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Order Tymovirales
Published in Paul Pumpens, Peter Pushko, Philippe Le Mercier, Virus-Like Particles, 2022
Paul Pumpens, Peter Pushko, Philippe Le Mercier
All potexviruses that are described in the following sections are assigned in 2021 to the subgenus Mandarivirus of the genus Potexvirus. The Bamboo mosaic virus including the popular bamboo mosaic virus (BaMV) is a type species of the genus Potexvirus containing preferred nanotechnology models of the Alphaflexiviridae family (Hsu et al. 2018). From the very beginning of the VLP era, the potexviruses were known as gene vectors to produce pharmaceutical proteins in plants, when the target gene was substituted for the virus coat gene. This was achieved for the first time with the vectors based on the potato virus X (PVX) genome (Chapman et al. 1992). The BaMV coat-deficient vectors provided the highest production efficiency in comparison with the analogous PVX- (or foxtail mosaic virus (FoMV)) based vector systems for the transient expression of human mature interferon gamma (mIFNγ) in plants N. benthamiana (Jiang et al. 2019). Furthermore, the yields of soluble and secreted mIFNγ were enhanced through the incorporation of various plant-derived signal peptides including the fusion of a secretion booster signal (Jiang et al. 2020). Together with high efficacy, the use of the potexvirus coat-deficient vectors corresponded to better biocontainment, since coat was necessary for the potexvirus movement (Baulcombe et al. 1995).
Genetic Engineering of Clostridial Strains for Cancer Therapy
Published in Ananda M. Chakrabarty, Arsénio M. Fialho, Microbial Infections and Cancer Therapy, 2019
Maria Zygouropoulou, Aleksandra Kubiak, Adam V. Patterson, Nigel P. Minton
Besides the new genetic engineering prospects, it is important to note that potential hurdles are presently surmountable, thus bringing clostridial cancer therapies closer to the clinic than ever before. Firstly, biocontainment and biosafety considerations are currently built into the design of the newer generation of clostridial vectors (e.g., uracil auxotrophy, no additional antibiotic markers). Secondly, a substantial body of research is in place underpinning the use of appropriate scientific protocols and preclinical animal models; these facilitate the generation of robust preclinical data, which will be clostridia’s passport to clinical studies. The large-scale production of spores adhering to good manufacturing practice (GMP) standards is feasible at an affordable cost, ensuring that future demands can be met successfully. Finally, we anticipate that the forthcoming clinical evaluations will support the regulatory journey of clostridial therapies as well as alleviate potential public fears against and concerns regarding the use of genetically engineered bacteria for cancer therapy.
Anthrax
Published in Meera Chand, John Holton, Case Studies in Infection Control, 2018
Unfortunately, some potentially serious lapses of infection control occurred in the management of this case. During surgery, debrided tissue was disposed of incorrectly by being designated as clinical waste to be treated (orange stream), rather than hazardous anatomical waste to be incinerated (red stream). In order to manage the risk from the contaminated waste, a biocontainment team was sent to the waste processing facility. It was fortunate that the waste processing facility was not operating and that a 10-day backlog of waste had accumulated, meaning that no environmental contamination had occurred. Infectious tissue had not leaked into the environment, but the exact location was unclear as orange clinical waste is only traceable to the source hospital. Expert consensus was that both macerating untreated tissue containing anthrax spores and examining the contents of sealed bags were unacceptably hazardous. Eventually, all bags received at the waste disposal unit from the same location as the debrided tissue (approximately 50 tons of waste) were identified, rebagged, and incinerated.
Inpatient Capacity Management during COVID-19 Pandemic: The Yale New Haven Hospital Capacity Expansion Experience
Published in Hospital Topics, 2022
Robert L. Fogerty, Michael Aniskiewicz, Todd Hedges, Sean Ryan, Piper Brien, Peggy Beley, Marc Tangredi, Marci Mitchell, Hillary d’Atri, Laura Jansen, Ena Williams, Francine LoRusso, Mark Sevilla, Jennifer Menillo, Deirdre Doyle, Heather Parrott, Susan Sheehan, Richard A. Martinello, Michael Holmes
The novel nature of COVID-19 disease and the 2019 SARS-CoV2 virus created unique difficulties due to the limited available knowledge available when planning for the initial disaster-level expansion of inpatient capacity. Prior work related to specific diseases (Tsergouli et al. 2020; Gustafson et al. 1982; McGowan Jr 1995; Lundgren et al. 1997; Selvaggi 1996) are inherently limited as the characteristics of those infections are not necessarily applicable to a novel pathogen. However, the principles of infection control from these experiences do contain significant value. Moreover, the literature does contain knowledge on the topic of facility engineering and biocontainment (Alves, Souza Filho, and Kritski 2019; Schaffer 2015; Katamba et al. 2015; Stockwell et al. 2019), but such evidence is again either disease specific, facility specific, highly technical, and of more value for new construction than when rapid response is needed to prevent impending collapse of healthcare infrastructure, as was the concern with COVID-19. Further, this literature is often focused on the implementation and sustainment of biocontainment units of modest size; 1 to 10 beds. In the current pandemic, such resources are quickly overwhelmed, and a larger scale response is necessary.
Influenza vaccine response: future perspectives
Published in Expert Opinion on Biological Therapy, 2018
Chiara Mameli, Enza D’auria, Paola Erba, Pilar Nannini, Gian Vincenzo Zuccotti
Flublok contains HA protein antigens derived from influenza virus strains. These proteins are produced in a proprietary non-transformed, non-tumorigenic continuous cell line grown in a serum-free medium, derived from Sf9 cells of the fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda. The HAs are expressed in this insect cell line using the baculovirus Autographa californica nuclear polyhedrosis virus. Flublok contains 45 μg of each HA, whereas the standard vaccine contains 15 μg of each HA; the higher HA content offers the potential to provide cross-protection and the possibility for longer-lasting and improved immunogenicity [12,13]. The technology used to produce Flublok offers multiple advantages. For example, the vaccine will be an exact genetic match to the influenza virus and the manufacturing time is shortened. Furthermore, the manufacturing process does not require the biocontainment, the endotoxin content is carefully controlled, and no chemicals like formaldehyde are used in the process [7].
Recent biotechnological approaches for treatment of novel COVID-19: from bench to clinical trial
Published in Drug Metabolism Reviews, 2021
Seyyed Mojtaba Mousavi, Seyyed Alireza Hashemi, Najmeh Parvin, Ahmad Gholami, Seeram Ramakrishna, Navid Omidifar, Mohsen Moghadami, Wei-Hung Chiang, Sargol Mazraedoost
An easy but possibly quite efficient strategy in infectious outbreaks would be using the serum of patients recuperating from the disease for treating other patients (Mire et al. 2016). Patients who have overcome viral infection should grow a polyclonal resistant antibody to various SARS-CoV-2 viral antigens. None of these polyclonal antibodies are expected to counteract the virus and prevent new infection cycles, however, heavy-titer SARS-CoV-2 antibodies should be provided by patients with a treated disease (Marano et al. 2016). Since plasma donation is very well-established, and plasma transfusion is also a routine medical practice, this proposal does not require any independent research or clinical approvals to also be placed in effect. In general, the very same rationale has been used in treating several Ebola patients with convalescent serum during most of the 2014–2015 epidemic, except two American healthcare professionals who were infected (Nebraska Biocontainment Unit and the Emory Serious Communicable Diseases Unit 2015). Moreover, when the epidemic progresses, patients that have eluded the infection would become eligible to act as donors to produce antisera for SARS-CoV-2, and a large supply of antisera will be produced to function as a cure for the sickest. In addition, convalescent patients would have substantial heterogeneity in antiviral activity efficacy which could make it much less ideal (Marano et al. 2016). In spite of the fact that transfusion medication suppliers will investigate gaining strength, understanding that sera as an option for persistent consideration at this moment, has fruitful potential for dealing with the episode is basically negligible.