ABSTRACT
Introduction: Viral respiratory infections are a major cause of mortality and morbidity globally. Accumulating data for the importance of host genetic variants on susceptibility to respiratory viruses provides an opportunity to identify genes and pathways that may alter viral pathogenesis. This can lead to new therapeutic targets to limit viral infection. Objective(s): To complete a signal to gene/pathway analysis by interrogating multiple datasets and a drug interactions analysis to identify therapeutic opportunities. Method(s): Genetic signals showing association with host-rhinovirus (RV), respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), and SARS CoV-2 interactions were obtained from literature search. Causal genes from the signals were identified using databases and scored using our previously developed pipeline (Portelli, M.A. et al., Front. Allergy 2021;2:738741). Function, pathways, and drug-gene interaction were analysed in genes scoring 3 or higher. Result(s): Signal to gene association analysis identified 20, 103 and 60 putative causal genes of potential interest for RV, RSV and SARS CoV-2 respectively. 9 genes were common to RV/RSV, 10 to RSV/SARS-CoV-2 and 3 to RV/SARS-CoV-2. Downstream analysis identified that immunomodulatory pathways may be particularly important for RV and RSV susceptibility and the antigen presentation pathway for SARS-CoV-2. Drugs targeting the genes in Phase II, III or IV of clinical trials were identified. Conclusion(s): Identification of candidate causal genes helps give a mechanistic understanding of important hostvirus mechanisms and may serve as target for novel therapeutics or drug repurposing to treat viral infection.
ABSTRACT
In this fast-paced technological era, the demand and the usage of applications which make our life easier have increased dramatically. This need has grown especially for the aging population who require help more than ever. Older adults (65+) need an effective way to communicate with a healthcare professional in case they require any advice about their health or schedule an in-person checkup. The current COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the push for remote check-ins and virtual care especially for older adults who are medically or socially vulnerable. Remote health services are being promoted as a means of preserving the patient-health care provider relationship at times when in-person visits are not practical or feasible, especially during COVID-19 and in the future. This paper describes an application to support vulnerable older adults in their home, with more responsive home health care services which can potentially reduce the number of unnecessary trips to the hospital for non-emergency situations. The process of designing the application will be described, including workflow, storyboards, and key steps in the validation process. The paper will also discuss future research directions. © 2021, Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada.