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World Journal of Gastroenterology May 2024Viral hepatitis represents a major danger to public health, and is a globally leading cause of death. The five liver-specific viruses: Hepatitis A virus, hepatitis B... (Review)
Review
Viral hepatitis represents a major danger to public health, and is a globally leading cause of death. The five liver-specific viruses: Hepatitis A virus, hepatitis B virus, hepatitis C virus, hepatitis D virus, and hepatitis E virus, each have their own unique epidemiology, structural biology, transmission, endemic patterns, risk of liver complications, and response to antiviral therapies. There remain few options for treatment, in spite of the increasing prevalence of viral-hepatitis-caused liver disease. Furthermore, chronic viral hepatitis is a leading worldwide cause of both liver-related morbidity and mortality, even though effective treatments are available that could reduce or prevent most patients' complications. In 2016, the World Health Organization released its plan to eliminate viral hepatitis as a public health threat by the year 2030, along with a discussion of current gaps and prospects for both regional and global eradication of viral hepatitis. Today, treatment is sufficiently able to prevent the disease from reaching advanced phases. However, future therapies must be extremely safe, and should ideally limit the period of treatment necessary. A better understanding of pathogenesis will prove beneficial in the development of potential treatment strategies targeting infections by viral hepatitis. This review aims to summarize the current state of knowledge on each type of viral hepatitis, together with major innovations.
Topics: Humans; Antiviral Agents; Hepatitis, Viral, Human; Hepatitis Viruses; Prevalence; Liver
PubMed: 38764770
DOI: 10.3748/wjg.v30.i18.2402 -
FEBS Letters May 2024Intracellular pathogens rely on host metabolic networks for multiplication. Enveloped viruses need lipids for formation of the viral envelope and positive sense RNA... (Review)
Review
Intracellular pathogens rely on host metabolic networks for multiplication. Enveloped viruses need lipids for formation of the viral envelope and positive sense RNA viruses that replicate in membranous inclusions require lipids for formation of the replication compartments. In addition, all intracellular pathogens need energy for their replicative cycle. As triglycerides in lipid droplets are the main energy storage unit of cells and major source of membrane lipids, it is not surprising that viruses have evolved various strategies to exploit different aspects of lipid droplet biology.
Topics: Virus Replication; Lipid Droplets; Humans; Animals; Viral Envelope; RNA Viruses; Lipid Metabolism; Triglycerides
PubMed: 38348563
DOI: 10.1002/1873-3468.14819 -
Virology Jul 2024
Topics: Plant Diseases; Plant Viruses; Plants; Virology
PubMed: 38701717
DOI: 10.1016/j.virol.2024.110099 -
Critical Reviews in Microbiology Nov 2023Acute respiratory infections (ARIs) are amongst the leading causes of death and disability, and the greatest burden of disease impacts children, pregnant women, and the... (Review)
Review
Acute respiratory infections (ARIs) are amongst the leading causes of death and disability, and the greatest burden of disease impacts children, pregnant women, and the elderly. Respiratory viruses account for the majority of ARIs. The unfolded protein response (UPR) is a host homeostatic defence mechanism primarily activated in response to aberrant endoplasmic reticulum (ER) resident protein accumulation in cell stresses including viral infection. The UPR has been implicated in the pathogenesis of several respiratory diseases, as the respiratory system is particularly vulnerable to chronic and acute activation of the ER stress response pathway. Many respiratory viruses therefore employ strategies to modulate the UPR during infection, with varying effects on the host and the pathogens. Here, we review the specific means by which respiratory viruses affect the host UPR, particularly in association with the high production of viral glycoproteins, and the impact of UPR activation and subversion on viral replication and disease pathogenesis. We further review the activation of UPR in common co-morbidities of ARIs and discuss the therapeutic potential of modulating the UPR in virally induced respiratory diseases.
PubMed: 37934111
DOI: 10.1080/1040841X.2023.2274840 -
Virology Aug 2024
Topics: Humans; Animals; Communicable Diseases, Emerging; Virus Diseases; Zoonoses
PubMed: 38810362
DOI: 10.1016/j.virol.2024.110126 -
Trends in Plant Science Nov 2023Key principles pertaining to RNA biology not infrequently have their origins in plant virology. Examples have arisen from studies on viral RNA-intrinsic properties and... (Review)
Review
Key principles pertaining to RNA biology not infrequently have their origins in plant virology. Examples have arisen from studies on viral RNA-intrinsic properties and the infection process from gene expression, replication, movement, and defense evasion to biotechnological applications. Since RNA is at the core of the central dogma in molecular biology, how plant virology assisted in the reinforcement or adaptations of this concept, while at other instances shook up elements of the doctrine, is discussed. Moreover, despite the negative effects of viral diseases in agriculture worldwide, plant viruses can be considered a scientific treasure trove. Today they remain tools of discovery for biotechnology, studying evolution, cell biology, and host-microbe interactions.
Topics: Plant Pathology; Plant Viruses; RNA, Viral; Plant Diseases
PubMed: 37495453
DOI: 10.1016/j.tplants.2023.06.019 -
Seminars in Cell & Developmental Biology Sep 2023Viruses have evolved a multitude of mechanisms to combat barriers to productive infection in the host cell. Virally-encoded miRNAs are one such means to regulate host... (Review)
Review
Viruses have evolved a multitude of mechanisms to combat barriers to productive infection in the host cell. Virally-encoded miRNAs are one such means to regulate host gene expression in ways that benefit the virus lifecycle. miRNAs are small non-coding RNAs that regulate protein expression but do not trigger the adaptive immune response, making them powerful tools encoded by viruses to regulate cellular processes. Diverse viruses encode for miRNAs but little sequence homology exists between miRNAs of different viral species. Despite this, common cellular pathways are targeted for regulation, including apoptosis, immune evasion, cell growth and differentiation. Herein we will highlight the viruses that encode miRNAs and provide mechanistic insight into how viral miRNAs aid in lytic and latent infection by targeting common cellular processes. We also highlight how viral miRNAs can mimic host cell miRNAs as well as how viral miRNAs have evolved to regulate host miRNA expression. These studies dispel the myth that viral miRNAs are subtle regulators of gene expression, and highlight the critical importance of viral miRNAs to the virus lifecycle.
Topics: MicroRNAs; Viruses; Cell Differentiation; Protein Processing, Post-Translational; Gene Expression; Gene Expression Regulation, Viral; Gene Expression Regulation
PubMed: 36463091
DOI: 10.1016/j.semcdb.2022.11.007 -
Journal of Molecular Biology Aug 2023The past decade has seen a revolution in our understanding of how the cellular environment is organized, where an incredible body of work has provided new insights into... (Review)
Review
The past decade has seen a revolution in our understanding of how the cellular environment is organized, where an incredible body of work has provided new insights into the role played by membraneless organelles. These rapid advancements have been made possible by an increasing awareness of the peculiar physical properties that give rise to such bodies and the complex biology that enables their function. Viral infections are not extraneous to this. Indeed, in host cells, viruses can harness existing membraneless compartments or, even, induce the formation of new ones. By hijacking the cellular machinery, these intracellular bodies can assist in the replication, assembly, and packaging of the viral genome as well as in the escape of the cellular immune response. Here, we provide a perspective on the fundamental polymer physics concepts that may help connect and interpret the different observed phenomena, ranging from the condensation of viral genomes to the phase separation of multicomponent solutions. We complement the discussion of the physical basis with a description of biophysical methods that can provide quantitative insights for testing and developing theoretical and computational models.
Topics: Humans; Organelles; Virus Diseases; Biomolecular Condensates; Virus Replication; Viral Genome Packaging; Stress Granules; Genome, Viral; Biopolymers; Phase Transition
PubMed: 36709795
DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2023.167988 -
Viruses Jun 2024C-terminal binding protein (CtBP), a transcriptional co-repressor, significantly influences cellular signaling, impacting various biological processes including cell... (Review)
Review
C-terminal binding protein (CtBP), a transcriptional co-repressor, significantly influences cellular signaling, impacting various biological processes including cell proliferation, differentiation, apoptosis, and immune responses. The CtBP family comprises two highly conserved proteins, CtBP1 and CtBP2, which have been shown to play critical roles in both tumorigenesis and the regulation of viral infections. Elevated CtBP expression is noted in various tumor tissues, promoting tumorigenesis, invasiveness, and metastasis through multiple pathways. Additionally, CtBP's role in viral infections varies, exhibiting differing or even opposing effects depending on the virus. This review synthesizes the advances in CtBP's function research in viral infections and virus-associated tumorigenesis, offering new insights into potential antiviral and anticancer strategies.
Topics: Humans; Carcinogenesis; Virus Diseases; Alcohol Oxidoreductases; DNA-Binding Proteins; Animals; Neoplasms
PubMed: 38932279
DOI: 10.3390/v16060988 -
Viruses May 2024Hepatitis B and C viruses (HBV and HCV) are the leading causes of end-stage liver disease worldwide. Although there is a potent vaccine against HBV, many new infections... (Review)
Review
Hepatitis B and C viruses (HBV and HCV) are the leading causes of end-stage liver disease worldwide. Although there is a potent vaccine against HBV, many new infections are recorded annually, especially in poorly resourced places which have lax vaccination policies. Again, as HBV has no cure and chronic infection is lifelong, vaccines cannot help those already infected. Studies to thoroughly understand the HBV biology and pathogenesis are limited, leaving much yet to be understood about the genomic features and their role in establishing and maintaining infection. The current knowledge of the impact on disease progression and response to treatment, especially in hyperendemic regions, is inadequate. This calls for in-depth studies on viral biology, mainly for the purposes of coming up with better management strategies for infected people and more effective preventative measures for others. This information could also point us in the direction of a cure. Here, we discuss the progress made in understanding the genomic basis of viral activities leading to the complex interplay of the virus and the host, which determines the outcome of HBV infection as well as the impact of coinfections.
Topics: Humans; Hepatitis B virus; Hepatitis B; Coinfection; Genome, Viral; Animals
PubMed: 38793606
DOI: 10.3390/v16050724