SARS-CoV-2 Variants: Genetic Insights, Epidemiological Tracking, and Implications for Vaccine Strategies

International Journal of Molecular Sciences, Год журнала: 2025, Номер 26(3), С. 1263 - 1263

Опубликована: Янв. 31, 2025

The emergence of SARS-CoV-2 variants has significantly impacted the global response to COVID-19 pandemic. This review examines genetic diversity variants, their roles in epidemiological tracking, and influence on viral fitness. Variants concern (VOCs) such as Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta, Omicron have demonstrated increased transmissibility, altered pathogenicity, potential resistance neutralizing antibodies. Epidemiological tracking these is crucial for understanding spread, informing public health interventions, guiding vaccine development. also explores how specific mutations spike protein other genomic regions contribute fitness, affecting replication efficiency, immune escape, transmission dynamics. By integrating surveillance data with clinical findings, this provides a comprehensive overview ongoing evolution its implications strategies new

Язык: Английский

---

Using virtual patients to enhance empathy in medical students: a scoping review protocol

Systematic Reviews, Год журнала: 2025, Номер 14(1)

Опубликована: Март 1, 2025

Empathy is a crucial skill that enhances the quality of patient care, reduces burnout among healthcare professionals, and fosters professionalism in medical students. Clinical practice standardized patient-based education provide opportunities to enhance empathy, but lack consistency reproducibility as well significant dependency on resources are impediments. The COVID-19 pandemic has further restricted these opportunities, highlighting need for alternative approaches. Virtual patients through scenarios ensure while offering safe, flexible, repetitive learning unconstrained by time or location. using virtual could serve temporary during address limitations traditional face-to-face methods. This review aims comprehensively map existing literature use empathy identify research gaps. scoping will follow Joanna Briggs Institute's guidelines be reported according PRISMA-P. search strategy includes comprehensive across databases such PubMed (MEDLINE), CINAHL, Web Science, Scopus, ERIC, Google, Google Scholar, Semantic covering both published gray without language restrictions. Both quantitative qualitative studies included. Two independent researchers screen all titles/abstracts full texts eligibility. Data extracted summarize definitions characteristics scenarios, methods measuring their impact development. Results presented narrative tabular formats highlight key findings As this analyzes literature, ethical approval not required. Findings actively disseminated academic conferences peer-reviewed publications, providing educators with valuable insights into potential education. study goes beyond mere synthesis knowledge contributing advancement clinical clarifying scenario design evaluation critical foundation our ongoing development platform aimed at enhancing patients.

Язык: Английский

---

Efficacy and Safety of Acupuncture for Post–COVID-19 Insomnia: Protocol for a Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

JMIR Research Protocols, Год журнала: 2025, Номер 14, С. e69417 - e69417

Опубликована: Март 3, 2025

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a profound global impact, leading to range of persistent sequelae referred as post-COVID-19 condition or "long COVID" that continue affect patients worldwide. Among these sequelae, insomnia (PCI) emerged significant issue. Conventional treatments, including cognitive behavioral therapy and pharmacological interventions, face limitations such variable efficacy, potential side effects, substantial costs. Recently, acupuncture gained traction due its cost-effectiveness, safety profile. This study aims conduct meta-analysis systematic review evaluating the efficacy for treatment PCI delineate optimal modality, intervention frequency, duration achieving most beneficial outcomes, thereby providing comprehensive understanding acupuncture's role in managing PCI, contributing evidence-based clinical practice, informing decision-making. Electronic searches will be performed 12 databases from inception October 2024 without language restrictions. includes both English (PubMed, Cochrane Library, Web Science, Embase, OVID Scopus), well Chinese (China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Wan-Fang Data, Biomedical Literature Database, Scientific Journal Duxiu Database Clinical Trial Registry Center). Randomized controlled trials on included. Primary outcomes include response rate severity; secondary Traditional Medicine Symptom Scale (TCMSS) adverse event rates. Data synthesis use risk ratios dichotomous data mean differences continuous data. Study selection, extraction, quality assessment conducted independently by 2 reviewers. Methodological eligible studies evaluated following Handbook Systematic Reviews Interventions (version 6.3). Meta-analysis with RevMan 5.3. Based rate, severity, TCMSS score, rates, this provide an treatment. present current evidence aiming inform practices decision-making enhance PCI. Furthermore, it identify research gaps suggest areas future investigation. PROSPERO CRD42024499284; https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?RecordID=499284. DERR1-10.2196/69417.

Язык: Английский

---

Proinflammatory Cytokines in Chronic Respiratory Diseases and Their Management

Cells, Год журнала: 2025, Номер 14(6), С. 400 - 400

Опубликована: Март 9, 2025

Pulmonary homeostasis can be agitated either by external environmental insults or endogenous factors produced during respiratory/pulmonary diseases. The lungs counter these initiating mechanisms of inflammation as a localized, non-specific first-line defense response. Cytokines are small signaling glycoprotein molecules that control the immune They formed numerous categories cell types and induce movement, growth, differentiation, death cells. During respiratory diseases, multiple proinflammatory cytokines play crucial role in orchestrating chronic structural changes tract recruiting inflammatory cells maintaining release growth to maintain inflammation. issue aggravates when response is exaggerated and/or cytokine production becomes dysregulated. In such instances, unresolving reactions accelerate airway remodeling maladaptive outcomes. Pro-inflammatory generate deleterious consequences through interactions with receptors, which turn initiate signal cell, triggering profile cascade seen different pulmonary diseases vary have become fundamental targets for advancement new therapeutic strategies lung There considerable approaches target cytokine-mediated diseases; however, blocking specific may not contribute clinical benefit. Alternatively, broad-spectrum anti-inflammatory more likely clinically effective. Herein, this comprehensive review literature identifies various (e.g., interleukins, chemokines, factors) involved pathogenesis asthma, obstructive pulmonary, cancer, pneumonia, fibrosis) investigates targeted treatment approaches.

Язык: Английский

---

Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 Variant Infection Dynamics and Pathogenesis in Transgenic K18-hACE2 and Inbred Immunocompetent C57BL/6J Mice

Viruses, Год журнала: 2025, Номер 17(4), С. 500 - 500

Опубликована: Март 30, 2025

The global impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), persists in part due to emergence new variants. Understanding variant-specific infection dynamics and pathogenesis murine models is crucial for identifying phenotypic changes guiding development countermeasures. To address limitations earlier studies that investigated only a few variants or used small sample sizes, we evaluated clinical disease, kinetics, viral titers, cellular localization, histopathologic lungs brains transgenic B6.Cg-Tg(K18-ACE2)2Prlmn/J (“K18”) corresponding genetic control (C57BL/6J) mice expressing human angiotensin-converting enzyme (hACE2). Six SARS-CoV-2 were assessed: B.1 (WA1-like), alpha, beta, delta, omicron, omicron XBB.1.5, using cohorts ≥18 mice. Following intranasal inoculation with B.1, delta variants, K18 experienced rapid weight loss reached euthanasia criteria 5–6 days post-inoculation (dpi). In contrast, inoculated both recovered their starting within 4–6 dpi. Infectious was detected oropharynx at 1 and2 dpi, 2, 4, 6 brain 4 dpi all except omicron. nucleoprotein detected, interstitial pneumonia varying severity observed infected Brain lesions identified As express hACE2 brain—a feature not present humans—we also compared three those mouse-adapted WA1 strain C57BL/6J lacking ACE2 gene. did experience lethal exhibited milder pneumonia, had no evidence neuroinvasion despite similar kinetics These findings demonstrate contrasting phenotypes across two reduced tropism pathology models. This comprehensive analysis mouse provides valuable insights model variant selection future studies.

Язык: Английский

---

SARS-CoV-2 Delta and Omicron Variants alter Trophoblast Cell Fusion and Syncytiotrophoblast Dynamics: New Insights into Placental Vulnerability

Research Square (Research Square), Год журнала: 2025, Номер unknown

Опубликована: Апрель 21, 2025

Pregnancy constitutes an at-risk factor for severe COVID-19. Several clinical studies have previously suggested increased risks of adverse obstetrical outcomes and placental pathological changes in pregnant women infected with SARS-CoV-2. In this study, our goal was to assess the susceptibility trophoblast SARS-CoV-2 infection at early stage pregnancy its impact on cell fusion in vitro. We showed that first trimester cytotrophoblast (CTB) syncytiotrophoblast (STB) are permissive variant- donor-dependent manner. Delta variant a higher efficiency replication STB CTB compared Omicron BA.1, BA.2 BA.5. STB, despite slight subsequent increase type III IFN response, no correlation observed between virus induction overall host response (including expression entry receptors immune response) after infection. CTB, significantly correlated level leading syncytia formation. line formation vitro, we vivo syncytial knots release placenta by both SARS-CoV-2- negative areas from same placenta, age matched references. Altogether, vitro data efficient variants cells during might alter turnover.

Язык: Английский

---

Integrated All-Atom and Coarse-Grained Simulations Uncover Structural, Dynamics and Energetic Shifts in SARS-CoV-2 JN.1 and BA.2.86 Variants

Acta Tropica, Год журнала: 2024, Номер 260, С. 107444 - 107444

Опубликована: Окт. 29, 2024

Язык: Английский

---

Rate, risk factors, and clinical outcomes of SARS-CoV-2 reinfection vs. primary infection in readmitted COVID-19 patients in Iran: a retrospective cohort study

Frontiers in Public Health, Год журнала: 2024, Номер 12

Опубликована: Окт. 17, 2024

Background Corona Virus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) has severely impacted global health, resulting in high morbidity and mortality, overwhelming healthcare systems, particularly Iran. Understanding reinfection is crucial as it significant implications for immunity, public health strategies, vaccine development. This study aims to identify rate the risk factors associated with Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) compare clinical course of initial infection versus readmitted COVID-19 patients Methods retrospective cohort was conducted from January 2020 end 2022 five hospitals The compared demographic data, vaccination status, outcomes between (defined a positive PCR test SARS-CoV-2 at least 90 days after primary admission) control group (patients who had an confirmed but were not their infection). Risk evaluated using regression model. Propensity score matching (PSM) used post-clinical laboratory matched case groups. Results Out 31,245 patients, 153 (0.49%) experienced reinfections. significantly higher during B.1.617.2 B.1.1.529 variant wave ( p < 0.001). After multivariable analysis, incomplete status (OR: 1.68, 95% CI: 1.34–2.31, = 0.021) lack booster 2.48, 1.96–3.65, 0.001) reinfection. Furthermore, atypical symptoms, shorter ICU hospital stays more common among reinfected Conclusion reinfections are frequently observed waves novel variants milder stays. Full doses can effectively reduce

Язык: Английский

---

SARS-CoV-2 and Environmental Changes: The Perfect Storm

Current Issues in Molecular Biology, Год журнала: 2024, Номер 46(11), С. 11835 - 11852

Опубликована: Окт. 23, 2024

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on the global economy. It also provided insights into how looming climate crisis might be addressed, as there are several similarities between challenges proposed by and those expected from coming emergency. is an immediate health threat, but change represents more gradual insidious risk that will lead to long-term consequences for human health. Research shows change, air pollution pandemics have negative Recent studies show mortality increases with extremes. goal of our review analyze clinical findings they affected while providing insight emergence new variants their ability evade immune system. We selected synthesized data primary studies, reviews, meta-analyses, systematic reviews. Selection was based rigorous methodological relevance criteria. Indeed, variant SARS-CoV-2, named JN.1, emerged dominant, first in United States then worldwide; specific mutations its spike proteins increase transmissibility. According World Health Organization (WHO), JN.1 currently most reported interest (VOI), having been identified 132 countries. highlight link pandemics, emphasizing need action, targeted medical approaches scientific innovation.

Язык: Английский

---

(R)evolution of Viruses: Introduction to Biothermodynamics of Viruses

Virology, Год журнала: 2024, Номер 603, С. 110319 - 110319

Опубликована: Ноя. 29, 2024

Язык: Английский

---