ОНКОЛИТИЧЕСКИЕ ПАРВОВИРУСЫ. НОВЫЕ ПОДХОДЫ К ЛЕЧЕНИЮ РАКОВЫХ ЗАБОЛЕВАНИЙ

Parvoviruses such as parvovirus H-1 (H-1PV) may selectively infect and lysis cancer cells. The parvoviruses also induce an immune system to eliminate the tumor cells through the formation of anti-cancer immunity. One of the possible mechanisms of antitumor activity is associated with the direct induction of apoptosis by parvoviral proteins NS1 and 11 kDa. Parvovirus-based vectors are promising for gene therapy of oncological diseases and genetic disorders in humans. Parvoviruses were successfully used for the experimental treatment on animal models of human glioma, neuroblastomas, lymphomas, pancreatic carcinoma, carcinomas and breast tumors. ParvOryx is the first oncolytic preparation constructed on the base of H-1PV; its phase I/IIa clinical trials in patients with glioblastoma multiforme are in process.Парвовирусы, и прежде всего парвовирус H-1 (H-1PV), способны селективно инфицировать и лизировать клетки раковых опухолей. При этом парвовирусы вызывают иммуномодулирующий эффект, приводя к элиминации опухолевых клеток посредством усиления противоракового иммунитета. Один из возможных механизмов противоопухолевого действия связан с прямой индукцией апоптоза белками 11кДа и NS1 парвовирусов. Векторные системы на основе генома парвовирусов также перспективны для генной терапии различных онкологических и генетических заболеваний человека. Парвовирусы были успешно использованы для экспериментального лечения глиомы, нейробластомы, лимфомы, гепатомы, карциномы поджелудочной железы и опухолей молочной железы человека в экспериментах на животных. Первый онколитический препарат ParvOryx на основе парвовируса H-1 проходит клинические испытания фазы I/IIa на пациентах c мультиформной глиобластомой

Emerging Infectious Diseases in Mongolia

Since 1990, Mongolia’s health system has been in transition. Impressive gains have been accomplished through a national immunization program, which was instituted in 1991. Nevertheless, the country continues to confront four major chronic infections: hepatitis B and C, brucellosis, tuberculosis, and sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). As of 2001, only two cases of HIV infections had been detected in Mongolia, but concern grows that the rate will increase along with the rising rates of STDs and increase in tourism. Other infectious diseases of importance in Mongolia include echinococcus, plague, tularemia, anthrax, foot-and-mouth, and rabies

Proposal for a revised taxonomy of the family Filoviridae: classification, names of taxa and viruses, and virus abbreviations

The taxonomy of the family Filoviridae (marburgviruses and ebolaviruses) has changed several times since the discovery of its members, resulting in a plethora of species and virus names and abbreviations. The current taxonomy has only been partially accepted by most laboratory virologists. Confusion likely arose for several reasons: species names that consist of several words or which (should) contain diacritical marks, the current orthographic identity of species and virus names, and the similar pronunciation of several virus abbreviations in the absence of guidance for the correct use of vernacular names. To rectify this problem, we suggest (1) to retain the current species names Reston ebolavirus, Sudan ebolavirus, and Zaire ebolavirus, but to replace the name Cote d'Ivoire ebolavirus [sic] with Taï Forest ebolavirus and Lake Victoria marburgvirus with Marburg marburgvirus; (2) to revert the virus names of the type marburgviruses and ebolaviruses to those used for decades in the field (Marburg virus instead of Lake Victoria marburgvirus and Ebola virus instead of Zaire ebolavirus); (3) to introduce names for the remaining viruses reminiscent of jargon used by laboratory virologists but nevertheless different from species names (Reston virus, Sudan virus, Taï Forest virus), and (4) to introduce distinct abbreviations for the individual viruses (RESTV for Reston virus, SUDV for Sudan virus, and TAFV for Taï Forest virus), while retaining that for Marburg virus (MARV) and reintroducing that used over decades for Ebola virus (EBOV). Paying tribute to developments in the field, we propose (a) to create a new ebolavirus species (Bundibugyo ebolavirus) for one member virus (Bundibugyo virus, BDBV); (b) to assign a second virus to the species Marburg marburgvirus (Ravn virus, RAVV) for better reflection of now available high-resolution phylogeny; and (c) to create a new tentative genus (Cuevavirus) with one tentative species (Lloviu cuevavirus) for the recently discovered Lloviu virus (LLOV). Furthermore, we explain the etymological derivation of individual names, their pronunciation, and their correct use, and we elaborate on demarcation criteria for each taxon and virus.S

Tick-Borne Encephalitis with Hemorrhagic Syndrome, Novosibirsk Region, Russia, 1999

Eight fatal cases of tick-borne encephalitis with unusual hemorrhagic syndrome were identified in 1999 in the Novosibirsk Region, Russia. To study these strains, we sequenced cDNA fragments of protein E gene from six archival formalin-fixed brain samples. Phylogenetic analysis showed tick-borne encephalitis variants clustered with a Far Eastern subtype (homology 94.7%) but not with the Siberian subtype (82%)

ВСПЫШКА ОСТРОЙ КИШЕЧНОЙ ИНФЕКЦИИ ЭНТЕРОВИРУСНОЙ ЭТИОЛОГИИ В САХАЛИНСКОЙ ОБЛАСТИ В АВГУСТЕ 2010 ГОДА

The investigation of cases of acute intestinal infections in the Sakhalin region of Russia in August, 2010 is described. Epidemiological and molecular biological studies were conducted. After initial PCR screening and determining the nucleotide sequences of the positive samples the following enteroviruses were found: Coxsackie A2 — 42 samples (45%), Coxsackie A4 — 31 sample (34%), Enterovirus 71 — 6 samples (6,5%), Coxsackievirus B5 — 6 samples (6,5%), Coxsackie B3 — 4 samples (4%) and Coxsackie B1 — 4 samples (4%). The phylogenetic analysis of sequences showed that the closest analogues for the nucleotide sequences of these genotypes were previously identified in Japan, Korea and China in 2000–2010.В данной статье описано расследование случаев острой кишечной инфекции (ОКИ), зарегистрированных в Сахалинской области в августе 2010 г. Проведены эпидемиологические и молекулярно-биологические исследования. После скринингового ПЦР-исследования на различные возбудители ОКИ и определения нуклеотидных последовательностей в положительных образцах были идентифицированы энтеровирусы: Коксаки А2 — 42 образца (45%), Коксаки А4 — 31 образец (34%), энтеровирус 71 — 6 образцов (6,5%), Коксаки В5 — 6 образцов (6,5%), Коксаки В3 — 4 образца (4%) и Коксаки В1 — 4 образца (4%). Филогенетический анализ показал, что наиболее близкие по нуклеотидным последовательностям прототипы этих генотипов уже выявлены в Японии, Корее и Китае в 2000–2010 гг

International Circumpolar Surveillance, An Arctic Network for the Surveillance of Infectious Diseases

Hospitals, public health agencies, and reference laboratories work together to detect and control infectious disease in Arctic regions

A model of the artificial metastasis of human epidermoid carcinoma A431 in nude mice for examination of the oncolytic activity of vaccinia virus

Human carcinoma A431 cells were subcutaneously injected into nude mice at points remote from each other. One of the two xenografts developed after­wards was used for treatment with a recombinant vaccinia virus, while another served as an artificial metastasis. We used the attenuated recombinant vaccinia virus (VACV) VVdGF-GFP2 of the L-IVP strain (GenBank accession number KP233807), with deletion of two virulence genes: the virus growth factor and thymidine kinase, with the gene for the green fluorescent protein (GFP2) inserted in an area of the latter. Treatments were performed by a single intratumoral injection of the recombinant VACV at a dose of 107 PFU/mouse. VACV was detected in cells of the artificial metastasis as early as two days following infection, and after 8 days virus concentrations were com- parable with those in the infected tumor (~109 PFU/ml). Electron microscopy revealed selective replication of the recombinant in tumor cells. Targeted accumulation of GFP2 in both tumor and metastasis was shown in the UV-images of the mice obtained using the In-vivo Multispectral Imaging System (Bruker, Germany). Complete destruction of the tumor was registered after 12 days, and that of metastasis, after 20 days post injection of VVdGF-GFP2. The destruction process was accompanied by pronounced edema and leukocyte infiltration of tumor tissue. The recombinant virus induced a significant reduction in the sizes of the tumor and metastasis: by the end of the experiment (35 days) the xenografts in the control mice were 10 times larger than those in the treated mice (5000 vs. 500 mm3). Our study showed that the attenuated VACV administered by the peripheral route not only is able to destroy the primary tumor, but also has a distinct antimeta­static action