are not detected by current vaccines' neutralizing antibodies. Heterotypic chimeric RBD dimers generate neutralizing antibodies in mice.
NEW ENGLAND JOURNAL OF MEDICINE
(2023)
Review
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Jessica Huston, Stacey Curtis, Eric F. Egelund
Summary: This article reviews the development, pharmacology, efficacy, and safety of brincidofovir, a nucleotide analogue DNA polymerase inhibitor used for smallpox treatment. The literature review included studies published in English language and evaluated the efficacy and safety of brincidofovir. Animal models and clinical studies showed the efficacy and safety of brincidofovir, but adverse events and excessive deaths were observed in certain patient groups. Brincidofovir adds another oral treatment option for smallpox, but careful monitoring of adverse events is necessary.
ANNALS OF PHARMACOTHERAPY
(2023)
Letter
Medicine, General & Internal
Xin Zhao, Rong Zhang, Shitong Qiao, Xiao Wang, Weibing Zhang, Wenjing Ruan, Lianpan Dai, Pengcheng Han, George F. Gao
Summary: This study found that neutralization against the SARS-CoV-2 omicron subvariants was reduced with both the inactivated and ZF2001 vaccines in China. However, heterologous boosting and a longer interval between doses resulted in higher neutralization levels.
NEW ENGLAND JOURNAL OF MEDICINE
(2022)
Letter
Medicine, General & Internal
Xin Zhao, Rong Zhang, Shitong Qiao, Xiao Wang, Weibing Zhang, Wenjing Ruan, Lianpan Dai, Pengcheng Han, George F. Gao
Summary: This study indicates that neutralization against the SARS-CoV-2 omicron subvariants was reduced with both the inactivated and ZF2001 vaccines in China. However, heterologous boosting and a longer interval between doses resulted in higher neutralization levels.
NEW ENGLAND JOURNAL OF MEDICINE
(2022)
Article
Virology
Ofir Israeli, Yehoudit Guedj-Dana, Ohad Shifman, Shirley Lazar, Inbar Cohen-Gihon, Sharon Amit, Ronen Ben-Ami, Nir Paran, Ofir Schuster, Shay Weiss, Anat Zvi, Adi Beth-Din
Summary: The study aimed to provide a rapid genetic-based diagnostic tool for accurate identification of monkeypox virus (MPXV) and related pathogens. The researchers developed a method called rapid amplicon nanopore sequencing (RANS) to quickly identify different pathogens. Using this method, they successfully diagnosed MPXV and other vesicle-forming viruses.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Kun Xu, Ping Gao, Sheng Liu, Shuaiyao Lu, Wenwen Lei, Tianyi Zheng, Xueyuan Liu, Yufeng Xie, Zhennan Zhao, Shuxin Guo, Cong Tang, Yun Yang, Wenhai Yu, Junbin Wang, Yanan Zhou, Qing Huang, Chuanyu Liu, Yaling An, Rong Zhang, Yuxuan Han, Minrun Duan, Shaofeng Wang, Chenxi Yang, Changwei Wu, Xiaoya Liu, Guangbiao She, Yan Liu, Xin Zhao, Ke Xu, Jianxun Qi, Guizhen Wu, Xiaozhong Peng, Lianpan Dai, Peiyi Wang, George F. Gao
Summary: A chimeric RBD-dimer vaccine approach was developed to adapt to SARS-CoV-2 variants, providing broader neutralization and better protection against different strains in animal models. This approach is applicable for rapid immunogen updating and could be used to combat circulating and emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants.
Review
Medicine, General & Internal
Reyhaneh Rasizadeh, Ali Shamekh, Parisa Shiri Aghbash, Hossein Bannazadeh Baghi
Summary: Variola virus, the cause of smallpox, was eliminated in the 1980s with no new cases reported. Monkeypox, a zoonotic disease similar to smallpox, has become a major health concern worldwide. Varicella zoster virus (VZV) is a neurotropic virus causing chickenpox and shingles, both highly infectious diseases. Monkeypox, smallpox, and chickenpox share similar symptoms such as fever and rash, but can be distinguished by their distinct characteristics.
CURRENT MEDICAL RESEARCH AND OPINION
(2023)
Article
Immunology
Yuan-Pin Hung, Ching-Chi Lee, Jen-Chieh Lee, Chun-Wei Chiu, Po-Ren Hsueh, Wen-Chien Ko
Summary: Monkeypox virus is genetically closely linked to smallpox virus and has caused outbreaks in areas outside Africa; to prepare for the increase of cases in Europe and North America, vaccines are available for high-risk individuals instead of universal vaccination; medications that can inhibit virus activity are suggested for immunocompromised individuals at risk of severe diseases.
JOURNAL OF MICROBIOLOGY IMMUNOLOGY AND INFECTION
(2022)
Review
Immunology
Olga Vladimirovna Orlova, Dina Viktorovna Glazkova, Elena Vladimirovna Bogoslovskaya, German Alexandrovich Shipulin, Sergey Mikhailovich Yudin
Summary: This article reviews the history and characteristics of Modified vaccinia virus Ankara (MVA) as a viral vector for vaccines, and discusses the immunogenicity and efficacy of some vaccines based on this vector.
