CRISPR/Cas9 in the era of nanomedicine and synthetic biology.

The CRISPR/Cas system was first discovered as a defense mechanism in bacteria and is now used as a tool for precise gene-editing applications. Rapidly evolving, it is increasingly applied in therapeutics. However, concerns about safety, specificity, and delivery still limit its potential. In this context, we introduce the concept of nanogenetics and speculate how the rational engineering of the CRISPR/Cas machinery could advance the biomedical field. In nanogenetics, the advantages of traditional approaches of synthetic biology could be expanded by nanotechnology approaches, enabling the design of a new generation of intrinsically safe and specific genome-editing platforms.

Effects of Metal Oxide Nanoparticles in Zebrafish.

Metal oxide nanoparticles (MO NPs) are increasingly employed in many fields with a wide range of applications from industries to drug delivery. Due to their semiconducting properties, metal oxide nanoparticles are commonly used in the manufacturing of several commercial products available in the market, including cosmetics, food additives, textile, paint, and antibacterial ointments. The use of metallic oxide nanoparticles for medical and cosmetic purposes leads to unavoidable human exposure, requiring a proper knowledge of their potentially harmful effects. This review offers a comprehensive overview of the possible toxicity of metallic oxide nanoparticles in zebrafish during both adulthood and growth stages, with an emphasis on the role of oxidative stress.

Virucidal Activity of the Pyridobenzothiazolone Derivative HeE1-17Y against Enveloped RNA Viruses.

Pyridobenzothiazolone derivatives are a promising class of broad-spectrum antivirals. However, the mode of action of these compounds remains poorly understood. The HeE1-17Y derivative has already been shown to be a potent compound against a variety of flaviviruses of global relevance. In this work, the mode of action of HeE1-17Y has been studied for West Nile virus taking advantage of reporter replication particles (RRPs). Viral infectivity was drastically reduced by incubating the compound with the virus before infection, thus suggesting a direct interaction with the viral particles. Indeed, RRPs incubated with the inhibitor appeared to be severely compromised in electron microscopy analysis. HeE1-17Y is active against other enveloped viruses, including SARS-CoV-2, but not against two non-enveloped viruses, suggesting a virucidal mechanism that involves the alteration of the viral membrane.