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1.
Nat Commun ; 15(1): 3174, 2024 Apr 12.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38609364

ABSTRACT

To fulfill ultra-high-definition display, efficient and bright green organic light-emitting diodes with Commission Internationale de l'Éclairage y-coordinate ≥ 0.7 are required. Although there are some preceding reports of highly efficient devices based on pure-green multi-resonance emitters, the efficiency rolloff and device stabilities for those pure-green devices are still unsatisfactory. Herein, we report the rational design of two pure-green multi-resonance emitters for achieving highly stable and efficient pure-green devices with CIEx,ys that are close to the NTSC and BT. 2020 standards. In this study, our thermally activated delayed fluorescence OLEDs based on two pure-green multi-resonance emitters result in CIEy up to 0.74. In hyperfluorescent device architecture, the CIExs further meet the x-coordinate requirements, i.e., NTSC (0.21) and BT. 2020 (0.17), while keeping their CIEys ~ 0.7. Most importantly, hyperfluorescent devices display the high maximum external quantum efficiencies of over 25% and maximum luminance of over 105 cd m-2 with suppressed rolloffs (external quantum efficiency of ~20% at 104 cd m-2) and long device stabilities with LT95s of ~ 600 h.

2.
Zhongguo Zhen Jiu ; 44(3): 318-322, 2024 Mar 12.
Article in English, Chinese | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38467507

ABSTRACT

The paper summarizes the clinical experience of professor ZHANG Ren in the staging treatment with characteristic acupuncture techniques for oculomotor paralysis. According to the symptoms of oculomotor paralysis, the staging treatment is given, in which acupuncture is dominant and the needling techniques are optioned in compliance with the symptoms. In the early, middle and late stages of illness, three different acupuncture therapies are delivered accordingly, i.e. the combination of the point-toward-point needling at the four acupoints located on the forehead and the electroacupuncture with disperse-dense wave, the surrounding needling and the triple needling at the acupoints around the eyeball, as well as the perpendicular needle insertion at the three acupoints within the orbit. Professor ZHANG Ren lays the stress on identifying the etiology and differentiating the symptoms, as well as the early intervention for the disease. For the intractable cases, the comprehensive regimen such as acupoint injection, dermal needling and auricular point sticking is supplemented. During treatment, the spirit harmonization is greatly considered to ensure the effectiveness. On the basis of the staging acupuncture therapy, the acupuncture technique for harmonizing the spirit and regulating qi is combined to obtain the favorable clinical effect on oculomotor paralysis.


Subject(s)
Acupuncture Therapy , Acupuncture , Electroacupuncture , Ophthalmoplegia , Humans , Acupuncture Therapy/methods , Acupuncture Points
3.
BMC Geriatr ; 24(1): 271, 2024 Mar 19.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38504166

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: Frailty has become a worldwide health burden that has a large influence on public health and clinical practice. The incidence of frailty is anticipated to increase as the ageing population increases. Myocardial injury after noncardiac surgery (MINS) is associated with short-term and long-term mortality. However, the incidence of MINS in frail geriatric patients is unknown. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: This prospective, multicentre, real-world observational cohort study will be conducted at 18 designated centres in China from January 2023 to December 2024, with an anticipated sample size of 856 patients aged 65 years and older who are scheduled to undergo noncardiac surgery. The primary outcome will be the incidence of MINS. MINS is defined as a fourth-generation plasma cardiac troponin T (cTnT) concentration ≥ 0.03 ng/mL exhibited at least once within 30 days after surgery, with or without symptoms of myocardial ischaemia. All data will be collected via electronic data acquisition. DISCUSSION: This study will explore the incidence of MINS in frail patients. The characteristics, predictive factors and 30-day outcomes of MINS in frail patients will be further investigated to lay the foundation for identifying clinical interventions. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: https://beta. CLINICALTRIALS: gov/study/NCT05635877 , NCT05635877.


Subject(s)
Frailty , Myocardial Ischemia , Humans , Aged , Postoperative Complications/diagnosis , Postoperative Complications/epidemiology , Postoperative Complications/etiology , Prospective Studies , Frailty/diagnosis , Frailty/epidemiology , Frailty/complications , Myocardial Ischemia/diagnosis , Myocardial Ischemia/epidemiology , Myocardial Ischemia/etiology , Cohort Studies , Risk Factors , Observational Studies as Topic , Multicenter Studies as Topic
4.
ACS Cent Sci ; 9(8): 1658-1669, 2023 Aug 23.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-37637734

ABSTRACT

The SARS-CoV-2 main protease (Mpro) is the drug target of Pfizer's oral drug nirmatrelvir. The emergence of SARS-CoV-2 variants with mutations in Mpro raised the alarm of potential drug resistance. To identify potential clinically relevant drug-resistant mutants, we systematically characterized 102 naturally occurring Mpro mutants located at 12 residues at the nirmatrelvir-binding site, among which 22 mutations in 5 residues, including S144M/F/A/G/Y, M165T, E166 V/G/A, H172Q/F, and Q192T/S/L/A/I/P/H/V/W/C/F, showed comparable enzymatic activity to the wild-type (kcat/Km < 10-fold change) while being resistant to nirmatrelvir (Ki > 10-fold increase). X-ray crystal structures were determined for six representative mutants with and/or without GC-376/nirmatrelvir. Using recombinant SARS-CoV-2 viruses generated from reverse genetics, we confirmed the drug resistance in the antiviral assay and showed that Mpro mutants with reduced enzymatic activity had attenuated viral replication. Overall, our study identified several drug-resistant hotspots in Mpro that warrant close monitoring for possible clinical evidence of nirmatrelvir resistance, some of which have already emerged in independent viral passage assays conducted by others.

5.
PLoS Pathog ; 19(8): e1011592, 2023 08.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-37651467

ABSTRACT

The SARS-CoV-2 main protease (Mpro) is a major therapeutic target. The Mpro inhibitor, nirmatrelvir, is the antiviral component of Paxlovid, an orally available treatment for COVID-19. As Mpro inhibitor use increases, drug resistant mutations will likely emerge. We have established a non-pathogenic system, in which yeast growth serves as an approximation for Mpro activity, enabling rapid identification of mutants with altered enzymatic activity and drug sensitivity. The E166 residue is known to be a potential hot spot for drug resistance and yeast assays identified substitutions which conferred strong nirmatrelvir resistance and others that compromised activity. On the other hand, N142A and the P132H mutation, carried by the Omicron variant, caused little to no change in drug response and activity. Standard enzymatic assays confirmed the yeast results. In turn, we solved the structures of Mpro E166R, and Mpro E166N, providing insights into how arginine may drive drug resistance while asparagine leads to reduced activity. The work presented here will help characterize novel resistant variants of Mpro that may arise as Mpro antivirals become more widely used.


Subject(s)
COVID-19 , Coronavirus 3C Proteases , SARS-CoV-2 , Humans , Antiviral Agents/pharmacology , COVID-19/genetics , Mutation , Saccharomyces cerevisiae/genetics , SARS-CoV-2/genetics
6.
STAR Protoc ; 4(2): 102323, 2023 May 04.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-37329507

ABSTRACT

FlipGFP assay characterizes the intracellular drug target engagement to Mpro and PLpro and can be performed in the biosafety level 1/2 settings. Here, we provide the detailed protocol for the cell-based FlipGFP assay to identify and characterize SARS-CoV-2 Mpro and PLpro inhibitors. We describe steps for cell passage and seeding, transfection, addition of compounds, and their incubation and timing. We then detail the quantification of the fluorescence signal of the assay For complete details on the use and execution of this protocol, please refer to Ma et al.1.

7.
Front Cell Infect Microbiol ; 13: 1127916, 2023.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-37187470

ABSTRACT

Objective: To determine the effects of second-line anti-tuberculosis (TB) drugs on the composition and functions of intestinal microbiota in patients with rifampicin-resistant TB (RR-TB). Methods: In this cross-sectional study, stool samples and relevant clinical information were collected from patients with RR-TB admitted to the Drug-resistant Specialty Department at Hunan Chest Hospital (Hunan Institute For Tuberculosis Control). The composition and functions of intestinal microbiota were analyzed using metagenomic sequencing and bioinformatics methods. Results: Altered structural composition of the intestinal microbiota was found when patients from the control, intensive phase treatment, and continuation phase treatment groups were compared (P<0.05). Second-line anti-TB treatment resulted in a decrease in the relative abundance of species, such as Prevotella copri, compared with control treatment. However, the relative abundance of Escherichia coli, Salmonella enterica, and 11 other conditionally pathogenic species increased significantly in the intensive phase treatment group. Based on differential functional analysis, some metabolism-related functions, such as the biosynthesises of phenylalanine, tyrosine, and tryptophan, were significantly inhibited during second-line anti-TB drug treatment, while other functions, such as phenylalanine metabolism, were significantly promoted during the intensive phase of treatment. Conclusion: Second-line anti-TB drug treatment caused changes in the structural composition of the intestinal microbiota in patients with RR-TB. In particular, this treatment induced a significant increase in the relative abundance of 11 conditionally pathogenic species, including Escherichia coli. Functional analysis revealed significantly decreased biosynthesises of phenylalanine, tyrosine, and tryptophan and significantly increased phenylalanine metabolism.


Subject(s)
Gastrointestinal Microbiome , Mycobacterium tuberculosis , Tuberculosis, Multidrug-Resistant , Tuberculosis , Humans , Antitubercular Agents/pharmacology , Antitubercular Agents/therapeutic use , Rifampin/pharmacology , Rifampin/therapeutic use , Cross-Sectional Studies , Tryptophan , Tuberculosis, Multidrug-Resistant/drug therapy , Tuberculosis/drug therapy
8.
J Virol ; 97(5): e0015623, 2023 05 31.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-37154751

ABSTRACT

In 2014, 2016, and 2018, the United States experienced unprecedented spikes in pediatric cases of acute flaccid myelitis (AFM), which is a poliomyelitis-like paralytic illness. Accumulating clinical, immunological, and epidemiological evidence has identified enterovirus D68 (EV-D68) as a major causative agent of these biennial AFM outbreaks. There are currently no available FDA-approved antivirals that are effective against EV-D68, and the treatment for EV-D68-associated AFM is primarily supportive. Telaprevir is an food and drug administration (FDA)-approved protease inhibitor that irreversibly binds the EV-D68 2A protease and inhibits EV-D68 replication in vitro. Here, we utilize a murine model of EV-D68 associated AFM to show that early telaprevir treatment improves paralysis outcomes in Swiss Webster (SW) mice. Telaprevir reduces both viral titer and apoptotic activity in both muscles and spinal cords at early disease time points, which results in improved AFM outcomes in infected mice. Following intramuscular inoculation in mice, EV-D68 infection results in a stereotypic pattern of weakness that is reflected by the loss of the innervating motor neuron population, in sequential order, of the ipsilateral (injected) hindlimb, the contralateral hindlimb, and then the forelimbs. Telaprevir treatment preserved motor neuron populations and reduced weakness in limbs beyond the injected hindlimb. The effects of telaprevir were not seen when the treatment was delayed, and toxicity limited doses beyond 35 mg/kg. These studies are a proof of principle, provide the first evidence of benefit of an FDA-approved antiviral drug with which to treat AFM, and emphasize both the need to develop better tolerated therapies that remain efficacious when administered after viral infections and the development of clinical symptoms. IMPORTANCE Recent outbreaks of EV-D68 in 2014, 2016, and 2018 have resulted in over 600 cases of a paralytic illness that is known as AFM. AFM is a predominantly pediatric disease with no FDA-approved treatment, and many patients show minimal recovery from limb weakness. Telaprevir is an FDA-approved antiviral that has been shown to inhibit EV-D68 in vitro. Here, we demonstrate that a telaprevir treatment that is given concurrently with an EV-D68 infection improves AFM outcomes in mice by reducing apoptosis and viral titers at early time points. Telaprevir also protected motor neurons and improved paralysis outcomes in limbs beyond the site of viral inoculation. This study improves understanding of EV-D68 pathogenesis in the mouse model of AFM. This study serves as a proof of principle for the first FDA-approved drug that has been shown to improve AFM outcomes and have in vivo efficacy against EV-D68 as well as underlines the importance of the continued development of EV-D68 antivirals.


Subject(s)
Central Nervous System Viral Diseases , Enterovirus D, Human , Enterovirus Infections , Animals , United States , Mice , Enterovirus D, Human/physiology , Disease Models, Animal , Paralysis/drug therapy , Paralysis/etiology , Enterovirus Infections/pathology , Antiviral Agents/pharmacology , Antiviral Agents/therapeutic use
9.
J Phys Chem Lett ; 14(11): 2807-2815, 2023 Mar 23.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-36912604

ABSTRACT

CrX3 (X = I, Br) monolayers exhibit outstanding performance in spintronic devices. However, the Schottky barrier at the CrX3/electrode interface severely impedes the charge injection efficiency. Herein, we propose two-dimensional (2D) metals as electrodes to form van der Waals (vdW) contact with CrX3 monolayers and systematically explore the contact properties of CrX3/metal by density functional theory (DFT) calculations. The results demonstrate that the strongly suppressed Fermi level pinning (FLP) effect and the wide-range tunable Schottky barrier can be achieved in CrX3/metal contacts. Specifically, the n-type and the p-type Schottky contacts can be realized in CrX3/metal contacts by choosing 2D metal electrodes with different work functions. Importantly, the pinning factors for CrX3/metal contacts are exceptionally larger than other commonly studied 2D semiconductors, indicating the strongly suppressed FLP in CrX3/metal contacts, which leads to the wide-range tunable Schottky barrier. Our findings provide guidance to the choice of electrodes and promote the development of CrX3-based spin devices.

10.
Atten Percept Psychophys ; 85(5): 1733-1745, 2023 Jul.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-36754918

ABSTRACT

An increasingly popular method for investigating visuospatial working memory assumes stored features of objects such as color and orientation vary along continua subject to internal noise. It adapts the stimulus adjustment procedure from perceptual psychophysics to assess the precision with which stored features are represented in memory. This contrasts with methods using discrete, categorical measures of feature retention. The current study examined the replicability of some phenomena documented using conventional methodology when assessed using a continuous measure of feature recall. These concern memory for a short series of objects and include effects of recency, prioritizing an individual object, and presenting an irrelevant additional object after the last item (a poststimulus 'suffix'). In two experiments we find broadly similar results using a continuous measure of color-orientation binding to those obtained previously using categorical measures, with small differences we regard as minor. We interpret the convergence between methods in terms of a simple analogy between categorical memory and categorical perception whereby categorical retrieval involves the application of a discrete criterion to an underlying continuum of stored feature information. We conclude by discussing some of the advantages and limitations of continuous and categorical measures of retention.


Subject(s)
Attention , Memory, Short-Term , Humans , Mental Recall , Psychophysics , Visual Perception
11.
Acc Chem Res ; 56(2): 157-168, 2023 01 17.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-36580641

ABSTRACT

SARS-CoV-2 is the etiological pathogen of the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to more than 6.5 million deaths since the beginning of the outbreak in December 2019. The unprecedented disruption of social life and public health caused by COVID-19 calls for fast-track development of diagnostic kits, vaccines, and antiviral drugs. Small molecule antivirals are essential complements of vaccines and can be used for the treatment of SARS-CoV-2 infections. Currently, there are three FDA-approved antiviral drugs, remdesivir, molnupiravir, and paxlovid. Given the moderate clinical efficacy of remdesivir and molnupiravir, the drug-drug interaction of paxlovid, and the emergence of SARS-CoV-2 variants with potential drug-resistant mutations, there is a pressing need for additional antivirals to combat current and future coronavirus outbreaks.In this Account, we describe our efforts in developing covalent and noncovalent main protease (Mpro) inhibitors and the identification of nirmatrelvir-resistant mutants. We initially discovered GC376, calpain inhibitors II and XII, and boceprevir as dual inhibitors of Mpro and host cathepsin L from a screening of a protease inhibitor library. Given the controversy of targeting cathepsin L, we subsequently shifted the focus to designing Mpro-specific inhibitors. Specifically, guided by the X-ray crystal structures of these initial hits, we designed noncovalent Mpro inhibitors such as Jun8-76-3R that are highly selective toward Mpro over host cathepsin L. Using the same scaffold, we also designed covalent Mpro inhibitors with novel cysteine reactive warheads containing di- and trihaloacetamides, which similarly had high target specificity. In parallel to our drug discovery efforts, we developed the cell-based FlipGFP Mpro assay to characterize the cellular target engagement of our rationally designed Mpro inhibitors. The FlipGFP assay was also applied to validate the structurally disparate Mpro inhibitors reported in the literature. Lastly, we introduce recent progress in identifying naturally occurring Mpro mutants that are resistant to nirmatrelvir from genome mining of the nsp5 sequences deposited in the GISAID database. Collectively, the covalent and noncovalent Mpro inhibitors and the nirmatrelvir-resistant hot spot residues from our studies provide insightful guidance for future work aimed at developing orally bioavailable Mpro inhibitors that do not have overlapping resistance profile with nirmatrelvir.


Subject(s)
COVID-19 , SARS-CoV-2 , Humans , Cathepsin L , Pandemics , Antiviral Agents/pharmacology , Antiviral Agents/chemistry , Drug Design
12.
Res Sq ; 2022 Aug 26.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-36052369

ABSTRACT

The SARS-CoV-2 main protease (Mpro) is a major therapeutic target. The Mpro inhibitor, nirmatrelvir, is the antiviral component of Paxlovid, an orally available treatment for COVID-19. As Mpro inhibitor use increases, drug resistant mutations will likely emerge. We have established a non-pathogenic system, in which yeast growth serves as a proxy for Mpro activity, enabling rapid identification of mutants with altered enzymatic activity and drug sensitivity. The E166 residue is known to be a potential hot spot for drug resistance and yeast assays showed that an E166R substitution conferred strong nirmatrelvir resistance while an E166N mutation compromised activity. On the other hand, N142A and P132H mutations caused little to no change in drug response and activity. Standard enzymatic assays confirmed the yeast results. In turn, we solved the structures of Mpro E166R, and Mpro E166N, providing insights into how arginine may drive drug resistance while asparagine leads to reduced activity. The work presented here will help characterize novel resistant variants of Mpro that may arise as Mpro antivirals become more widely used.

13.
Lab Chip ; 22(19): 3744-3754, 2022 09 27.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-36047372

ABSTRACT

The persistence of the global COVID-19 pandemic caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus has continued to emphasize the need for point-of-care (POC) diagnostic tests for viral diagnosis. The most widely used tests, lateral flow assays used in rapid antigen tests, and reverse-transcriptase real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), have been instrumental in mitigating the impact of new waves of the pandemic, but fail to provide both sensitive and rapid readout to patients. Here, we present a portable lens-free imaging system coupled with a particle agglutination assay as a novel biosensor for SARS-CoV-2. This sensor images and quantifies individual microbeads undergoing agglutination through a combination of computational imaging and deep learning as a way to detect levels of SARS-CoV-2 in a complex sample. SARS-CoV-2 pseudovirus in solution is incubated with acetyl cholinesterase 2 (ACE2)-functionalized microbeads then loaded into an inexpensive imaging chip. The sample is imaged in a portable in-line lens-free holographic microscope and an image is reconstructed from a pixel superresolved hologram. Images are analyzed by a deep-learning algorithm that distinguishes microbead agglutination from cell debris and viral particle aggregates, and agglutination is quantified based on the network output. We propose an assay procedure using two images which results in the accurate determination of viral concentrations greater than the limit of detection (LOD) of 1.27 × 103 copies per mL, with a tested dynamic range of 3 orders of magnitude, without yet reaching the upper limit. This biosensor can be used for fast SARS-CoV-2 diagnosis in low-resource POC settings and has the potential to mitigate the spread of future waves of the pandemic.


Subject(s)
COVID-19 , Deep Learning , Agglutination , Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme 2 , COVID-19/diagnosis , COVID-19 Testing , DNA-Directed RNA Polymerases , Humans , Pandemics , Point-of-Care Systems , SARS-CoV-2 , Sensitivity and Specificity
14.
bioRxiv ; 2022 Sep 06.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-36119652

ABSTRACT

The SARS-CoV-2 main protease (M pro ) is the drug target of Pfizer’s oral drug Paxlovid. The emergence of SARS-CoV-2 variants with mutations in M pro raised the alarm of potential drug resistance. In this study, we identified 100 naturally occurring M pro mutations located at the nirmatrelvir binding site, among which 20 mutants, including S144M/F/A/G/Y, M165T, E166G, H172Q/F, and Q192T/S/L/A/I/P/H/V/W/C/F, showed comparable enzymatic activity to the wild-type (k cat /K m <10-fold change) and resistance to nirmatrelvir (K i >10-fold increase). X-ray crystal structures were determined for seven representative mutants with and/or without GC-376/nirmatrelvir. Viral growth assay showed that M pro mutants with reduced enzymatic activity led to attenuated viral replication. Overall, our study identified several drug resistant hot spots that warrant close monitoring for possible clinical evidence of Paxlovid resistance. One Sentence Summary: Paxlovid resistant SARS-CoV-2 viruses with mutations in the main protease have been identified from clinical isolates.

15.
bioRxiv ; 2022 Aug 08.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-35982672

ABSTRACT

The SARS-CoV-2 main protease (M pro ) is a major therapeutic target. The M pro inhibitor, nirmatrelvir, is the antiviral component of Paxlovid, an orally available treatment for COVID-19. As M pro inhibitor use increases, drug resistant mutations will likely emerge. We have established a non-pathogenic system, in which yeast growth serves as a proxy for M pro activity, enabling rapid identification of mutants with altered enzymatic activity and drug sensitivity. The E166 residue is known to be a potential hot spot for drug resistance and yeast assays showed that an E166R substitution conferred strong nirmatrelvir resistance while an E166N mutation compromised activity. On the other hand, N142A and P132H mutations caused little to no change in drug response and activity. Standard enzymatic assays confirmed the yeast results. In turn, we solved the structures of M pro E166R, and M pro E166N, providing insights into how arginine may drive drug resistance while asparagine leads to reduced activity. The work presented here will help characterize novel resistant variants of M pro that may arise as M pro antivirals become more widely used.

16.
NanoImpact ; 28: 100421, 2022 10.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-36031145

ABSTRACT

Biochar and zeolite have been demonstrated effective to remove heavy metals in soil; however, the effect of combined application of the both materials on the fraction of Cd and soil-plant system are largely unknown. Cd fractions in soil, growth and Cd uptake of Pak Choi were measured after the combined application of biochar (0, 5, 10 and 20 g·kg-1) and nano-zeolite (0, 5, 10, 20 g·kg-1) by pot experiment. Results showed that both single and combined application reduced the exchangeable Cd in soil and improved the plant growth. However, combined application of 20 g·kg-1 biochar with 10 g·kg-1 nano-zeolite showed the strongest effect, with the residual Cd in soil increased by 214% as compared with control. 20 g·kg-1 biochar with 10 g·kg-1 nano-zeolite Mechanic studies showed that this combination enhanced the antioxidant system, with the SOD, CAT and POD activities enhanced by 56.1%, 133.3% and 235.3%, respectively. The oxidative stress was reduced correspondingly, as shown by the reduced MDA contents (by 46.7%). This combination also showed the best efficiency in regulating soil pH, organic matter and soil enzymes thus improving the plant growth. This study suggests that combined application various materials such as biochar and nano-zeolite may provide new strategies for reducing the bioavailability of Cd in soil and thus the accumulation in edible plants.


Subject(s)
Cadmium , Zeolites , Soil
17.
Acta Pharm Sin B ; 12(4): 1542-1566, 2022 Apr.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-35847514

ABSTRACT

Enterovirus A71 (EV-A71) is a significant human pathogen, especially in children. EV-A71 infection is one of the leading causes of hand, foot, and mouth diseases (HFMD), and can lead to neurological complications such as acute flaccid myelitis (AFM) in severe cases. Although three EV-A71 vaccines are available in China, they are not broadly protective and have reduced efficacy against emerging strains. There is currently no approved antiviral for EV-A71. Significant progress has been made in developing antivirals against EV-A71 by targeting both viral proteins and host factors. However, viral capsid inhibitors and protease inhibitors failed in clinical trials of human rhinovirus infection due to limited efficacy or side effects. This review discusses major discoveries in EV-A71 antiviral development, analyzes the advantages and limitations of each drug target, and highlights the knowledge gaps that need to be addressed to advance the field forward.

18.
J Med Chem ; 65(11): 7561-7580, 2022 06 09.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-35620927

ABSTRACT

SARS-CoV-2 is the causative agent of the COVID-19 pandemic. The approval of vaccines and small-molecule antivirals is vital in combating the pandemic. The viral polymerase inhibitors remdesivir and molnupiravir and the viral main protease inhibitor nirmatrelvir/ritonavir have been approved by the U.S. FDA. However, the emergence of variants of concern/interest calls for additional antivirals with novel mechanisms of action. The SARS-CoV-2 papain-like protease (PLpro) mediates the cleavage of viral polyprotein and modulates the host's innate immune response upon viral infection, rendering it a promising antiviral drug target. This Perspective highlights major achievements in structure-based design and high-throughput screening of SARS-CoV-2 PLpro inhibitors since the beginning of the pandemic. Encouraging progress includes the design of non-covalent PLpro inhibitors with favorable pharmacokinetic properties and the first-in-class covalent PLpro inhibitors. In addition, we offer our opinion on the knowledge gaps that need to be filled to advance PLpro inhibitors to the clinic.


Subject(s)
COVID-19 Drug Treatment , Pandemics , Antiviral Agents/pharmacology , Coronavirus Papain-Like Proteases , Humans , Protease Inhibitors/pharmacology , SARS-CoV-2
19.
ACS Infect Dis ; 8(5): 1022-1030, 2022 05 13.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-35404564

ABSTRACT

The global COVID-19 pandemic underscores the dire need for effective antivirals. Encouraging progress has been made in developing small-molecule inhibitors targeting the SARS-CoV-2 RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) and main protease (Mpro). However, the development of papain-like protease (PLpro) inhibitors faces several obstacles. Nevertheless, PLpro represents a high-profile drug target given its multifaceted roles in viral replication. PLpro is involved in not only the cleavage of viral polyprotein but also the modulation of host immune response. In this study, we conducted a drug-repurposing screening of PLpro against the MedChemExpress bioactive compound library and identified three hits, EACC, KY-226, and tropifexor, as potent PLpro inhibitors with IC50 values ranging from 3.39 to 8.28 µM. The three hits showed dose-dependent binding to PLpro in the thermal shift assay. In addition, tropifexor inhibited the cellular PLpro activity in the FlipGFP assay with an IC50 of 10.6 µM. Gratifyingly, tropifexor showed antiviral activity against SARS-CoV-2 in Calu-3 cells at noncytotoxic concentrations. Overall, tropifexor represents a novel PLpro inhibitor that can be further developed as SARS-CoV-2 antivirals.


Subject(s)
Benzothiazoles , Coronavirus Papain-Like Proteases , Drug Repositioning , Isoxazoles , SARS-CoV-2 , Antiviral Agents/chemistry , Benzothiazoles/pharmacology , Coronavirus Papain-Like Proteases/antagonists & inhibitors , Humans , Isoxazoles/pharmacology , Pandemics , SARS-CoV-2/drug effects , COVID-19 Drug Treatment
20.
Math Biosci Eng ; 19(3): 2700-2719, 2022 Jan 10.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-35240802

ABSTRACT

Many systems in real world can be represented as network, and network analysis can help us understand these systems. Node centrality is an important problem and has attracted a lot of attention in the field of network analysis. As the rapid development of information technology, the scale of network data is rapidly increasing. However, node centrality computation in large-scale networks is time consuming. Parallel computing is an alternative to speed up the computation of node centrality. GPU, which has been a core component of modern computer, can make a large number of core tasks work in parallel and has the ability of big data processing, and has been widely used to accelerate computing. Therefore, according to the parallel characteristic of GPU, we design the parallel algorithms to compute three widely used node centralities, i.e., closeness centrality, betweenness centrality and PageRank centrality. Firstly, we classify the three node centralities into two groups according to their definitions; secondly, we design the parallel algorithms by mapping the centrality computation of different nodes into different blocks or threads in GPU; thirdly, we analyze the correlations between different centralities in several networks, benefited from the designed parallel algorithms. Experimental results show that the parallel algorithms designed in this paper can speed up the computation of node centrality in large-scale networks, and the closeness centrality and the betweenness centrality are weakly correlated, although both of them are based on the shortest path.

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