ABSTRACT
A fully automated strategy to handle antigenic variability in immunisation protocols is here presented. The method comprises of (1) nanopore sequencing of infectious agent variants, with focus on the SARS-CoV-2 and its variants, followed by (2) in-vitro transcribed mRNA vector design for immunotherapy. This chapter introduces the mRNA vector design protocol and Chapter 16 presents the nano-pore sequencing step.
ABSTRACT
Infectious agents often challenge therapeutics, from antibiotics resistance to antigenic variability affecting inoculation measures. Over the last decades, genome sequencing arose as an important ally to address such challenges. In bacterial infection, whole-genome-sequencing (WGS) supports tracking pathogenic alterations affecting the human microbiome. In viral infection, the analysis of the relevant sequence of nucleotides helps with determining historical variants of a virus and elucidates details about infection clusters and their distribution. Additionally, genome sequencing is now an important step in inoculation protocols, isolating target genes to design more robust immunisation assays. Ultimately, genetic engineering has empowered repurposing at scale, allowing long-lasting repeating clinical trials to be automated within a much shorter time-frame, by adjusting existing protocols. This is particularly important during sanitary emergencies as the ones caused by the 2014 West African Ebola outbreak, the Zika virus rapid spread in both South and North America in 2015, followed by Asia in 2016, and the pandemic caused by the SARS-CoV-2, which has infected more than 187 million people and caused more than 4 million deaths, worldwide, as per July 2021 statistics. In this scenery, this chapter presents a novel fully automated strategy to handle antigenic variability in immunisation protocols. The methodology comprises of two major steps (1) nanopore sequencing of infectious agent variants - the focus is on the SARS-CoV-2 and its variants;followed by (2) mRNA vector design for immunotherapy. This chapter presents the nanopore sequencing step and Chapter 17 introduces a protocol for mRNA vector design.
ABSTRACT
Meeting medical challenges posed by global burdens is proven to be of primary interest. One example is the COVID-19 epidemic that humankind is currently experiencing, since around December 2019. Innovation is key to respond rapidly and effectively to sanitary and health emergencies, when human lives are severely threatened. In this scenery, medical devices that can be rapidly launched in the market and manufactured at scale are crucial for saving lives. One example is a lifesaving respiratory device launched in about 10 days (Mercedes F1 team's new device based on continuous positive airway pressure devices) and rapidly approved by international agencies responsible for assuring drug and medical devices safety, in response to the COVID-19 burden. Remarkably, it is the first time in history that mankind observes disease spread reaching such high proportions, globally, in such short time scale. However, while this epidemic had, in March 2020, reached the critical figures of about 38,000 deaths and c. 738,000 infected, organ donation and transplantation patients are suffering for years, accounting for an increasing number of affected, annually. These patients are invisible for the general public. Therefore, this chapter approaches the organ donation and transplantation burden, proposing effective solutions to leverage the suffering, improving life quality of patients enduring several underlying issues, from hemodialysis complications and critical organ failure to lacking compatible donors. This, on the basis of technology repurposing, to speed up approval processes followed by international agencies responsible for assuring drug and medical devices safety, while adding innovative methods to existing technology and reducing invasiveness.
ABSTRACT
Nanotechnology and genomics are the newest allies of inoculation design. In recent years, nucleic acids have been targeted as sources of therapeutics to stimulate immune responses, to both fight disease and create memory to trigger further responses to threat. A myriad of promising findings in cancer research and virology has been reported in the current literature. Nanosystems are demonstrating their capabilities as efficient carriers, improving the efficacy of drug delivery, including nucleic acids as therapeutics, at focal sites, in living systems. This chapter approaches major elements involved in the successful use of nanotechnology as delivery platforms to optimise the efficacy of nucleic acids-driven therapeutics, particularly mRNA vectors as coding engines for targeted viral proteins. Latest findings in nanotechnological design are highlighted, key discoveries associated with the success of nanodelivery platforms are presented, and key characteristics of nanodelivery systems in nucleic acids-based vaccine technology are discussed, to illustrate their distinct advantages and disadvantages.
ABSTRACT
Nucleic acids are paving the way for advanced therapeutics. Unveiling the genome enabled a better understanding of unique genotype-phenotype profiling. Methods for engineering and analysis of nucleic acids, from polymerase chain reaction to Cre-Lox recombination, are contributing greatly to biomarkers' discovery, mapping of cellular signaling cascades, and smart design of therapeutics in precision medicine. Investigating the different subtypes of DNA and RNA via sequencing and profiling is empowering the scientific community with valuable information, to be used in advanced therapeutics, tracking epigenetics linked to disease. Recent results from the application of nucleic acids in novel therapeutics and precision medicine are very encouraging, demonstrating great potential to treat cancer, viral infections via inoculation (e.g., SAR-COV-2 mRNA vaccines), along with metabolic and genetic disorders. Limitations posed by challenges in delivery mode are being addressed to enable efficient guided-gene-programmed precision therapies. With the focus on genetic engineering and novel therapeutics, more precisely, in precision medicine, this chapter discusses the advance enabled by knowledge derived from these innovative branches of biotechnology.
ABSTRACT
Introduction: The physical, mental and social status of family caregivers and their care demands have been largely overlooked. This fact has been no different during the COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, home care will need updates for this new pandemic context, prioritizing the provision of personalized guidance for family caregivers. Objective: To minimize the impact on the mental health of family caregivers of people with dementia through the virtual support group for family caregivers. Method: The research was developed from the performance of support groups for family caregivers in dementia in the virtual format. The meetings were weekly, lasting 2 hours and the themes were worked out according to the group's demands. All meetings were recorded, transcribed, and analyzed using thematic content analysis. Results: In the 8 meetings, 10 family caregivers participated and 5 thematic categories were identified: technology;the routine in the COVID-19 pandemic;behavioral changes and their relationship with the caregiver's mental health;the support network as a health marker;and the new way of carrying out meaningful activities. Conclusion: The support group in the virtual format proved to be a powerful tool for accessing information and guidance concerning dementia, about family care and actions aimed at the caregiver's self-care, with an impact on their emotional state and well-being, minimizing the feeling of social isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic.