More articles from Minireview
MinireviewReframing Nutritional Microbiota Studies To Reflect an Inherent Metabolic Flexibility of the Human Gut: a Narrative Review Focusing on High-Fat DietsThere is a broad consensus in nutritional-microbiota research that high-fat (HF) diets are harmful to human health, at least in part through their modulation of the gut microbiota. However, various studies also support the inherent flexibility of the human gut and our microbiota’s ability to adapt to a variety of food sources, suggesting a more nuanced picture.
MinireviewDetection of Pathogens and Regulation of Immunity by the Caenorhabditis elegans Nervous SystemAlthough Caenorhabditis elegans has been used as a model host for studying host-pathogen interactions for more than 20 years, the mechanisms by which it identifies pathogens are not well understood. This is largely due to its lack of most known pattern recognition receptors (PRRs) that recognize pathogen-derived molecules.
MinireviewThe Principles of Antibody Therapy for Infectious Diseases with Relevance for COVID-19Antibody therapies such as convalescent plasma and monoclonal antibodies have emerged as major potential therapeutics for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Immunoglobulins differ from conventional antimicrobial agents in that they mediate direct and indirect antimicrobial effects that work in concert with other components of the immune system.
Minireview | Host-Microbe BiologyCoronaviruses Associated with the Superfamily MusteloideaAmong the animal superfamily Musteloidea, which includes those commonly known as mustelids, naturally occurring and species-specific alphacoronavirus infections have been observed in both mink (Mustela vison/Neovison vison) and domestic ferrets (...
Minireview | Host-Microbe BiologySame Game, Different Players: Emerging Pathogens of the CF LungIncidences of non-tuberculosis mycobacteria (NTM) and Aspergillus fumigatus have increased around the world over the past decade and have become a significant health threat to immunocompromised individuals such as those with cystic fibrosis (CF). CF is characterized by the buildup of mucus in the lungs which become chronically infected by a myriad of pathogens.
...
Minireview | Host-Microbe BiologyPreserve a Voucher Specimen! The Critical Need for Integrating Natural History Collections in Infectious Disease StudiesDespite being nearly 10 months into the COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019) pandemic, the definitive animal host for SARS-CoV-2 (severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2), the causal agent of COVID-19, remains unknown. Unfortunately, similar problems exist for other betacoronaviruses, and no vouchered specimens exist to corroborate host species identification for most of these pathogens.
Minireview | Host-Microbe BiologyMechanisms of Attenuation by Genetic Recoding of VirusesThe development of safe and effective vaccines against viruses is central to disease control. With advancements in DNA synthesis technology, the production of synthetic viral genomes has fueled many research efforts that aim to generate attenuated viruses by introducing synonymous mutations.
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.
Minireview | Applied and Environmental ScienceIron Flocs and the Three Domains: Microbial Interactions in Freshwater Iron MatsFreshwater iron mats are dynamic geochemical environments with broad ecological diversity, primarily formed by the iron-oxidizing bacteria. The community features functional groups involved in biogeochemical cycles for iron, sulfur, carbon, and nitrogen.
Minireview | Host-Microbe BiologyDefensive Properties of Mucin Glycoproteins during Respiratory Infections—Relevance for SARS-CoV-2Mucus plays a pivotal role in protecting the respiratory tract against microbial infections. It acts as a primary contact site to entrap microbes and facilitates their removal from the respiratory tract via the coordinated beating of motile cilia. The major components of airway mucus are heavily O-glycosylated mucin glycoproteins, divided into gel-forming mucins and transmembrane mucins. The gel-forming mucins MUC5AC and MUC5B...