LEI: A Novel Allele Frequency-Based Feature Selection Method for Multi-ancestry Admixed Populations.

Next-generation sequencing technologies now make it possible to sequence and genotype hundreds of thousands of genetic markers across the human genome. Selection of informative markers for the comprehensive characterization of individual genomic makeup using a high dimensional genomics dataset has become a common practice in evolutionary biology and human genetics. Although several feature selection approaches exist to determine the ancestry proportion in two-way admixed populations including African Americans, there are limited statistical tools developed for the feature selection approaches in three-way admixed populations (including Latino populations).

African ancestry is associated with cluster-based childhood asthma subphenotypes.

Background: Childhood asthma is a syndrome composed of heterogeneous phenotypes; furthermore, intrinsic biologic variation among racial/ethnic populations suggests possible genetic ancestry variation in childhood asthma. The objective of the study is to identify clinically homogeneous asthma subphenotypes in a diverse sample of asthmatic children and to assess subphenotype-specific genetic ancestry in African-American asthmatic children.

Methods: A total of 1211 asthmatic children including 813 in the Childhood Asthma Management Program and 398 in the Childhood Asthma Research and Education program were studied.

Development of Medical Countermeasures to Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus.

Preclinical development of and research on potential Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) medical countermeasures remain preliminary; advancements are needed before most countermeasures are ready to be tested in human clinical trials. Research priorities include standardization of animal models and virus stocks for studying disease pathogenesis and efficacy of medical countermeasures; development of MERS-CoV diagnostics; improved access to nonhuman primates to support preclinical research; studies to better understand and control MERS-CoV disease, including vaccination studies in camels; and development of a standardized clinical trial protocol. Partnering with clinical trial networks in affected countries to evaluate safety and efficacy of investigational therapeutics will strengthen efforts to identify successful medical countermeasures.

Antivirals in seasonal and pandemic influenza--future perspectives.

Antiviral drugs continue to be an important option for the treatment of influenza disease and will likely be the only option during the early phases of pandemic. However, the limited number of drug classes licensed for treatment of influenza raises several issues, particularly in the face of drug resistance. Two classes of drugs are presently licensed for treatment of influenza, M2 and neuraminidase inhibitors.

Modifications of C-2 on the pyrroloquinoline template aimed at the development of potent herpesvirus antivirals with improved aqueous solubility.

A series of C-2 pyrroloquinoline analogs designed to improve aqueous solubility were examined for herpesvirus polymerase and antiviral activity. Several analogs were identified that maintained the antiviral activity of the previous development candidate against HCMV, HSV-1 and VZV, but with significantly improved aqueous solubility.

The design and development of 2-aryl-2-hydroxy ethylamine substituted 1H,7H-pyrido[1,2,3-de]quinoxaline-6-carboxamides as inhibitors of human cytomegalovirus polymerase.

Discovery efforts were focused on identifying a non-nucleoside antiviral for treating infections caused by human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) with equal or better potency and diminished toxicity compared to current therapeutics. This Letter describes the HCMV DNA polymerase inhibition and in vitro antiviral activity of various 2-aryl-2-hydroxy ethylamine substituted 1H,7H-pyrido[1,2,3-de]quinoxaline-6-carboxamides.

Synthesis of 4-oxo-4,7-dihydrofuro[2,3-b]pyridine-5-carboxamides with broad-spectrum human herpesvirus polymerase inhibition.

A versatile synthesis of 4-oxo-4,7-dihydrofuro[2,3-b]pyridine-5-carboxylate esters has been developed which has lead to the identification of a new series of non-nucleoside inhibitors of human herpesvirus polymerases HCMV, HSV-1, EBV, and VZV with high specificity compared to human DNA polymerases.

7-Oxo-4,7-dihydrothieno[3,2-b]pyridine-6-carboxamides: synthesis and biological activity of a new class of highly potent inhibitors of human cytomegalovirus DNA polymerase.

We report a new class of non-nucleoside antivirals, the 7-oxo-4,7-dihydrothieno[3,2-b]pyridine-6-carboxamides, some of which possess remarkable potency versus a broad spectrum of herpesvirus DNA polymerases and excellent selectivity compared to human DNA polymerases. A critical factor in the level of activity is hypothesized to be conformational restriction of the key 2-aryl-2-hydroxyethylamine sidechain by an adjacent methyl group.

2-Aryl-2-hydroxyethylamine substituted 4-oxo-4,7-dihydrothieno[2,3-b]pyridines as broad-spectrum inhibitors of human herpesvirus polymerases.

A novel series of 2-aryl-2-hydroxyethylamine substituted 4-oxo-4,7-dihydrothieno[2,3-b]pyridine-5-carboxamides have been identified as potent antivirals against human herpesviruses. These compounds demonstrate broad-spectrum inhibition of the herpesvirus polymerases HCMV, HSV-1, EBV, and VZV with high specificity compared to human DNA polymerases.

4-Oxo-4,7-dihydrothieno[2,3-b]pyridines as non-nucleoside inhibitors of human cytomegalovirus and related herpesvirus polymerases.

A novel series of 4-oxo-4,7-dihydrothieno[2,3-b]pyridine-5-carboxamides have been identified as potential antivirals against human herpesvirus infections resulting from human cytomegalovirus (HCMV), herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1), and varicella-zoster virus (VZV). Compounds 10c and 14 demonstrated broad-spectrum inhibition of the herpesvirus polymerases HCMV, HSV-1, and VZV. High specificity for the viral polymerases was observed compared to human alpha polymerase.

Amino acid changes within conserved region III of the herpes simplex virus and human cytomegalovirus DNA polymerases confer resistance to 4-oxo-dihydroquinolines, a novel class of herpesvirus antiviral agents.

The 4-oxo-dihydroquinolines (PNU-182171 and PNU-183792) are nonnucleoside inhibitors of herpesvirus polymerases (R. J. Brideau et al.

Non-nucleoside inhibitors of herpesviruses.

While the treatment of herpes simplex virus with acyclovir and similar nucleoside analogues was one of the first success stories in antiviral chemotherapy, substantial unmet medical needs remain for herpesvirus diseases. In particular, the increasing numbers of immunosuppressed people due to AIDS, transplantation, cancer and aging has driven the need for improved antivirals to treat diseases caused by human cytomegalovirus (HCMV). Currently available drugs for the treatment of HCMV diseases are less than ideal agents due to issues of toxicity, modest efficacy and poor oral bioavailability.

Broad-spectrum antiviral activity of PNU-183792, a 4-oxo-dihydroquinoline, against human and animal herpesviruses.

We identified a novel class of 4-oxo-dihydroquinolines represented by PNU-183792 which specifically inhibit herpesvirus polymerases. PNU-183792 was highly active against human cytomegalovirus (HCMV, IC(50) value 0.69 microM), varicella zoster virus (VZV, IC(50) value 0.

Broad-spectrum antiherpes activities of 4-hydroxyquinoline carboxamides, a novel class of herpesvirus polymerase inhibitors.

Through broad screening of the compound library at Pharmacia, a naphthalene carboxamide was identified as a nonnucleoside inhibitor of human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) polymerase. Structure-activity relationship studies demonstrated that a quinoline ring could be substituted for naphthalene, resulting in the discovery of a 4-hydroxyquinoline-3-carboxamide (4-HQC) class of antiviral agents with unique biological properties. In vitro assays with the 4-HQCs have demonstrated potent inhibition of HCMV, herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1), and varicella-zoster virus (VZV) polymerases but no inhibition of human alpha, delta, and gamma polymerases.