middle-east respiratory syndrome

To date, there is no licensed vaccine for Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV). Therefore, MERS-CoV is one of the diseases targeted by the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) vaccine development programs and has been classified as a priority disease by the World Health Organization (WHO). An important measure of vaccine immunogenicity and antibody functionality is the detection of virus-neutralizing antibodies. We have developed and optimized a microneutralization assay (MNA) using authentic MERS-CoV and standardized automatic counting of virus foci...

Facing the escalating threat of viruses worldwide, the development of efficient sensor elements for rapid virus detection has never been more critical. Traditional point-of-care (POC) sensors struggle due to their reliance on fragile biological receptors and limited adaptability to viral strains. In this study, we introduce a nanosensor design for receptor-free virus recognitions using near-infrared (NIR) fluorescent single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) functionalized with a poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG)-phospholipid (PEG-lipid) array...

UNLABELLED: Human coronavirus (hCoV) OC43 is endemic to global populations and usually causes asymptomatic or mild upper respiratory tract illness. Here, we demonstrate the neutralization efficacy of isolated nanobodies from alpacas immunized with the S1B and S1C domain of the hCoV-OC43 spike glycoprotein. A total of 40 nanobodies bound to recombinant OC43 protein with affinities ranging from 1 to 149 nM. Two nanobodies WNb 293 and WNb 294 neutralized virus at 0.21 and 1.79 nM, respectively...

The emergence of the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV) has posed a significant global health concern due to its severe respiratory illness and high fatality rate. Currently, despite the potential for resurgence, there are no specific treatments for MERS-CoV, and only supportive care is available. Our study aimed to address this therapeutic gap by developing a potent neutralizing bispecific antibody (bsAb) against MERS-CoV. Initially, we isolated four human monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) that specifically target the MERS-CoV receptor-binding domain (RBD) using phage display technology and an established human antibody library...

Middle East respiratory coronavirus (MERS-CoV) is a newly emergent, highly pathogenic coronavirus that is associated with 34% mortality rate. MERS-CoV remains listed as priority pathogen by the WHO. Since its discovery in 2012 and despite the efforts to develop coronaviruses vaccines to fight against SARS-CoV-2, there are currently no MERS-CoV vaccine that has been approved. Therefore, there is high demand to continue on the development of prophylactic vaccines against MERS-CoV. Current advancements in vaccine developments can be adapted for the development of improved MERS-CoV vaccines candidates...

This study evaluated the potential for antibody-dependent enhancement (ADE) in serum samples from patients exposed to Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV). Furthermore, we evaluated the effect of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) vaccination on ADE in individuals with a MERS infection history. We performed ADE assay in sera from MERS recovered and SARS-CoV-2-vaccinated individuals using BHK cells expressing FcgRIIa, SARS-CoV-2, and MERS-CoV pseudoviruses (PVs). Further, we analyzed the association of ADE to serum IgG levels and neutralization...

Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) causes fatal infections, with about 36% mortality in humans, and is endemic to the Middle East. MERS-CoV uses human dipeptidyl peptidase 4 (hDPP4) as a receptor for infection. Despite continued research efforts, no licensed vaccine is available for protection against this disease in humans. Therefore, this study sought to develop an inactivated fragmented MERS-CoV vaccine grown in Vero cells in an hDPP4-transgenic mouse model. Two-dose immunisation in mice with 15, 20, or 25 μg of spike proteins of inactivated split MERS-CoV antigens induced neutralising antibodies, with titres ranging from NT 80 to 1280...

Viral infections have always been considered a threat to global health, with numerous outbreaks across time. Despite the relative recent experience with coronavirus-associated diseases such as severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS), severe acute respiratory syndrome-2's (SARS-CoV-2) continuous evolution displays a different behavior. With a tropism for both respiratory and digestive mucosa, coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) seem to share a particular common background...

The emergence of highly zoonotic viral infections has propelled bat research forward. The viral outbreaks including Hendra virus, Nipah virus, Marburg virus, Ebola virus, Rabies virus, Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus, SARS-CoV and the latest SARS-CoV-2 have been epidemiologically linked to various bat species. Bats possess unique immunological characteristics that allow them to serve as a potential viral reservoir. Bats are also known to protect themselves against viruses and maintain their immunity...

Viral macrodomains that can bind to or hydrolyze protein adenosine diphosphate ribosylation (ADP-ribosylation) have emerged as promising targets for antiviral drug development. Many inhibitor development efforts have been directed against the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 macrodomain 1 (SARS-CoV-2 Mac1). However, potent inhibitors for viral macrodomains are still lacking, with the best inhibitors still in the micromolar range. Based on GS-441524 , a remdesivir precursor, and our previous studies, we have designed and synthesized potent binders of SARS-CoV-2 Mac1 and other viral macrodomains including those of Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV), Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus (VEEV), and Chikungunya virus (CHIKV)...

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to conduct a bibliometric analysis of the global scientific output related to the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV) between 2012 and 2022. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The Web of Science database was searched for articles on MERS-CoV published between 2012 and 2022 for bibliometric analysis. The parameters such as publication year, publication type, funding agencies, research institutions, journals, impact factors, language, and citation numbers of articles were analyzed...

Swine acute diarrhea syndrome coronavirus (SADS-CoV) is a newly discovered swine coronavirus with potential cross-species transmission risk. Although SADS-CoV-induced host cell apoptosis and innate immunity antagonization has been revealed, underlying signaling pathways remain obscure. Here, we demonstrated that infection of SADS-CoV induced apoptosis in vivo and in vitro , and that viral protein NS7a is mainly responsible for SADS-CoV-induced apoptosis in host cells. Furthermore, we found that NS7a interacted with apoptosis-inducing factor mitochondria associated 1 (AIFM1) to activate caspase-3 via caspase-6 in SADS-CoV-infected cells, and enhanced SADS-CoV replication...

OBJECTIVES: Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is a member of a class of highly pathogenic coronaviruses. The large family of coronaviruses, however, also includes members that cause only mild symptoms, like human coronavirus-229E (HCoV-229E) or OC43 (HCoV-OC43). Unravelling how molecular (and cellular) pathophysiology differs between highly and low pathogenic coronaviruses is important for the development of therapeutic strategies. METHODS: Here, we analysed the transcriptome of primary human bronchial epithelial cells (PBEC), differentiated at the air-liquid interface (ALI) after infection with SARS-CoV-2, SARS-CoV, Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS)-CoV and HCoV-229E using bulk RNA sequencing...

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has caused substantial morbidity and mortality, and serious social and economic disruptions worldwide. Unvaccinated or incompletely vaccinated older individuals with underlying diseases are especially prone to severe disease. In patients with non-fatal disease, long COVID affecting multiple body systems may persist for months. Unlike SARS-CoV and Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus, which have either been mitigated or remained geographically restricted, SARS-CoV-2 has disseminated globally and is likely to continue circulating in humans with possible emergence of new variants that may render vaccines less effective...

Middle-East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) first emerged in 2012 and causes human infections in endemic regions. Most vaccines and therapeutics in development against MERS-CoV focus on the spike (S) glycoprotein to prevent viral entry into target cells. These efforts, however, are limited by a poor understanding of antibody responses elicited by infection along with their durability, fine specificity and contribution of distinct S antigenic sites to neutralization. To address this knowledge gap, we analyzed S-directed binding and neutralizing antibody titers in plasma collected from individuals infected with MERS-CoV in 2017-2019 (prior to the COVID-19 pandemic)...

The lower respiratory system serves as the target and barrier for beta-coronavirus (beta-CoV) infections. In this study, we explored beta-CoV infection dynamics in human bronchial epithelial (HBE) organoids, focusing on HCoV-OC43, SARS-CoV, MERS-CoV, and SARS-CoV-2. Utilizing advanced organoid culture techniques, we observed robust replication for all beta-CoVs, particularly noting that SARS-CoV-2 reached peak viral RNA levels at 72 h postinfection. Through comprehensive transcriptomic analysis, we identified significant shifts in cell population dynamics, marked by an increase in goblet cells and a concurrent decrease in ciliated cells...

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV)-2 has caused millions of deaths since its emergence in 2019. Innate immune antagonism by lethal CoVs such as SARS-CoV-2 is crucial for optimal replication and pathogenesis. The conserved nonstructural protein 15 (nsp15) endoribonuclease (EndoU) limits activation of double-stranded (ds)RNA-induced pathways, including interferon (IFN) signaling, protein kinase R (PKR), and oligoadenylate synthetase/ribonuclease L (OAS/RNase L) during diverse CoV infections including murine coronavirus and Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS)-CoV...

BACKGROUND: Despite the growing necessity for government-led policy changes on clinical research ethics during pandemic, the scope of previous literature is limited to Korean government's pandemic response strategies or reflections of research ethics at the level of institutions and academic societies. This paper examines the proactive policy changes and responses by the South Korean government in addressing the challenges and issues of research ethics against the backdrop of the urgency of rapid development and emergency supply of medical products during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic...

The merbecovirus subgenus of coronaviruses includes Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV), which is a zoonotic respiratory pathogen that transmits from dromedary camels to humans and causes severe respiratory disease. Viral discovery efforts have uncovered hundreds of merbecoviruses in different species across multiple continents, but few of these viruses have been isolated or studied under laboratory conditions, leaving basic questions regarding their threat to humans unresolved. Viral entry into host cells is considered an early and critical step for transmission between hosts...

Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) is a zoonotic betacoronavirus that causes severe and often lethal respiratory illness in humans. The MERS-CoV spike (S) protein is the viral fusogen and the target of neutralizing antibodies, and has therefore been the focus of vaccine design efforts. Currently there are no licensed vaccines against MERS-CoV and only a few candidates have advanced to Phase I clinical trials. Here we developed MERS-CoV vaccines utilizing a computationally designed protein nanoparticle platform that has generated safe and immunogenic vaccines against various enveloped viruses, including a licensed vaccine for SARS-CoV-2...