Bioplastics in Personal Protective Equipment

Personal protective equipment (PPE) is used to protect human beings from different external agents, such as microorganisms, corrosive chemicals, and environmental factors that can cause damage to health and body. PPE includes a wide variety of articles, among which the face masks and gloves (made mainly based on synthetic polymers) stand out. Their use goes beyond the medical or chemical sector, as they are also used for different daily activities. Currently, the use of PPE has become increasingly common due to factors, such as high concentrations of greenhouse gases in the air or diseases, such as COVID-19;this has caused an increase in the production of these articles and, in some cases, its inadequate final disposition. These circumstances have led to the search for different alternatives that reduce the number of environmental impacts that PPE causes. These options include biodegradable plastics and bioplastics, whose formulas include renewable or nonrenewable biodegradable raw materials. This chapter presents the description of biodegradable plastics and bioplastics that are currently used in the manufacture of PPE, the properties of these materials and their efficiency in terms of protection against harmful external agents. © 2022 Scrivener Publishing LLC.

Development of off-the-shelf hematopoietic stem cell-engineered invariant natural killer T cells for COVID-19 therapeutic intervention.

BACKGROUND: New COVID-19 treatments are desperately needed as case numbers continue to rise and emergent strains threaten vaccine efficacy. Cell therapy has revolutionized cancer treatment and holds much promise in combatting infectious disease, including COVID-19. Invariant natural killer T (iNKT) cells are a rare subset of T cells with potent antiviral and immunoregulatory functions and an excellent safety profile. Current iNKT cell strategies are hindered by the extremely low presence of iNKT cells, and we have developed a platform to overcome this critical limitation. METHODS: We produced allogeneic HSC-engineered iNKT (AlloHSC-iNKT) cells through TCR engineering of human cord blood CD34+ hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) and differentiation of these HSCs into iNKT cells in an Ex Vivo HSC-Derived iNKT Cell Culture. We then established in vitro SARS-CoV-2 infection assays to assess AlloHSC-iNKT cell antiviral and anti-hyperinflammation functions. Lastly, using in vitro and in vivo preclinical models, we evaluated AlloHSC-iNKT cell safety and immunogenicity for off-the-shelf application. RESULTS: We reliably generated AlloHSC-iNKT cells at high-yield and of high-purity; these resulting cells closely resembled endogenous human iNKT cells in phenotypes and functionalities. In cell culture, AlloHSC-iNKT cells directly killed SARS-CoV-2 infected cells and also selectively eliminated SARS-CoV-2 infection-stimulated inflammatory monocytes. In an in vitro mixed lymphocyte reaction (MLR) assay and an NSG mouse xenograft model, AlloHSC-iNKT cells were resistant to T cell-mediated alloreaction and did not cause GvHD. CONCLUSIONS: Here, we report a method to robustly produce therapeutic levels of AlloHSC-iNKT cells. Preclinical studies showed that these AlloHSC-iNKT cells closely resembled endogenous human iNKT cells, could reduce SARS-CoV-2 virus infection load and mitigate virus infection-induced hyperinflammation, and meanwhile were free of GvHD-risk and resistant to T cell-mediated allorejection. These results support the development of AlloHSC-iNKT cells as a promising off-the-shelf cell product for treating COVID-19; such a cell product has the potential to target the new emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants as well as the future new emerging viruses.

HLA-A∗02:01 restricted T cell receptors against the highly conserved SARS-CoV-2 polymerase cross-react with human coronaviruses.

Cross-reactivity and direct killing of target cells remain underexplored for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2)-specific CD8+ T cells. Isolation of T cell receptors (TCRs) and overexpression in allogeneic cells allows for extensive T cell reactivity profiling. We identify SARS-CoV-2 RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp/NSP12) as highly conserved, likely due to its critical role in the virus life cycle. We perform single-cell TCRαß sequencing in human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-A∗02:01-restricted, RdRp-specific T cells from SARS-CoV-2-unexposed individuals. Human T cells expressing these TCRαß constructs kill target cell lines engineered to express full-length RdRp. Three TCR constructs recognize homologous epitopes from common cold coronaviruses, indicating CD8+ T cells can recognize evolutionarily diverse coronaviruses. Analysis of individual TCR clones may help define vaccine epitopes that can induce long-term immunity against SARS-CoV-2 and other coronaviruses.

Gender-Based Violence Risk Mitigation by Non-GBV Specialists Prior to and during COVID-19: A Global Survey of Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices of Humanitarian Practitioners.

Available evidence indicates that the COVID-19 pandemic and response measures may lead to increased risk of gender-based violence (GBV), including in humanitarian contexts. This study examined the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of humanitarian practitioners related to GBV risk mitigation approaches during COVID-19 in order to refine current guidance and inform future materials. A global, online cross-sectional survey of humanitarian practitioners was conducted between November 2020 and April 2021. We calculated descriptive statistics and used Chi-square or Fisher's exact tests to compare knowledge, attitudes, and practices among GBV specialists and non-specialists. Of 170 respondents, 58% were female and 44% were GBV specialists. Almost all (95%) of the respondents agreed or strongly agreed that they have a role to play in GBV risk mitigation. Compared to GBV specialists, a higher proportion of non-specialists reported little to no knowledge on GBV risk mitigation global guidance (38% vs. 7%, p < 0.001) and on how to respond to a disclosure of GBV (18% vs. 3%, p < 0.001). Respondents reported several barriers to integrating GBV risk mitigation into their work during COVID-19, including insufficient funding, capacity, knowledge, and guidance. Efforts to mainstream GBV risk mitigation actions should continue and intensify, leveraging the lessons and experiences generated thus far.

HLA-A∗02:01 restricted T cell receptors against the highly conserved SARS-CoV-2 polymerase cross-react with human coronaviruses

Nesterenko et al. identify T cell responses with potential to confer long term immunity against SARS-CoV-2. The machinery responsible for replicating the viral genome is highly conserved and as shown by Nesterenko et al. can be effectively targeted by CD8+ T cells.

Occult Colonic Perforation in a Patient With Coronavirus Disease 2019 After Interleukin-6 Receptor Antagonist Therapy.

BACKGROUND: Interleukin-6 blockade (IL-6) has become a focus of therapeutic investigation for the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). METHODS: We report a case of a 34-year-old with COVID-19 pneumonia receiving an IL-6 receptor antagonist (IL-6Ra) who developed spontaneous colonic perforation. This perforation occurred despite a benign abdominal exam and in the absence of other known risk factors associated with colonic perforation. RESULTS: Examination of the colon by electron microscopy revealed numerous intact severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) virions abutting the microvilli of the colonic mucosa. Multiplex immunofluorescent staining revealed the presence of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein on the brush borders of colonic enterocytes that expressed angiotensin-converting enzyme 2. However, no viral particles were observed within the enterocytes to suggest direct viral injury as the cause of colonic perforation. CONCLUSIONS: These data and absence of known risk factors for spontaneous colonic perforation implicate IL-6Ra therapy as the potential mediator of colonic injury in this case. Furthermore, this report provides the first in situ visual evidence of the virus in the colon of a patient presenting with colonic perforation adding to growing evidence that intact infectious virus can be present in the stool.