CPT Pharmacometrics Syst Pharmacol

We modeled the viral dynamics of 13 untreated patients infected with SARS-CoV-2 to infer viral growth parameters and predict the effects of antiviral treatments. In order to reduce peak viral load by more than 2 logs, drug efficacy needs to be greater than 90% if treatment is administered after symptom onset; an efficacy of 60% could be sufficient if treatment is initiated before symptom onset. Given their pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic properties, current investigated drugs may be in a range of 6-87% efficacy. They may help control virus if administered very early, but may not have a major effect in severe patients

Eduarda Mansilla: la Biografía, Redes familiares y amicales. Los Epistolarios. Los escritos dispersos. Hacia un estudio crítico integral

El estudio de la vida y obra de Eduarda Mansilla se enmarca en la crítica sobre literatura argentina decimonónica escrita por mujeres, así como en la historia de la vida privada y su interconexión con el mapa político-social de la época, especialmente visible en las grandes familias de la clase dirigente. El corpus específicamente literario de Mansilla aún no había sido efectivamente cerrado y determinado. Se sabía, sobre todo por las memorias de su hijo Daniel García-Mansilla (1950), de la existencia de obras varias, y de escritos de crítica de arte que no han podido ubicarse. Nos constaba además, por compulsas ya realizadas, que diversos textos de la autora subsisten dispersos en publicaciones periódicas de la época, nacionales y en el extranjero. Tanto ese material, como cuanto se pudiera conseguir en lo que hace a epistolarios, crónicas, memorias, diarios y escritos testimoniales de todo tipo guardados en archivos públicos y privados, era precario y se hallaba expuesto a la desaparición y al deterioro. Hasta el presente los asedios a la vida/obra de nuestra autora se han mantenido dentro de marcos más o menos acotados, subordinados a un objetivo mayor: una edición textual, la presentación de un panorama femenino (“argentinas”, “mujer romántica”), la historia de la composición musical en la Argentina, en el que esta figura singular se engarza, pero no constituyeron investigaciones de envergadura autónoma. Lo antedicho confirmó la necesidad de localizar y rescatar la producción total de la autora a través de la compulsa de archivos públicos y privados, lo que nos permitió establecer una biografía confiable de Eduarda Mansilla que, aspiramos, se constituya en obra de consulta. Los resultados de esta investigación se publicaron en la Colección EALA de la editorial Corregidor.Our study of Eduarda Mansilla´s life and works is carried on within the field of criticism about Argentine Nineteenth-Century literature written by women, as well as in the history of private lifeand its interconnection with the political and social map of that period, which was especially visiblein certain traditional families. The specifically literary corpus of Mansilla has not yet been closednor clearly determined. Thanks to the memories written by one of her sons, Daniel García-Mansilla(1950), it is known that Mansilla has produced several literary pieces that disappeared and are notavailable to us nowadays. In addition, there are many other diverse literary works that have beenoriginally published nationally and abroad in a series of periodicals, newspapers and literary journalsthat are still inaccessible to the researchers. These materials, along with memoires, travel journals,personal notes, and any other disperse writing production by Eduarda are scattered, hidden inlibraries, unpublished and in danger of material destruction. Until today, research about Mansillahas been framed within certain fields such as the study of romanticism, Women writings, musicalcomposition, always with the goal of pursuing a critical edition. But none of them constitutes initself an independent research project. The above-mentioned confirmed the necessity of localizingand rescuing the total production of this writer nowadays scattered in public as well as in privatearchives, with the goal of achieving a serious and reliable biography of Eduarda Mansilla which,we expect, will become a referent in our discipline. The results of this research were published inthe EALA Collection Corregidor publisher

Genetic Incorporation of Human Metallothionein into the Adenovirus Protein IX for Non-Invasive SPECT Imaging

As the limits of existing treatments for cancer are recognized, clearly novel therapies must be considered for successful treatment; cancer therapy using adenovirus vectors is a promising strategy. However tracking the biodistribution of adenovirus vectors in vivo is limited to invasive procedures such as biopsies, which are error prone, non-quantitative, and do not give a full representation of the pharmacokinetics involved. Current non-invasive imaging strategies using reporter gene expression have been applied to analyze adenoviral vectors. The major drawback to approaches that tag viruses with reporter genes is that these systems require initial viral infection and subsequent cellular expression of a reporter gene to allow non-invasive imaging. As an alternative to conventional vector detection techniques, we developed a specific genetic labeling system whereby an adenoviral vector incorporates a fusion between capsid protein IX and human metallothionein. Our study herein clearly demonstrates our ability to rescue viable adenoviral particles that display functional metallothionein (MT) as a component of their capsid surface. We demonstrate the feasibility of 99mTc binding in vitro to the pIX-MT fusion on the capsid of adenovirus virions using a simple transchelation reaction. SPECT imaging of a mouse after administration of a 99mTc-radiolabeled virus showed clear localization of radioactivity to the liver. This result strongly supports imaging using pIX-MT, visualizing the normal biodistribution of Ad primarily to the liver upon injection into mice. The ability we have developed to view real-time biodistribution in their physiological milieu represents a significant tool to study adenovirus biology in vivo

Autoantibodies against type I IFNs in patients with life-threatening COVID-19

Interindividual clinical variability in the course of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection is vast. We report that at least 101 of 987 patients with life-threatening coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pneumonia had neutralizing immunoglobulin G (IgG) autoantibodies (auto-Abs) against interferon-w (IFN-w) (13 patients), against the 13 types of IFN-a (36), or against both (52) at the onset of critical disease; a few also had auto-Abs against the other three type I IFNs. The auto-Abs neutralize the ability of the corresponding type I IFNs to block SARS-CoV-2 infection in vitro. These auto-Abs were not found in 663 individuals with asymptomatic or mild SARS-CoV-2 infection and were present in only 4 of 1227 healthy individuals. Patients with auto-Abs were aged 25 to 87 years and 95 of the 101 were men. A B cell autoimmune phenocopy of inborn errors of type I IFN immunity accounts for life-threatening COVID-19 pneumonia in at least 2.6% of women and 12.5% of men

Vaccine breakthrough hypoxemic COVID-19 pneumonia in patients with auto-Abs neutralizing type I IFNs

Life-threatening `breakthrough' cases of critical COVID-19 are attributed to poor or waning antibody response to the SARS- CoV-2 vaccine in individuals already at risk. Pre-existing autoantibodies (auto-Abs) neutralizing type I IFNs underlie at least 15% of critical COVID-19 pneumonia cases in unvaccinated individuals; however, their contribution to hypoxemic breakthrough cases in vaccinated people remains unknown. Here, we studied a cohort of 48 individuals ( age 20-86 years) who received 2 doses of an mRNA vaccine and developed a breakthrough infection with hypoxemic COVID-19 pneumonia 2 weeks to 4 months later. Antibody levels to the vaccine, neutralization of the virus, and auto- Abs to type I IFNs were measured in the plasma. Forty-two individuals had no known deficiency of B cell immunity and a normal antibody response to the vaccine. Among them, ten (24%) had auto-Abs neutralizing type I IFNs (aged 43-86 years). Eight of these ten patients had auto-Abs neutralizing both IFN-a2 and IFN-., while two neutralized IFN-omega only. No patient neutralized IFN-ss. Seven neutralized 10 ng/mL of type I IFNs, and three 100 pg/mL only. Seven patients neutralized SARS-CoV-2 D614G and the Delta variant (B.1.617.2) efficiently, while one patient neutralized Delta slightly less efficiently. Two of the three patients neutralizing only 100 pg/mL of type I IFNs neutralized both D61G and Delta less efficiently. Despite two mRNA vaccine inoculations and the presence of circulating antibodies capable of neutralizing SARS-CoV-2, auto-Abs neutralizing type I IFNs may underlie a significant proportion of hypoxemic COVID-19 pneumonia cases, highlighting the importance of this particularly vulnerable population

Autoantibodies against type I IFNs in patients with critical influenza pneumonia

In an international cohort of 279 patients with hypoxemic influenza pneumonia, we identified 13 patients (4.6%) with autoantibodies neutralizing IFN-alpha and/or -omega, which were previously reported to underlie 15% cases of life-threatening COVID-19 pneumonia and one third of severe adverse reactions to live-attenuated yellow fever vaccine. Autoantibodies neutralizing type I interferons (IFNs) can underlie critical COVID-19 pneumonia and yellow fever vaccine disease. We report here on 13 patients harboring autoantibodies neutralizing IFN-alpha 2 alone (five patients) or with IFN-omega (eight patients) from a cohort of 279 patients (4.7%) aged 6-73 yr with critical influenza pneumonia. Nine and four patients had antibodies neutralizing high and low concentrations, respectively, of IFN-alpha 2, and six and two patients had antibodies neutralizing high and low concentrations, respectively, of IFN-omega. The patients' autoantibodies increased influenza A virus replication in both A549 cells and reconstituted human airway epithelia. The prevalence of these antibodies was significantly higher than that in the general population for patients 70 yr of age (3.1 vs. 4.4%, P = 0.68). The risk of critical influenza was highest in patients with antibodies neutralizing high concentrations of both IFN-alpha 2 and IFN-omega (OR = 11.7, P = 1.3 x 10(-5)), especially those <70 yr old (OR = 139.9, P = 3.1 x 10(-10)). We also identified 10 patients in additional influenza patient cohorts. Autoantibodies neutralizing type I IFNs account for similar to 5% of cases of life-threatening influenza pneumonia in patients <70 yr old

COVID-19 symptoms at hospital admission vary with age and sex: results from the ISARIC prospective multinational observational study

Background: The ISARIC prospective multinational observational study is the largest cohort of hospitalized patients with COVID-19. We present relationships of age, sex, and nationality to presenting symptoms. Methods: International, prospective observational study of 60 109 hospitalized symptomatic patients with laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 recruited from 43 countries between 30 January and 3 August 2020. Logistic regression was performed to evaluate relationships of age and sex to published COVID-19 case definitions and the most commonly reported symptoms. Results: ‘Typical’ symptoms of fever (69%), cough (68%) and shortness of breath (66%) were the most commonly reported. 92% of patients experienced at least one of these. Prevalence of typical symptoms was greatest in 30- to 60-year-olds (respectively 80, 79, 69%; at least one 95%). They were reported less frequently in children (≤ 18 years: 69, 48, 23; 85%), older adults (≥ 70 years: 61, 62, 65; 90%), and women (66, 66, 64; 90%; vs. men 71, 70, 67; 93%, each P &lt; 0.001). The most common atypical presentations under 60 years of age were nausea and vomiting and abdominal pain, and over 60 years was confusion. Regression models showed significant differences in symptoms with sex, age and country. Interpretation: This international collaboration has allowed us to report reliable symptom data from the largest cohort of patients admitted to hospital with COVID-19. Adults over 60 and children admitted to hospital with COVID-19 are less likely to present with typical symptoms. Nausea and vomiting are common atypical presentations under 30 years. Confusion is a frequent atypical presentation of COVID-19 in adults over 60 years. Women are less likely to experience typical symptoms than men

The product of the adenovirus intermediate gene IX is a transcriptional activator.

We have investigated the functional properties of the product of the adenovirus type 5 gene IX. This gene, which is expressed at intermediate times postinfection, encodes a small polypeptide (pIX) of 140 residues that has previously been shown to be incorporated into the viral capsid. Here, we show that pIX, in addition to its structural contribution, exhibits transcriptional properties. In transient transfection experiments, expression of pIX stimulated adenovirus major late promoter activity. The effect was independent of other viral proteins, but the level of promoter activation appeared strongly pIX dose dependent; similar levels of induction were observed with other cellular or viral TATA-containing (but not with TATA-less) promoters. This promoter specificity could be reproduced in a cell-free transcription system by the addition of purified recombinant pIX, further stressing the transcriptional nature of the phenomenon. A preliminary structural analysis of pIX indicated that the integrity of a putative leucine zipper at the carboxy-terminal end of the molecule, as well as elements within the amino-terminal half, was critical for pIX transcriptional activity. The relevance of these findings in adenovirus infection is discussed

Influenza viruses production: Evaluation of a novel avian cell line DuckCelt (R)-T17

SSCI-VIDE+CARE+FDA:CGUInternational audienceAvian cell lin

ORIGINAL IN-SILICO APPROACH IDENTIFIES NEW BROAD-SPECTRUM INFLUENZA A ANTIVIRALS

International audienceno abstrac