Mina Noroozbeygi

Bio: Mina Noroozbeygi is an academic researcher from Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences and Health Services. The author has contributed to research in topics: Medicine & Immunology. The author has an hindex of 1, co-authored 1 publications receiving 1 citations.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) update: From metabolic reprogramming to immunometabolism

Abstract: The field of immunometabolism investigates and describes the effects of metabolic rewiring in immune cells throughout activation and the fates of these cells. Recently, it has been appreciated that immunometabolism plays an essential role in the progression of viral infections, cancer, and autoimmune diseases. Regarding COVID‐19, the aberrant immune response underlying the progression of diseases establishes two major respiratory pathologies, including acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) or pneumonia‐induced acute lung injury (ALI). Both innate and adaptive immunity (T cell‐based) were impaired in the course of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2) infection. Current findings have deciphered that macrophages (innate immune cells) are involved in the inflammatory response seen in COVID‐19. It has been demonstrated that immune system cells can change metabolic reprogramming in some conditions, including autoimmune diseases, cancer, and infectious disease, including COVID‐19. The growing findings on metabolic reprogramming in COVID‐19 allow an exploration of metabolites with immunomodulatory properties as future therapies to combat this hyperinflammatory response. The elucidation of the exact role and mechanism underlying this metabolic reprograming in immune cells could help apply more precise approaches to initial diagnosis, prognosis, and in‐hospital therapy. This report discusses the latest findings from COVID‐19 on host metabolic reprogramming and immunometabolic responses.

Evaluation of Leishmanization Using Iranian Lizard Leishmania Mixed With CpG-ODN as a Candidate Vaccine Against Experimental Murine Leishmaniasis.

Abstract: Background and Objectives: The live non-pathogenic Leishmania tarantolae has recently provided a promising approach as an effective vaccine candidate against experimental leishmaniasis (ILL). Here, we evaluated the immunoprotective potential of the live Iranian Lizard Leishmania mixed with CpG adjuvant against L. major infection in BALB/c mice. Methods: Four groups of female BALB/c mice were included in the study. The first and second groups received PBS and CpG, respectively. The immunized groups received 2 × 105 ILL promastigotes and the CpG-mixed ILL (ILL+CpG). Injections were performed subcutaneously in the right footpad. Three weeks later, all mice were challenged with 2 × 105 metacyclic promastigotes of Leishmania major EGFP ; inoculation was done in the left footpad. The measurement of footpad swelling and in vivo fluorescent imaging were used to evaluate disease progress during infection course. Eight weeks after challenge, all mice were sacrificed and the cytokines levels (IFN-γ, IL-4, and IL-10) and sera antibodies concentrations (IgG2a and IgG1) using ELISA assay, nitric oxide production using Griess assay, and arginase activity in cultured splenocytes, were measured. In addition, direct fluorescent microscopy analysis and qPCR assay were used to quantify the splenic parasite burden. Result: The results showed that mice immunized with ILL+CpG were protected against the development of the dermal lesion. Moreover, they showed a significant reduction in the parasite load, in comparison to the control groups. The observed protection was associated with higher production of IFN-γ, as well as a reduction in IL-4 level. Additionally, the results demonstrated that arginase activity was decreased in ILL+CpG group compared to other groups. Conclusion: Immunization using ILL+CpG induces a protective immunity; indicating that ILL with an appropriate adjuvant would be a suitable choice for vaccination against leishmaniasis.

Susceptibility and Severity of COVID-19 Are Both Associated With Lower Overall Viral–Peptide Binding Repertoire of HLA Class I Molecules, Especially in Younger People

Abstract: An important number of studies have been conducted on the potential association between human leukocyte antigen (HLA) genes and COVID-19 susceptibility and severity since the beginning of the pandemic. However, case–control and peptide-binding prediction methods tended to provide inconsistent conclusions on risk and protective HLA alleles, whereas some researchers suggested the importance of considering the overall capacity of an individual’s HLA Class I molecules to present SARS-CoV-2-derived peptides. To close the gap between these approaches, we explored the distributions of HLA-A, -B, -C, and -DRB1 1st-field alleles in 142 Iranian patients with COVID-19 and 143 ethnically matched healthy controls, and applied in silico predictions of bound viral peptides for each individual’s HLA molecules. Frequency comparison revealed the possible predisposing roles of HLA-A*03, B*35, and DRB1*16 alleles and the protective effect of HLA-A*32, B*58, B*55, and DRB1*14 alleles in the viral infection. None of these results remained significant after multiple testing corrections, except HLA-A*03, and no allele was associated with severity, either. Compared to peptide repertoires of individual HLA molecules that are more likely population-specific, the overall coverage of virus-derived peptides by one’s HLA Class I molecules seemed to be a more prominent factor associated with both COVID-19 susceptibility and severity, which was independent of affinity index and threshold chosen, especially for people under 60 years old. Our results highlight the effect of the binding capacity of different HLA Class I molecules as a whole, and the more essential role of HLA-A compared to HLA-B and -C genes in immune responses against SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Elevated Levels of Anti-SARS-Cov2 IgG Antibody in Health Care Workers in Hospitals From Hamadan Province, Iran: A Prospective Study

Abstract: Aim: Seroprevalence among health care workers (HCWs) has been estimated in different studies in various regions and countries. This study aimed to screen the immunoglobulin M (IgM) and IgG seroprevalences and to assess the durability of IgG seropositivity, as well as the incidence of subsequent severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection in a group of Iranian HCWs. Methods: This voluntary serological screening was prospectively performed on 800 HCWs (492 females and 308 males) in Hamadan between November 2020 and February 2021. Anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG and IgM antibodies were assessed by the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay method at two-time intervals. Results: Overall, 243 out of 800 (30.38%) and 66 (8.25%) cases were IgG and IgM seropositive at their first antibody assessment, respectively. The male staff had a higher seroprevalence than females (31.49% vs. 29.67% for IgG, P=0.59 and 10.39% vs. 6.91% for IgM, P=0.08). Higher prevalences for both antibodies were found in the age group of 30-39.9 years (P=0.12 and P=0.05, respectively). In the second antibody screening, 81 (56.6%) cases were IgG seropositive. The mean titer of the first IgG antibody assessment in seropositive cases was lower than that of the second titer (2.95±2.07 vs. 5.08±4.01 cut-off index (COI) , P=1.4×10-5 ). Moreover, the comparison of the first and second IgG titers among 81 seropositive cases demonstrated a significantly increased level of anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibody (5.08±4.01 vs. 3.49±2.41 COI, P=0.002). Conclusions: Our findings revealed that the mean level of the anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibody was significantly increased in the seropositive individuals after 2 months of follow-up.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) update: From metabolic reprogramming to immunometabolism

Abstract: The field of immunometabolism investigates and describes the effects of metabolic rewiring in immune cells throughout activation and the fates of these cells. Recently, it has been appreciated that immunometabolism plays an essential role in the progression of viral infections, cancer, and autoimmune diseases. Regarding COVID‐19, the aberrant immune response underlying the progression of diseases establishes two major respiratory pathologies, including acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) or pneumonia‐induced acute lung injury (ALI). Both innate and adaptive immunity (T cell‐based) were impaired in the course of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2) infection. Current findings have deciphered that macrophages (innate immune cells) are involved in the inflammatory response seen in COVID‐19. It has been demonstrated that immune system cells can change metabolic reprogramming in some conditions, including autoimmune diseases, cancer, and infectious disease, including COVID‐19. The growing findings on metabolic reprogramming in COVID‐19 allow an exploration of metabolites with immunomodulatory properties as future therapies to combat this hyperinflammatory response. The elucidation of the exact role and mechanism underlying this metabolic reprograming in immune cells could help apply more precise approaches to initial diagnosis, prognosis, and in‐hospital therapy. This report discusses the latest findings from COVID‐19 on host metabolic reprogramming and immunometabolic responses.

Leishmania tarentolae: A new frontier in the epidemiology and control of the leishmaniases

Abstract: Abstract Leishmaniasis (or the leishmaniases), classified as a neglected tropical parasitic disease, is found in parts of the tropics, subtropics and southern Europe. Leishmania parasites are transmitted by the bite of phlebotomine sand flies and million cases of human infection occur annually. Leishmania tarentolae has been historically considered a non‐pathogenic protozoan of reptiles, which has been studied mainly for its potential biotechnological applications. However, some strains of L. tarentolae appear to be transiently infective to mammals. In areas where leishmaniasis is endemic, recent molecular diagnostics and serological positivity to L. tarentolae in humans and dogs have spurred interest in the interactions between these mammalian hosts, reptiles and Leishmania infantum, the main aetiologic agent of human and canine leishmaniasis. In this review, we discuss the systematics and biology of L. tarentolae in the insect vectors and the vertebrate hosts and address questions about evolution of reptilian leishmaniae. Furthermore, we discuss the possible usefulness of L. tarentolae for new vaccination strategies.

Reprogramming the tumor microenvironment to improve the efficacy of cancer immunotherapies

Abstract: The immunotherapeutic approaches based on checkpoint inhibitors, tumor vaccination, immune cell-based therapy, and cytokines were developed to engage the patient's immune system against cancer and better survival of them. While potent, however, preclinical and clinical data have identified that abnormalities in the tumor microenvironment (TME) can affect the efficacy of immunotherapies in some cancers. It is therefore imperative to develop new therapeutic interventions that will enable to overcome tumor-supportive TME and restrain anti-tumor immunity in patients that acquire resistance to current immunotherapies. Therefore, recognition of the essential nature of the tolerogenic TME may lead to a shift from the immune-suppressive TME to an immune-stimulating phenotype. Here, we review the composition of the TME and its effect on tumor immunoediting and then present how targeted monotherapy or combination therapies can be employed for reprogramming educated TME to improve current immunotherapies outcomes or elucidate potential therapeutic targets.