Therapeutics and Prevention
Minireview | Therapeutics and PreventionDesigning the Next Generation of Vaccines: Relevance for Future PandemicsThe development of vaccines is one of the greatest medical interventions in the history of global infectious diseases and has contributed to the annual saving of at least 2 to 3 million lives worldwide. However, many diseases are not preventable through currently available vaccines, and the potential of modulating the immune response during vaccination has not been fully exploited.
Research Article | Therapeutics and PreventionH1 Hemagglutinin Priming Provides Long-Lasting Heterosubtypic Immunity against H5N1 Challenge in the Mouse ModelCurrent studies point out that an HA-mediated immunological imprint is established early in life during the first exposure to influenza viruses, which critically shapes and biases future immune responses. However, these findings have not been confirmed in animal models, and the precise mechanisms of this phenomenon are not clearly understood.
Research Article | Therapeutics and PreventionThe Bactericidal Fatty Acid Mimetic 2CCA-1 Selectively Targets Pneumococcal Extracellular Polyunsaturated Fatty Acid MetabolismFatty acid biosynthesis is an attractive antibiotic target, as it affects the supply of membrane phospholipid building blocks. In Streptococcus pneumoniae, it is not sufficient to target only the endogenous fatty acid synthesis machinery, as uptake of host fatty acids may bypass this inhibition.
Research Article | Therapeutics and PreventionStapled Peptides Based on Human Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme 2 (ACE2) Potently Inhibit SARS-CoV-2 Infection In VitroSARS-CoV-2 is a novel virus with many unknowns. No vaccine or specific therapy is available yet to prevent and treat this deadly virus.
Research Article | Therapeutics and PreventionAnalysis of Measles-Mumps-Rubella (MMR) Titers of Recovered COVID-19 PatientsCOVID-19 has presented various paradoxes that, if understood better, may provide clues to controlling the pandemic, even before a COVID-19 vaccine is widely available. First, young children are largely spared from severe disease. Second, numerous countries have COVID-19 death rates that are as low as 1% of the death rates of other countries. Third, many people, despite prolonged close contact with someone who is COVID-19 positive, never...
Research Article | Therapeutics and PreventionA Targeted Computational Screen of the SWEETLEAD Database Reveals FDA-Approved Compounds with Anti-Dengue Viral ActivityNo antiviral therapeutics are currently available for dengue virus infections. By computationally overlaying the three-dimensional (3D) chemical structures of compounds known to inhibit dengue virus over those of compounds known to be safe in humans, we identified three FDA-approved compounds that are attractive candidates for repurposing as antivirals. We identified targets for two previously identified antiviral compounds and revealed...
Research Article | Therapeutics and PreventionIn Vivo Emergence of a Novel Protease Inhibitor Resistance Signature in HIV-1 MatrixProtease inhibitors (PIs) are the second- and last-line therapy for the majority of HIV-infected patients worldwide. Only around 20% of individuals who fail PI regimens develop major resistance mutations in protease. We sought to explore the role of mutations in gag-pro genotypic and phenotypic changes in viruses from six Nigerian patients who failed PI-based regimens without known drug resistance-associated protease...
Minireview | Therapeutics and PreventionAntimicrobial Peptides: a New Frontier in Antifungal TherapyInvasive fungal infections in humans are generally associated with high mortality, making the choice of antifungal drug crucial for the outcome of the patient. The limited spectrum of antifungals available and the development of drug resistance represent the main concerns for the current antifungal treatments, requiring alternative strategies. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), expressed in several organisms and used as first-line defenses...
Research Article | Therapeutics and PreventionAccurate Diagnosis of COVID-19 by a Novel Immunogenic Secreted SARS-CoV-2 orf8 ProteinCurrent commercially available serological tests for COVID-19 patients are detecting antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 nucleoprotein and spike glycoprotein. The antinucleoprotein and antispike antibodies can be accurately detected in patients during the mid or late stage of infection, and therefore, these assays have not been widely used for early diagnosis of COVID-19. In this study, we characterized the secretory property of a SARS-CoV-2...
Editor's Pick Research Article | Therapeutics and PreventionInhibition of Coronavirus Entry In Vitro and Ex Vivo by a Lipid-Conjugated Peptide Derived from the SARS-CoV-2 Spike Glycoprotein HRC DomainSARS-CoV-2, the causative agent of COVID-19, continues to spread globally, placing strain on health care systems and resulting in rapidly increasing numbers of cases and mortalities. Despite the growing need for medical intervention, no FDA-approved vaccines are yet available, and treatment has been limited to supportive therapy for the alleviation of symptoms. Entry inhibitors could fill the important role of preventing initial...