Human Enteroviruses isolated during acute flaccid paralysis surveillance in Ghana: implications for the post eradication era

Introduction: Surveillance of acute flaccid surveillance (AFP) has been used world-wide to monitor the control and eradication of circulating wildpolioviruses. The Polio Laboratory since its accreditation in 1996 has supported the Disease Surveillance Department for AFP surveillance. Thisstudy aims to isolate and characterize human enteroviruses from patients with AFP in Ghana. Method: Stool suspension was prepared from 308samples received in 2009 from the surveillance activities throughout the country and inoculated on both RD and L20B cell lines. Isolates thatshowed growth on L20B were selected for real-time RT-PCR using degenerate and non-degenerate primers and probes. RD isolates were however characterized by microneutralisation technique with antisera pools from RIVM, The Netherlands and viruses that were untypable subjected toneutralization assay using antibodies specific for E71. Results: Of the 308 samples processed, 17 (5.5%) grew on both L20B and RD cells while 32(10.4%) grew on RD only. All 28 isolates from L20B were characterized by rRT-PCR as Sabin-like polioviruses. No wild poliovirus or VDPV wasfound. However from the microneutralisation assay, six different enteroviruses were characterized. Among these, Coxsackie B viruses were most predominant followed by Echovirus. Three children from whom non-polio enteroviruses were isolated had residual paralysis while one child with VAPP found. The non-polio enteroviruses circulated throughout the country with the majority (20.7%) from Ashanti region. Conclusion: Thisstudy showed the absence of wild or vaccine-derived poliovirus circulation in the country. However, the detection of three non-polio enterovirusesand one Sabin-like poliovirus with residual paralysis call for continuous surveillance even in the post polio eradication era

Chyawanprash: A Traditional Indian Bioactive Health Supplement

Chyawanprash (CP) is an Ayurvedic health supplement which is made up of a super-concentrated blend of nutrient-rich herbs and minerals. It is meant to restore drained reserves of life force (ojas) and to preserve strength, stamina, and vitality, while stalling the course of aging. Chyawanprash is formulated by processing around 50 medicinal herbs and their extracts, including the prime ingredient, Amla (Indian gooseberry), which is the world’s richest source of vitamin C. Chyawanprash preparation involves preparing a decoction of herbs, followed by dried extract preparation, subsequent mixture with honey, and addition of aromatic herb powders (namely clove, cardamom, and cinnamon) as standard. The finished product has a fruit jam-like consistency, and a sweet, sour, and spicy flavor. Scientific exploration of CP is warranted to understand its therapeutic efficacy. Scattered information exploring the therapeutic potential of CP is available, and there is a need to assemble it. Thus, an effort was made to compile the scattered information from ancient Ayurvedic texts and treatises, along with ethnobotanical, ethnopharmacological, and scientifically validated literature, that highlight the role of CP in therapeutics. Citations relevant to the topic were screened

An Integrated In Silico Approach to Design Specific Inhibitors Targeting Human Poly(A)-Specific Ribonuclease

Poly(A)-specific ribonuclease (PARN) is an exoribonuclease/deadenylase that degrades 3'-end poly(A) tails in almost all eukaryotic organisms. Much of the biochemical and structural information on PARN comes from the human enzyme. However, the existence of PARN all along the eukaryotic evolutionary ladder requires further and thorough investigation. Although the complete structure of the full-length human PARN, as well as several aspects of the catalytic mechanism still remain elusive, many previous studies indicate that PARN can be used as potent and promising anti-cancer target. In the present study, we attempt to complement the existing structural information on PARN with in-depth bioinformatics analyses, in order to get a hologram of the molecular evolution of PARNs active site. In an effort to draw an outline, which allows specific drug design targeting PARN, an unequivocally specific platform was designed for the development of selective modulators focusing on the unique structural and catalytic features of the enzyme. Extensive phylogenetic analysis based on all the publicly available genomes indicated a broad distribution for PARN across eukaryotic species and revealed structurally important amino acids which could be assigned as potentially strong contributors to the regulation of the catalytic mechanism of PARN. Based on the above, we propose a comprehensive in silico model for the PARN's catalytic mechanism and moreover, we developed a 3D pharmacophore model, which was subsequently used for the introduction of DNP-poly(A) amphipathic substrate analog as a potential inhibitor of PARN. Indeed, biochemical analysis revealed that DNP-poly(A) inhibits PARN competitively. Our approach provides an efficient integrated platform for the rational design of pharmacophore models as well as novel modulators of PARN with therapeutic potential. Citation: Vlachakis D, Pavlopoulou A, Tsiliki G, Komiotis D, Stathopoulos C, et al. (2012) An Integrated In Silico Approach to Design Specific Inhibitors Targeting Human Poly(A)-Specific Ribonuclease. PLoS ONE 7(12): e51113. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.005111