Transportation as a Disease Vector in COVID-19: Border Mobility and Disease Spread.

More than a year after COVID-19 was declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization, the U.S.A.

Nimbolide Inhibits SOD2 to Control Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma Growth and Metastasis.

Reactive oxygen species are frequently associated with various cancers including pancreatic ductal adenocarcinomas (PDACs). Superoxide dismutase 2 (SOD2) is an enzyme that plays an important role in reactive oxygen species (ROS) signaling. Investigating the molecular function and biological functions of SOD2 can help us develop new therapeutic options and uncover new biomarkers for PDAC diagnosis and prognosis.

Phytochemicals as an Alternative or Integrative Option, in Conjunction with Conventional Treatments for Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most abundant form of liver cancer. It accounts for 75-85% of liver cancer cases and, though it ranks globally as the sixth most common cancer, it ranks second in cancer-related mortality. Deaths from HCC are usually due to metastatic spread of the cancer.

Enhancement of Zika virus infection by antibodies from West Nile virus seropositive individuals with no history of clinical infection.

Background: Recent outbreaks of Zika Virus (ZIKV) infection and associated microcephaly has raised multiple scientific questions. The close antigenic relatedness between flaviviruses makes diagnosis of specific infection difficult. This relatedness also raises the potential of Antibody Dependent Enhancement (ADE) via cross reactive antibodies to flaviviruses like West Nile Virus (WNV) and Dengue Virus (DENV).

Virus Like Particles (VLP) as multivalent vaccine candidate against Chikungunya, Japanese Encephalitis, Yellow Fever and Zika Virus.

Mosquito borne viral diseases are an emerging threat as evident from the recent outbreak of Zika virus (ZIKV) as well as repeated outbreaks of Chikungunya (CHIKV), Yellow fever (YFV) and Japanese encephalitis (JEV) virus in different geographical regions. These four arboviruses are endemic in overlapping regions due to the co-prevalence of the transmitting mosquito vector species Aedes and Culex. Thus, a multivalent vaccine that targets all four viruses would be of benefit to regions of the world where these diseases are endemic.

Capsid containing virus like particle vaccine against Zika virus made from a stable cell line.

Zika virus infection during pregnancy is associated with severe birth defects including microcephaly in the new born. The lack of specific treatment calls for the development of a safe and effective vaccine for use in pregnant women. We recently tested the efficacy of a Virus Like Particle (VLP) vaccine for Zika virus in mice and found that Capsid-preMembrane-Env (CprME) VLPs generated a better neutralizing antibody response than preMembrane-Env (prME) VLPs.

Differential Pathogenicity of SHIV KB9 and 89.6 Env Correlates with Bystander Apoptosis Induction in CD4+ T cells.

SHIV variants KB9 and 89.6 show differential pathogenesis in primate models with KB9 causing rapid CD4 decline while 89.6 failing to induce disease.

Anti-Zika Activity of a Library of Synthetic Carbohydrate Receptors.

Zika virus (ZIKV), a mosquito-borne flavivirus, is a global health concern because of its association with severe neurological disorders. Currently, there are no antiviral therapies that have been specifically approved to treat ZIKV, and there is an urgent need to develop effective anti-ZIKV agents. Here, we report anti-ZIKV activity of 16 synthetic carbohydrate receptors (SCRs) that inhibit ZIKV infection in Vero and HeLa cells.

TLR9 polymorphism correlates with immune activation, CD4 decline and plasma IP10 levels in HIV patients.

Background: The mechanism behind HIV mediated immune activation remains debated, although the role of virus replication in this process is increasingly evident. Toll like Receptor 9 (TLR9) has been implicated in HIV mediated immune activation via sensing of viral CpG DNA. Polymorphisms in the TLR9 gene and promoter region including TLR9 1635A/G and 1486C/T have been found to be associated with multiple infectious diseases and cancers.

Recent Advances in Zika Virus Vaccines.

The recent outbreaks of Zika virus (ZIKV) infections and associated microcephaly in newborns has resulted in an unprecedented effort by researchers to target this virus. Significant advances have been made in developing vaccine candidates, treatment strategies and diagnostic assays in a relatively short period of time. Being a preventable disease, the first line of defense against ZIKV would be to vaccinate the highly susceptible target population, especially pregnant women.