ABSTRACT
Covid-19 virus variants identified so far are due to viral genetic diversity, genetic evolution, and variable infectivity, suggesting that high infection rates and high mortality rates may be contributed by these mutations. And it has been reported that the targeting strategies for innate immunity should be less vulnerable to viral evolution, variant emergence and resistance. Therefore, the most effective solution to Covid-19 infection has been proposed to prevent and treat severe exacerbation of patients with moderate disease by enhancing human immune responses such as NK cell and T cell. In previous studies, we demonstrated for the first time that gamma-PGA induced significant antitumor activity and antiviral activity by modulating NK cell-mediated cytotoxicity. Especially intranasal administration of gamma-PGA was found to effectively induce protective innate and CTL immune responses against viruses and we found out that gamma-PGA can be an effective treatment for cervical intraepithelial neoplasia 1 through phase 2b clinical trial. In this study, the possibility of gamma-PGA as a Covid-19 immune modulating agent was confirmed by animal experiments infected with Covid-19 viruses. After oral administration of gamma-PGA 300mug/mouse once a day for 5 days in a K18-hACE2 TG mouse model infected with SARS-CoV-2 (NCCP 43326;original strain) and SARS-CoV-2 (NCCP 43390;Delta variant), virus titer and clinical symptom improvement were confirmed. In the RjHan:AURA Syrian hamster model infected with SARS-CoV-2 (NCCP 49930;Delta variant), 350 or 550 mug/head of gamma-PGA was administered orally for 10 days once a day. The virus for infection was administered at 5 x 104 TCID50, and the titer of virus and the improvement of pneumonia lesions were measured to confirm the effectiveness in terms of prevention or treatment. In the mouse model infected with original Covid-19 virus stain, the weight loss was significantly reduced and the survival rate was also improved by the administration of gamma-PGA. And gamma-PGA alleviated the pneumonic lesions and reduced the virus titer of lung tissue in mice infected with delta variant. In the deltavariant virus infected hamster model, gamma-PGA showed statistically significant improvement of weight loss and lung inflammation during administration after infection. This is a promising result for possibility of Covid-19 therapeutics along with the efficacy results of mouse model, suggesting gammaPGA can be therapeutic candidate to modulate an innate immune response for Covid-19.
ABSTRACT
Due to COVID-19, all classes in schools have been converted to distance learning using online platforms. However, various problems were raised when converting face-to-face classes to online distance learning. In particular, the difficulties were more pronounced for practical design courses because they include practical experience. In this context, this study focused on actual online distance learning classroom cases in design education. Based on the qualitative case study methodology, four instructors were interviewed about their experience with distance learning courses that actively utilized online platforms for college design courses as research cases. In design education, which aims at interdisciplinary and convergence thinking, online distance learning is meaningful in that it can expand experience and opportunities for the overall formative design through the development of technology. On the other hand, there are clear limitations in terms of practical production activities for existing online distance learning methods. Therefore, it is necessary to explore whether to develop classes based on the recently used effective activities or whether to find new strategies in the case that these limitations are fundamental to online distance learning. © 2022 IADIS Press. All rights reserved.