Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Amalio Telenti, Ann Arvin, Lawrence Corey, Davide Corti, Michael S. Diamond, Adolfo Garcia-Sastre, Robert F. Garry, Edward C. Holmes, Phillip S. Pang, Herbert W. Virgin
Summary: This article discusses the future patterns of SARS-CoV-2 infection, the development of variants, and the implications for vaccine deployment. It suggests that the virus may become endemic fueled by pockets of susceptible individuals and waning immunity. Effective surveillance and response are crucial to prevent new epidemic or pandemic patterns.
Article
Immunology
Yifan Li, Melanie Merbah, Suzanne Wollen-Roberts, Bradley Beckman, Thembi Mdluli, Isabella Swafford, Sandra V. Mayer, Jocelyn King, Courtney Corbitt, Jeffrey R. Currier, Heather Liu, Allahna Esber, Suteeraporn Pinyakorn, Ajay Parikh, Leilani V. Francisco, Nittaya Phanuphak, Jonah Maswai, John Owuoth, Hannah Kibuuka, Michael Iroezindu, Emmanuel Bahemana, Sandhya Vasan, Julie A. Ake, Kayvon Modjarrad, Gregory Gromowski, Dominic Paquin-Proulx, Morgane Rolland
Summary: Prior immune responses to coronaviruses may impact the human response to SARS-CoV-2. There were differences in antibody responses to SARS-CoV-2 and other coronaviruses between participants from Africa and Thailand. These findings have implications for the distribution of vaccines and monoclonal antibodies globally.
EMERGING INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2022)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Pravas Kumar Baral, Jiang Yin, Michael N. G. James
Summary: Researchers worldwide are working on developing prophylactic and therapeutic interventions to combat the COVID-19 crisis, with a focus on antibody-based therapies targeting the viral spike protein, particularly monoclonal antibodies.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL MACROMOLECULES
(2021)
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)
Review
Genetics & Heredity
Tim R. Mercer, Marc Salit
Summary: The assembly and publication of the SARS-CoV-2 genome in January 2020 allowed for immediate development of tests and led to the largest global testing programme in history. Despite efforts to control the spread, widespread community transmission of the virus has become entrenched in many countries, necessitating population-scale testing to identify and isolate infected individuals. Testing plays a crucial role in the response to the COVID-19 pandemic and is likely to continue to be vital in public health.
NATURE REVIEWS GENETICS
(2021)
Article
Immunology
Vipul Kumar, Sahil Kumar, Prabodh Chander Sharma
Summary: The COVID-19 pandemic has caused devastating damage to public health, lives, and the global economy. The scientific community is under pressure to develop vaccines and medications to combat the virus. However, it is unlikely that a vaccine will be available until September 2020 due to the need for careful validation of effectiveness and safety, especially for high-risk populations. This review summarizes the current initiatives and challenges in COVID-19 vaccine development, as well as the approved, phase-3, and pre-clinical trials of COVID-19 vaccines in different countries.
INTERNATIONAL IMMUNOPHARMACOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Medicine, Research & Experimental
Riccardo Levi, Elena Azzolini, Chiara Pozzi, Leonardo Ubaldi, Michele Lagioia, Alberto Mantovani, Maria Rescigno
Summary: A study showed that individuals with prior exposure to SARS-CoV-2 had a significant increase in antibody response within 5 to 18 days after receiving the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine. Symptomatic individuals reached a high titer of antibodies with just one dose, suggesting that a second dose may not be necessary.
JOURNAL OF CLINICAL INVESTIGATION
(2021)
Review
Immunology
Ariane Laguila Altoe, Anna PaulaMarques Mambriz, Daniela Maira Cardozo, Joana MairaValentini Zacarias, Jeane Eliete Laguila Visentainer, Larissa Danielle Bahls-Pinto
Summary: The COVID-19 pandemic has posed significant challenges to the healthcare of pregnant women. Increasing evidence suggests that pregnant women are at higher risk of severe outcomes from COVID-19, as well as the potential risk to the fetus. Vaccination during pregnancy is crucial in protecting both the mother and the newborn, as maternal antibodies can be transmitted through the placenta and breastfeeding. However, many questions regarding the immunity transfer, duration, and optimal timing of vaccination in pregnancy remain unanswered.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2022)
Review
Medicine, General & Internal
Rosanna W. Peeling, David L. Heymann, Yik-Ying Teo, Patricia J. Garcia
Summary: Diagnostics play a crucial role in the response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Molecular tests like PCR are recommended for confirming diagnosis in symptomatic individuals, while antigen rapid detection tests have the advantage of being easier to perform with faster results and lower cost. Antibody tests can inform public policy but should not be used as proof of immunity. All three types of tests continue to be important in transitioning from pandemic response to control.
Article
Infectious Diseases
Chang-Sheng Xia, Minghua Zhan, Yudong Liu, Zhi-Hong Yue, Ying Song, Feifei Zhang, Hui Wang
Summary: This study assessed the levels of protective antibodies in SARS survivors with and without the COVID-19 vaccine, and found that SARS survivors have protective antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 even without vaccination, and generate a stronger antibody response after vaccination compared to controls.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ANTIMICROBIAL AGENTS
(2023)
Review
Medicine, General & Internal
Sudhvir Singh, Christine Mcnab, Rose McKeon Olson, Nellie Bristol, Cody Nolan, Elin Bergstrom, Michael Bartos, Shunsuke Mabuchi, Raj Panjabi, Abraar Karan, Salma M. Abdalla, Mathias Bonk, Margaret Jamieson, George K. Werner, Anders Nordstrom, Helena Legido-Quigley, Alexandra Phelan
Summary: The independent panel has conducted a retrospective analysis of events, actions, and recommendations during the outbreak from late 2019 to early 2020, revealing both rapid responses and areas where improvements could have been made. Furthermore, countries with previous experience in handling similar outbreaks were more successful in containing the virus at the initial stage.
Article
Engineering, Multidisciplinary
Muhammad Asif Rasheed, Sohail Raza, Ali Zohaib, Muhammad Ilyas Riaz, Amina Amin, Muhammad Awais, Sami Ullah Khan, M. Ijaz Khan, Yu-Ming Chu
Summary: The emergence of SARS-CoV-2 in December 2019 in Wuhan has led to a global pandemic. Developing therapeutic agents and vaccines to combat this virus is crucial. This study utilizes bioinformatics to predict B and T cell epitopes of the SARS-CoV-2 spike glycoprotein, potentially leading to a candidate vaccine after further confirmation through immunological assays.
ALEXANDRIA ENGINEERING JOURNAL
(2021)
Review
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Dermot Cox
Summary: COVID-19 is more than pneumonia, with associated coagulopathy and multi-organ failure. Platelet activation and thrombosis are major factors in poor prognosis, and therapeutics targeting the platelet-SARS-CoV-2 interaction have potential in treating COVID-19 and other virus infections.
FRONTIERS IN PHARMACOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Microbiology
Jesus Horacio Lara-Puente, Juan Manuel Carreno, Weina Sun, Alejandro Suarez-Martinez, Luis Ramirez-Martinez, Francisco Quezada-Monroy, Georgina Paz-De la Rosa, Rosalia Vigueras-Moreno, Gagandeep Singh, Oscar Rojas-Martinez, Hector Elias Chagoya-Cortes, David Sarfati-Mizrahi, Ernesto Soto-Priante, Constantino Lopez-Macias, Florian Krammer, Felipa Castro-Peralta, Peter Palese, Adolfo Garcia-Sastre, Bernardo Lozano-Dubernard
Summary: The study tested a second-generation SARS-CoV-2 vaccine that can be administered intranasally, showing both safety and high immunogenicity in a pig model. The vaccine can induce immune responses to variants of the virus, whether administered intranasally or intramuscularly.
Article
Immunology
Hailong Qi, Zhongjie Sun, Yanling Yao, Ligong Chen, Xuncheng Su
Summary: This study presents a targeted strategy for improved COVID-19 vaccine design using type 1 conventional dendritic (cDC1) cells. By fusing the S protein with the Xcl1 gene, the expressed S protein can be delivered to cDC1 cells, resulting in stronger immune responses and neutralizing activity against SARS-CoV-2 in a mouse model. These findings suggest that Xcl1 serves as a potential molecular adjuvant for SARS-CoV-2 vaccines.
Article
Infectious Diseases
Shifeng Xiao, Shao Wang, Dandan Jiang, Xiaoxia Cheng, Xiaoli Zhu, Fengqiang Lin, Bo Yu, Hui Dong, Xiuzhen Wang, Muhammad Munir, Mohammed A. Rohaim, Shilong Chen, Shaoying Chen
Summary: A novel virus-like particle (VLP)-based vaccine targeting Duckling short beak and dwarfism syndrome virus (SBDSV) was developed and shown to have promising protective efficacy against SBDS, providing a potential approach for controlling the disease.
TRANSBOUNDARY AND EMERGING DISEASES
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Iqbal M. I. Ismail, Muhammad Imtiaz Rashid, Nadeem Ali, Bothinah Abdullah Saeed Altaf, Muhammad Munir
Summary: The study found that meteorological and air quality factors are related to COVID-19 infections and deaths, with temperature and relative humidity being the main variables affecting daily infections and deaths, while air quality indicators have linear relationships with the number of infections and deaths.
ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH
(2022)
Review
Virology
Emily Clayton, Jacob Ackerley, Marianne Aelmans, Noor Ali, Zoe Ashcroft, Clara Ashton, Robert Barker, Vakare Budryte, Callum Burrows, Shanshan Cai, Alex Callaghan, Jake Carberry, Rebecca Chatwin, Isabella Davies, Chloe Farlow, Samuel Gamblin, Aida Iacobut, Adam Lambe, Francesca Lynch, Diana Mihalache, Amani Mokbel, Santosh Potamsetty, Zara Qadir, Jack Soden, Xiaohan Sun, Alexandru Vasile, Otto Wheeler, Mohammed A. Rohaim, Muhammad Munir
Summary: This study examines the interaction between the spike protein of SARS-CoV-2 and its receptor ACE2, focusing on the structural basis of viral spread in animal hosts. The findings provide important insights into the persistence of the virus in animals and its implications for the eradication of COVID-19.
Article
Immunology
Julianne Vilela, Mohammed A. Rohaim, Muhammad Munir
Summary: Avian orthoavulaviruses type-1 (AOaV-1) have transitioned into a vaccine delivery vehicle in human, offering an attractive vaccine against respiratory pathogens due to its induction of robust immune responses in mucus membranes. The unique features of AOaVs include long safety profile, stable expression of foreign genes, high infectivity rates, broad host spectrum, limited possibility of recombination, and lack of pre-existing immunity in humans. AOaVs vectors also allow economical production of vaccine antigen. This review explores the biology of AOaVs, their potential as vaccines for veterinary and medical viral pathogens, as well as their limitations and suggested mitigation strategies.
Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Muhammad Munir, Thomas Smith, Mohammed A. Rohaim
Summary: This study analyzes the gene regulation patterns of multiple respiratory viruses, highlighting the highest correlation between SARS-CoV-2 and RSV. Specific genes, such as MAP2K5 and NFKBIL1, are highly upregulated in SARS-CoV-2 infection. The findings provide foundational data for understanding respiratory viral infections and identifying potential targets for antiviral therapy.
MOLECULAR AND CELLULAR PROBES
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Lisha Guo, Faryar Zafar, Nawal Moeen, Fahad M. Alshabrmi, Junqi Lin, Syed Shujait Ali, Muhammad Munir, Abbas Khan, Dongqing Wei
Summary: The study utilized structure-based methods to target the RBD of the recombinant variant of SARS-CoV-2 and identified four potential lead molecules. These molecules blocked key residues and exhibited favorable structural dynamic features. Each molecule demonstrated a different strategy for interaction with and inhibition of the RBD. Further validation of these compounds as potential drugs is necessary.
Article
Immunology
Valeria Gerardi, Mohammed A. Rohaim, Rania F. El Naggar, Mustafa O. Atasoy, Muhammad Munir
Summary: The emergence of the Omicron variant underscores the importance of understanding the impact of SARS-CoV-2 evolution on vaccine effectiveness. Deep structural and genetic analysis of Omicron sub-variants revealed multiple mutations in the receptor-binding domain that may result in antibody escape and increased affinity to hACE2. The findings highlight critical mutation areas for the future design and development of COVID-19 vaccines.
Article
Veterinary Sciences
Charlie F. Amoia, Jean N. Hakizimana, Nisha K. Duggal, Augustino A. Chengula, Mohammed A. Rohaim, Muhammad Munir, James Weger-Lucarelli, Gerald Misinzo
Summary: The genetic nature of currently circulating Newcastle disease virus (NDV) genotypes in backyard poultry flocks in East Africa is poorly understood. This study characterized the NDV genotypes in Tanzania and found that subgenotype VII.2 is the predominant strain in the region. This information is important for the design of vaccines and disease control efforts.
VETERINARY SCIENCES
(2023)