Utilization of Cassava Starch-Glycerol Gel as a Sustainable Material to Decrease Metal Ion Surface Contamination.

Many studies have examined the ability of polymer-based gels or hydrogels to serve various purposes, particularly as absorbents. Several studies have reported that polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), with specific compositions and additives, is an absorbent and a decontamination material usable for heavy metals and radioactive substances. PVA has a high cost and is slowly degradable under anaerobic conditions.

Reducing the Radioactive Surface Contamination Level of Cobalt-60-Contaminated Material with PVA-Glycerol-EDTA Combination Gel.

Decommissioning of nuclear facilities can be performed in stages. One of the stages and processes in decontamination is the decontamination process before dismantling or facility area recovery activities. Decontamination can be performed using various methods, primarily physical and chemical.

Development of an insect cell-based adeno-associated virus packaging cell line employing advanced gene expression control system.

The insect cell-based baculovirus expression vector (BEV) system is a leading platform for scalable production of adeno-associated viruses (AAVs). The previously described One-Bac system consists of an insect packaging cell line harboring the AAV and genes and a BEV carrying the transgene and AAV inverted terminal repeats. Here we describe a new system where we successfully translated the molecular design of a double AAV expression cassette to inducible plasmid vectors.

Liver-expressed and limit hepatitis C virus cross-species transmission to mice.

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) has no animal reservoir, infecting only humans. To investigate species barrier determinants limiting infection of rodents, murine liver complementary DNA library screening was performed, identifying transmembrane proteins Cd302 and Cr1l as potent restrictors of HCV propagation. Combined ectopic expression in human hepatoma cells impeded HCV uptake and cooperatively mediated transcriptional dysregulation of a noncanonical program of immunity genes.

OCIAD1 is a host mitochondrial substrate of the hepatitis C virus NS3-4A protease.

The hepatitis C virus (HCV) nonstructural protein 3-4A (NS3-4A) protease is a key component of the viral replication complex and the target of protease inhibitors used in current clinical practice. By cleaving and thereby inactivating selected host factors it also plays a role in the persistence and pathogenesis of hepatitis C. Here, we describe ovarian cancer immunoreactive antigen domain containing protein 1 (OCIAD1) as a novel cellular substrate of the HCV NS3-4A protease.

C19orf66 is an interferon-induced inhibitor of HCV replication that restricts formation of the viral replication organelle.

Background & Aims: HCV is a positive-strand RNA virus that primarily infects human hepatocytes. Recent studies have reported that C19orf66 is expressed as an interferon (IFN)-stimulated gene; however, the intrinsic regulation of this gene within the liver as well as its antiviral effects against HCV remain elusive.

Methods: Expression of C19orf66 was quantified in both liver biopsies and primary human hepatocytes, with or without HCV infection.

Pentagalloylglucose, a highly bioavailable polyphenolic compound present in Cortex moutan, efficiently blocks hepatitis C virus entry.

Approximately 142 million people worldwide are infected with hepatitis C virus (HCV). Although potent direct acting antivirals are available, high costs limit access to treatment. Chronic hepatitis C virus infection remains a major cause of orthotopic liver transplantation.

Inactivation of HCV and HIV by microwave: a novel approach for prevention of virus transmission among people who inject drugs.

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV-1) transmissions among people who inject drugs (PWID) continue to pose a challenging global health problem. Here, we aimed to analyse a universally applicable inactivation procedure, namely microwave irradiation, as a safe and effective method to reduce the risk of viral transmission. The exposure of HCV from different genotypes to microwave irradiation resulted in a significant reduction of viral infectivity.

Hepacivirus NS3/4A Proteases Interfere with MAVS Signaling in both Their Cognate Animal Hosts and Humans: Implications for Zoonotic Transmission.

Unlabelled: Multiple novel members of the genus Hepacivirus have recently been discovered in diverse mammalian species. However, to date, their replication mechanisms and zoonotic potential have not been explored in detail. The NS3/4A serine protease of hepatitis C virus (HCV) is critical for cleavage of the viral polyprotein.

Antiviral Activities of Different Interferon Types and Subtypes against Hepatitis E Virus Replication.

Hepatitis E virus (HEV) is the causative agent of hepatitis E in humans and a member of the genusOrthohepevirusin the familyHepeviridae HEV infections are the common cause of acute hepatitis but can also take chronic courses. Ribavirin is the treatment of choice for most patients, and type I interferon (IFN) has been evaluated in a few infected transplant patientsin vivo In this study, the antiviral effects of different exogenously administered interferons were investigated by using state-of-the-art subgenomic replicon and full-length HEV genome cell culture models. Hepatitis C virus (HCV) subgenomic replicons based on the genotype 2a JFH1 isolate served as the reference.

Cell culture-derived HCV cannot infect synovial fibroblasts.

Worldwide 170 million individuals are infected with hepatitis C virus (HCV), up to 45 million of whom are affected by arthropathy. It is unclear whether this is due to viral infection of synovial cells or immune-mediated mechanisms. We tested the capacity of primary synovial fibroblasts to support HCV propagation.

Host cell mTORC1 is required for HCV RNA replication.

Objective: Chronically HCV-infected orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT) recipients appear to have improved outcomes when their immunosuppressive regimen includes a mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) inhibitor. The mechanism underlying this observation is unknown.

Design: We used virological assays to investigate mTOR signalling on the HCV replication cycle.

Transcriptome analysis reveals a classical interferon signature induced by IFNλ4 in human primary cells.

The IFNL4 gene is negatively associated with spontaneous and treatment-induced clearance of hepatitis C virus infection. The activity of IFNλ4 has an important causal role in the pathogenesis, but the molecular details are not fully understood. One possible reason for the detrimental effect of IFNλ4 could be a tissue-specific regulation of an unknown subset of genes.

Interferon-inducible cholesterol-25-hydroxylase restricts hepatitis C virus replication through blockage of membranous web formation.

Unlabelled: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a positive-strand RNA virus that primarily infects human hepatocytes. Infections with HCV constitute a global health problem, with 180 million people currently chronically infected. Recent studies have reported that cholesterol 25-hydroxylase (CH25H) is expressed as an interferon-stimulated gene and mediates antiviral activities against different enveloped viruses through the production of 25-hydroxycholesterol (25HC).

Control of hepatitis C virus replication in mouse liver-derived cells by MAVS-dependent production of type I and type III interferons.

Unlabelled: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) efficiently infects only humans and chimpanzees. Although the detailed mechanisms responsible for this narrow species tropism remain elusive, recent evidence has shown that murine innate immune responses efficiently suppress HCV replication. Therefore, poor adaptation of HCV to evade and/or counteract innate immune responses may prevent HCV replication in mice.

Clinical course of infection and viral tissue tropism of hepatitis C virus-like nonprimate hepaciviruses in horses.

Unlabelled: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) has a very narrow species and tissue tropism and efficiently replicates only in humans and the chimpanzee. Recently, several studies identified close relatives to HCV in different animal species. Among these novel viruses, the nonprimate hepaciviruses (NPHV) that infect horses are the closest relatives of HCV described to date.

Turmeric curcumin inhibits entry of all hepatitis C virus genotypes into human liver cells.

Objective: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection causes severe liver disease and affects more than 160 million individuals worldwide. People undergoing liver organ transplantation face universal re-infection of the graft. Therefore, affordable antiviral strategies targeting the early stages of infection are urgently needed to prevent the recurrence of HCV infection.

Specific acquisition of functional CD59 but not CD46 or CD55 by hepatitis C virus.

Viruses of different families encode for regulators of the complement system (RCAs) or acquire such RCAs from the host to get protection against complement-mediated lysis (CML). As hepatitis C virus (HCV) shares no genetic similarity to any known RCA and is detectable at high titers in sera of infected individuals, we investigated whether HCV has adapted host-derived RCAs to resist CML. Here we report that HCV selectively incorporates CD59 while neither CD55, nor CD46 are associated with the virus.

Effects of macelignan isolated from Myristica fragrans Houtt. on UVB-induced matrix metalloproteinase-9 and cyclooxygenase-2 in HaCaT cells.

Background: UVB irradiation (290-320 nm) is the most damaging component of the UV spectrum and causes both direct and indirect damage to the basal cell layer of the epidermis; this results in the activation of a number of signaling pathways involved in pathophysiological processes in the skin, such as photoaging and inflammation. In photoaging UVB irradiation promotes degradation of the extracellular matrix (ECM) by matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) and, in inflammation, UVB irradiation promotes the expression of inducible cyclooxygenase (COX-2), leading to overproduction of inflammatory mediators.

Objective: We first investigated the protective effects of macelignan from Myristica fragrans Houtt.

Estrogenic activity of xanthorrhizol isolated from curcuma xanthorrhiza ROXB.

Plant-derived estrogen-like compounds, or phytoestrogens, are given much attention due to their potential therapeutic use. In this study, xanthorrhizol, a natural sesquiterpenoid isolated from the rhizome of Curcuma xanthorrhiza ROXB. (Zingiberaceae), was evaluated for its estrogenic activity.

Kaempferia pandurata Roxb. inhibits Porphyromonas gingivalis supernatant-induced matrix metalloproteinase-9 expression via signal transduction in human oral epidermoid cells.

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: Kaempferia pandurata Roxb., an edible tropical medicinal plant (Zingiberaceae), has been traditionally used to treat dental caries. However, its efficacy on inhibition of matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-9 for preventing periodontal inflammation has been rarely studied to date.

Effects of panduratin A isolated from Kaempferia pandurata ROXB. on the expression of matrix metalloproteinase-9 by porphyromonas gingivalis supernatant-induced KB cells.

Periodontitis is initiated by accumulation of microbial plaque and activation of gingival inflammation through overexpression of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), leading to tissue destruction. Natural MMP inhibitors may be developed as therapeutic agents against periodontitis. In this study, panduratin A, a natural bioactive compound isolated from Kaempferia pandurata ROXB.