Lessons from Lipids in the Fight against Influenza

Influenza is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide, with vaccines and antiviral drugs having limited efficacy thus far. Two recent studies in Cell apply lipidomics approaches to identify bioactive lipid mediators influencing host inflammation, viral replication, and disease progression

Antiviral Response in Pandemic Influenza Viruses

The regulatory activities of the nonstructural protein 1 appear to affect the ability of influenza viruses to infect multiple animal species

TIV vaccination modulates host responses to influenza virus infection that correlate with protection against bacterial superinfection

Background: Influenza virus infection predisposes to secondary bacterial pneumonia. Currently licensed influenza vaccines aim at the induction of neutralizing antibodies and are less effective if the induction of neutralizing antibodies is low and/or the influenza virus changes its antigenic surface. We investigated the effect of suboptimal vaccination on the outcome of post-influenza bacterial superinfection. Methods: We established a mouse vaccination model that allows control of disease severity after influenza virus infection despite inefficient induction of virus-neutralizing antibody titers by vaccination. We investigated the effect of vaccination on virus-induced host immune responses and on the outcome of superinfection with Staphylococcus aureus. Results: Vaccination with trivalent inactivated virus vaccine (TIV) reduced morbidity after influenza A virus infection but did not prevent virus replication completely. Despite the poor induction of influenza-specific antibodies, TIV protected from mortality after bacterial superinfection. Vaccination limited loss of alveolar macrophages and reduced levels of infiltrating pulmonary monocytes after influenza virus infection. Interestingly, TIV vaccination resulted in enhanced levels of eosinophils after influenza virus infection and recruitment of neutrophils in both lungs and mediastinal lymph nodes after bacterial superinfection. Conclusion: These observations highlight the importance of disease modulation by influenza vaccination, even when suboptimal, and suggest that influenza vaccination is still beneficial to protect during bacterial superinfection in the absence of complete virus neutralization

Predicting the pathogenesis of influenza from genomic response: a step toward early diagnosis

Infection with influenza virus does not always lead to symptomatic illness, but it is not currently possible to predict who will be severely affected and who will have mild or no symptoms. Gene expression profiling of biofluids might unlock the complex dynamics of response to acute respiratory virus infections such as influenza. A recent article by Alfred Hero and colleagues used transcriptional microarray analyses to follow the response to symptomatic and asymptomatic influenza infection over time, and revealed a role for type I IFN (IFNβ and IFNα) signaling and the NLRP3 inflammasome in determining the outcome in human infections

Induction of type I interferon by RNA viruses: cellular receptors and their substrates

Virus recognition and induction of interferon (IFN) are critical components of the innate immune system. The Toll-like receptor (TLR) and RIG-I-like receptor families have been characterized as key players in RNA virus detection. Signaling cascades initiated by these receptors are crucial for establishment of an IFN signaling mediated antiviral state in infected and neighboring cells and containment of virus replication as well as initiation of the adaptive immune response. In this review, we focus on the diverse and overlapping functions of these receptors, their physiological importance, and respective viral inducers. We highlight the roles of TRL3, TLR7/8, retinoic acid inducible gene I, melanoma differentiation-associated gene 5, and the RNA molecules responsible for activating these viral sensors

Flexión activa en forjados construidos con contrachapado curvado en el plano

Active bending structures incorporate curved beams or shells that are elastically bent from originally straight or flat elements. When both curved and straight elements are coupled, systems stiffness can be enhanced for certain load cases. In this paper, the effects of active bending in twelve floor structure proposals constructed from curved and straight plywood elements is discussed. These solutions are numerically analysed and compared with the reference solution of straight and parallel joists in a Bic-λ diagram, the instrument devised by Frei Otto to compare the material consumption of different structural systems. Simultaneously to the analytical study, three-point bending tests of two full-scale prototypes are carried out. Based on tests findings, a new case of joist with more elements is introduced, which will eventually be the most efficient.Las estructuras con flexión activa incorporan vigas o superficies curvas que obtienen esa geometría mediante deformación elástica de elementos originalmente rectos o planos. Cuando se emparejan elementos curvos y rectos se pueden conseguir sistemas con una rigidez mayor que si trabajan independientemente. En este trabajo se estudian los efectos de la flexión activa en doce propuestas de forjado con viguetas construidas a partir de elementos curvos y rectos de contrachapado de lauan. Estas soluciones se analizan informáticamente y se comparan con la solución de referencia de viguetas rectas y paralelas en un diagrama Bic-λ, el instrumento ideado por Frei Otto para comparar el consumo material de distintos sistemas estructurales. Simultáneamente al estudio analítico se realizan ensayos a flexión de tres puntos de dos prototipos a escala real. Las conclusiones derivadas de los ensayos servirán para introducir un nuevo caso de vigueta con más elementos que acabará siendo el más eficiente