scholarly journals An Overview of Vaccines against SARS-CoV-2 in the COVID-19 Pandemic Era

Pathogens ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (8) ◽  
pp. 1030
Author(s):  
Alejandro Pascual-Iglesias ◽  
Javier Canton ◽  
Ana Maria Ortega-Prieto ◽  
Jose M. Jimenez-Guardeño ◽  
Jose Angel Regla-Nava
Keyword(s):  
Side Effects ◽  
Vaccine Development ◽  
Current Knowledge ◽  
Severe Disease ◽  
S Protein ◽  
Adverse Side Effects ◽  
The World ◽  
Main Target

The emergence of SARS-CoV-2 in late 2019 led to the COVID-19 pandemic all over the world. When the virus was first isolated and its genome was sequenced in the early months of 2020, the efforts to develop a vaccine began. Based on prior well-known knowledge about coronavirus, the SARS-CoV-2 spike (S) protein was selected as the main target. Currently, more than one hundred vaccines are being investigated and several of them are already authorized by medical agencies. This review summarizes and compares the current knowledge about main approaches for vaccine development, focusing on those authorized and specifically their immunogenicity, efficacy preventing severe disease, adverse side effects, protection, and ability to cope with emergent SARS-CoV-2 variants.

The Anti-Malarial Action of Changshan (Febrifugine): A Review

2005 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 421-431 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anthony Butler ◽  
John Moffett
Keyword(s):  
Side Effects ◽  
Chemical Structure ◽  
Malarial Parasite ◽  
Synthetic Material ◽  
Pharmaceutical Factory ◽  
Adverse Side Effects ◽  
Chinese Origin ◽  
The World ◽  
The One

The plant qinghao 青蒿 (Artemesia annua) has provided the world with a valuable anti-malarial drug (qinghaosu 青蒿素). Another useful anti-malarial drug (febrifugine) of Chinese origin can be extracted from the shrub Dichroa febrifuga (changshan) but, unlike qinghaosu, its chemical structure is relatively simple and it could be easily synthesised in a pharmaceutical factory. However, the presence of two chiral centres in the molecule makes this unsuitable for pharmacological use as only one of the four isomers (the one found naturally) kills the malarial parasite, but all four isomers (as in the synthetic material) have serious adverse side effects. Encouraging African governments to consider growing Dichroa febrifuga as an alternative to the expensive and scarce qinghaosu should be considered.

Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes and the Brain

2019 ◽  
pp. 116-136
Author(s):  
Olga Neyman ◽  
Tamara Hershey
Keyword(s):  
Diabetes Mellitus ◽  
Type 2 Diabetes ◽  
Peripheral Neuropathy ◽  
Side Effects ◽  
Current Knowledge ◽  
The World ◽  
The Brain

This chapter focuses on the neurocognitive effects of diabetes mellitus, particularly type 1 and type 2 diabetes. Although many of the side effects of diabetes—such as retinopathy, nephropathy, and peripheral neuropathy—are well known, the consequences on cognition have received comparatively little attention. These consequences will become more important as the rate of diabetes continues to rise at a staggering rate and millions of people are affected throughout the world. This chapter provides an overview of the current knowledge on how diabetes mellitus affects cognitive function, emphasizing the role of hypo- and hyperglycemia, while placing it in the context of diabetes as a whole.

scholarly journals Shooting at a Moving Target—Effectiveness and Emerging Challenges for SARS-CoV-2 Vaccine Development

Vaccines ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (10) ◽  
pp. 1052
Author(s):  
Franziska Günl ◽  
Angeles Mecate-Zambrano ◽  
Selina Rehländer ◽  
Saskia Hinse ◽  
Stephan Ludwig ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Side Effects ◽  
First Generation ◽  
Vaccine Development ◽  
Immune Escape ◽  
Healthcare Systems ◽  
World Population ◽  
Strong Impact ◽  
Novel Technologies ◽  
The World ◽  
Negative Side Effects

Since late 2019 the newly emerged pandemic SARS-CoV-2, the causative agent of COVID‑19, has hit the world with recurring waves of infections necessitating the global implementation of non-pharmaceutical interventions, including strict social distancing rules, the wearing of masks and the isolation of infected individuals in order to restrict virus transmissions and prevent the breakdown of our healthcare systems. These measures are not only challenging on an economic level but also have a strong impact on social lifestyles. Using traditional and novel technologies, highly efficient vaccines against SARS-CoV-2 were developed and underwent rapid clinical evaluation and approval to accelerate the immunization of the world population, aiming to end the pandemic and return to normality. However, the emergence of virus variants with improved transmission, enhanced fitness and partial immune escape from the first generation of vaccines poses new challenges, which are currently being addressed by scientists and pharmaceutical companies all over the world. In this ongoing pandemic, the evaluation of SARS-CoV-2 vaccines underlies diverse unpredictable dynamics, posed by the first broad application of the mRNA vaccine technology and their compliance, the occurrence of unexpected side effects and the rapid emergence of variations in the viral antigen. However, despite these hurdles, we conclude that the available SARS-CoV-2 vaccines are very safe and efficiently protect from severe COVID-19 and are thereby the most powerful tools to prevent further harm to our healthcare systems, economics and individual lives. This review summarizes the unprecedented pathways of vaccine development and approval during the ongoing SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. We focus on the real-world effectiveness and unexpected positive and negative side effects of the available vaccines and summarize the timeline of the applied adaptations to the recommended vaccination strategies in the light of emerging virus variants. Finally, we highlight upcoming strategies to improve the next generations of SARS-CoV-2 vaccines.

scholarly journals SARS-CoV-2 Immunity: Review of Immune Response to Infection and Vaccination

2021 ◽  
pp. 32-40
Author(s):  
Rahnuma Ahmad
Keyword(s):  
Immune Response ◽  
Vaccine Development ◽  
Current Knowledge ◽  
Multiorgan Failure ◽  
Medical Science ◽  
Neutralizing Antibody ◽  
Spike Protein ◽  
World Population ◽  
The World ◽  
And Function

After the last flu pandemic in 1918, the world has not faced a similar pandemic until now. However, it has been possible to identify the causative agent as well as its structure and function. The SARS-CoV-2 virus attacks the respiratory system, and the viral components like the spike protein and nucleocapsid protein produce an immune response in the host for viral elimination. The antigen can be recognized by or is presented to T cells. This results in neutralizing antibody production, cytokine secretion, and cytolysis. Although most infected individuals only suffer mild or moderate disease, some develop cytokine storms due to excess formation of cytokines resulting in ARDS, multiorgan failure, and DIC. The virus has mechanisms in place that can aid its escape from the host’s immune response. Vaccine development has been underway around the globe to produce effective vaccines to limit morbidity and mortality from infection. Vaccines like mRNA vaccines encode the spike protein of coronavirus, and research has shown that antibodies developing from the vaccine were less affected by mutation in the spike protein of the virus than that developed from infection. The mRNA vaccine has modified nucleotide that limits the excessive formation of Interferons. Although various hurdles to overcome to vaccinate the world population effectively, vaccination may be essential to control the pandemic and a return to normalcy. This review highlights the current knowledge on the structure of the virus and the immune response triggered by the virus in infected individuals. It also reviews the currently available vaccines with their formulation, mechanism of immune response elicited. Bangladesh Journal of Medical Science Vol.20(5) 2021 p.32-40

Identification of maize mosaic virus by immunoelectron microscopy

1986 ◽  
Vol 44 ◽  
pp. 240-241
Author(s):  
O. E. Bradfute
Keyword(s):  
Zea Mays ◽  
Mosaic Virus ◽  
Immunoelectron Microscopy ◽  
Severe Disease ◽  
Maize Mosaic Virus ◽  
The World ◽  
Plant Rhabdovirus

Maize mosaic virus (MMV) causes a severe disease of Zea mays in many tropical and subtropical regions of the world, including the southern U.S. (1-3). Fig. 1 shows internal cross striations of helical nucleoprotein and bounding membrane with surface projections typical of many plant rhabdovirus particles including MMV (3). Immunoelectron microscopy (IEM) was investigated as a method for identifying MMV. Antiserum to MMV was supplied by Ramon Lastra (Instituto Venezolano de Investigaciones Cientificas, Caracas, Venezuela).

The chronicle of COVID-19: possible strategies to curb the pandemic

2020 ◽  
Vol 27 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rajesh Kumar ◽  
Seetha Harilal ◽  
Abdullah G. Al-Sehemi ◽  
Githa Elizabeth Mathew ◽  
Simone Carradori ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle ◽  
Research And Development ◽  
Vaccine Development ◽  
Therapeutic Strategies ◽  
Antiviral Drugs ◽  
Limited Data ◽  
Social Distancing ◽  
The World ◽  
Novel Virus ◽  
Day By Day

: COVID-19, an epidemic that emerged in Wuhan, has become a pandemic affecting worldwide and is in a rapidly evolving condition. Day by day, the confirmed cases and deaths are increasing many folds. SARS-CoV-2 is a novel virus; therefore, limited data are available to curb the disease. Epidemiological approaches, isolation, quarantine, social distancing, lockdown, and curfew are being employed to halt the spread of the disease. Individual and joint efforts all over the world are producing a wealth of data and information which are expected to produce therapeutic strategies against COVID-19. Current research focuses on the utilization of antiviral drugs, repurposing strategies, vaccine development as well as basic to advanced research about the organism and the infection. The review focuses on the life cycle, targets, and possible therapeutic strategies, which can lead to further research and development of COVID-19 therapy.

Tuning Down the Pain – An Overview of Allosteric Modulation of Opioid Receptors: Mechanisms of Modulation, Allosteric Sites, Modulator Syntheses

2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (31) ◽  
pp. 2852-2865 ◽  
Author(s):  
Damian Bartuzi ◽  
Tomasz M. Wróbel ◽  
Agnieszka A. Kaczor ◽  
Dariusz Matosiuk
Keyword(s):  
Side Effects ◽  
Opioid Receptors ◽  
Pain Perception ◽  
Allosteric Modulation ◽  
Allosteric Modulators ◽  
Signaling Mechanisms ◽  
Main Target ◽  
Allosteric Sites ◽  
Biased Signaling ◽  
Opioid Signaling

Opioid signaling plays a central role in pain perception. As such, it remains the main target in the development of antinociceptive agents, despite serious side effects involved. In recent years, hopes for improved opioid painkillers are rising, together with our understanding of allosterism and biased signaling mechanisms. In this review, we focus on recently discovered allosteric modulators of opioid receptors, insights into phenomena underlying their action, as well as on how they extend our understanding of mechanisms of previously known compounds. A brief overlook of their synthesis is also presented.

SARS-CoV-2 Biology Insights, Part I. Genome-wide structure and druggability: literature review (Preprint)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laura Lafon-Hughes
Keyword(s):  
Side Effects ◽  
Literature Review ◽  
Host Cell ◽  
Nucleoside Analogs ◽  
Viral Proteins ◽  
Therapeutic Strategies ◽  
Adverse Side Effects ◽  
Viral Proteases ◽  
Genome Wide ◽  
Therapeutic Alternatives

BACKGROUND COVID-19 pandemic prompts the study of coronavirus biology and search of putative therapeutic strategies. OBJECTIVE To compare SARS-CoV-2 genome-wide structure and proteins with other coronaviruses, focusing on putative coronavirus-specific or SARS-CoV-2 specific therapeutic designs. METHODS The genome-wide structure of SARS-CoV-2 was compared to that of SARS and other coronaviruses in order to gain insights, doing a literature review through Google searches. RESULTS There are promising therapeutic alternatives. Host cell targets could be modulated to hamper viral replication, but targeting viral proteins directly would be a better therapeutic design, since fewer adverse side effects would be expected. CONCLUSIONS Therapeutic strategies (Figure 1) could include the modulation of host targets (PARPs, kinases) , competition with G-quadruplexes or nucleoside analogs to hamper RDRP. The nicest anti-CoV options include inhibitors of the conserved essential viral proteases and drugs that interfere ribosome slippage at the -1 PRF site.

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