Project description:Identifying the dissemination patterns and impacts of a virus of economic or health importance during a pandemic is crucial, as it informs the public on policies for containment in order to reduce the spread of the virus. In this study, we integrated genomic and travel data to investigate the emergence and spread of the SARS-CoV-2 B.1.1.318 and B.1.525 (Eta) variants of interest in Nigeria and the wider Africa region. By integrating travel data and phylogeographic reconstructions, we find that these two variants that arose during the second wave in Nigeria emerged from within Africa, with the B.1.525 from Nigeria, and then spread to other parts of the world. Data from this study show how regional connectivity of Nigeria drove the spread of these variants of interest to surrounding countries and those connected by air-traffic. Our findings demonstrate the power of genomic analysis when combined with mobility and epidemiological data to identify the drivers of transmission, as bidirectional transmission within and between African nations are grossly underestimated as seen in our import risk index estimates.
Project description:Mycophenolic acid (MPA) is commonly used in immunosuppressive regimens following solid organ transplantation. We demonstrate that MPA treatment reproducibly inhibits the replication of a range of viruses, including severe respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2).xlxs. Mechanistically, we identified cellular guanosine triphosphate pool depletion as a key mediator of this antiviral effect. Strikingly, this inhibition can be overcome which was correlated with the emergence of three breakthrough mutations in the SARS-CoV-2 genome (S P812R, ORF3 Q185H, and E S6L). Subsequent analyses confirmed that the combination of these mutations conferred accelerated replication kinetics, higher viral titres and more rapid onset of cytopathic effects, but not MPA resistance. Comparison of global transcriptional responses to infection highlighted dysregulation of specific cellular gene programs under MPA treatment prior to breakthrough mutation emergence. Together, these findings identify viral and host drivers of variant emergence under immunosuppression. They also advocate for close monitoring of immunosuppressed patients, where emergence of novel viral variants with a fitness advantage may arise.
Project description:The SARS-CoV-2 virus is continuously evolving, with appearance of new variants characterized by multiple genomic mutations, some of which can affect functional properties, including infectivity, interactions with host immunity, and disease severity. The rapid spread of new SARS-CoV-2 variants has highlighted the urgency to trace the virus evolution, to help limit its diffusion, and to assess effectiveness of containment strategies. We propose here a PCR-based rapid, sensitive and low-cost allelic discrimination assay panel for the identification of SARS-CoV-2 genotypes, useful for detection in different sample types, such as nasopharyngeal swabs and wastewater. The tests carried out demonstrate that this in-house assay, whose results were confirmed by SARS-CoV-2 whole-genome sequencing, can detect variations in up to 10 viral genome positions at once and is specific and highly sensitive for identification of all tested SARS-CoV-2 clades, even in the case of samples very diluted and of poor quality, particularly difficult to analyze.
Project description:To explore the relationship between SARS-CoV-2 infection in different time before operation and postoperative main complications (mortality, main pulmonary and cardiovascular complications) 30 days after operation; To determine the best timing of surgery after SARS-CoV-2 infection.
Project description:The pandemic of the novel Coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, cause of Covid-19, has caused tens of thousands of deaths since its emergence in late 2019. An in-depth knowledge of the molecular biology of the virus infection is key for a better understanding of the virus and the progression of the disease. We here provide analysis of changes in proteome and phosphoproteome of H1299 cells untreated or treated with SARS-CoV or SARS-CoV-2 on a time course (4, 12, 24, 36 hrs).
2020-04-24 | PXD018581 | Pride
Project description:Emergence and Spread of two SARS-CoV-2 VOIs in Nigeria
Project description:RNA interference is a natural antiviral mechanism that could be harnessed to combat SARS-CoV-2 infection by targeting and destroying the viral RNA. We identified potent lipophilic small-interfering RNA (siRNA) conjugates targeting highly conserved regions of the SARS-CoV-2 outside of the spike-encoding region capable of achieving ≥3-log viral reduction. Serial passaging studies demonstrated that a two-siRNA combination prevented development of resistance compared to a single-siRNA approach. Viral resistance to single siRNA treatment occurred due to emergence of point mutations at critical positions required for siRNA-mediated target binding and cleavage, which led to a loss of siRNA efficacy. With a two-siRNA combination, emergence of mutations within the siRNA binding site was abolished. When delivered intranasally, two-siRNA combination protected Syrian hamsters from weight loss and lung pathology by viral infection upon prophylactic administration but not following onset of infection. Together, the data support potential utility of RNAi as a prophylactic approach with high resistance barrier to counteract SARS-CoV-2 emergent variants and complement vaccination. Most importantly, given that the siRNAs can be rapidly developed from a new pathogen sequence, this strategy has implications as a new type of preventive medicines that may protect against future coronavirus pandemics.
Project description:Viral pandemics pose an imminent threat to humanity. The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, requires the urgent development of anti-viral therapies. Because of its recent emergence, there is a paucity of information regarding viral behavior and host response following SARS-CoV-2 infection. Here, we offer an in-depth analysis of the host response to SARS-CoV-2 as it compares to other respiratory infections. Cell and animal models of SARS-CoV-2 infections, in addition to transcriptional profiling of a COVID-19 lung biopsy consistently revealed a unique and inappropriate inflammatory response defined by elevated chemokine expression in the absence of Type I and III interferons. Our identification of a muted transcriptional response to SARS-CoV-2 supports a model in which initial failure to rapidly respond to infection results in prolonged viral replication and an influx of proinflammatory cells that induce alveolar damage and manifest in COVID-19 lung pathology.
Project description:A pivotal role of astrocytes in the pathophysiology of CNS disorders during the SARS-CoV-2 infection of brain has been proposed. Thus, the study was performed to reveal astrocyte response to infection caused by either Omicron or Delta variant.