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Protective Immune Response to Virus Infection and Vaccines

A special issue of International Journal of Molecular Sciences (ISSN 1422-0067). This special issue belongs to the section "Molecular Immunology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 28 June 2024 | Viewed by 1718

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
Biotechnology Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China
Interests: vaccine; virus; molecule biology; expression system

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

With the development and transformation of human civilization, the threat of pathogenic viruses on human and animal health and even survival has become increasingly severe. Various region-specific spreading viruses have shown the trend of global transmission, and new pathogenic viruses are constantly being discovered. In order to enhance the ability of humans and animals to fight against pathogenic viruses, the inherent driving mechanism of the changes in the protective immune response during different types of virus infections or upon the administration of vaccines needs to be analyzed. Moreover, it is necessary to further develop novel vaccines that can provide higher immunoprotection efficacy. Particularly after the global outbreak of COVID-19, the pattern and tools concerning virus–host interaction studies have become more standardized and advanced, further promoting the rapid progress of research relevant to acquired immune responses. This Special Issue plans to track research progress on the in-depth exploration of virus infections and vaccine-induced host immune response transition patterns and intrinsic mechanisms, as well as the development of various new vaccines.

Dr. Zhifang Zhang
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

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Keywords

  • pathogenic virus
  • zoonotic virus
  • vaccine
  • immune response
  • virus–host interaction

Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

16 pages, 601 KiB  
Article
The Influence of HLA Polymorphisms on the Severity of COVID-19 in the Romanian Population
by Mihaela Laura Vică, Minodora Dobreanu, Ghenadie Curocichin, Horea Vladi Matei, Ștefana Bâlici, Mihaela Elvira Vușcan, Alin Dan Chiorean, Gheorghe Zsolt Nicula, Daniela Cristina Pavel Mironescu, Daniel Corneliu Leucuța, Cosmin Adrian Teodoru and Costel Vasile Siserman
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2024, 25(2), 1326; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms25021326 - 22 Jan 2024
Viewed by 688
Abstract
In this study, we aimed to investigate whether specific HLA alleles found in patients from Romania and the Republic of Moldova were associated with the severity of COVID-19 infection and its associated mortality. We analyzed the HLA alleles at the -A, -B, -C, [...] Read more.
In this study, we aimed to investigate whether specific HLA alleles found in patients from Romania and the Republic of Moldova were associated with the severity of COVID-19 infection and its associated mortality. We analyzed the HLA alleles at the -A, -B, -C, -DRB1, and -DQB1 loci in a cohort of 130 individuals with severe and extremely severe forms of COVID-19, including 44 individuals who died. We compared these findings to a control group consisting of individuals who had either not been diagnosed with COVID-19 or had experienced mild forms of the disease. Using multivariate logistic regression models, we discovered that the B*27 and B*50 alleles were associated with an increased susceptibility to developing a severe form of COVID-19. The A*33 and C*15 alleles showed potential for offering protection against the disease. Furthermore, we identified two protective alleles (A*03 and DQB1*02) against the development of extremely severe forms of COVID-19. By utilizing score statistics, we established a statistically significant association between haplotypes and disease severity (p = 0.021). In summary, this study provides evidence that HLA genotype plays a role in influencing the clinical outcome of COVID-19 infection. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Protective Immune Response to Virus Infection and Vaccines)
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12 pages, 4047 KiB  
Article
Apoptotic Cell Death in an Animal Model of Virus-Induced Acute Liver Failure—Observations during Lagovirus europaeus/GI.2 Infection
by Dominika Bębnowska, Rafał Hrynkiewicz, Sylwia Rzeszotek, Marika Freus, Agata Poniewierska-Baran and Paulina Niedźwiedzka-Rystwej
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2024, 25(2), 798; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms25020798 - 08 Jan 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 666
Abstract
Lagovirus europaeus/GI.2 causes severe and highly fatal Rabbit Hemorrhagic Disease (RHD). Because of its characteristics, this infection is used as an animal model for acute liver failure (ALF). Apoptosis is one of the key processes underlying ALF and has been described as [...] Read more.
Lagovirus europaeus/GI.2 causes severe and highly fatal Rabbit Hemorrhagic Disease (RHD). Because of its characteristics, this infection is used as an animal model for acute liver failure (ALF). Apoptosis is one of the key processes underlying ALF and has been described as one of the mechanisms of RHD pathogenesis. Apoptotic cell death has been quite well characterized in infection with different variants of GI.1 strains, but so far, the GI.2 genotype has not been widely studied. In this study, we performed an evaluation of apoptotic cell death in hepatocytes of rabbits infected with Lagovirus europaeus/GI.2. We analyzed the expression of genes involved in apoptotic cell death by real-time PCR and performed immunohistochemical (IHC) assays. We showed a significant increase in the expression of caspase-3 and the proapoptotic Bax and anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 in infected animals. In addition, we recorded increased Bax/Bcl-2 ratios. IHC analyses showed the presence of morphological signs of apoptosis in the hepatocytes of infected rabbits. Our results indicate that caspase-3 and proteins from the Bcl-2 families play a key role in apoptosis induced by Lagovirus europaeus/GI.2 infection. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Protective Immune Response to Virus Infection and Vaccines)
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