cidalsDB: an AI-empowered platform for anti-pathogen therapeutics research.

Computer-aided drug discovery (CADD) is nurtured by late advances in big data analytics and Artificial Intelligence (AI) towards enhanced drug discovery (DD) outcomes. In this context, reliable datasets are of utmost importance. We herein present CidalsDB a novel web server for AI-assisted DD against infectious pathogens, namely Leishmania parasites and Coronaviruses.

Case Study: Contribution of Extended Sequencing and Phylogeographic Analysis in the Investigation of Measles Outbreaks in Tunisia in 2019.

Despite the availability of an effective vaccine for several decades, the measles virus continues to spread worldwide. From 2018 to 2019, several countries experienced large measles outbreaks with genotype B3, including Tunisia. We analyzed 66 samples collected from serologically confirmed measles cases during this outbreak.

Phylogeographic Dynamics of H9N2 Avian Influenza Viruses in Tunisia.

Avian influenza virus subtype H9N2 is endemic in commercial poultry in Tunisia. This subtype affects poultry and wild birds in Tunisia and poses a potential zoonotic risk. Tunisian H9N2 strains carry, in their hemagglutinins, the human-like marker 226 L that is most influential in avian-to-human viral transmission.

Functional insights into human macrophage response against Scedosporium apiospermum and Scedosporium dehoogii.

Fungal infections caused by Scedosporium species are rising among immunocompromised and immunocompetent patients. Within the immunocompetent group, patients with cystic fibrosis (pwCF) are at high risk of developing a chronic airway colonization by these molds. While S.

Retrospective Phylodynamic and Phylogeographic Analysis of the Human Papillomavirus 16 E6 Gene in the Mediterranean Region.

Human papillomavirus 16 (HPV16) is considered to be strongly correlated with the development of cervical cancer. Among the 8 HPV16 genes, the E6 constitutes a remarkable marker to follow the evolutionary history and spatial phylodynamics of HPV16 in the Mediterranean basin. Thus, this work aims to decipher the major evolutionary events and crosstalks in the Mediterranean basin with a focus on Tunisian strains regarding the E6 oncogene.

Epidemiological and Phylogeographic Study of Equid Herpesviruses in Tunisia.

Equid herpesvirus (EHV) is a contagious viral disease affecting horses, causing illness characterized by respiratory symptoms, abortion and neurological disorders. It is common worldwide and causes severe economic losses to the equine industry. The present study was aimed at investigating the incidence of EHVs, the genetic characterization of Tunisian isolates and a spatiotemporal study, using 298 collected samples from diseased and clinically healthy horses.

Applied Machine Learning Toward Drug Discovery Enhancement: Leishmaniases as a Case Study.

Drug discovery (DD) research is a complex field with a high attrition rate. Machine learning (ML) approaches combined to chemoinformatics are of valuable input to this field. We, herein, focused on implementing multiple ML algorithms that shall learn from different molecular fingerprints (FPs) of 65 057 molecules that have been identified as active or inactive against promastigotes.

Deep Learning Algorithms Achieved Satisfactory Predictions When Trained on a Novel Collection of Anticoronavirus Molecules.

Drug discovery and repurposing against COVID-19 is a highly relevant topic with huge efforts dedicated to delivering novel therapeutics targeting SARS-CoV-2. In this context, computer-aided drug discovery is of interest in orienting the early high throughput screenings and in optimizing the hit identification rate. We herein propose a pipeline for Ligand-Based Drug Discovery (LBDD) against SARS-CoV-2.

Differential Gene Expression Patterns in Blood and Cerebrospinal Fluid of Multiple Sclerosis and Neuro-Behçet Disease.

Inflammatory demyelinating disorders of the central nervous system are debilitating conditions of the young adult, here we focus on multiple sclerosis (MS) and neuro-Behçet disease (NBD). MS is an autoimmune disorder of the central nervous system. NBD, a neurological manifestation of an idiopathic chronic relapsing multisystem inflammatory disease, the behçet disease.

Genomic Characteristics of Invasive Serotype 1 in New Caledonia Prior to the Introduction of PCV13.

serotype 1 is a common cause of global invasive pneumococcal disease. In New Caledonia, serotype 1 is the most prevalent serotype and led to two major outbreaks reported in the 2000s. The pneumococcal conjugate vaccine 13 (PCV13) was introduced into the vaccination routine, intending to prevent the expansion of serotype 1 in New Caledonia.

Nuclear and mitochondrial genome sequencing of North-African isolates from cured and relapsed visceral leishmaniasis patients reveals variations correlating with geography and phenotype.

Although several studies have investigated genetic diversity of in North Africa, genome-wide analyses are lacking. Here, we conducted comparative analyses of nuclear and mitochondrial genomes of seven . isolates from Tunisia with the aim to gain insight into factors that drive genomic and phenotypic adaptation.

Development of Bioinformatics Infrastructure for Genomics Research.

Background: Although pockets of bioinformatics excellence have developed in Africa, generally, large-scale genomic data analysis has been limited by the availability of expertise and infrastructure. H3ABioNet, a pan-African bioinformatics network, was established to build capacity specifically to enable H3Africa (Human Heredity and Health in Africa) researchers to analyze their data in Africa. Since the inception of the H3Africa initiative, H3ABioNet's role has evolved in response to changing needs from the consortium and the African bioinformatics community.