2020 - Page 4 of 6 - SciWriteGlobal

May, 2020

Breakthrough: 2003 SARS survivor antibody, a potential cure for COVID-19.

With the number of COVID-19 cases surpassing 4.3 million worldwide and counting, scientists are working around the clock in efforts to develop vaccines and treatments to slow the pandemic. Currently, scientists are looking into whether existing drugs might work or whether new treatments need to be developed to try and tackle the virus.

In this article, we discuss the latest scientific finding, how an antibody identified in a survivor of the 2003 Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) outbreak has the potential to neutralize COVID-19, providing a glimmer of hope in this current battle.

How do these antibodies work against COVID-19?

Development of immunity to a pathogen through natural infection is usually a multi-step process taking around 1-2 weeks. The body immediately reacts to fight the infection with a nonspecific innate response which will slow the progress of the virus and may even prevent it from causing symptoms. This is then followed by an adaptive response where the body produces antibodies specifically binding to the virus and eliminate it along with the cells infected.

Recently a research team came forward and publisher a paper stating that they have identified an antibody from a patient recovered from SARS 2003, which can potentially inhibit the cause of COVID-19. The antibody S309 is now on a fast track development and testing at Vir Biotechnology.

The scientists first identified monoclonal antibodies from the memory B cells of the SARS survivor. The memory B cells reproduce cells and have a long lineage, sometimes for life. The cells have the tendency to remember a pathogen or one similar to it and have the potential to fight against it in the future if re-infected.

The S309 antibody, in particular, is directed at a protein structure of the coronaviruses. The structure is essential for the virus, to recognize a host cell receptor and infect it. This particular infectivity capability is present in the spikes that crown the virus. S309, in particular, attacks the spike- disabling it, hence hindering the coronavirus to enter the cells. It should also be noted that the antibody showed the capability to target binding sites of several sarbocoviruses, not just COVID-19 and SARS.

What next- Will this be the breakthrough we all are hoping for COVID-19?

In this paper titled “Cross-neutralization of SARS-CoV and SARS-CoV2 by a human monoclonal antibody”, scientists have reported that by combining the S309 antibody with other similar antibodies identified in the recovered SARS survivor, there is a chance of neutralizing the COVID-19 virus. This cocktail of antibodies could be the answer to limit the coronavirus from forming mutants capable of escaping the single ingredient antibody.

“We still need to show that this antibody is protective in living systems, which has not yet been done,” said David Veesler senior author. “Right now there are no approved tools or licensed therapeutics proven to fight against the coronavirus that causes COVID-19”, he added.

At this point in the pandemic, there is not enough evidence to prove the effect of antibody-mediated immunity against the virus. It cannot guarantee an immunity passport or a risk-free certificate. Further research and studies need to be performed before we can reach a conclusion.

Source

May, 2020

T-cells can play a crucial role in combating COVID-19

The only thing that is keeping researchers across the globe on their toes is the present pandemic situation. The scientists are working hard to find out a potential solution that can help fight the menace. Looking at this, they are exploring the known immune warriors in the human system, one of them is T- cell. Though known for fighting various viruses, the understanding of how T cells interact and fight against Sars-CoV2 is yet not clear. Recently, two studies suggest that patients infected with COVID harbor T-cells to target viruses that might have helped them in recovery. The study reveals that some of the people already have these cellular defense mechanisms mostly because they have a history of infection with any of the coronaviruses.

“This is encouraging data,” says virologist Angela Rasmussen of Columbia University. Although the studies don’t clarify whether people who clear a SARS-CoV-2 infection can ward off the virus in the future, both identified strong T cell responses to it, which “bodes well for the development of long-term protective immunity,” Rasmussen says. The findings of the research study can help scientists come up with a potential vaccine candidate.

“One reason that a large chunk of the population may be able to deal with the virus is that we may have some small residual immunity from our exposure to common cold viruses,” says viral immunologist Steven Varga of the University of Iowa.

Presently, most of the vaccine candidates are developed by targeting the other component of the immune system. For example, many biotech companies are coming up with antibodies based vaccines which are mainly made by B-cells when they interact with the virus. Whereas the T-cell based mechanism differs a little. There are two different mechanisms that define the working of T-cells. One way is where helper T-cells interact with other biological components like B-cells, interleukins, and more to put them into action against the virus. The second way is where killer T-cells directly recognize and target the virus to destroy them from the site. This is the reason that the severity of disease among different patients varies depending upon how strong their Tcell response is.

The scientist team used some bioinformatics tools to assess the interaction between the viral protein and Tcell. For this, they exposed immune cells of few patients to the viral spikes, who have recovered fro the COVID infection. The results showed that all patients harbored helper T cells that helped in the recognition of viral spike protein. This spike protein plays a crucial role while invading a cell. The team also identified killer T0cells in almost 70% of patients, as reported in the ‘Cell’. “The immune system sees this virus and mounts an effective immune response,” says the researcher.

“It is encouraging that we are seeing good helper T cell responses against SARS-CoV-2 in COVID-19 cases,” says a researcher involved in the study.

The present study highlights the importance of looking at other potential immune mechanisms to target COVID-19. Moreover, understanding the detailed role of T-cell in the fight against the virus can have significant implications in the development of potential vaccine candidates. The study has come on time to help researchers find ways to implement it and develop a therapy that can help in turning down the pandemic.

Source

May, 2020

Coronavirus can spread through sewage systems, say experts

While the phrase may start to sound cliche, it still rings true! These are truly unparalleled times. The past few weeks have been nothing short of an immense change for all of us, leading us to adapt and change our lives and businesses to deal with the COVID-19 outbreak.

With the lockdown being lifted in several countries, health officials all over the world are broadening the search for the people infected and focusing on slowing the spread. This includes finding all possible sources through which the virus can spread. When the response to the pandemic has been focused mostly on preventing community spread, Professor Quilliam and colleagues at the University of Stirling, recently released a paper warning that sewage system can play as a potential COVID-19 transmission risk and that it must not be neglected in this battle to protect human health.

Can COVID-19 really survive in human feces or sewer systems? POSSIBLY.

With years of studying the transport of bacteria in various marine environments, Professor Quilliam stated that “We know that COVID-19 is spread through droplets from coughs and sneezes, or via objects or materials that carry infection. However, it has recently been confirmed that the virus can also be found in human feces – up to 33 days after the patient has tested negative for the respiratory symptoms of COVID-19″.

The authors explained that given the structure of COVID-19, specifically its lipid envelope covering, makes its behavior unpredictable in different aqueous situations. Though the information on COVID-19 environmental persistence is limited, from previous research it should be noted that other coronaviruses have known to survive in viable sewage for around 14 days.

Should wastewater treatment plant operators take extra precautions? YES, BE SAFE!

The authors further added that there is a good possibility for the virus to aerosolize, particularly during the pumping and transfer of wastewater through different sewer systems. This could lead to atmospheric loading of the virus in the form of water droplets, giving it direct access to the respiratory tract of the people exposed. It must be acknowledged that people working at the sewage pumping stations or wastewater treatments are more at risk and need to be provided protective equipment. They must also be educated to seek medical care when showing any signs or symptoms.

Areas with open sewage systems, especially in developing countries and places where safely managed sanitation systems are limited are high at risk. The authors further added that “Such settings are commonly accompanied by poorly resourced and fragile healthcare systems, thus amplifying both exposure risk and potential mortality,”

Is this finding a possible breakthrough? MAYBE, MAYBE NOT.

The authors stated that “It is not yet known whether the virus can be transmitted via the fecal-oral route, however, we know that viral shedding from the digestive system can last longer than shedding from the respiratory tract. Therefore, this could be important – but as yet unquantified – a pathway for increased exposure.”

As the limited number of adequate testing in many places has made it difficult to keep pace with the quick-spreading virus, scientists believe that monitoring sewage for the virus will provide a cheap and reliable alternative. The experts further added that this removes the guesswork about when to impose local lockdowns — or when to lift them.

Though an interesting way to keep track of the virus, monitoring wastewater for the said virus is hardly an easy task. The approach poses many challenges, including deploying it on a large scale and winning the government’s approval.

The authors concluded the paper by stating that In the immediate future, there needs to be an investment of resources to improve our understanding of the risks associated with the fecal transmission of SARS-CoV-2 and whether this respiratory virus can be disseminated by enteric transmission.

Source

Apr, 2020

Genetic variation in immune system may impact the severity of COVID-19

Can your genes be the reason for increased susceptibility to COVID-19 infection? For years, scientists know that genes play a very important role in underlying biological mechanisms. And therefore, over these years many pieces of research have been carried to understand the link between genetic variability and diseases. Recently, new research published in the Journal of Virology (Well-known publication of American Society for Microbiology) highlights that variation in the genes involved in the human immune system can impact the susceptibility and severity of COVID-19 infection.

Human Leukocytes Antigen Genes

You must have seen people of a certain group be more susceptible to disease than others, why? Well, the answer to this lies in your genes. Individual gene variation is known to be one of the major reasons behind the differences in the immune responses. Our immune system works with the help of multiple biomolecules. One such important component of the immune system that plays a very crucial role in determining the strength of the response is the human leukocyte antigen. The genes coding for this antigen is involved in detecting the pathogen upon invasion. The gene variation among different individuals can influence how well the immune system detects the pathogen in an individual. If a person has a weak response than a pathogen such as the Sar-CoV2 virus could easily invade making a person vulnerable to the infection.

Understanding the variation

As we all know that the number of COVID-19 cases is rising across the globe, researchers and scientist are working towards finding better solutions to curb the menace. In the present study, the author of the paper indicated the importance of understanding the variation of human leukocytes antigen (HLA), which forms a very important component of the immune system. Knowing the gene variants of HLA and their respective responses towards the condition can help identify people posing a higher risk towards the COVID-19 infection.

The researchers showed that the HLA, haplotype, and also the full genotype variation may impact the ability of an individual’s immune system to respond against Sars-CoV infection. Moreover, certain alleles can be responsible for more severe infections than others.

“This is the first study to report global distributions of HLA types and haplotypes with potential epidemiological ramifications in the setting of the current pandemic,” write the authors, from Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, and the Portland VA Research Foundation.

One of the important benefits of HLA based study is that HLA typing is quite fast and less expensive. If there is a pairing of HLA typing with that of COVID-19 tests than there can be a significant improvement in the identification of high-risk individuals. Moreover, once the vaccine against COVID-19 is available, high-risk HLA type individuals can be prioritized for the vaccination. This will help in creating herd immunity and help prevent the future spread of the disease.

Apr, 2020

FDA approves the first saliva test for COVID-19 testing

With a rising death toll across the globe, researchers are looking for ways to develop highly effective detection tests for early diagnosis of COVID-19. Though there are tests based on the nasal swabs, other alternative methods like saliva-based tests can prove to be highly robust. In light of this, scientists have created an easy test that uses saliva instead of the nasal swabs as a sample.

The US Food and Drug Administration approved the first saliva test for COVID-19 testing for emergency early this month, which can be used as an alternative to existing tests.

“Considering the high transmission rates of coronavirus and rising cases, it is very crucial to have all types of testing options to carry out as much testing as possible in any form. The only way one can prevent the spread of coronavirus virus is by mass testing and self- isolation”, said by one of the researchers working on infectious disease and pandemic preparedness at the Johns Hopkins University.

Why lookout for alternatives?

Presently, COVID-19 testing involves the use of nasal swabs based tests where health professionals need to insert a swab into each nostril, reaching out at the back of the nasal cavity where the nasopharynx is located. The swab is gently scraped over the tissues to collect the sample and later sent for the analysis. Though the present method is robust, it proved to be very cumbersome to an extent. The nasal swab based testing requires highly professional health practitioners to perform the sample collection. In the present time where we are facing the shortage of healthcare professionals, the nasal swabs based tests increase the burden further. Moreover, extra precautions are needed to carry out this test, which includes wearing fresh gloves, personal protective equipment, and face shield that are in short supply.

On the other side, the collection of saliva samples is quite easy and can be performed by any individual without the requirement of expertise. Saliva tests have been used in the market for the various genetic tests and are quite common to people. The process involves thoroughly cleaning the hands and spitting the saliva sample into the collection tube up to the mark indicated. The entire process is very easy and doesn’t require a large number of safety requirements such as PPE. However, as per the recent guidelines shared by Food and Drug Administration (FDA), saliva-based testing will still be carried out in the healthcare setting under the guidance and supervision of expert & qualified healthcare professionals.

Saliva testing – a robust alternative

“Saliva testing will help with the global shortage of swabs for sampling and increase testing of patients, and it will not require health care professionals to be put at risk to collect samples,” Andrew Brooks, the chief operating officer of RUCDR Infinite Biologics, a biorepository backed by Rutgers University that developed the spit test, explains in a statement.

The saliva-based testing uses TaqPath Sars-CoV2 Assay which is used in existing coronavirus tests for identifying the viral RNA. Scientists shared that apart from identifying the potential carriers of the COVID-19 virus, the present saliva-based testing can help in re-testing the people who have shown recovery to help them end the self-isolation.

Way ahead

To assess the robustness of the saliva-based test for COVID-19 detection, researchers collected 60 samples from COVID-29 patients using the saliva swab tests. The results for Sars-CoV2 RNA in these saliva samples showed the same results as conventional nasal swab based tests taken from the same infected patients. This highlights the robustness and effectiveness of saliva as high as a nasal based test without any false-negative results.

Apr, 2020

Making a Career in Scientific Writing

Scientific writing nowadays a very lucrative career for many people across the wide variety of niches. This may include writing for newspapers, magazines, publications, press releases, broadcast media, blogs, newsletters, and the list goes on. It doesn’t matter which area you would like to explore to showcase your writing skill, the most important thing is to choose as per your strength. Most of the writers end up working in the above-listed venues, which often offer them a great path to learn new things about writing and exploring skills beyond the limit. One of the best ways to learn about scientific writing is to hear out the people in the field. Whether it is writers, editors or those who hire, knowing their experience can fuel yours.

To understand deeply what key steps can help the budding science writers, we queried many existing writers and editors in our team as well as in our connection. The major aim was to understand the basic challenges every writer faces at the initial stage when they are getting started. Moreover, other key considerations such as what kind of training is important, how much time a writer should spend learning, how to fetch the first assignments, and dealing with other stuff like accounting, taxes, etc., were discussed to gain better insights. In this article, we will try to highlight and share their vision and thoughts on some of these issues to help budding writers know how to go ahead.

To start off let’s understand how someone thinking of making a career in scientific writing should take a step ahead. For people with serious intention in becoming a writer, their efforts, talent and focus during the transition can be of great benefit. However, this is not the limit. The foremost important consideration when trying to be a writer is to showcase your skills to others. This will help you gain quality projects over a period. But is it so easy to gain projects just by showcasing the talent? Well, no. You need to work on other management skills such as networking. More the network better will be the exposure.

Many budding writers often ask if advanced scientific training will be boon or bane for them. The answer to this is both yes and no. The training may work if you are writing for a publishing house focused on too many technical details. However, it may be of no use if you are writing for a normal audience. Use of jargon and difficult to understand technical terms for common people may not be the right choice. So you need to decide upon the audience you will be majorly focused on. If you are considering making the transition as a freelance writer initially then you must learn some hacks. This often includes making an effective business contract with your client. This assures you receive the stipulated amount of work and payment on time.

Making a career in scientific writing is a very lucrative field but it doesn’t mean you can excel in it without any talent. Constant learning and acquiring new forms of writing are very important to meet the needs of the changing market. It helps you thrive better and fuel your career positively. At Sciwrite Global, we do hire talented scientific writers. If you have a knack to perform the best and bring value to the organization then feel free to connect.

Apr, 2020

COVID-19: What you need to be careful of?

More than 780000 cases of COVID-19 have been reported across the globe. The new coronavirus outbreak has the attention of the entire world as there are no effective medicines or vaccines yet. The virus originated in the Wuhan city of China and spread to numerous countries in almost no time. This does raise multiple questions like what exactly the virus is. Why its transmission rate is so high? And how an individual can avoid catching it? Well, amid this outbreak we will help you know about the virus in detail. Read ahead to gain a brief insight into the challenges the whole world is suffering from and how we all can overcome it.

Understanding the Coronavirus

Coronaviruses are a group of viruses whose exterior layers reflect a crown-like structure. Corona is a Latin word which means crown. There are various types of viruses in this group but most of them cause very slight illness and cold-like symptoms. The pathogenicity of novel Coronavirus has led researchers and scientists across the world to study more about it as there is very little information in the scientific community. Wuhan city of China is considered to be the epicenter of the disease initially from where it spread to numerous countries in no time. The origin of the virus is still not known but some studies suggest that it has been transmitted to humans from the animals.

Symptoms of COVID-19

The symptoms of the COVID-19 are often confusing as they are somewhat similar to the symptoms of common flu. However, the characteristics difference between them is the presence of high fever, sore throat, dry cough, difficulty in breathing and pneumonia in severe conditions. The incubation time for the development of symptoms is considered to be 14 days due to which people suspected of COVID-19 are suggested to quarantine themselves for this period.

Since very little information is available about the virus, researchers and doctors across the globe are contributing crucial information from the recent cases. It is observed that the virus mainly infects people with low immunity. This is the reason that countries with coronavirus outbreak have high infection and death rate among the elderly population. However, it doesn’t stipulate that young people and children are not prone to it. Having weak immunity irrespective of age can make you prone to infections. Therefore, doctors are prescribing for regular exercise and healthy food as a primary effort to protect yourself from the infection.

The major concern over here with the condition is that at the beginning people might not be able to assess the situation (as the grave) due to the mild symptoms associated. In some cases, people confuse the symptoms with that of normal flu and avoid going to the doctor until it becomes severe. During this period, the patient must have come in contact with say ‘n’ number of people which will further infect other ‘n+y’ number of people. This chain continues as the severe symptoms take 14 days to be physically visible. A point comes where there is a sudden outburst of diseases leading to chaos and panic which is often observed in present cases of countries like China, Italy, Iran, the USA, etc.

Precautions to avoid infections

The transmission of coronavirus from an infected person into the atmosphere takes place through the tiny droplets of a sneeze. These droplets though don’t stay suspended in the air for long, it descends and settles onto the surfaces. It is therefore very crucial for every individual to maintain at least 1m of distance from the infected person. Also, one must avoid touching such infected surfaces and later touching their eyes, nose or face. It is therefore very important to wash your hands thoroughly at regular intervals.
To prevent the transmission of the coronavirus, the doctors also suggest avoiding any kind of physical contact with other people such as avoiding handshakes. In case if you are infected with the disease or even with the normal flu, you must sneeze in your elbows rather than in your palms. You can also use handkerchief or tissue to cover your mouth during the sneeze as these practices reduce the chances of the spread of infectious droplets in the atmosphere.

Way ahead

COVID-19 is a disease that may look normal to you due to its mild symptoms at the initial stage. However, the experience in other countries shows that its completely the opposite and one must take effective care as soon as there are visible symptoms. One of the best ways to prevent the spread is to self isolate yourself and undertake prescribed medications. Researchers and scientists across the globe are working hard to come up with potential vaccines and medicine for the disease. But till then we need to consider the basic precautionary steps to avoid escalation of the situation. So, stay safe and spread awareness among your family to help the world fight this disease together. Let’s not forget we all are together in it and we will come out of it together.

Mar, 2020

The first line of treatment for COVID-19

As the number of cases of COVID-19 is increasing worldwide, researches has been carried out rigorously across the globe to curb this inflection to some extent and providing the first line of treatment with existing drugs. A coalition of European researchers has published in the International Journal of Infection that existing approved drugs can help in combating new viruses and help the patients to survive through viral infections.

According to WHO, the coronavirus has symptoms like fever, runny nose, sore throat and cough in the beginning. In severe cases, for some people, it can lead to pneumonia or breathing problems. It can be even fatal if initial precautions are ignored. More vulnerable are people with medical conditions like diabetes and heart diseases.

Can drug repurposing help?

Drug repurposing (Drug repositioning, re-profiling, etc.) is the use of an approved drug for the treatment of another disease by generating additional value. Drug repurposing can be a good option until some treatment or vaccine for COVID -19 is discovered. Many such potential drugs are under testing to see their effect on overcoming the menace of coronavirus. Some of the approved drugs include Teicoplanin, Oritavancin, Dalbavancin, and Monensin, which has shown efficient response in curbing the infectious coronavirus symptoms in the laboratory.

Is drug repurposing a good option?

As the task of drug repurposing is to take out additional value from already approved drugs, the drug development details, chemical synthesis process, manufacturing process and information regarding different phases of clinical testing are already known. Moreover, they have translational opportunities such as the high probability of success to market compared with developing new drugs or vaccines and significantly reduced cost and timeline to clinical availability.

Development of BSSAs (Broad Spectrum Antiviral Agents)

Broad-Spectrum Antiviral Agents are the drugs that target viruses from two or more different viral families. Nearly 120 drugs are found to be safe for human use and a database is created which is freely accessible. Thirty-one of these are a possible candidate for prophylaxis and treatment of the COVID-19 infection. Five possible drug candidate is under clinical investigation to treat the virus that causes COVID-19.

Way ahead

BSAAs will have a global impact in the future by decreasing morbidity and mortality from viral and other diseases, maximizing life expectancy, improving quality of life and decreasing costs of patient care. As no concrete treatment is there in place to cure COVID-19, the mentioned discoveries and researches portray hope as a potential step towards overcoming achieving victory against COVID-19.

Mar, 2020

Nobel Prize 2019: How Cells Sense and Adapt To Oxygen Availability

The 2019 Nobel Prize in physiology and medicine is awarded to the trio of scientists – William G. Kaeling, Gregg L. Semenza and Sir Peter J. Ratcliffe for the discovery of sensing and adaptation mechanism of cells to oxygen availability.

We all know how crucial oxygen is for the existence of an organism. It helps to convert the food into a useful energy source, which in turn drives multiple biochemical pathways within the biological system. Though we are acquainted with the importance of oxygen for decades, the basic understanding of how cells acclimatize to the shift in the oxygen levels within an organism is yet to be inferred.

The discovery by the trio of scientists has helped in identifying the underlying molecular machineries playing role in modulating the gene expression in response to changing oxygen levels. The findings have also unveiled how fluctuating oxygen levels alter cellular metabolism and physiological function. It will be very useful in developing new strategies to combat various diseases like cancer, anemia and more.

Oxygen – The Key Player

The conversion of food into the energy source in mitochondria is an oxygen-dependent mechanism. This shows a sufficient level of oxygen is very critical. The evolutionary development has helped in coming up with a unique mechanism that helps in maintaining the sufficient levels of oxygen supply to all cells and tissues. For example – the presence of the Carotid body in the neck region is a remarkable illustration of cellular mechanisms adapting to changing levels of oxygen. These bodies consist of specialized cells which mediate the oxygen levels in hypoxia-like condition. Similar to this another significant mechanism is EPO dependent response to hypoxia conditions. Wherein low levels of oxygen lead to an increase in levels of erythropoietin causing a rise in red blood cell production (A process called erythropoiesis). However, the understanding of how this process is dependent on oxygen was missing. To find that scientists started to study the EPO gene. Some of the results showed that certain genetic elements present next to the EPO gene play a vital role in controlling the levels of oxygen.

Meanwhile, Sir Peter Ratcliffe was also studying the same phenomenon. Later both the research group found that the oxygen sensing mechanism is commonly present in almost all cells and tissues. On the other side, scientist Semenza was trying to unfold the cellular components involved behind this sensing mechanism. He found a protein complex named as Hypoxia Inducible Factor (HIF) which binds to DNA segments in oxygen-dependent manner. Scientists soon purified the respective protein and identified associated transcription factors (HIF-1α and ARNT) mediating the sensing mechanism using HIF.

Demystifying the Role of VHL

The level of HIF-1α is inversely proportional to the oxygen levels. Certain studies showed that under normal circumstance HIF-1α is protected from degradation. However, under hypoxia conditions, the HIF-1α undergoes ubiquitin-dependent degradation in the proteasome. But how ubiquitin binds to HIF-1α in an oxygen-dependent manner was a big mystery. The answer to this name from the finding of scientist William Kaelin when he was studying an inherited genetic disease named Hippel-Lindau’s disease (VHL disease). Families with VHL mutations are considered to have a higher risk of cancers. Further studies showed that cells with VHL mutations exhibited increased expression of hypoxia-regulated genes. However, upon reintroduction of the VHL gene into the cells the condition turns back to the normal. This highlighted a significant relation between VHL and hypoxia. Other similar studies showed that VHL is a crucial part of the protein complex playing role in marking cellular components for degradation in proteasome in a ubiquitin-dependent manner. Thus, a key discovery was made which demonstrated the VHL interaction with HIF-1α and its subsequent degradation in an oxygen-dependent manner.

Oxygen regulating VHL & HIF-1α interaction

Another missing piece in the puzzle of understanding the oxygen sensing mechanism by cells was to understand how changing oxygen levels mediate the interaction between VHL & HIF-1α. Upon further investigation, scientists discovered hydroxylation as a key in the entire process. They discovered that under normal levels of oxygen, two hydroxyl groups are added to HIF-1α at certain sites, a process known as prolyl hydroxylation. This allows VHL to recognize HIF-1α leading to subsequent binding and controlling degradation of HIF-1α in an oxygen-dependent manner. Scientists soon identified the enzymes involved in the hydroxylation process. Later, certain findings also showed that genes involved in the activation of HIF-1α are also regulated by oxygen-dependent hydroxylation.

Unveiling the oxygen sensing mechanism in the organism is breakthrough research due to its wide application. From the adaptive response in muscle during exercise to immune system response in the body, oxygen sensing plays a very critical role in channelizing these biological processes. Besides this, it also has a significant role to play in a number of diseases such as anaemia, cancer and more. The Noble prize-winning research has led the path for many other scientists and pharmaceutical companies to develop new drugs targeting this oxygen-sensing mechanism.

Mar, 2020

Antibodies Targeting Influenza Viruses – A Hope for Universal Vaccine

For most of us, influenza infection resolves on its own but in many cases, it can have severe outcomes if ignored. Therefore, scientists across the globe are looking for some effective method to prevent influenza infection. Many pieces of research have been carried out where the scientists are developing antibodies to efficiently target the influenza virus.

The major reason for failure in developing an effective treatment method against the influenza virus is its constantly changing nature, wherein new strains develop regularly. So if you had influenza in the past with say strain-A, your body will have antibodies against it. But next time when you are infected again with some other strain of influenza your body will recognize it as new. This is the reason that no universal vaccine is available till now. However, recent research work by Daniel Stadlbauer et.al embarks a new ray of hope for the development of a universal vaccine against the influenza virus.

Antibody Targeting Neuraminidase

There are multiple influenza virus strains that require designing a new vaccine almost every year. This is the reason vaccine shots against flu are needed to be taken every year, unlike any other infection. But imagine what if we have an antibody that can target all these strains? Such an antibody can be used to design a universal vaccine that can target all strains of influenza including, swine and other avian influenza viruses.

There are certain protein molecules on the surface of the virus which help it to enter the host cells or to replicate in the host body. One such protein is ‘Neuraminidase’ which is the center of the present study. The researchers found a unique antibody that targets the conserved region of this protein, eventually blocking the viral replication and preventing the further spread of infection.

Till now, Tamiflu a well-known drug is used for flu treatment which works by targeting neuraminidase. But as discussed earlier, the virus exists in multiple strains due to variability in neuraminidase protein; in such cases, the existing drugs are not that effective. Moreover, the increasing burden of drug resistance is also a cause of concern. The recent finding of a unique antibody capable of targeting multiple influenza strains can help in overcoming the drawbacks of existing treatment methods.

The researchers tested blood samples from flue patients and observed unique behavior. They found that apart from the common activity of antibody against hemagglutinin, there were some other antibodies targeting something else. Upon investigating three of these unknown antibodies, the researchers found that the antibodies were blocking the neuraminidase activity in all types of known flu viruses. Scientists were amazed by results as for the first time some antibodies have shown activity against a wide range of virus subtypes. Otherwise earlier the activity was limited only to the certain subtype of influenza. But in the present study, the antibodies were able to cross between influenza A and influenza B, showing an extensive range of activity.

Antibody – 1GO1 and mice studies

To analyze the effectiveness of antibodies against the severe cases of flu, researchers tested the antibodies in mice. These mice were given a lethal dose of influenza virus before the introduction of antibodies. The results obtained were astonishing as all three antibodies showed positive results with one antibody named-1GO1 capable of protecting against more than 11 strains of influenza (both human and non-human strains)

It is suggested that for effective use of Tamiflu, it should be administered within 24 hours of infection. However, with the help of present antibodies identified, the administration even after 72 hours of infections showed positive results, which is quite remarkable. Thus, a similar drug based on these antibodies can be designed to treat influenza infection but to do so scientist need to further understand how these antibodies actually interfere in neuraminidase activity.

Structural and functional analyses

To understand the underlying mechanism behind the antibody-based blocking of viral replication, scientists carried out the structural and functional analyses. They mapped the structures of the antibodies bound to neuraminidase. The findings showed that each of the antibodies had a loop-like structure that slides into the active site of neuraminidase just like a stick between the gears. This interferes with the normal functioning of neuraminidase thereby blocking the release of new virus particles from the infected host cells. This further breaks the entire replication cycle important for the spread of infection.

The most noticing part of the findings was the insertion of a loop by antibodies within the conserved active site without contacting the hypervariable regions in the surrounding. This allowed targeting a broad range of neuraminidase in different influenza viruses than any of the earlier methods.

The study reveals that using these antibodies can provide protection from a wide range of influenza virus strains as it targets the conserved regions of the neuraminidase active site. These conserved regions remain almost the same even across the distantly related virus strains. Thus, using these antibodies can help in universal vaccine development against influenza.

Till now, neuraminidase as a target for the vaccine has been ignored for long but the present study highlights its importance. To take this ahead, researchers are working on developing new and improved treatments and vaccines for influenza based on antibody 1G01.

Yearly Archives: 2020

May, 2020

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Should wastewater treatment plant operators take extra precautions? YES, BE SAFE!

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