The Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic Infection in Patients Admitted to the Hospital for Reasons Other Than COVID-19 Infection.

COVID-19 or SARS CoV-2 is a worldwide public health emergency. The first case of COVID-19 was described in Wuhan, China in December, 2019 and within a short time the infection had spread quickly to the rest of China and then the world. The COVID-19 pandemic has had a huge impact on patients who do not have COVID-19 but other diseases like cancer, diabetes, and many more non-communicable diseases; their care is compromised because of the pandemic. COVID-19 also poses a work-related health risk for healthcare workers who are treating patients with COVID-19, and many have themselves become infected. Healthcare workers involved in diagnosing and treating patients with COVID-19 should be evaluated for stress, anxiety and depression.

Epigenetic manipulation for secondary metabolite activation in endophytic fungi: current progress and future directions.

Fungal endophytes have emerged as a promising source of secondary metabolites with significant potential for various applications in the field of biomedicine. The biosynthetic gene clusters of endophytic fungi are responsible for encoding several enzymes and transcriptional factors that are involved in the biosynthesis of secondary metabolites. The investigation of fungal metabolic potential at genetic level faces certain challenges, including the synthesis of appropriate amounts of chemicals, and loss of the ability of fungal endophytes to produce secondary metabolites in an artificial culture medium. Therefore, there is a need to delve deeper into the field of fungal genomics and transcriptomics to explore the potential of fungal endophytes in generating secondary metabolites governed by biosynthetic gene clusters. The silent biosynthetic gene clusters can be activated by modulating the chromatin structure using chemical compounds. Epigenetic modification plays a significant role by inducing cryptic gene responsible for the production of secondary metabolites using DNA methyl transferase and histone deacetylase. CRISPR-Cas9-based genome editing emerges an effective tool to enhance the production of desired metabolites by modulating gene expression. This review primarily focuses on the significance of epigenetic elicitors and their capacity to boost the production of secondary metabolites from endophytes. This article holds the potential to rejuvenate the drug discovery pipeline by introducing new chemical compounds.

Plant associated fungal endophytes as a source of natural bioactive compounds.

Endophytes are a potent source of bioactive compounds that mimic plant-based metabolites. The relationship of host plant and endophyte is significantly associated with alteration in fungal colonisation and the extraction of endophyte-derived bioactive compounds. Screening of fungal endophytes and their relationship with host plants is essential for the isolation of bioactive compounds. Numerous bioactive compounds with antioxidant, antimicrobial, anticancer, and immunomodulatory properties are known to be derived from fungal endophytes. Bioinformatics tools along with the latest techniques such as metabolomics, next-generation sequencing, and metagenomics multilocus sequence typing can potentially fill the gaps in fungal endophyte research. The current review article focuses on bioactive compounds derived from plant-associated fungal endophytes and their pharmacological importance. We conclude with the challenges and opportunities in the research area of fungal endophytes.

Design of novel multi-epitope vaccines against severe acute respiratory syndrome validated through multistage molecular interaction and dynamics.

Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) is endemic in South China and is continuing to spread worldwide since the 2003 outbreak, affecting human population of 37 countries till present. SARS is caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome Coronavirus (SARS-CoV). In the present study, we have designed two multi-epitope vaccines (MEVs) composed of cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL), helper T lymphocyte (HTL) and B cell epitopes overlap, bearing the potential to elicit cellular as well as humoral immune response. We have used truncated (residues 10-153) Onchocerca volvulus activation-associated secreted protein-1 as molecular adjuvants at N-terminal of both the MEVs. Selected overlapping epitopes of both the MEVs were further validated for stable molecular interactions with their respective human leukocyte antigen class I and II allele binders. Moreover, CTL epitopes were further studied for their molecular interaction with transporter associated with antigen processing. Furthermore, after tertiary structure modelling, both the MEVs were validated for their stable molecular interaction with Toll-like receptors 2 and 4. Codon-optimized cDNA of both the MEVs was analysed for their potential high level of expression in the mammalian cell line (Human) needed for their further in vivo testing. Overall, the present study proposes in silico validated design of two MEVs against SARS composed of specific epitopes with the potential to cause a high level of SARS-CoV specific cellular as well as humoral immune response. Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.

Vanished kidney by pheripheral nerve seath tumor: a rare case report.

Malignant peripheral nerve-sheath tumor (MPNST) is a high-grade malignant tumor of ecto-mesenchymal origin comprising approximately 10% of soft-tissue sarcomas. They tend to occur associated with neurofibromatosis or sporadically. Here we report a MPNST at an extremely rare location and behavior causing disappearance of the entire kidney. Patient evaluation included clinical, biochemical and radiological studies before treatment. Histological study revealed the rare diagnosis. Patient was asymptomatic at six-month follow-up after treatment.