Article
Virology
Preeti Hooda, Meenakshi Chaudhary, Mohammad K. Parvez, Neha Sinha, Deepak Sehgal
Summary: This study reports the identification of a potential MTase inhibitor for Hepatitis E Virus (HEV) replication. The inhibitor showed effective anti-HEV activity and further in vivo analysis and PK/PD studies are needed to validate its potential as a drug-like inhibitor.
Article
Microbiology
Ahmed K. Oraby, Cassandra L. Gardner, Robert F. Needle, Hassan M. Kofahi, Kylie R. Everard, Nathan G. A. Taylor, Suzette G. Rutihinda, Jacqueline P. Barry, Kensuke Hirasawa, Paris E. Georghiou, Rodney S. Russell
Summary: The novel small-molecule compound AO13 demonstrated a consistent but low-level antiviral effect against HCV, potentially acting on a late stage in the viral life cycle. This compound could serve as a lead compound for future drug development against other important viruses.
MICROBIOLOGY SPECTRUM
(2021)
Article
Virology
Qiong Zhao, Jinhong Chang, Rene Rijnbrand, Angela M. Lam, Michael J. Sofia, Andrea Cuconati, Ju-Tao Guo
Summary: Hepatitis B virus (HBV) replicates its genomic DNA using an RNA intermediate called pregenomic RNA (pgRNA). This study demonstrated the sequential formation of viral capsids, DNA replication intermediates, and cccDNA after pgRNA transfection. It also showed the importance of HBx protein in HBsAg production and the transcriptional activation of cccDNA. The use of the pgRNA launch system allows for accurate mapping of antiviral targets and investigation of cccDNA function.
JOURNAL OF VIROLOGY
(2022)
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Ila Nimgaonkar, Nicholas F. Archer, Isabelle Becher, Mohammad Shahrad, Robert A. LeDesma, Andre Mateus, Javier Caballero-Gomez, Andrew R. Berneshawi, Qiang Ding, Florian Douam, Jenna M. Gaska, Mikhail M. Savitski, Hahn Kim, Alexander Ploss
Summary: Hepatitis E virus (HEV) is a significant global health threat, causing millions of infections and thousands of deaths each year, particularly dangerous for immunocompromised individuals and pregnant women. A compound called isocotoin has been found to inhibit HEV replication by targeting heat shock protein 90 (HSP90), opening up new possibilities for developing effective therapies against HEV.
ANTIVIRAL RESEARCH
(2021)
Editorial Material
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Lilian Yan Liang, Vincent Wai-Sun Wong, Grace Lai-Hung Wong, Terry Cheuk-Fung Yip
Summary: Functional cure of chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is the treatment goal of new HBV therapies, defined as clearance of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), with or without anti-HBs seroconversion, and undetectable serum HBV DNA. Studies have shown that achieving functional cure generally leads to a favorable clinical course, with reduced risk of hepatic events and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, there is still a low yet definite risk of HCC occurrence, especially in male patients who achieve functional cure after 50 years of age.
CLINICAL AND MOLECULAR HEPATOLOGY
(2023)
Review
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Sun Woong Kim, Jun Sik Yoon, Minjong Lee, Yuri Cho
Summary: Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is a serious global public health problem, and there is currently no complete cure. The focus of recent research has been on achieving a functional cure for HBV through combination therapies and immunomodulators. New therapeutic approaches and clinical trials are being conducted to find a long-lasting cure for HBV infection.
CLINICAL AND MOLECULAR HEPATOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Immunology
Jia-Feng Wu, Kai-Chi Chang, Yen-Hsuan Ni, Hong-Yuan Hsu, Mei-Hwei Chang
Summary: This study found a significant relationship between the percentage of A1762T/G1764A mutations after HBeAg seroconversion and liver fibrosis, suggesting that this mutation may induce hepatic inflammation by suppressing PD-L1 in hepatocytes.
JOURNAL OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2021)
Article
Microbiology
Wen-Xin Wang, Rui Jia, Jin-Wen Song, Xiaoning Zhang, Shuang-Nan Zhou, Fu-Sheng Wang, Junliang Fu
Summary: This study investigated the effect of different antiviral agents on the immunogenicity of SARS-CoV-2 vaccines in patients with chronic hepatitis B. It was found that Peg-interferon-alpha therapy could maintain the immunogenicity and was associated with high levels of IFN-gamma. A booster dose effectively recalled the immunogenicity of the vaccines.
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Elodie Beaumont, Vincent Larochette, Laurence Preisser, Charline Miot, Pascale Pignon, Simon Blanchard, Bjorn-Thore Hansen, Jonathan Dauve, Caroline Poli, Minna M. Poranen, Patricia Lamourette, Marc Plaisance, Alain Morel, Helmut Fickenscher, Pascale Jeannin, Philippe Roingeard, Yves Delneste
Summary: IL-26 plays a crucial role in protecting against HCV infection in the liver of patients with chronic hepatitis C, exerting direct antiviral activity by inhibiting viral replication and interfering with RNA polymerase activity.
JOURNAL OF HEPATOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Oncology
Reyizha Nuersulitan, Miaomiao Li, Lan Mi, Meng Wu, Xinqiang Ji, Yiqi Liu, Hong Zhao, Guiqiang Wang, Yuqin Song, Jun Zhu, Weiping Liu
Summary: In patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma and Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection, the prognosis is not negatively affected by HBV. Immune-chemotherapy and prophylactic antiviral therapy showed good efficacy and survival outcomes, with a high response rate and complete remission rate.
FRONTIERS IN ONCOLOGY
(2022)
Review
Chemistry, Medicinal
Georgia-Myrto Prifti, Dimitrios Moianos, Erofili Giannakopoulou, Vasiliki Pardali, John E. Tavis, Grigoris Zoidis
Summary: Hepatitis B virus infection has a significant global impact, with limitations in current antiviral drugs. Recent research on the viral replication cycle has led to the development of novel therapeutic approaches, providing hope for achieving a functional cure of the infection in the future.
Review
Fisheries
Shuang-Shuang Sun, Shi-Wei Ma, Jun Li, Qin Zhang, Guang-Zhou Zhou
Summary: Fish rhabdoviruses are harmful viruses that cause significant economic losses in aquaculture. This review examines over 50 organic compounds that have shown effectiveness in preventing and treating rhabdovirus infection in fish. These compounds have various mechanisms of action and lay the foundation for future development of new strategies against fish rhabdoviruses.
Article
Microbiology
Austin Royster, Songyang Ren, Yutian Ma, Melissa Pintado, Eunice Kahng, Sean Rowan, Sheema Mir, Mohammad Mir
Summary: A novel compound called K31 has been discovered to bind to the highly conserved N protein of SARS-CoV-2, inhibiting its replication. This finding suggests that targeting the viral nucleocapsid protein may be a potential approach for developing therapeutic drugs against coronaviruses.
MICROBIOLOGY SPECTRUM
(2023)
Article
Microbiology
Masaaki Toyama, Koichi Watashi, Masanori Ikeda, Atsuya Yamashita, Mika Okamoto, Kohji Moriishi, Masamichi Muramatsu, Takaji Wakita, Ashoke Sharon, Masanori Baba
Summary: Novel neplanocin A derivatives have shown potency in inhibiting HBV replication in vitro, reducing HBV RNA levels and antigen production, with a mechanism of action different from clinically approved anti-HBV agents.
ANTIMICROBIAL AGENTS AND CHEMOTHERAPY
(2022)
Article
Virology
Liudi Tang, Ping An, Qiong Zhao, Cheryl A. A. Winkler, Jinhong Chang, Ju-Tao Guo
Summary: Elimination or functional inactivation of cccDNA minichromosomes is crucial for curing hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection, but the lack of knowledge on the molecular mechanisms hampers the development of antiviral drugs. The study found that a small molecule inhibitor, B02, enhances cccDNA synthesis through a heat shock protein-mediated cellular response.
JOURNAL OF VIROLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Abrar Ul Hassan, Sajjad Hussain Sumrra, Muhammad Nadeem Zafar, Muhammad Faizan Nazar, Ehsan Ullah Mughal, Muhammad Naveed Zafar, Mazhar Iqbal
Summary: In this study, two new sulfonamide-based Schiff base ligands were synthesized and coordinated with transition metals. The ligands and metal complexes were characterized through various physical, spectral, and elemental analyses. Density functional theory, UV-Vis analysis, and bioactivity studies were performed to investigate the molecular structures and properties of the synthesized compounds.
MOLECULAR DIVERSITY
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Remi Petuya, Samantha Durdy, Dmytro Antypov, Michael W. Gaultois, Neil G. Berry, George R. Darling, Alexandros P. Katsoulidis, Matthew S. Dyer, Matthew J. Rosseinsky
Summary: The structure and guest accessibility of a MOF are determined by the choice of metal and linker. By analyzing experimental three-dimensional MOF structures and studying the chemical properties of the components, we can predict the guest accessibility of a MOF and provide guidance in component selection for exploratory MOF synthesis based on guest accessibility considerations.
ANGEWANDTE CHEMIE-INTERNATIONAL EDITION
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Ahmad Khan, Mohammad Saleem Akhtar, Saba Akbar, Khalid Saifullah Khan, Mazhar Iqbal, Ana Barrientos-Velazquez, Youjun Deng
Summary: The study aimed to enhance the adsorption capacity and selectivity of smectites for aflatoxin B1 by modifying their structures through pillaring and cation exchange. The results showed that pillared smectites exhibited better adsorption performance than unpillared clay, and heat treatment improved the adsorption capacity of unpillared smectites for aflatoxin B1.
CLAYS AND CLAY MINERALS
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Sarah H. Needs, Martin D. Bootman, Jeff E. Grotzke, Holger B. Kramer, Sarah A. Allman
Summary: The polycaspase inhibitor Z-VAD-fmk serves as an inhibitor of peptide: N-glycanase (NGLY1), and its inhibition or knockdown induces upregulation of autophagy without affecting autophagic flux, suggesting a cellular adaptation to NGLY1 inhibition. In contrast, treatment with the pan-caspase inhibitor Q-VD-OPh does not induce cellular autophagy.
Article
Endocrinology & Metabolism
Muhammad Wasim, Haq N. Khan, Hina Ayesha, Mazhar Iqbal, Abdul Tawab, Muhammad Irfan, Warsha Kanhai, Susanna M. Goorden, Lida Stroomer, Gajja Salomons, Frederic M. Vaz, Clara D. M. van Karnebeek, Fazli R. Awan
Summary: Classical homocystinuria (HCU) is a metabolic disorder caused by cystathionine-beta-synthase deficiency, leading to symptoms like intellectual disability. A study in Pakistan identified HCU patients among intellectually disabled individuals and successfully treated them with personalized care, resulting in noticeable improvements in symptoms.
JOURNAL OF PEDIATRIC ENDOCRINOLOGY & METABOLISM
(2022)
Article
Zoology
Zahra Naz, Fouzia Ismati, Muhammad Saleem, Mazhar Iqbal, Aamir Shehzad, Moazur Rahman
Summary: In this study, a strategy for extracting and solubilizing the Newcastle disease virus (NDV) M protein from Escherichia coli using a non-ionic detergent is devised, and an indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) is developed for the detection of anti-NDV antibodies in serum samples from chickens. The results show that the recombinant detergent-solubilized M protein is an active and promising diagnostic antigen for rapid and reliable detection of anti-NDV antibodies.
PAKISTAN JOURNAL OF ZOOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Food Science & Technology
Tehmina Anjum, Wajiha Iram, Mazhar Iqbal, Mateen Abbas, Waheed Akram, Guihua Li
Summary: The aqueous extracts of Mentha arvensis leaves show significant potential in degrading aflatoxin B1 and B2, with optimized conditions resulting in high degradation rates and low-toxicity products.
Article
Chemistry, Applied
Asifa Sarwat, Waqar Rauf, Saima Majeed, Marthe De Boevre, Sarah De Saeger, Mazhar Iqbal
Summary: Mycotoxins pose a threat to animal and human health and contribute significantly to economic losses in the poultry sector. A study conducted in Punjab, Pakistan found a co-occurrence of multiple mycotoxins and contamination in poultry feed samples, with many samples exceeding the European Commission's limits.
FOOD ADDITIVES & CONTAMINANTS PART B-SURVEILLANCE
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Ambreen Ayub, Muhammad Usman, Ayesha Ihsan, Quratul Ain, Asad Bashir Awan, Muhammad Wajid, Aamir Ali, Abdul Haque, Mazhar Iqbal, Yasra Sarwar
Summary: This study investigated the immunogenic potential and protective efficacy of outer membrane proteins (OMPs) of Salmonella enterica serovar Typhi. The OMPs of S. Typhi with Vi capsule showed the most promising results, with high immunogenicity and a protective efficacy rate of 92.5%. This finding suggests that OMPs of Vi-positive S. Typhi could be a potential candidate for future typhoid vaccines.
MOLECULAR BIOLOGY REPORTS
(2022)
Article
Biology
Kangsa Amporndanai, Nattapon Pinthong, Paul M. O'Neill, W. David Hong, Richard K. Amewu, Chandrakala Pidathala, Neil G. Berry, Suet C. Leung, Stephen A. Ward, Giancarlo A. Biagini, S. Samar Hasnain, Svetlana Antonyuk
Summary: Malaria is a life-threatening disease transmitted by mosquito bites, and developing new antimalarial drugs is crucial to fight drug-resistant strains. This study investigates the interaction between various antimalarial drugs and human and parasite cytochrome bc(1) complex through experimental and computational research, providing important insights for the design of more effective and safe drugs.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Daniel M. Foulkes, Keri McLean, Marta Sloniecka, Sophie Rustidge, Dominic P. Byrne, Atikah S. Haneef, Craig Winstanley, Neil Berry, David G. Fernig, Stephen B. Kaye
Summary: Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a major cause of disability and mortality worldwide, listed as a top priority by the WHO for new antimicrobial therapies. Different strains express different toxins that affect clinical outcomes, with antibiotic resistance being a growing concern.
BIOCHEMICAL JOURNAL
(2022)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Quratul Ain, Mahnoor Tahir, Amna Sadaqat, Ambreen Ayub, Asad Bashir Awan, Muhammad Wajid, Aamir Ali, Mazhar Iqbal, Abdul Haque, Yasra Sarwar
Summary: This study investigated the current scenario of antimicrobial resistance in Salmonella Typhi isolates and found a significant rise in resistance against multiple antibiotics. The presence of carbapenemase genes in Salmonella Typhi, which is rare in Enterobacteriaceae, was also identified. Furthermore, the regional differences in the genetic variation and resistance patterns of Salmonella Typhi require further epidemiological studies.
MICROBIAL DRUG RESISTANCE
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Medicinal
Laura N. Jeffreys, Alison Ardrey, Taghreed A. Hafiz, Lauri-Anne Dyer, Ashley J. Warman, Nada Mosallam, Gemma L. Nixon, Nicholas E. Fisher, W. David Hong, Suet C. Leung, Ghaith Aljayyoussi, Jaclyn Bibby, Deepak V. Almeida, Paul J. Converse, Nader Fotouhi, Neil G. Berry, Eric L. Nuermberger, Anna M. Upton, Paul M. O'Neill, Stephen A. Ward, Giancarlo A. Biagini
Summary: This study successfully expressed Mycobacterium tuberculosis cytochrome bd oxidase and identified a series of inhibitors that can effectively suppress bacterial growth, suggesting their potential as antitubercular agents.
ACS INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Brendan P. Norman, Andrew S. Davison, Juliette H. Hughes, Hazel Sutherland, Peter JM. Wilson, Neil G. Berry, Andrew T. Hughes, Anna M. Milan, Jonathan C. Jarvis, Norman B. Roberts, Lakshminarayan R. Ranganath, George Bou-Gharios, James A. Gallagher
Summary: This study conducted a metabolomic analysis of AKU disease and identified the metabolic effects of HGD deletion. The findings provide insights into the overall tyrosine metabolism and discovered previously unknown pathways. This research contributes to a better understanding and potential treatment options for AKU disease.
Article
Integrative & Complementary Medicine
Mahim Khan, Waqar Rauf, Fazal-E-Habib, Moazur Rahman, Shoaib Iqbal, Aamir Shehzad, Mazhar Iqbal
Summary: This study identified hesperidin, a compound present in Citrus extracts, as a potent inhibitor of the NS3 protease of HCV genotype 3a, demonstrating its potential to be developed as a cost-effective antiviral drug for therapy against HCV.
BMC COMPLEMENTARY MEDICINE AND THERAPIES
(2022)
