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Full-Text Articles in COVID-19

Unrevealing Sequence And Structural Features Of Novel Coronavirus Using In Silico Approaches: The Main Protease As Molecular Target, Joseph Thomas Ortega Mar 2020

Unrevealing Sequence And Structural Features Of Novel Coronavirus Using In Silico Approaches: The Main Protease As Molecular Target, Joseph Thomas Ortega

Faculty Scholarship

Direct-acting antivirals are effective tools to control viral infections. SARS-CoV-2 is a coronavirus associated with the epidemiological outbreak in late 2019. Previous reports showed that HIV-1 protease inhibitors could block SARS-CoV main protease. Based on that and using an in silico approach, we evaluated SARS-CoV-2 main protease as a target for HIV-1 protease inhibitors to reveal the structural features related to their antiviral effect. Our results showed that several HIV inhibitors such as lopinavir, ritonavir, and saquinavir produce strong interaction with the active site of SARS-CoV-2 main protease. Furthermore, broad library protease inhibitors obtained from PubChem and ZINC (www.zinc.docking.org) were …


Is Romania Ready To Face The Novel Coronavirus (Covid-19) Outbreak? The Role Of Incoming Travelers And That Of Romanian Diaspora, Iulian Gherghel Mar 2020

Is Romania Ready To Face The Novel Coronavirus (Covid-19) Outbreak? The Role Of Incoming Travelers And That Of Romanian Diaspora, Iulian Gherghel

Student Scholarship

Letter to editor of Travel Medicine and Infectious Disease


Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Clinical Trial To Assess The Safety And Effectiveness Of A Novel Dual-Action Oral Topical Formulation Against Upper Respiratory Infections, Pranab K. Mukherjee, Frank Esper, Ken Buchheit, Karen Arters, Ina Adkins, Mahmoud A. Ghannoum, Robert A. Salata Jan 2017

Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Clinical Trial To Assess The Safety And Effectiveness Of A Novel Dual-Action Oral Topical Formulation Against Upper Respiratory Infections, Pranab K. Mukherjee, Frank Esper, Ken Buchheit, Karen Arters, Ina Adkins, Mahmoud A. Ghannoum, Robert A. Salata

Faculty Scholarship

BACKGROUND: Current prevention options for upper respiratory infections (URIs) are not optimal. We conducted a randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled pilot clinical trial to evaluate the safety and efficacy of ARMS-Iâ„¢ (currently marketed as Halo™) in the prevention of URIs. METHODS: ARMS-I is patented novel formulation for the prevention and treatment of influenza, comprising a broad-spectrum antimicrobial agent (cetylpyridinium chloride, CPC) and components (glycerin and xanthan gum) that form a barrier on the host mucosa, thus preventing viral contact and invasion. Healthy adults (18—45 years of age) were randomized into ARMS-I or placebo group (50 subjects each). The drug was sprayed intra-orally …


Human Coronaviruses Are Uncommon In Patients With Gastrointestinal Illness, Frank Esper, Zhen Ou, Yung T. Huang Jun 2010

Human Coronaviruses Are Uncommon In Patients With Gastrointestinal Illness, Frank Esper, Zhen Ou, Yung T. Huang

Faculty Scholarship

BACKGROUND: Coronaviruses infect numerous animal species causing a variety of illnesses including respiratory, neurologic and enteric disease. Human coronaviruses (HCoV) are mainly associated with respiratory tract disease but have been implicated in enteric disease. OBJECTIVES: To investigate the frequency of coronaviruses in stool samples from children and adults with gastrointestinal illness by RT-PCR. STUDY DESIGN: Clinical samples submitted for infectious diarrhea testing were collected from December 2007 through March 2008. RNA extraction and RT-PCR was performed for stools negative for Clostridium difficile using primer sets against HCoV-229E, HCoV-OC43, HCoV-NL63, and HCoV-HKU1. Clinical data from samples positive for coronaviruses were reviewed …


Identification Of Critical Determinants On Ace2 For Sars-Cov Entry And Development Of A Potent Entry Inhibitor, Dong P. Han, Adam Penn-Nicholson, Michael W. Cho Feb 2006

Identification Of Critical Determinants On Ace2 For Sars-Cov Entry And Development Of A Potent Entry Inhibitor, Dong P. Han, Adam Penn-Nicholson, Michael W. Cho

Faculty Scholarship

Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) is caused by a novel coronavirus, SARS-CoV. Virus entry into cells is mediated through interactions between spike (S) glycoprotein and angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2). Alanine scanning mutagenesis analysis was performed to identify determinants on ACE2 critical for SARS-CoV infection. Results indicated that charged amino acids between residues 22 and 57 were important, K26 and D30, in particular. Peptides representing various regions of ACE2 critical for virus infection were chemically synthesized and evaluated for antiviral activity. Two peptides (a.a. 22–44 and 22–57) exhibited a modest antiviral activity with IC(50) of about 50 μM and 6 μM, …


Development Of A Safe Neutralization Assay For Sars-Cov And Characterization Of S-Glycoprotein, Dong P. Han, Hyung G. Kim, Young B. Kim, Michael W. Cho Aug 2004

Development Of A Safe Neutralization Assay For Sars-Cov And Characterization Of S-Glycoprotein, Dong P. Han, Hyung G. Kim, Young B. Kim, Michael W. Cho

Faculty Scholarship

The etiological agent of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) has been identified as a novel coronavirus SARS-CoV. Similar to other coronaviruses, spike (S)-glycoprotein of the virus interacts with a cellular receptor and mediates membrane fusion to allow viral entry into susceptible target cells. Accordingly, S-protein plays an important role in virus infection cycle and is the primary target of neutralizing antibodies. To begin to understand its biochemical and immunological properties, we expressed both full-length and ectodomain of the protein in various primate cells. Our results show that the protein has an electrophoretic mobility of about 160–170 kDa. The protein is …