Identification of Neutralizing Linear Epitopes From the VP1 Capsid Protein of Enterovirus 71 Using Synthetic Peptides

Background
Enterovirus 71 (EV71) infections manifest most commonly as a childhood exanthema known as hand-foot-and-mouth disease (HFMD) and can cause neurological disease during acute infection.

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Purification and Characterization of Enterovirus 71 Viral Particles Produced from Vero Cells Grown in a Serum-Free Microcarrier Bioreactor System

EV71: An emerging infectious disease vaccine target in the Far East?

This review deals with the avian paramyxovirus Newcastle disease virus (NDV) and describes properties that explain its oncolytic activity, its tumor-selective replication behavior, and its immune-stimulatory capacity with human cells. The strong interferon response of normal cells upon contact with NDV appears to be the basis for the good tolerability of the virus in cancer patients and for its immune stimulatory properties, whereas the weak interferon response of tumor cells explains the tumor selectivity of replication and oncolysis. Various concepts for the use of this virus for cancer treatment are pointed out and results from clinical studies are summarized. Reverse genetics technology has made it possible recently to clone the genome and to introduce new foreign genes thus generating new recombinant viruses. These can, in the future, be used to transfer new therapeutic genes into tumors and also to immunize against new emerging pathogens. The modular nature of gene transcription, the undetectable rate of recombination, and the lack of a DNA phase in the replication cycle make NDV a suitable candidate for the rational design of a safe and stable vaccine and gene therapy vector.

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Newcastle disease virus: a promising vector for viral therapy, immune therapy, and gene therapy of cancer.

Antiviral drug discovery for the treatment of enterovirus 71 infections

The complete VP1 protein of EV71 was truncated into six segments and fused to the C-terminal ends of full-length nucleocapsid protein (NPfl) and truncated NP (NPt; lacks 20% amino acid residues from its C-terminal end) of newcastle disease virus (NDV). Western blot analysis using anti-VP1 rabbit serum showed that the N-terminal region of the VP1 protein contains a major antigenic region. The recombinant proteins carrying the truncated VP1 protein, VP1(1-100), were expressed most efficiently in Escherichia coli as determined by Western blot analysis. Electron microscopic analysis of the purified recombinant protein, NPt-VP(1-100) revealed that it predominantly self-assembled into intact ring-like structures whereas NPfl-VP(1-100) recombinant proteins showed disrupted ring-like formations. Rabbits immunized with the purified NPt-VP(1-100) and NPfl-VP(1-100) exhibited a strong immune response against the complete VP1 protein. The antisera of these recombinant proteins also reacted positively with authentic enterovirus 71 and the closely related Coxsackievirus A16 when analyzed by an immunofluorescence assay suggesting their potential as immunological reagents for the detection of anti-enterovirus 71 antibodies in serum samples.

Recombinant Newcastle Disease virus capsids displaying enterovirus 71 VP1 fragment induce a strong immune response in rabbits.

COVID-19 is a potentially fatal infectious disease that requires effective vaccines to keep the outbreak under control. Despite the ongoing efforts for an effective vaccine, public hesitancy towards vaccines is now one of the main concerns to the global health in containing this global pandemic. Thus, this preliminary study was carried out to assess the degree of COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy among the general public in Malaysia and to identify the underlying reasons for their hesitancy by using 5C psychological antecedents of vaccination. This study was conducted by carrying out a cross-sectional online survey for approximately two months between January to February 2021, involving 385 participants. The survey contained questions based on the 5C model proffered by WHO. The data from the survey were analyzed using Smart PLS 3 for statistical analysis, with the partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). According to the findings, only 62.5 percent out of the 385 participants had planned to get the COVID-19 vaccine, while the remaining 37.5 percent did not. The results also showed that confidence, calculation, collective responsibility, and constraints had a significant influence on vaccine hesitancy but not complacency. There is a degree of vaccine hesitancy towards the COVID-19 vaccines among the Malaysian population, although the data that we have obtained cannot be used to generalize for the entire Malaysian population due to the small sample size. Thus, for the vaccination campaign to be more effective, it should focus more on addressing the issue relating to confidence, calculation, collective responsibility, and constraints and less on complacency.

Vaccine hesitancy toward the COVID-19 vaccine among the Malaysian population

Mushrooms are a popular food source as they are highly nutritious and flavorful with a high content of proteins, vitamins, and minerals. Mushrooms could be an alternative solution to the world’s food crisis as they are inexpensive to grow on different types of substrates including waste materials. Pleurotus ostreatus, frequently known as oyster mushrooms, are the second most cultivated mushroom in the world. This species is known for its high protein content and easy cultivation. Oyster mushrooms have the potential to produce protein-rich biomass when grown on various substrates. There is a need to identify substrates that are cost-effective for the commercial production of nutritious oyster mushrooms as the substrates used currently are either costly or inadequate to produce oyster mushrooms in the required quantity or quality. Thus, the effects of 6 different lignocellulosic substrates on the growth and nutritional composition of P. ostreatus were reviewed and analyzed in this article. The substrates included in this review were wheat straw, sugarcane bagasse, corncob, softwood sawdust, hardwood sawdust, and general sawdust. Based on the analyzed data, sugarcane bagasse was concluded as the most suitable substrate to grow P. ostreatus. These substrates contain a high amount of nutrients and are also likely to produce a significantly high yield of oyster mushrooms in addition to enhancing the nutritional quality of the mushroom. However, these findings must be evaluated and confirmed through further research in this field.

Effects of Different Substrates on the Growth and Nutritional Composition of Pleurotus ostreatus: A Review

OBJECTIVE: To explore the attitudes of the tertiary level students in Malaysia towards COVID-19 vaccines to analyze the leading cause of vaccine hesitancy among this group. METHODOLOGY: A cross-sectional study was conducted from January to February 2021 among undergraduates from 5 different private tertiary institutions across Malaysia. The data was obtained through an online survey using Google Forms and analyzed using Smart PLS 3 software. RESULT(S): The validity of the measurement model led to the structural model after bootstrapping. From the data analysis, it was confirmed that Collective Responsibility and Confidence had a significant positive relationship with vaccine hesitancy, while complacency, constraints and calculation did not seem to contribute to vaccine hesitancy CONCLUSION(S): Most respondents have good knowledge about the vaccines and generally have a positive attitude towards COVID-19. The respondents were hesitant to get the COVID-19 vaccines because they were concerned about the safety and efficacy of the COVID-19 vaccines as they are new and rapidly developed. Copyright © 2022, J Liaquat Uni Med Health Sci. All rights reserved.

Lalita Ambigai Sivasamugham

Papers

Recombinant Newcastle Disease virus capsids displaying enterovirus 71 VP1 fragment induce a strong immune response in rabbits.

Vaccine hesitancy toward the COVID-19 vaccine among the Malaysian population

Effects of Different Substrates on the Growth and Nutritional Composition of Pleurotus ostreatus: A Review

Understanding COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy among Tertiary Level Students in Malaysia Using the 5C Model - A Short Survey