scholarly journals Lithium and coronaviral infections. A scoping review.

F1000Research ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
pp. 93 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jan K. Nowak ◽  
Jarosław Walkowiak
Keyword(s):  
Bipolar Disorder ◽  
Antiviral Activity ◽  
Scoping Review ◽  
Systematic Approach ◽  
Research Community ◽  
The Novel ◽  
Mechanistic Investigation ◽  
Rapid Spread ◽  
Novel Coronavirus

The current rapid spread of the novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) causing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) calls for a rapid response from the research community. Lithium is widely used to treat bipolar disorder, but has been shown to exhibit antiviral activity. This brief review took a systematic approach to identify six in vitro studies reporting on the influence of lithium on coronaviral infections. We propose mechanistic investigation of the influence of lithium – alone and with chloroquine – on the SARS-CoV-2 infection.

scholarly journals Is lithium a potential treatment for the novel Wuhan (2019-nCoV) coronavirus? A scoping review

F1000Research ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
pp. 93 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jan K. Nowak ◽  
Jarosław Walkowiak
Keyword(s):  
Bipolar Disorder ◽  
Antiviral Activity ◽  
Scoping Review ◽  
Systematic Approach ◽  
Research Community ◽  
The Novel ◽  
Potential Treatment ◽  
Rapid Spread ◽  
Novel Coronavirus

The current rapid spread of the novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) originating from Wuhan, China, calls for a rapid response from the research community. Lithium is widely used to treat bipolar disorder, but has been shown to exhibit antiviral activity. This brief review took a systematic approach to identify five in vitro studies reporting on the influence of lithium on coronaviral infections. We propose that in the case of urgent need, lithium be explored as a potential treatment or prophylaxis for the novel Wuhan coronavirus (2019-nCoV).

scholarly journals Immune response against SARS-CoV-2 variants: the role of neutralization assays

npj Vaccines ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Alicja Maria Chmielewska ◽  
Anna Czarnota ◽  
Krystyna Bieńkowska-Szewczyk ◽  
Katarzyna Grzyb
Keyword(s):  
Immune Response ◽  
Social Life ◽  
Neutralizing Antibody ◽  
The Novel ◽  
International Scientific Community ◽  
Rapid Spread ◽  
Cost Efficient ◽  
Novel Coronavirus

AbstractSince the emergence of the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 in late 2019, the COVID-19 pandemic has hindered social life and global economic activity. As of July 2021, SARS-CoV-2 has caused over four million deaths. The rapid spread and high mortality of the disease demanded the international scientific community to develop effective vaccines in a matter of months. However, unease about vaccine efficacy has arisen with the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern (VOCs). Time- and cost-efficient in vitro neutralization assays are widely used to measure neutralizing antibody responses against VOCs. However, the extent to which in vitro neutralization reflects protection from infection remains unclear. Here, we describe common neutralization assays based on infectious and pseudotyped viruses and evaluate their role in testing neutralizing responses against new SARS-CoV-2 variants. Additionally, we briefly review the recent findings on the immune response elicited by available vaccines against major SARS-CoV-2 variants, including Alpha, Beta, Gamma, and Delta.

The Antiviral and Antimalarial Drug Repurposing in Quest of Chemotherapeutics to Combat COVID-19 Utilizing Structure-Based Molecular Docking

2020 ◽  
Vol 23 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sisir Nandi ◽  
Mohit Kumar ◽  
Mridula Saxena ◽  
Anil Kumar Saxena
Keyword(s):  
Molecular Docking ◽  
In Silico ◽  
Drug Repurposing ◽  
Clinical Settings ◽  
The Novel ◽  
In Silico Docking ◽  
Biochemical Mechanisms ◽  
Novel Coronavirus ◽  
In Silico Molecular Docking

Background: The novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is caused by a new strain (SARS-CoV-2) erupted in 2019. Nowadays, it is a great threat that claims uncountable lives worldwide. There is no specific chemotherapeutics developed yet to combat COVID-19. Therefore, scientists have been devoted in the quest of the medicine that can cure COVID- 19. Objective: Existing antivirals such as ASC09/ritonavir, lopinavir/ritonavir with or without umifenovir in combination with antimalarial chloroquine or hydroxychloroquine have been repurposed to fight the current coronavirus epidemic. But exact biochemical mechanisms of these drugs towards COVID-19 have not been discovered to date. Method: In-silico molecular docking can predict the mode of binding to sort out the existing chemotherapeutics having a potential affinity towards inhibition of the COVID-19 target. An attempt has been made in the present work to carry out docking analyses of 34 drugs including antivirals and antimalarials to explain explicitly the mode of interactions of these ligands towards the COVID-19protease target. Results: 13 compounds having good binding affinity have been predicted towards protease binding inhibition of COVID-19. Conclusion: Our in silico docking results have been confirmed by current reports from clinical settings through the citation of suitable experimental in vitro data available in the published literature.

Synthetic and semi-synthetic drugs as promising therapeutic option for the treatment of COVID-19

2020 ◽  
Vol 20 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ekta Shirbhate ◽  
Preeti Patel ◽  
Vijay K Patel ◽  
Ravichandran Veerasamy ◽  
Prabodh C Sharma ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Therapeutic Option ◽  
Antiviral Treatment ◽  
The Novel ◽  
Clinical Experiences ◽  
Synthetic Compounds ◽  
Synthetic Drugs ◽  
Global Pandemic ◽  
The World ◽  
Novel Coronavirus

: The novel coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19), a global pandemic that emerged from Wuhan, China has today travelled all around the world, so far 216 countries or territories with 21,732,472 people infected and 770,866 deaths globally (as per WHO COVID-19 update dated August 18, 2020). Continuous efforts are being made to repurpose the existing drugs and develop vaccines for combating this infection. Despite, to date, no certified antiviral treatment or vaccine prevails. Although, few candidates have displayed their efficacy in in vitro studies and are being repurposed for COVID-19 treatment. This article summarizes synthetic and semi-synthetic compounds displaying potent activity in their clinical experiences or studies against COVID-19 and also focuses on mode of action of drugs being repositioned against COVID-19.

scholarly journals Direct antivirals working against the novel coronavirus: azithromycin (DAWn-AZITHRO), a randomized, multicenter, open-label, adaptive, proof-of-concept clinical trial of new antivirals working against SARS-CoV-2—azithromycin trial

Trials ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Iwein Gyselinck ◽  
◽  
Laurens Liesenborghs ◽  
Ewout Landeloos ◽  
Ann Belmans ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Clinical Trial ◽  
Standard Of Care ◽  
Ordinal Scale ◽  
Cytokine Signaling ◽  
Nasopharyngeal Swab ◽  
The Novel ◽  
Proof Of Concept ◽  
Open Label ◽  
Novel Coronavirus

Abstract Background The rapid emergence and the high disease burden of the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 have created a medical need for readily available drugs that can decrease viral replication or blunt the hyperinflammatory state leading to severe COVID-19 disease. Azithromycin is a macrolide antibiotic, known for its immunomodulatory properties. It has shown antiviral effect specifically against SARS-CoV-2 in vitro and acts on cytokine signaling pathways that have been implicated in COVID-19. Methods DAWn-AZITHRO is a randomized, open-label, phase 2 proof-of-concept, multicenter clinical trial, evaluating the safety and efficacy of azithromycin for treating hospitalized patients with COVID-19. It is part of a series of trials testing promising interventions for COVID-19, running in parallel and grouped under the name DAWn-studies. Patients hospitalized on dedicated COVID wards are eligible for study inclusion when they are symptomatic (i.e., clinical or radiological signs) and have been diagnosed with COVID-19 within the last 72 h through PCR (nasopharyngeal swab or bronchoalveolar lavage) or chest CT scan showing typical features of COVID-19 and without alternate diagnosis. Patients are block-randomized (9 patients) with a 2:1 allocation to receive azithromycin plus standard of care versus standard of care alone. Standard of care is mostly supportive, but may comprise hydroxychloroquine, up to the treating physician’s discretion and depending on local policy and national health regulations. The treatment group receives azithromycin qd 500 mg during the first 5 consecutive days after inclusion. The trial will include 284 patients and recruits from 15 centers across Belgium. The primary outcome is time from admission (day 0) to life discharge or to sustained clinical improvement, defined as an improvement of two points on the WHO 7-category ordinal scale sustained for at least 3 days. Discussion The trial investigates the urgent and still unmet global need for drugs that may impact the disease course of COVID-19. It will either provide support or else justify the discouragement of the current widespread, uncontrolled use of azithromycin in patients with COVID-19. The analogous design of other parallel trials of the DAWN consortium will amplify the chance of identifying successful treatment strategies and allow comparison of treatment effects within an identical clinical context. Trial registration EU Clinical trials register EudraCT Nb 2020-001614-38. Registered on 22 April 2020

scholarly journals Characterization of the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus X4-like accessory protein

2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Olanrewaju Ayodeji Durojaye ◽  
Nkwachukwu Oziamara Okoro ◽  
Arome Solomon Odiba
Keyword(s):  
Rapid Development ◽  
Protein A ◽  
The Novel ◽  
Quality Model ◽  
A Value ◽  
Model Protein ◽  
Novel Coronavirus ◽  
Global Threat

Abstract Background The novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 is currently a global threat to health and economies. Therapeutics and vaccines are in rapid development; however, none of these therapeutics are considered as absolute cure, and the potential to mutate makes it necessary to find therapeutics that target a highly conserved regions of the viral structure. Results In this study, we characterized an essential but poorly understood coronavirus accessory X4 protein, a core and stable component of the SARS-CoV family. Sequence analysis shows a conserved ~ 90% identity between the SARS-CoV-2 and previously characterized X4 protein in the database. QMEAN Z score of the model protein shows a value of around 0.5, within the acceptable range 0–1. A MolProbity score of 2.96 was obtained for the model protein and indicates a good quality model. The model has Ramachandran values of φ = − 57o and ψ = − 47o for α-helices and values of φ = − 130o and ψ = + 140o for twisted sheets. Conclusions The protein data obtained from this study provides robust information for further in vitro and in vivo experiment, targeted at devising therapeutics against the virus. Phylogenetic analysis further supports previous evidence that the SARS-CoV-2 is positioned with the SL-CoVZC45, BtRs-BetaCoV/YN2018B and the RS4231 Bat SARS-like corona viruses.

scholarly journals Comparison of Four SARS-CoV-2 Neutralization Assays

Vaccines ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 13
Author(s):  
Lydia Riepler ◽  
Annika Rössler ◽  
Albert Falch ◽  
André Volland ◽  
Wegene Borena ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Vesicular Stomatitis Virus ◽  
Neutralizing Antibodies ◽  
The Other ◽  
In Vitro Assays ◽  
The Novel ◽  
Effective Protection ◽  
Vaccine Candidates ◽  
Vesicular Stomatitis ◽  
Novel Coronavirus

Neutralizing antibodies are a major correlate of protection for many viruses including the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. Thus, vaccine candidates should potently induce neutralizing antibodies to render effective protection from infection. A variety of in vitro assays for the detection of SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing antibodies has been described. However, validation of the different assays against each other is important to allow comparison of different studies. Here, we compared four different SARS-CoV-2 neutralization assays using the same set of patient samples. Two assays used replication competent SARS-CoV-2, a focus forming assay and a TCID50-based assay, while the other two assays used replication defective lentiviral or vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV)-based particles pseudotyped with SARS-CoV-2 spike. All assays were robust and produced highly reproducible neutralization titers. Titers of neutralizing antibodies correlated well between the different assays and with the titers of SARS-CoV-2 S-protein binding antibodies detected in an ELISA. Our study showed that commonly used SARS-CoV-2 neutralization assays are robust and that results obtained with different assays are comparable.

In vitro Antiviral Activity of Kabasura Kudineer - Siddha Polyherbal Formulation Against Novel Coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2)

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shree Devi MS ◽  
Sathiyarajeswaran P ◽  
Karthik L ◽  
Kanakavalli K. ◽  
Chandru S. ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Antiviral Activity ◽  
Polyherbal Formulation ◽  
Novel Coronavirus

Evaluation of stability and inactivation methods of SARS-CoV-2 in context of laboratory settings

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sandra Westhaus ◽  
Marek Widera ◽  
Holger F. Rabenau ◽  
Sebastian Hoehl ◽  
Denisa Bojkova ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Culture Media ◽  
Heat Inactivation ◽  
The Novel ◽  
Safety Issues ◽  
Rapid Spread ◽  
Level 3 ◽  
Global Concern ◽  
The Stability ◽  
Novel Coronavirus ◽  
Uv C

SummaryThe novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 is the causative agent of the acute respiratory disease COVID-19, which has become a global concern due to its rapid spread. Laboratory work with SARS-CoV-2 in a laboratory setting was rated to biosafety level 3 (BSL-3) biocontainment level. However, certain research applications in particular in molecular biology require incomplete denaturation of the proteins, which might cause safety issues handling contaminated samples. In particular, it is critical to provide proof of inactivation before samples can be removed from the BSL-3.In this study, the stability of the virus in cell culture media at 4°C and on touch panel surfaces used in laboratory environment was analyzed. In addition, we evaluated common lysis buffers that are used in molecular biological laboratories for their ability to inactivate SARS-CoV-2. We have found that guanidine thiocyanate and most of the tested detergent containing lysis buffers were effective in inactivation of SARS-CoV-2, however, the M-PER lysis buffer containing a proprietary detergent failed to inactivate SARS-CoV-2. Furthermore, we compared chemical and non-chemical inactivation methods including ethanol, acetone-methanol mixture, PFA, UV-C light, and heat inactivation.In conclusion, careful evaluation of the used inactivation methods are required and additional inactivation steps are necessary before removal of lysed viral samples from BSL-3.

scholarly journals POTENTIAL THERAPIES FOR TREATMENT OF COVID-19

2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 062-071
Author(s):  
Beatriz Gasser ◽  
Ricardo Andres Ramirez Uscategui
Keyword(s):  
Clinical Trials ◽  
Distress Syndrome ◽  
Multiple Organ ◽  
The Novel ◽  
Controlled Clinical Trials ◽  
Interferon Β ◽  
The World ◽  
Novel Coronavirus ◽  
Time Point

Since discovery of the novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) in December of 2019, this viral pneumonia originated in Wuhan, China quickly spread around the world. This new disease, called COVID-19 can cause Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS) due to an uncontrolled inflammatory response like sepsis, that leads to multiple organ failure and even death. Several pharmacotherapeutics alternatives are being tested over the world, looking for most diverse drugs that might be able to fight the infection. The objective of this paper is to review the main pharmacotherapeutics techniques development, as remdesivir, chloroquine/hydroxychloroquine, lopinavir plus ritonavir, interferon-β, ivermectin, anticoagulants, convalescent plasma and vaccine, currently undergoing clinical trials in order to evaluate its effectiveness and safety to combat the COVID-19, presenting their characteristics, possible adverse effects and main scientific findings of its potential action. In conclusion, some therapies presented promising in-vitro results or in the treatment of some patients, nonetheless, multicentric blinded placebo controlled clinical trials are necessary to determine their effectiveness, safety, dosage, and best time point of treatment.

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