Variation analysis of SARS-CoV-2 complete sequences from Iran.

Aim: SARS-CoV-2 is an emerging coronavirus that was discovered in China and rapidly spread throughout the world. The authors looked at nucleotide and amino acid variations in SARS-CoV-2 genomes, as well as phylogenetic and evolutionary events in viral genomes, in Iran. Materials & methods: All SARS-CoV-2 sequences that were publicly released between the start of the pandemic and 15 October 2021 were included. Results: The majority of mutations were found in vaccine target proteins, Spike and Nucleocapsid proteins, and nonstructural proteins. The majority of the viruses that circulated in the early stages of the pandemic belonged to the B.4 lineage. Conclusion: We discovered the prevalence of viral populations in Iran. As a result, tracking the virus's variation in Iran and comparing it with a variety of nearby neighborhoods may reveal a pattern for future variant introductions.

A Brief Overview of Potential Treatments for Viral Diseases Using Natural Plant Compounds: The Case of SARS-Cov.

The COVID-19 pandemic, as well as the more general global increase in viral diseases, has led researchers to look to the plant kingdom as a potential source for antiviral compounds. Since ancient times, herbal medicines have been extensively applied in the treatment and prevention of various infectious diseases in different traditional systems. The purpose of this review is to highlight the potential antiviral activity of plant compounds as effective and reliable agents against viral infections, especially by viruses from the coronavirus group. Various antiviral mechanisms shown by crude plant extracts and plant-derived bioactive compounds are discussed. The understanding of the action mechanisms of complex plant extract and isolated plant-derived compounds will help pave the way towards the combat of this life-threatening disease. Further, molecular docking studies, in silico analyses of extracted compounds, and future prospects are included. The in vitro production of antiviral chemical compounds from plants using molecular pharming is also considered. Notably, hairy root cultures represent a promising and sustainable way to obtain a range of biologically active compounds that may be applied in the development of novel antiviral agents.

An update review of globally reported SARS-CoV-2 vaccines in preclinical and clinical stages.

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is the causative agent of the rapidly spreading pandemic COVID-19 in the world. As an effective therapeutic strategy is not introduced yet and the rapid genetic variations in the virus, there is an emerging necessity to design, evaluate and apply effective new vaccines. An acceptable vaccine must elicit both humoral and cellular immune responses, must have the least side effects and the storage and transport systems should be available and affordable for all countries. These vaccines can be classified into different types: inactivated vaccines, live-attenuated virus vaccines, subunit vaccines, virus-like particles (VLPs), nucleic acid-based vaccines (DNA and RNA) and recombinant vector-based vaccines (replicating and non-replicating viral vector). According to the latest update of the WHO report on April 2nd, 2021, at least 85 vaccine candidates were being studied in clinical trial phases and 184 candidate vaccines were being evaluated in pre-clinical stages. In addition, studies have shown that other vaccines, including the Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccine and the Plant-derived vaccine, may play a role in controlling pandemic COVID-19. Herein, we reviewed the different types of COVID-19 candidate vaccines that are currently being evaluated in preclinical and clinical trial phases along with advantages, disadvantages or adverse reactions, if any.