During the first weeks of 2020, cases of SARS-CoV-2 began to be reported outside of China, with a rapid increase in cases and deaths worldwide. SARS-CoV-2 is a positive single-stranded RNA virus, encased in a lipid bilayer derived from the host cell membrane and consists of four structural proteins (S, M, E and N), plus a haemagglutinin-sterase. The binding of the S protein to the ECA2 receptor allows the entry of the virus into the host cell and is a potential therapeutic target. 81% of patients develop mild symptoms, 14% have severe symptoms and 5% require intensive care management. Fever is the most frequent symptom, followed by cough and dyspnea. Most patients do not present leukocytosis, but they do present lymphopenia with sputum cultures that do not show other pathogens. In lung biopsies of severe patients, the most noticeable finding is diffuse alveolar damage. Radiologically, ground glass and alveolar patterns are observed; the lesions being predominantly basal, subpleural, and posterior, with a multifocal peripheral distribution, more affecting the right lower lobe. There is a marked inflammatory response, up to the cytokine storm, in which anti-inflammatory treatment with pulse therapy with methylprednisolone would be indicated. Although there are no large-scale studies regarding the use of chloroquine / hydroxychloroquine, due to the global situation, its use has been authorized for its anti-SARS-CoV-2 and anti-inflammatory effect, which can be potentiated with the use of azithromycin.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.17843/rpmesp.2020.372.5411 | DOI Listing |
Sci Rep
December 2024
Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Keio University School of Medicine, 35 Shinanomachi, Shinjuku-Ku, Tokyo, 160-8582, Japan.
Chronic complete spinal cord injury (SCI) is difficult to treat because of scar formation and cavitary lesions. While human iPS cell-derived neural stem/progenitor cell (hNS/PC) therapy shows promise, its efficacy is limited without the structural support needed to address cavitary lesions. Our study investigated a combined approach involving surgical scar resection, decellularized extracellular matrix (dECM) hydrogel as a scaffold, and hNS/PC transplantation.
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December 2024
Department of Helminthology, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, 10400, Thailand.
The cytokine homologs, particularly transforming growth factor (TGF)-β, is a crucial immunomodulatory molecule and involved in growth and developmental processes in several helminths. In this study, the basic properties and functions of T. spiralis TGF-β homolog 2 (TsTGH2) were characterized using bioinformatics and molecular biology approaches.
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December 2024
Promega Corporation, 2800 Woods Hollow Road, Madison, WI, 53711, USA.
The cyclic GMP-AMP synthase-stimulator of the interferon gene (cGAS-STING) signaling pathway is considered an essential pattern recognition and effector pathway in the natural immune system and is mainly responsible for recognizing DNA molecules present in the cytoplasm and activating downstream signaling pathways to generate type I interferons (IFN-I) and other inflammatory factors. STING, a crucial junction protein in the innate immune system, exerts an essential role in host resistance to external pathogen invasion. The DNA introduced by pathogens or tumors is recognized by the cytoplasmic nucleic acid receptor cGAS, and a second messenger, cGAMP, is generated using intracellular guanosine triphosphate (GTP) and adenosine triphosphate (ATP).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBMC Complement Med Ther
December 2024
Department of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran.
Background: A precise observation is that the cervix's solid tumors possess hypoxic regions where the oxygen concentration drops below 1.5%. Hypoxia negatively impacts the host's immune system and significantly diminishes the effectiveness of several treatments, including radiotherapy and chemotherapy.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBMC Microbiol
December 2024
College of Agriculture and Forestry, Linyi University, Linyi, 276005, Shandong, China.
Avian pathogenic Escherichia coli (APEC) is a significant pathogen infecting poultry that is responsible for high mortality, morbidity and severe economic losses to the poultry industry globally, posing a substantial risk to the health of poultry. APEC encounters reactive oxygen species (ROS) during the infection process and thus has evolved antioxidant defense mechanisms to protect against oxidative damage. The imbalance of ROS production and antioxidant defenses is known as oxidative stress, which results in oxidative damage to proteins, lipids and DNA, and even bacterial cell death.
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