Epidemiologic evidence linking oxidative stress and pulmonary function in healthy populations.

Respiratory health in the general population declines regardless of the presence of pulmonary diseases. Oxidative stress has been implicated as one of the mechanisms involved in respiratory dysfunction. This review was to evaluate studies that relate oxidative stress factors with pulmonary function among the general population without prior respiratory illnesses. The search yielded 54 citations. Twenty-one studies qualified for incorporation in this review. Owing to the heterogeneity of the review, studies were discussed based on identified oxidative stress factors responsible for pulmonary dysfunction. Oxidative stress biomarkers, including gene polymorphisms of nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2, heme oxygenase 1, glutathione S transferase, superoxide dismutase, and lipid peroxidation products were involved in lung function decline. In addition, the antioxidant status of individuals in reference to dietary antioxidant intake and exposure to environmental pollutants affected oxidative stress and pulmonary function, as indicated by forced expired volume in one second, forced vital capacity, and forced expiratory flow at 25%-75%. This review indicated that oxidative stress is implicated in the gradual decline of lung function among the general population, and gene polymorphism along the antioxidant defense line and/or their interaction with air pollutants reduce lung function. Different polymorphic forms among individuals explain why the rate of lung function decline differs among people. Dietary antioxidants have respiratory health benefits in antioxidant gene polymorphic forms. Therefore, the genetic composition of an individual may be considered for monitoring and identifying people at risk of respiratory illnesses.

Designing a conserved peptide-based subunit vaccine against SARS-CoV-2 using immunoinformatics approach.

The widespread of coronavirus (COVID-19) is a new global health crisis that poses a threat to the world. The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) originated in bats and was discovered first in Wuhan, Hubei province, China in December 2019. Immunoinformatics and bioinformatics tools were employed for the construction of a multi-epitope subunit vaccine to prevent the diseases. The antigenicity, toxicity and allergenicity of all epitopes used in the construction of the vaccine were predicted and then conjugated with adjuvants and linkers. Vaccine Toll-Like Receptors (2, 3, 4, 8 and 9) complex was also evaluated. The vaccine construct was antigenic, non-toxic and non-allergic, which indicates the vaccines ability to induce antibodies in the host, making it an effective vaccine candidate. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s40203-020-00062-x.

Exploration of surface glycoprotein to design multi-epitope vaccine for the prevention of Covid-19.

Stimulation and generation of T and B cell-mediated long-term immune response are essential for the curbing of a deadly virus such as SAR-CoV-2 (Severe Acute Respiratory Corona Virus 2). Immunoinformatics approach in vaccine design takes advantage of antigenic and non-allergenic epitopes present on the spike glycoprotein of SARS-CoV-2 to elicit immune responses. T cells and B cells epitopes were predicted, and the selected residues were subjected to allergenicity, antigenicity and toxicity screening which were linked by appropriate linkers to form a multi-epitope subunit vaccine. The physiochemical properties of the vaccine construct were analyzed, and the molecular weight, molecular formula, theoretical isoelectric point value, half-life, solubility score, instability index, aliphatic index and GRAVY were predicted. The vaccine structure was constructed, refined, validated, and disulfide engineered to get the best model. Molecular binding simulation and molecular dynamics simulation were carried out to predict the stability and binding affinity of the vaccine construct with TLRs. Codon acclimatization and in silico cloning were performed to confirm the vaccine expression and potency. Results obtained indicated that this novel vaccine candidate is non-toxic, capable of initiating the immunogenic response and will not induce an allergic reaction. The highest binding energy was observed in TLR4 (Toll-like Receptor 4) (-1398.1), and the least is TLR 2 (-1479.6). The steady rise in Th (T-helper) cell population with memory development was noticed, and IFN-g (Interferon gamma) was provoked after simulation. At this point, the vaccine candidate awaits animal trial to validate its efficacy and safety for use in the prevention of the novel COVID-19 (Coronavirus Disease 2019) infections.