Tomato spotted wilt virus (TSWV) is transmitted by insect pests from the Thripidae family, including Frankliniella occidentalis, commonly known as western flower thrips. For experimental purposes, researchers have developed methods for inoculating host plants with TSWV, allowing thrips to acquire TSWV, and verifying thrips acquisition. Plants can be inoculated with TSWV either mechanically or with thrips in the lab, but in nature, the virus is transmitted by thrips.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFA number of research studies, including ours, have spotlighted exosomes as critical facilitators of viral dissemination. While hepatitis B virus (HBV) transmission through exosomes has been studied, the focus on its satellite virus, the hepatitis delta virus (HDV), has been unexplored in this context. HDV, although being a defective virus, can replicate its genome autonomously within hepatocytes, independently of HBV.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIndividuals chronically infected with hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis Delta virus (HDV) present an increased risk of developing cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma in comparison to HBV mono-infected individuals. Although HDV only replicates in individuals coinfected or superinfected with HBV, there is currently no in vitro model that can stably express both viruses simultaneously, mimicking the chronic infections seen in HBV/HDV patients. Here, we present the HepG2BD cell line as a novel in vitro culture system for long-term replication of HBV and HDV.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFChronic hepatitis B remains a global health problem with 296 million people living with chronic HBV infection and being at risk of developing cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. Non-infectious subviral particles (SVP) are produced in large excess over infectious Dane particles in patients and are the major source of Hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg). They are thought to exhaust the immune system, and it is generally considered that functional cure requires the clearance of HBsAg from blood of patient.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFDengue virus (DENV) is a that causes the most prevalent arthropod-borne viral disease. Clinical manifestation of DENV infection ranges from asymptomatic to severe symptoms that can lead to death. Unfortunately, no antiviral treatments against DENV are currently available.
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