SARS-CoV-2, the virus responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic, has been confirmed to be a new coronavirus having 79% and 50% similarity with SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV, respectively. For a better understanding of the features of the new virus SARS-CoV-2, we have discussed a possible correlation between some unique features of the genome of SARS-CoV-2 in relation to pathogenesis. We have also reviewed structural druggable viral and host targets for possible clinical application if any, as cases of reinfection and compromised protection have been noticed due to the emergence of new variants with increased infectivity even after vaccination. We have also discussed the types of vaccines that are being developed against SARS-CoV-2. In this review, we have tried to give a brief overview of the fundamental factors of COVID-19 research like basic virology, virus variants and the newly emerging techniques that can be applied to develop advanced treatment strategies for the management of COVID-19 disease.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1039/d2md00009a | DOI Listing |
Sci Rep
January 2025
Translational and Clinical Research Institute, Newcastle University Medical School, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE2 4HH, GB, United Kingdom.
SARS-CoV-2 is the viral pathogen responsible for COVID-19. Although morbidity and mortality frequently occur as a result of lung disease, the gastrointestinal (GI) tract is recognized as a primary location for SARS-CoV-2. Connections and interactions between the microbiome of the gut and respiratory system have been linked with viral infections via what has been referred to as the 'gut-lung axis' with potential aerodigestive communication in health and disease.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFNPJ Vaccines
January 2025
Institute of Medical Biology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical college, Kunming, China.
The emergence of SARS-CoV-2 variants with defined mutations that enhance pathogenicity or facilitate immune evasion has resulted in a continual decline in the protective efficacy of existing vaccines. Therefore, there is a pressing need for a vaccine capable of combating future variants. In this study, we designed new mRNA vaccines, BSCoV05 and BSCoV06, and generated point mutations in the receptor-binding domain (RBD) of the original Wuhan strain to increase their broad-spectrum antiviral activity.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPLoS Comput Biol
January 2025
Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of California Riverside, Riverside, California, United States of America.
Respiratory diseases represent a significant healthcare burden, as evidenced by the devastating impact of COVID-19. Biophysical models offer the possibility to anticipate system behavior and provide insights into physiological functions, advancements which are comparatively and notably nascent when it comes to pulmonary mechanics research. In this context, an Inverse Finite Element Analysis (IFEA) pipeline is developed to construct the first continuously ventilated three-dimensional structurally representative pulmonary model informed by both organ- and tissue-level breathing experiments from a cadaveric human lung.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Virol
January 2025
Institut de recherches cliniques de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada.
Unlabelled: SARS-CoV-2 infection induces interferon (IFN) response by plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDCs), but the underlying mechanisms are poorly defined. Here, we show that the bulk of the IFN-I release comes from pDC sensing of infected cells and not cell-free virions. Physical contact (or conjugates) between pDCs and infected cells is mediated through CD54-CD11a engagement, and such conjugate formation is required for efficient IFN-I production.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Proteome Res
January 2025
PPGEMN, School of Engineering, Mackenzie Presbyterian University & MackGraphe - Mackenzie Institute for Research in Graphene and Nanotechnologies, Mackenzie Presbyterian Institute, São Paulo, São Paulo 01302-907, Brazil.
Since late 2021, Omicron variants have dominated the epidemiological scenario as the most successful severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) sublineages, driving new and breakthrough infections globally over the past two years. In this study, we investigated for the first time the host salivary response of COVID-19 patients infected with Omicron variants (BA.1, BA.
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