Review
Microbiology
Sania Batool, Santosh Chokkakula, Min-Suk Song
Summary: Influenza infection is a serious health concern due to the constant mutation and recombination of the influenza virus. This makes it difficult to eliminate the disease and treatment challenging. Combination therapy with multiple antivirals or immunomodulators is considered the best strategy for effectively treating influenza infection. This review discusses the current options for combination therapy, their performance, and the limitations imposed by drug resistance.
Review
Plant Sciences
Lakshmaiah Manjunatha, Hosahatti Rajashekara, Leela Saisree Uppala, Dasannanamalige Siddesh Ambika, Balanagouda Patil, Kodegandlu Subbanna Shankarappa, Vishnu Sukumari Nath, Tiptur Rooplanaik Kavitha, Ajay Kumar Mishra
Summary: Plant viral diseases are a major constraint for agricultural and horticultural crops, causing significant yield losses worldwide. Conventional methods are insufficient in eliminating viral load in infected plants. Identifying promising and sustainable management strategies for economically important plant viral diseases is critical. This review highlights the importance of using ribonucleases, beneficial microbial organisms, and defensive substances to suppress viral infection.
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Julia M. Smyk, Natalia Szydlowska, Weronika Szulc, Anna Majewska
Summary: Viral evolution refers to the genetic changes that a virus accumulates during its lifetime, and influenza A virus is known for its rapid evolution. This evolution can lead to significant changes in the virus's biological properties, such as virulence and adaptation to new hosts, and even the emergence of previously unknown infectious diseases. Genetic variability makes it challenging to implement effective prophylactic programs and may result in antiviral drug resistance. Continuous monitoring of viral evolution and drug effectiveness is crucial.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Veterinary Sciences
Chengzhi Yu, Yayu Huang, Xin Ren, Leqiang Sun
Summary: In this study, antiviral active ingredients were extracted from medicinal and edible plants to prepare a drug called Ren's oligopeptide through biotransformation and enzymatic hydrolysis. The analysis showed that Ren's oligopeptide could inhibit the replication of influenza virus and SARS-CoV-2 virus with high antiviral activities. In vitro experiments demonstrated that the antiviral activity of Ren's oligopeptide mainly targeted the replication process after virus enters the cell. Therefore, Ren's oligopeptide is a promising drug against influenza and COVID-19.
FRONTIERS IN VETERINARY SCIENCE
(2023)
Review
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Josef Jampilek
Summary: Infections pose an escalating global threat due to the alarming rise in resistant microbial pathogens. This review summarizes the causes of antimicrobial resistance, discusses various approaches to the discovery of new anti-infective drugs, and focuses on the strategy of drug repurposing, offering critical remarks on the repurposing of non-antibiotics. A comprehensive overview of drugs tested for their antimicrobial activity is provided to support existing anti-infective therapeutics.
DRUG DISCOVERY TODAY
(2022)
Review
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Chuanfeng Liu, Lide Hu, Guanyu Dong, Ying Zhang, Edeildo Ferreira da Silva-Junior, Xinyong Liu, Luis Menendez- Arias, Peng Zhan
Summary: Influenza is a respiratory infection caused by influenza viruses, resulting in millions of severe cases and deaths each year. The frequent mutations and resistance to antiviral drugs make it necessary to develop efficient drugs against different strains of influenza. This review summarizes strategies for discovering and developing antiviral agents targeting multiple strains of influenza, including drug design based on structure, mechanism, multivalent interaction, and repurposing.
ACTA PHARMACEUTICA SINICA B
(2023)
Review
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Bilal Javed, Muhammad Ikram, Fatima Farooq, Tahira Sultana, Zia-ur-Rehman Mashwani, Naveed Iqbal Raja
Summary: The green synthesis of silver nanoparticles using plant secondary metabolites offers advantages over conventional physical and chemical methods due to one-step experimental setup, biocompatibility, and therapeutic significance. Understanding the impact of reaction parameters on the synthesis process can help control the size, shape, and biochemical properties of nanoparticles, paving the way for personalized treatment approaches and healthcare advancements.
APPLIED MICROBIOLOGY AND BIOTECHNOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Medicinal
Avishak Sarker, Zichen Gu, Lu Mao, Yongzhuang Ge, Duoduo Hou, Jieyu Fang, Zhanyong Wei, Zhenya Wang
Summary: Influenza is a century-old disease that poses challenges to humans due to its mutating nature, seasonal epidemics, and occasional pandemics. The limited effectiveness of strain-specific vaccines and the growing drug resistance to anti-influenza drugs call for the development of novel drugs with broad reactivity, higher bioavailability, easier administration, and fewer side effects.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF MEDICINAL CHEMISTRY
(2022)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Cindy Mayerli Arevalo, Nataly Cruz-Rodriguez, Sandra Quijano, Susana Fiorentino
Summary: Leukemic cells develop resistance to treatment through complex and multifactorial mechanisms, including metabolic alterations. The use of metabolic modulators has been proposed for decades but has not been established in clinical practice. Natural products, particularly botanical drugs, can regulate tumor metabolism and counteract resistance to chemotherapy in hematopoietic tumors. This review discusses the recent findings on metabolic reprogramming in leukemic cells, its role in treatment resistance, modulation of the tumor microenvironment, and evasion of immune response, as well as how plant-derived extracts can modulate metabolism and activate the antitumor immune system.
FRONTIERS IN MOLECULAR BIOSCIENCES
(2023)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Manu Kumar, Sandeep Kumar Singh, Prem Pratap Singh, Vipin Kumar Singh, Avinash Chandra Rai, Akhileshwar Kumar Srivastava, Livleen Shukla, Mahipal Singh Kesawat, Atul Kumar Jaiswal, Sang-Min Chung, Ajay Kumar
Summary: Tuberculosis is a progressive disease with high mortality rates, hindered by drug resistance of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Plant-derived secondary metabolites are being explored for their potential in developing anti-TB drugs targeting the action site of the bacteria. Computational approaches can play a significant role in screening these plant metabolites against tuberculosis virulence for drug design.
Article
Virology
Aleksandr Ianevski, Rouan Yao, Eva Zusinaite, Hilde Lysvand, Valentyn Oksenych, Tanel Tenson, Magnar Bjoras, Denis Kainov
Summary: The study suggests that commonly prescribed drugs can affect host responses to FLUAV infection, potentially contributing to increased morbidity and mortality among patients with influenza virus infections.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Hanaa S. Hussein, Mohamed Z. M. Salem, Ahmed M. Soliman, Sahar E. Eldesouky
Summary: Investigating the properties of plant-derived extracts on economic pests can help find innovative eco-friendly pest control agents. This study evaluated the effects of Magnolia grandiflora, Schinus terebinthifolius, and Salix babylonica extracts on Spodoptera littoralis, and found that the S. terebinthifolius extract showed highly toxic effects on larvae and eggs. The study also found that the residual toxicity of the tested extracts gradually decreased over time compared to the reference insecticide novaluron.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2023)
Review
Endocrinology & Metabolism
Dongmei Wang, Jieying Liu, Liyuan Zhou, Qian Zhang, Ming Li, Xinhua Xiao
Summary: Type 2 diabetes is associated with gut microbiota dysbiosis and disturbed microbial metabolites, and oral glucose-lowering drugs may improve host health by modifying the gut microbiome and gastrointestinal metabolites. Understanding how antidiabetic agents shape the gut microbiome is crucial for optimizing treatment and guiding probiotic therapy.
FRONTIERS IN ENDOCRINOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biophysics
Hyeran Kim, Hyunju Kang, Hye-Nan Kim, Hongki Kim, Jeong Moon, Kyeonghye Guk, Hwangseo Park, Dongeun Yong, Pan Kee Bae, Hyun Gyu Park, Eun-Kyung Lim, Taejoon Kang, Juyeon Jung
Summary: The study introduces a novel antibody, 6E3, which can recognize and bind to drug-resistant pH1N1 influenza virus, demonstrating its specificity through various methods. The study also shows that the SERS detection method mediated by this antibody can detect drug-resistant influenza virus at a low concentration. Therefore, this approach is expected to be applied in the diagnosis of drug-resistant influenza viruses and improvement of treatment strategies for influenza patients.
BIOSENSORS & BIOELECTRONICS
(2021)
Article
Microbiology
Lingdi Zhang, Jahan Rahman, Matthew Chung, Lauren Lashua, Aubree Gordon, Angel Balmaseda, Guillermina Kuan, Richard Bonneau, Elodie Ghedin
Summary: Based on the analysis of household samples, we found that metagenomic-type analyses of the microbiome can track the transmission of airway bacteria. Microbial communities were more similar between individuals who cohabit in the same household than between individuals from different households. Sharing of bacteria from the airways increased in households with influenza infections compared to control households. However, due to the limited number of households in our study, we could not determine if there was a correlation between increased bacterial transmission and influenza infection.
Article
Microbiology
Song Wang, Ning Jiang, Wenhao Shi, Hang Yin, Xiaojuan Chi, Yanhui Xie, Jingyun Hu, Yanwei Zhang, Huangping Li, Ji-Long Chen
Summary: This study using a mouse model revealed that co-infection of H9N2 AIV and E. coli leads to more severe lung lesions and a cytokine storm, increasing harm to the host. Co-infection also increases pathogen loads and significantly enhances NOS2 expression, promoting rapid bacterial proliferation.
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Immunology
Yuhai Chen, Jiayue Hu, Shasha Liu, Biao Chen, Meng Xiao, Yingying Li, Yuan Liao, Kul Raj Rai, Zhonghui Zhao, Jing Ouyang, Qidong Pan, Lianfeng Zhang, Shile Huang, Ji-Long Chen
Summary: RDUR is a newly identified lncRNA induced by IAV and is involved in regulating viral replication by upregulating the expression of key antiviral molecules. Additionally, RDUR can also modulate the NF-kappa B pathway to prevent excessive inflammatory responses to viral infection.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Ziqian Wang, Zhixiang Xiao, Chi-Yung Tam, Weijuan Pan, Jilong Chen, Chenxi Hu, Chao Ren, Wei Wei, Song Yang
Summary: The impacts of urbanization and climate change on the thermal environment in July over the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area are projected in the near future. Both factors contribute to temperature rise, with climate change intensifying human discomfort. Urbanization leads to more comfortable daytime conditions but uncomfortable nighttime, while climate change significantly increases the Humidex throughout the day. Urbanization plays a smaller role in intensifying human discomfort compared to climate change.
Article
Virology
Meng Xiao, Yuhai Chen, Song Wang, Shasha Liu, Kul Raj Rai, Biao Chen, Fang Li, Yingying Li, Mohamed Maarouf, Ji-Long Chen
Summary: The study identified a lncRNA named IFITM4P, transcribed from a pseudogene, which acts as a positive regulator of innate antiviral immunity by positively influencing the mRNA levels of IFITM family members through interferon signaling. Additionally, IFITM4P was found to be targeted by miR-24-3p and functioned as a competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) to enhance the stability of IFITM mRNAs and inhibit IAV replication.
JOURNAL OF VIROLOGY
(2021)
Review
Microbiology
Lei Wu, Bincai Yang, Xu Yuan, Jinxuan Hong, Min Peng, Ji-Long Chen, Zhongbao Song
Summary: African swine fever is a deadly viral disease that poses a huge threat to the global pig industry. The virus regulates host immune response through various mechanisms, including interferon modulation, inflammation, apoptosis, antigen presentation, and cellular immunity.
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Immunology
Ji-Long Chen, Jennifer Y. Barr, Jonathan J. Zuk, Jacob Gorman, John D. Colgan
Summary: ITK, a nonreceptor tyrosine kinase, plays a crucial role in the T cell receptor signaling pathway by restraining signal amplitude and regulating responses by CD4+ T cells.
IMMUNOLOGICAL INVESTIGATIONS
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Yun Ma, Guijie Guo, Tingting Li, Faxin Wen, Jianling Yang, Biao Chen, Xuefei Wang, Ji-Long Chen
Summary: The study reveals that lncRNA-IUR1 plays an inhibitory role in Abl-mediated cellular transformation, providing new insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying Abl-induced leukemogenesis.
Article
Virology
Yingying Li, Shasha Liu, Yuhai Chen, Biao Chen, Meng Xiao, Bincai Yang, Kul Raj Rai, Mohamed Maarouf, Guijie Guo, Ji-Long Chen
Summary: Innate immunity must be tightly controlled to eliminate invading pathogens while avoiding autoimmune or inflammatory diseases. Syk is essential for STAT1 activation at the early stage of IAV infection, but suppresses innate immunity during late phases of IAV infection and thereby promotes IAV replication. Syk deficiency enhances the expression of type I and III interferons, inhibits IAV replication, and renders mice more resistant to IAV infection. Syk impairs innate immune signaling through impeding TBK1 activation.
JOURNAL OF VIROLOGY
(2022)
Article
Virology
Jinxuan Hong, Xiaojuan Chi, Xu Yuan, Faxin Wen, Kul Raj Rai, Lei Wu, Zhongbao Song, Song Wang, Guijie Guo, Ji-Long Chen
Summary: This study reveals that the ASFV I226R protein impairs the antiviral response by suppressing the activation of NF-kappa B and IRF3, leading to a decrease in interferon expression and interferon-stimulating gene expression.
Article
Virology
Quanming Xu, Yongyi Zhang, Wen Sun, Hong Chen, Dewen Zhu, Chang Lu, Yuanyuan Yin, Kul Raj Rai, Ji-Long Chen, Ye Chen
Summary: This study identified a newly emerging genotype, PCV2e, circulating in southern China, highlighting the need for urgent surveillance and control strategies.
Article
Veterinary Sciences
Chunyu Li, Yijie Ma, Zifeng Cai, Qianhui Wan, Shimao Tian, Hongxia Ning, Song Wang, Ji-long Chen, Guihong Yang
Summary: This study revealed that hosts treated with neuropeptide S are more susceptible to pseudorabies virus infection and mediate the pathogenesis of the virus.
RESEARCH IN VETERINARY SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Kul Raj Rai, Yuan Liao, Mengjuan Cai, Haori Qiu, Faxin Wen, Min Peng, Song Wang, Shasha Liu, Guijie Guo, Xiaojuan Chi, Mohamed Maarouf, Yuhai Chen, Shile Huang, Ji-Long Chen
Summary: In this study, lncRNA-155KO mice lacking most of the lncRNA-155 sequences were found to be more susceptible to influenza virus or pseudorabies virus infection compared to miRNA-155KO mice. The loss of lncRNA-155 resulted in faster body weight loss, poorer survival, and higher viral load. The findings suggest the involvement of lncRNA-155 in regulating viral pathogenesis in addition to miRNA-155. miRNA-155-deleted lncRNA-155 significantly attenuated the viral infection.
Article
Immunology
Xinxin Li, Siya Liu, Kul Raj Rai, Wenzhuo Zhou, Song Wang, Xiaojuan Chi, Guijie Guo, Ji-Long Chen, Shasha Liu
Summary: STAT2, an important transcription factor, is phosphorylated upon viral infection by multiple viruses, including influenza A virus, in an early infection stage. This initial activation of STAT2 is regulated by the RIG-I/MAVS-dependent pathway and is independent of type I IFNs and JAK kinases. Inhibition of STAT2 phosphorylation at Tyr690 compromises antiviral response and facilitates viral replication. MAPK12 and Syk kinases are involved in the early phosphorylation of STAT2 triggered by influenza A virus infection. Inhibition of MAPK12 accelerates influenza virus replication in host.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Yanwei Zhang, Xiaojuan Chi, Jingyun Hu, Shulin Wang, Senhong Zhao, Yanan Mao, Benqun Peng, Jilong Chen, Song Wang
Summary: Studies have shown that the long noncoding RNA LINC02574 is induced by influenza A virus (IAV) infection and plays a crucial role in inhibiting IAV replication. The expression of LINC02574 is stimulated by viral genomic RNA, poly (I:C), or interferons (IFNs) through the RIG-I-dependent interferon signaling pathway. Knockdown of LINC02574 impairs the expression of type I and type III IFNs, multiple ISGs, and the activation of STAT1 triggered by IAV infection, indicating that LINC02574 positively regulates the innate immune response.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Review
Virology
Mohamed Maarouf, Lulu Wang, Yiming Wang, Kul Raj Rai, Yuhai Chen, Min Fang, Ji-Long Chen
Summary: circRNAs are abundant and highly stable non-coding RNAs in eukaryotic cells, and they play critical roles in regulating viral infection and replication. They can regulate gene expression through microRNA and protein sponging, as well as encoding small polypeptides. Due to their stability and low immunogenicity, circRNAs also have potential applications in diagnosis, prognosis, RNA vaccines, and antiviral therapy.
