Search results for "viruses"
showing 10 items of 1182 documents
Comparison of different assembly and annotation tools on analysis of simulated viral metagenomic communities in the gut
2013
Abstract Background The main limitations in the analysis of viral metagenomes are perhaps the high genetic variability and the lack of information in extant databases. To address these issues, several bioinformatic tools have been specifically designed or adapted for metagenomics by improving read assembly and creating more sensitive methods for homology detection. This study compares the performance of different available assemblers and taxonomic annotation software using simulated viral-metagenomic data. Results We simulated two 454 viral metagenomes using genomes from NCBI's RefSeq database based on the list of actual viruses found in previously published metagenomes. Three different ass…
Highly Efficient Virus-induced Gene Silencing (VIGS) in California Poppy (Eschscholzia californica): An Evaluation of VIGS as a Strategy to Obtain Fu…
2007
†Background and Aims Eschscholzia californica (California poppy) is an emerging model plant for ‘evo‐devo’ studies from the basal eudicot clade of Papaveraceae. California poppy has a relatively small genome, a short life cycle and, most importantly, it is amenable for transformation. However, since this transformation protocol is time consuming, virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS) was evaluated as a fast method to obtain functional data for California poppy genes. †Methods Commercially available California poppy plants were infiltrated with Agrobacterium tumefaciens carrying the tobacco rattle virus plasmids pTRV1 and pTRV2. pTRV2 contained part of the eschscholzia Phytoene Desaturase (EcP…
A critical evaluation of caplacizumab for the treatment of acquired thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura
2020
Introduction: Acquired thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (aTTP) is a thrombotic microangiopathy caused by inhibitory autoantibodies against ADAMTS13 protein. Until recently, the combination of plasma exchange (PEX) and immunosuppression has been the standard front-line treatment in this disorder. However, aTTP-related mortality, refractoriness, and relapse are still a matter of concern. Areas covered: The better understanding of the pathophysiological mechanisms of aTTP has allowed substantial improvements in the diagnosis and treatment of this disease. Recently, the novel anti-VWF nanobody caplacizumab has been approved for acute episodes of aTTP. Caplacizumab is capable to block the adh…
pEGFP transfection into murine skeletal muscle by electrosonoporation
2017
In this study, we aimed to determine whether the combination of electroporation (EP) and ultrasound (US) waves (sonoporation) can affect the plasmid DNA transfection to mice tibialis cranialis muscle. Multispectral imaging technique combined with fluorescence spectroscopy point measurements has been used for the transcutaneous detection of enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) fluorescence, providing information on location and duration of EGFP expression. We found that electrosonoporation, commonly enhancing pDNA transfection in vitro , had no positive effect on EGFP transfection efficiency increase in vivo with respect to electroporation alone. We presume that this may be associated w…
Application of fluorescence spectroscopy and multispectral imaging for non-invasive estimation of GFP transfection efficiency
2014
Electroporation and ultrasound induced sonoporation has been showed to induce plasmid DNA transfection to the mice tibialis cranialis muscle. It offers new prospects for gene therapy and cancer treatment. However, numerous experimental data are still needed to deliver the plausible explanation of the mechanisms governing DNA electro- or sono-transfection, as well as to provide the updates on transfection protocols for transfection efficiency increase. In this study we aimed to apply non-invasive optical diagnostic methods for the real time evaluation of GFP transfection levels at the reduced costs for experimental apparatus and animal consumption. Our experimental set-up allowed monitoring …
A lethal Tick-Borne Encephalitis (TBE) due to TBE virus in Sicily (Italy): A case of IgG+/IgM-response?
2018
Tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) is an important viral infection of the central nervous system with high morbidity and mortality. With the increase of tourism TBE is becoming a problem also outside endemic regions. Italy is considered a country with low incidence of TBE and geographically restricted to the central and north eastern part of the country. In the south of Italy there is no evidence of disease presence, but neither is there much evidence of its absence. We report our experience about a lethal case of meningoencephalitis with a single-phase clinical course of the disease likely due to TBEV infection in a 13-year-old man. This is the first report of an autochthonous case of TBE in Si…
T-cell-mediated cytotoxicity against herpes simplex virus-infected target cells
1977
THE control of herpes simplex virus (HSV) infection by immunological mechanisms seems to be complex and is poorly understood. Neutralising antibodies to HSV plus complement seem to have no effect on the propagation of HSV infection, because HSV spreads to adjacent cells by passing through intercellular bridges1–3. Anti-HSV antibodies plus complement, however, destroy virus-infected cells, but cannot prevent the spread of HSV, suggesting that the virus must be transferred to neighbouring cells before immune lysis occurs1,5. Therefore if lymphocyte-mediated cytolytic mechanisms are instrumental in blocking the spread of HSV in vivo, they ought to destroy infected cells at a very early stage i…
A thin layer-based amperometric enzyme immunoassay for the rapid and sensitive diagnosis of respiratory syncytial virus infections
2012
Abstract A simple electrochemical sandwich immunoassay involving a polystyrene microarray slide coated with monoclonal capture antibodies and carbon screen-printed sensors (SPS) was designed for the rapid diagnosis of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). The detection of the antibody-antigen complex formation relied on the use of a horseradish peroxidase conjugate. Its chronoamperometric measurement detection was performed by confining a droplet of H 2 O 2 /3,3',5,5'-tetramethylbenzidine enzyme substrate/mediator solution within a thin layer between one spot of the microarray and the surface of one screen-printed electrochemical cell. The accumulation of the enzyme product in the thin film of…
Asymptomatic vaginal herpes simplex virus infections in mice: virology and pathohistology
1996
One of the causes of genital tract infections in humans are herpes simplex virus types 1 and 2 (HSV-1, HSV-2). Although primary and recurrent infections can be clinically apparent and in part very serious, many infections are asymptomatic and result only in temporary genital shedding of virus (recurrences). During our investigations of vaginitis, strain IES of HSV-1 produced an asymptomatic infection. Replication in the murine vaginal (vag.) epithelium as well as antibody formation after vag. infection was comparable to those of survivors after infection with highly virulent strains. Titration of liver, spleen, ovaries, adrenal glands spinal cord, or brain after vag. IES infection revealed …
Study of the dynamics of biomolecules by high speed atomic force microscopy and surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy
2015
This thesis focuses on the coupling of High–Speed Atomic Force Microscopy (HS-AFM) and Surface Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy (SERS) for biomolecule analysis. We have designed a fabrication protocol to manufacture “SERS-active” substrates. The efficacy of gold, silver and gold-silver bimetallic crystalline nanoparticle substrates were evaluated. We have investigated the impact of optical and morphological features of the substrates on Raman signal intensity by analyzing well-known samples such as bipyridine ethylene and methylene blue molecules. We took an interest in three distinct biological problematics with HS-AFM and SERS analyses. First, we have detected the chemical signature of cytochr…