Article
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Penglei Jiang, Hongyu Jia, Xinyue Qian, Tian Tang, Yingli Han, Zhaoru Zhang, Lingli Jiang, Zebin Yu, Lin Zheng, Guodong Yu, Huan Cai, Shanyan Zhang, Xiaoli Zhang, Jueqing Gu, Chanyuan Ye, Lisha Yang, Yingfeng Lu, Heng Liu, Xiaoqing Lu, Ciliang Jin, Yue Ren, Miaomiao Lu, Lingling Xu, Jiong Yu, Xi Jin, Yida Yang, Pengxu Qian
Summary: This study used single-cell RNA sequencing to investigate the transcriptomic landscape of peripheral immune cells in CHB patients before and after PegIFN-alpha therapy. The study identified specific cell subsets associated with CHB and found that PegIFN-alpha treatment could decrease hyperactivated monocytes, increase long-lived naive/memory T cells, and enhance effector T cell cytotoxicity. Furthermore, the treatment altered the transcriptional profiles of immune cells and enhanced innate antiviral response.
Article
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Gulce Sari, Claudia E. Mulders, Jingting Zhu, Gertine W. van Oord, Zongdi Feng, Jolanda J. C. Kreeft-Voermans, Andre Boonstra, Thomas Vanwolleghem
Summary: PegIFN lambda is well tolerated in mice and leads to clearance of a persistent HEV infection in liver-humanized mice. The study found that human liver cells express the IFN lambda receptor and are responsive to pegIFN lambda. Dose escalation studies showed that a dose of 0.3 mg/kg pegIFN lambda treatment resulted in complete clearance of HEV antigen and HEV RNA from the liver in 8 out of 9 liver-humanized mice, demonstrating the potential efficacy of pegIFN lambda in treating chronic HEV infections.
LIVER INTERNATIONAL
(2021)
Article
Immunology
Michelle Z. Fang, Sarah S. Jackson, Ruth M. Pfeiffer, Eun-Young Kim, Sabrina Chen, Shehnaz K. Hussain, Lisa P. Jacobson, Jeremy Martinson, Ludmila Prokunina-Olsson, Chloe L. Thio, Priya Duggal, Steven Wolinsky, Thomas R. O'Brien
Summary: This study examined the association between IFNL4 genotype and the incidence of opportunistic infections (OIs) and cancers. The analysis of 2310 men with HIV showed no significant association between IFNL4 genotype and the incidence of Kaposi sarcoma, cytomegalovirus infection, herpes simplex virus infection, or any other OI/cancer.
CLINICAL INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2023)
Review
Virology
Laura A. Novotny, John Grayson Evans, Lishan Su, Haitao Guo, Eric G. Meissner
Summary: Chronic hepatitis B virus infection is a major global health issue, with current approved treatments having limited efficacy. New therapeutics, such as Lambda interferons, are urgently needed to improve clinical outcomes for patients with chronic HBV infection.
Editorial Material
Virology
Syeda Kanza Kazmi, Fatima Muhammad Asad Khan, Valentino Natoli, Reem Hunain, Zarmina Islam, Ana Carla dos Santos Costa, Shoaib Ahmad, Mohammad Yasir Essar
Summary: Hepatitis is a significant cause of mortality worldwide, with around 1.34 million deaths annually. Africa is not immune to this issue, with an estimated 100 million individuals infected with Hepatitis B or C. The continent, already fragile, is further burdened by the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, which could potentially worsen the threat from viral diseases like Hepatitis. Strengthening prevention policies is essential for Africa to build resilience against such threats.
JOURNAL OF MEDICAL VIROLOGY
(2022)
Article
Immunology
Martin Hoenigl, Daniela Abramovitz, Ricardo E. Flores Ortega, Natasha K. Martin, Nancy Reau
Summary: HCV testing and treatment dropped by more than 30% in April 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and although HCV testing increased again later in 2020, HCV treatment rates did not recover.
CLINICAL INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2022)
Article
Virology
Yung-Ju Yeh, Ching-Ping Tseng, Sheng-Da Hsu, His -Yuan Huang, Michael M. C. Lai, Hsien-Da Huang, Ju-Chien Cheng
Summary: MicroRNA let-7b is induced by HCV infection and directly targets the HCV genome to regulate HCV replication. Through targeting negative regulators of IFN signaling, let-7b enhances IFN expression and signaling to limit HCV replication in the early stage of infection. This study sheds new insight into the role of let-7b in combating HCV infection and understanding the initial defense mechanisms against RNA viruses.
JOURNAL OF VIROLOGY
(2021)
Article
Immunology
Shu-Ming Chou, Hsing-Jung Yeh, Tzu-Min Lin, Yu-Sheng Chang, Hui-Ching Hsu, Yu-Chuan Shen, Tzu-Tung Kuo, Jin-Hua Chen, Shu-Chuan Chen, Chi-Ching Chang
Summary: This study found that the use of interferon-based therapy (IBT) in patients with HCV infection increased the risk of autoimmune thyroid diseases (Hashimoto's thyroiditis and Graves' disease), but did not have a significant impact on the overall and systemic autoimmune diseases risk.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Zhenfeng Zhang, Yi Ni, Florian A. Lempp, Lisa Walter, Pascal Mutz, Ralf Bartenschlager, Stephan Urban
Summary: This study reveals that interferons can efficiently suppress the spread of hepatitis D virus (HDV) through cell division. The HDV-induced interferon response and exogenous interferon treatment both inhibit cell division-mediated HDV spread and accelerate HDV RNA decay.
JOURNAL OF HEPATOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Alicja E. Grzegorzewska, Adrianna Mostowska, Monika K. Swiderska, Wojciech Marcinkowski, Ireneusz Stolarek, Marek Figlerowicz, Pawel P. Jagodzinski
Summary: In haemodialysis patients, the association of rs368234815 with spontaneous HCV clearance is better than that documented for other IFNL3/IFNL4 polymorphisms only in the additive mode of inheritance. However, identifying the homozygosity in the variant G allele of rs368234815 means a more potent prediction of persistent HCV infection in haemodialysis subjects than observed in the case of the variant homozygosity of other tested IFNL3/IFNL4 polymorphisms.
BMC INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2021)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Phumelele Yvonne Siphepho, Yi-Ting Liu, Ciniso Sylvester Shabangu, Jee-Fu Huang, Chung-Feng Huang, Ming-Lun Yeh, Ming-Lung Yu, Shu-Chi Wang
Summary: Metabolic derangement, particularly steatosis, is common in HCV-infected patients and may independently affect treatment outcomes. Genotype 3 HCV-infected patients have higher prevalence and severity of steatosis compared to other genotypes.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Beatriz Alvarez, Maria A. Navarrete-Munoz, Veronica Briz, Susana Olmedillas-Lopez, Sara Nistal, Alfonso Cabello, Laura Prieto, Miguel Gorgolas, Mariano Garcia-Arranz, Jose M. Benito, Norma Rallon
Summary: This study assessed the impact of HCV eradication on HIV-DNA content in HIV/HCV-coinfected patients treated with direct-acting antivirals. The results suggest that HCV does not influence the size of the HIV reservoir and that DAAs do not have an anti-HIV action.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2022)
Article
Immunology
Jeffrey R. Quinn, Ashish Goyal, Ruy M. Ribeiro, Guido Massaccesi, Justin R. Bailey, David L. Thomas, Ashwin Balagopal
Summary: This study provides the first evidence that ART reduces the intrahepatic burden of HCV and suggests that HIV affects the pathogenesis of HCV infection through an NK/NK T-cell-mediated mechanism that may involve HLA-E and can be rescued, at least in part, by ART.
Article
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Hou-Ying Cheng, Rey-Heng Hu, Chih-Yang Hsiao, Ming-Chih Ho, Yao-Ming Wu, Po-Huang Lee, Cheng-Maw Ho
Summary: This study aimed to investigate the survival outcomes of antiviral agents in patients with hepatitis C virus who underwent liver resection for primary hepatocellular carcinoma. The results showed that antiviral treatment can prolong overall survival, and DAAs may have a protective effect against hepatic decompensation.
JOURNAL OF GASTROENTEROLOGY AND HEPATOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Hongjian Yan, Wanli Sun, Jinjin Wang, Qiming Gao, Yawen Zhang, Yixin Wang, Shuang Chang, Peng Zhao
Summary: Epidemiologic investigations have found an increasing detection rate of avian hepatitis E virus (HEV) in chicken flocks in China. This study used recombinant HEV open reading frames (ORF2 and ORF3) proteins to prepare specific pathogen-free (SPF) chicken serum against HEV. An SPF chicken infection model was established and samples were collected at different ages to assess HEV load using a real-time PCR assay. The study observed the therapeutic effects of antibody and interferon application on blocking vertical HEV transmission. The results showed significant reduction in HEV positivity rate when type I interferon was used alone or in combination with antisera against ORF2 and ORF3.
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Adam Nadudvari, Jerzy Cabala, Leszek Marynowski, Mariola Jablonska, Maria Dziurowicz, Dariusz Malczewski, Barbara Kozielska, Piotr Siupka, Zofia Piotrowska-Seget, Bernd R. T. Simoneit, Miroslaw Szczyrba
Summary: This study aims to understand the formation of mineral and organic mercury compounds in self-heating coal waste dumps. The results show the presence of Hg sulfides and other metal sulfides in the waste. The high concentration of Hg leads to elevated MeHg concentrations. Organic compounds identified in the waste and emitted gases could be responsible for MeHg formation.
JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Lorenz Ulrich, Nico Joel Halwe, Adriano Taddeo, Nadine Ebert, Jacob Schoen, Christelle Devisme, Bettina Salome Trueb, Bernd Hoffmann, Manon Wider, Xiaoyu Fan, Meriem Bekliz, Manel Essaidi-Laziosi, Marie Luisa Schmidt, Daniela Niemeyer, Victor Max Corman, Anna Kraft, Aurelie Godel, Laura Laloli, Jenna N. Kelly, Brenda M. Calderon, Angele Breithaupt, Claudia Wylezich, Ines Berenguer Veiga, Mitra Gultom, Sarah Osman, Bin Zhou, Kenneth Adea, Benjamin Meyer, Christiane S. Eberhardt, Lisa Thomann, Monika Gsell, Fabien Labroussaa, Joerg Jores, Artur Summerfield, Christian Drosten, Isabella Anne Eckerle, David E. Wentworth, Ronald Dijkman, Donata Hoffmann, Volker Thiel, Martin Beer, Charaf Benarafa
Summary: Experimental assessments of major VOCs show that Alpha and Beta variants have a higher affinity for the human ACE2 receptor compared to the progenitor variant. Competition experiments demonstrate that Alpha has a clear fitness advantage over wt-S-614G in ferrets and mouse models.
Article
Virology
Birthe Reinecke, Nicola Frericks, Chris Lauber, Katja Dinkelborg, Alina Matthaei, Florian W. R. Vondran, Patrick Behrendt, Sibylle Haid, Richard J. P. Brown, Thomas Pietschmann
Summary: The liver is an immunoprivileged organ with enhanced resistance to immune responses. This study shows that CD302 contributes to liver cell-intrinsic defense against HCV and might mediate broader antiviral defenses against additional hepatotropic viruses.
JOURNAL OF VIROLOGY
(2022)
Article
Virology
Ronald Dijkman, Abhishek Kumar Verma, Muneeswaran Selvaraj, Roshan Ghimire, Hans Henrik Gad, Rune Hartmann, Sunil More, Stanley Perlman, Volker Thiel, Rudragouda Channappanavar
Summary: There is an urgent need for effective antiviral agents to prevent and treat SARS-CoV-2 and other emerging viral infections. IFN-lambda is a potential antiviral agent that can induce a strong endogenous antiviral state with low levels of inflammation. This study evaluated the protective efficacy and effective treatment regimen of IFN-lambda in mice infected with a lethal dose of MERS-CoV. The results showed that prophylactic and early therapeutic administration of IFN-lambda was protective, while delayed treatment was detrimental. The study highlights the prophylactic and therapeutic use of IFN-lambda against hCoV and other viral lung infections.
JOURNAL OF VIROLOGY
(2022)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Faris Lami, Maisa Elfadul, Hiba Rashak, Mohannad Al Nsour, Hashaam Akhtar, Yousef Khader, Ahmed M. Hussein, Mariam Naciri, Sahar Samy, Yasser Ghaleb, Hana Taha, Alaa Hussein, Nameer A. Ali, Raheem Hussein, Aamer Ikram, Fazal Ur Rahman, Mohammad Mujeeb Khan, Reema Adam, Abdulrazaq Yusuf Ahmed, Salma Afifi
Summary: This study assesses the severity and mortality patterns of COVID-19 in seven countries in the Eastern Mediterranean Region and identifies risk factors. The study concludes that comorbidities and demographic features significantly impact the severity and mortality of COVID-19.
JMIR PUBLIC HEALTH AND SURVEILLANCE
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Mitra Gultom, Annika Kratzel, Jasmine Portmann, Hanspeter Stalder, Astrid Chanfon Batzner, Hans Gantenbein, Corinne Gurtner, Nadine Ebert, Hans Henrik Gad, Rune Hartmann, Horst Posthaus, Patrik Zanolari, Stephanie Pfaender, Volker Thiel, Ronald Dijkman
Summary: This study successfully established a culture model that mimics camel airway epithelium and reflects MERS-CoV infection. The research found that MERS-CoV exhibits different cell tropism and replication kinetics in the camel model, and can be inhibited by interferons. This model will contribute to the understanding of MERS-CoV cross-species transmission in respiratory epithelium.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Caroline Neumann, Lena Lindtoft Rosenbaek, Rasmus Kock Flygaard, Michael Habeck, Jesper Lykkegaard Karlsen, Yong Wang, Kresten Lindorff-Larsen, Hans Henrik Gad, Rune Hartmann, Joseph Anthony Lyons, Robert A. Fenton, Poul Nissen
Summary: The sodium-potassium-chloride transporter NKCC1 is a crucial protein involved in ion uptake across plasma membranes. This study presents the cryo-electron microscopy structure of human NKCC1 and provides insights into its functional mechanism. The findings have implications for understanding the structure-function relationship of NKCC1 and other related proteins.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
G. Tuba Barut, Nico Joel Halwe, Adriano Taddeo, Jenna N. Kelly, Jacob Schoen, Nadine Ebert, Lorenz Ulrich, Christelle Devisme, Silvio Steiner, Bettina Salome Trueeb, Bernd Hoffmann, Ines Berenguer Veiga, Nathan Georges Francois Leborgne, Etori Aguiar Moreira, Angele Breithaupt, Claudia Wylezich, Dirk Hoeper, Kerstin Wernike, Aurelie Godel, Lisa Thomann, Vera Flueck, Hanspeter Stalder, Melanie Bruegger, Blandina I. Oliveira Esteves, Beatrice Zumkehr, Guillaume Beilleau, Annika Kratzel, Kimberly Schmied, Sarah Ochsenbein, Reto M. Lang, Manon Wider, Carlos Machahua, Patrick Dorn, Thomas M. Marti, Manuela Funke-Chambour, Andri Rauch, Marek Widera, Sandra Ciesek, Ronald Dijkman, Donata Hoffmann, Marco P. Alves, Charaf Benarafa, Martin Beer, Volker Thiel
Summary: A comprehensive characterization of Omicron-BA.1 and VOC Delta in various in vitro and in vivo models reveals the factors contributing to the global dominance of Omicron-BA.1. The spike gene plays a crucial role in the replication and pathogenicity of Omicron-BA.1, and spike gene-mediated immune evasion is another important factor that led to its dominance.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2022)
Review
Immunology
Amna Zafar, Raffia Arshad, Asim Ur Rehman, Naveed Ahmed, Hashaam Akhtar
Summary: Oral administration of vaccines is preferred, but it faces challenges such as denaturation, degradation, and poor absorption. Nanoparticles provide a solution by encapsulating vaccine components for stable and targeted delivery. This review explores different nanocarriers and approaches to enhance oral vaccine delivery.
Article
Microbiology
Yasmin Badshah, Maria Shabbir, Khushbukhat Khan, Hashaam Akhtar
Summary: This study analyzed the expression profiles of immune response genes in HEV infections and found high levels of CCL2, CCL5, CXCL10, CXCL16, TNF, IFNGR1, and SAMSN1 genes, which could lead to leukocyte recruitment and infected cell apoptosis.
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Louise Dalskov, Hans Henrik Gad, Rune Hartmann
Summary: Interferons are antiviral cytokines that are essential in the innate immune response to viral infections. They are produced and released by cells in response to viral stimuli, and induce the transcription of numerous genes in neighboring cells. These gene products either directly combat the viral infection or contribute to shaping the immune response.
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Michelle Mohlenberg, Peter Lykke Eriksen, Tea Lund Laursen, Mette Bak Nielsen, Stephen Jacques Hamilton Dutoit, Henning Gronbaek, Rune Hartmann, Karen Louise Thomsen
Summary: In this study, the relationship between innate immune mechanisms and fibrosis development in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) patients was investigated. It was found that the non-functional IFNL4 allele was overrepresented in patients with significant fibrosis. In addition, the potential protective role of interferon (IFN) in relation to liver fibrosis development in an animal model contradicted the previous hypothesis.
GENES AND IMMUNITY
(2022)
Review
Genetics & Heredity
Michelle Mohlenberg, Thomas R. O'Brien, Rune Hartmann
Summary: The genetic variation within the interferon lambda locus has a significant impact on the treatment and clearance of hepatitis C virus (HCV). This review summarizes the genetic data of IFNL3/IFNL4 loci and discusses the causality. It also explores the relationship between genetic variation at the IFNL4 loci and HCV virus evolution, as well as the influence of the IFNL4 gene on liver inflammation and fibrosis.
GENES AND IMMUNITY
(2022)
Article
Virology
Loic Borcard, Sonja Gempeler, Miguel A. Terrazos Miani, Christian Baumann, Carole Graedel, Ronald Dijkman, Franziska Suter-Riniker, Stephen L. Leib, Pascal Bittel, Stefan Neuenschwander, Alban Ramette
Summary: This study investigated whether the sequencing community adopted new primers to accurately sequence the Delta variant, with a focus on the spread of the Delta lineage. The results showed that there were incomplete sequencing regions in the stored Delta variant genome sequences, and simple PCR primer modifications were needed. However, further optimization and validation of the primers are required.
FRONTIERS IN VIROLOGY
(2022)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Cedric Hirzel, Denis Grandgirard, Bernard Surial, Manon F. Wider, David Leppert, Jens Kuhle, Laura N. Walti, Joerg C. Schefold, Thibaud Spinetti, Franziska Suter-Riniker, Ronald Dijkman, Stephen L. Leib
Summary: Severe COVID-19 is associated with increased levels of cytokines and subsequent neuronal injury as reflected by elevated levels of sNfL. Patients with severe disease develop higher levels of neutralizing antibodies and SARS-CoV-2-specific T cells. However, mounting a strong virus-specific humoral and cell-mediated immune response does not protect against neuro-axonal damage.
THERAPEUTIC ADVANCES IN NEUROLOGICAL DISORDERS
(2022)