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Animal Connection Challenges
Published in Michael Hehenberger, Zhi Xia, Huanming Yang, Our Animal Connection, 2020
Michael Hehenberger, Zhi Xia, Huanming Yang
Viral infections can cause disease in humans, animals and even plants. However, they are usually eliminated by the immune system, often (but not always) conferring lifetime immunity to the host for that virus. Antibiotics have no effect on viruses, but some antiviral drugs have been developed to treat certain life-threatening infections. Vaccines that produce immunity for a limited period of time (months, years, even a lifetime) can prevent some viral infections. A vaccine is providing active acquired immunity to a particular infectious disease. It typically contains an agent that resembles a disease-causing microorganism and is often made from weakened or killed forms of the microbe, its toxins, or one of its surface proteins. The agent stimulates the body’s immune system to recognize the agent as a threat, to destroy it, and to further recognize and destroy any of the microorganisms associated with that agent that it may encounter in the future. Vaccines can be either prophylactic (to prevent or ameliorate the effects of a future infection by a natural or “wild” pathogen), or therapeutic (to fight a disease, such as cancer).
Synthesis and Characterization of Nanoparticles as Potential Viral and Antiviral Agents
Published in Devarajan Thangadurai, Saher Islam, Charles Oluwaseun Adetunji, Viral and Antiviral Nanomaterials, 2022
Deepthi Panoth, Sindhu Thalappan Manikkoth, Fabeena Jahan, Kunnambeth Madam Thulasi, Anjali Paravannoor, Baiju Kizhakkekilikoodayil Vijayan
Antiviral nanoparticles are antiviral agents used to control or treat viral infections. The antiviral agents primarily target the different stages of a virus life cycle, and thus, the antiviral drugs perform by inhibiting the viral replication cycle at various stages. Here in this section, we will discuss the synthesis and characterization of different types of antiviral nanoparticles that are utilized as a potential antiviral agent.
Prevention of seasonal influenza outbreak via healthcare insurance
Published in IISE Transactions on Healthcare Systems Engineering, 2022
Ting-Yu Ho, Zelda B. Zabinsky, Paul A. Fishman, Shan Liu
Once having symptoms of the flu, the CDC recommends that individuals at high risk, e.g., young children, the elderly, or those with chronic respiratory diseases, visit healthcare providers. Medical treatments such as antiviral drugs can be used to treat the flu and further prevent serious flu-related complications (Atkins et al., 2011; CDC, 2021; Spagnuolo et al., 2016). However, many studies have shown that patient’s out-of-pocket expenses, known as “cost-sharing charge” in health insurance terminology, reduce the healthcare resource utilization in preventive care, drug treatment, and adherence (Eaddy et al., 2012; Goldman et al., 2007; Huskamp et al., 2003; Mann et al., 2014). Specifically, high cost-sharing discourages infected insureds from seeking treatment, resulting in potential hospital stays or even flu-related deaths. On the other hand, insureds with flu-like symptoms are more likely to visit healthcare providers if the cost-sharing charge is low, potentially leading to excessive medical costs for the insurer. To improve vaccination coverage while lowering the medical cost and the loss of productivity, it is thus necessary to consider the impact of vaccination reward and cost-sharing on individuals’ vaccination and treatment-seeking behaviors, as well as the population health outcome.
DNA-binding studies of a new Cu(II) complex containing reverse transcriptase inhibitor and anti-HIV drug zalcitabine
Published in Journal of Coordination Chemistry, 2019
Nahid Shahabadi, Amir Reza Abbasi, Ayda Moshtkob, Farshad Shiri
DNA is a primary intracellular target of antitumor drugs and plays a vital role in cellular progression such as transcription, translation, and replication, and thus, is the most significant target of many clinically used pharmaceuticals such as antiviral, anticancer, and antibacterial drugs. Antiviral drugs are a class of medication used specifically for treating viral infections [1]. Zalcitabine (2′-3′-dideoxycytidine) (ddC) is a nucleoside deoxycytidine, reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NRTI), and an antiviral drug that within cells converts to dideoxycytidine 5′-triphosphate (ddCTP) and loss of a 3′-OH group prevents formation of the 5′- to 3′-phosphodiester linkage essential for DNA chain elongation and, therefore, the viral DNA growth is terminated [2–4] and was used to treat human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) from 1992.