Study finds new synthetic vaccines to comabt Chikungunya

Researchers developed a new type of vaccine for mosquito-borne virus Chikungunya. Since the vaccine does not require refrigeration, it is considered a major advancement in vaccine technology.
The findings, revealed exceptionally promising results for the Chikungunya vaccine candidate, which has been engineered using a synthetic protein scaffold that could revolutionise the way vaccines are designed, produced and stored.

Researchers teamed up with IT professionals to find a way to make vaccines that are thermostable ( able to withstand warm temperatures), can be designed quickly and are easily produced.

We were working with a protein that forms a multimeric particle resembling a virus but is completely safe because it has no genetic material inside said an expert virologist. Completely by chance, we discovered that this particle was incredibly stable even after months, without refrigeration.

This particle has a very flexible, exposed surface that can be easily engineered, added  another researcher. We figured that we could insert small, harmless bits of Chikungunya to generate a virus-like mimic we could potentially use as vaccine.

To validate their design, the scientists employed cyro-electron microscopy, a powerful new technique recently installed in Bristol\s state-of-the-art microscopy facility headed by co-author of the study. Cyro-EM yields very large data sets from which the structure if a sample can be determined at near0atomic resolution, requiring massive parallel computing.

Enabled by IT's high-performance cloud infrastructure, the team developed a novel computational approach to create an accurate digital model of the synthetic vaccine.

IT specialists together with colleagues, implemented software packages seamlessly on the cloud in this pioneering effort.

IT professional were able to process a large data sets obtained by the microscope on the clod in a fraction of the time and at a much lower cost than previously thought possible, explained one of the professional.

Researchers have had a long tradition of building and installing their own supercomputers on-premises, but cloud computing is allowing them to run large data sets in record time, with fast connectivity and low latency, added  the leading cloud architect.

This is helping them crunch data and make scientific breakthroughs much faster. Going by forward, technologies like machine learning and cloud computing will play a significant part in the scientific world, and we are delighted we could help the researchers with this important discovery, the professional said.

The particles the scientists designed yielded exceptionally promising results in animal studies, soundly setting the stage for a future vaccine to combat Chikungunya disease.

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Mosquito-borne Diseases: How to Keep Dengue at Bay with Food That Boost Immunity System

Monsoon can be a tough time as it takes a toll on human health. From manageable disease like cold and flu, to fatal diseases like dengue, malaria and chikungunya, monsoon brings along with it health complications that can put us at risk. However, despite our best efforts towards the prevention of monsoon diseases such as malaria, viral fever, dengue, chikungunya, we often fall prey to them.

While it might not be possible to avoid mosquito bites, as despite using ways like using mosquito repellents and avoiding mosquito-breeding, the vector succeeds in transmitting these diseases. 
However, one can always depend on a healthy, immunity-booster diet that can make the body healthy and give the virus a tough fight within the human body. Here are a few immunity-booster foods to keep dengue virus at bay:

Mosquito-borne Diseases:  
How to Keep Dengue at Bay with Food That Boost Immunity System
All Indian households depend on turmeric for a lot of functions. From adding flavor to the food to using it for religious purposes, turmeric is an important part of our lives.

Monsoon can be a tough time as it takes a toll on human health. From manageable disease like cold and flu, to fatal diseases like dengue, malaria and chikungunya, monsoon brings along with it health complications that can put us at risk. However, despite our best efforts towards the prevention of monsoon diseases such as malaria, viral fever, dengue, chikungunya, we often fall prey to them.

While it might not be possible to avoid mosquito bites, as despite using ways like using mosquito repellents and avoiding mosquito-breeding, the vector succeeds in transmitting these diseases. However, one can always depend on a healthy, immunity-booster diet that can make the body healthy and give the virus a tough fight within the human body. Here are a few immunity-booster foods to keep dengue virus at bay:

1. Citrus Fruits: Rich in Vitamin C, citrus food like lemon, orange, pineapple and others, helps in building strong immunity by increasing the production of white blood cells in the body. The white blood cells or lymphocytes are the disease-fighting cells of the body. In addition, Vitamin c rich foods are loaded with antioxidants and protect the body from damage from free radicals.

2. Garlic: Garlic is an important ingredient in most of the dishes that we cook at home. While it adds flavor and taste to the food, Garlic also helps in providing immunity to the body as it has the presence of sulfur (sulphur) in it. Garlic helps in fighting infections. In addition, it has antibacterial and anti-fungal properties as well.

3. Turmeric: All Indian households depend on turmeric for a lot of functions. From adding flavor to the food to using it for religious purposes, turmeric is an important part of our lives. The golden spice, loaded with medicinal properties, also helps in improving the functioning of the immune system. In addition, it has anti-inflammatory properties.

4. Ginger: Apart from adding flavor to our food, Ginger is usually used in tea to keep the body warm. The root plant is also an important immunity-booster and is helpful in treating sore throat, inflammation, nausea and other symptoms of dengue fever.

5. Yogurt: Apart from helping you in getting good sleep, yogurt is also known for its immunity-booster properties. A strong probiotic, yogurt helps in the functioning of the immune system. It also helps in improving digestive health. 

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7 most common monsoon diseases: How to prevent them

The rains may have brought respite from humidity and sweltering heat, but at the same time, it unleashed a series of unwanted and harmful viruses and diseases, leaving no stone unturned to reach out to the common man in various forms.
Here are the most common diseases that you need to watch out for:

Dengue

A mosquito-borne viral disease, dengue is one of the most common diseases of monsoon season in India. The common symptoms of dengue are high fever, headache, rash and muscle and joint pain. The national capital, Delhi, has so witnessed one death while as many as 945 cases of dengue have been recorded so far this season.
Use mosquito nets, spray insecticides and insect repellents to prevent diseases caused by mosquitoes, such as dengue, chikungunya, malaria, etc.

Chikungunya

Another viral disease characterised by fever, severe joint pain, muscle pain, headache, nausea, fatigue and rash, chikungunya is transmitted to humans by infected mosquitoes - Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus.

Malaria

A life-threatening mosquito-borne blood disease caused by a Plasmodium parasite, malaria is transmitted to humans through the bite of the Anopheles mosquito. Symptoms of malaria include chills, fever and sweating, usually occurring a few weeks after being bitten.

Colds and flu

The sudden change in weather, causing fluctuations in temperature, is a main cause of cold and flu during the rainy season. During monsoons, the immune system weakens and becomes vulnerable to cough, cold and flu. Symptoms are runny nose, sneezing, congestion, high fever, etc.

Viral fever

Viral fever refers to a wide range of infections, lasting from 5 to 7 days. It is one of the most common diseases in monsoon, usually characterised by fever, body aches fatigue, headaches, and sometimes nausea and vomiting.

Washing hands before eating any food, not touching your nose and mouth with your hand without washing them, avoiding crowded places can help reduce your risk or prevent viral infections.

Typhoid

Cases typhoid rise on a large scale during monsoon. It is an infection transmitted by consuming food or water contaminated with feces from an infected person. Symptoms include fever, headache, sore throat, weakness and fatigue, abdominal pain, diarrhea, rash, etc.
Besides vaccination, maintaining a good hygiene such as, frequent hand-washing in hot, soapy water, not drinking untreated water, avoiding raw fruits and vegetables can help control typhoid fever.

Stomach infections

Stomach infections are a common problem during monsoons because your ability to digest food decreases as well as chances of food contamination is high. Drinking lots of water, eating foods that are warm and are easily digestible, avoiding raw or under-cooked foods can be helpful.
 

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Dengue, chikungunya, malaria: Can you get all three together?

  Malaria, dengue, and chikungunya are three types of mosquito-borne-diseases. All of these diseases have now become major public health concerns in India, posing an enormous burden to the health system. The problem is that these diseases are difficult to diagnose because their symptoms are so similar with fever being a prominent part. So, it can be pretty difficult, if not impossible, to make a conclusive identification without laboratory testing. All of these diseases are quite serious, yet, recent cases show that you can get all three at the same time, making treatment more complicated.
Earlier, a study published  found that dengue was the most common reason for the ICU admission in India. It was followed by scrub typhus, encephalitis, malaria, and bacterial sepsis. 


Although ‘triple simultaneous infection’ is rare, researchers have reported two such cases in the medical journals . One of the researchers, told that the first case was of a three-year-old who visited the primary health centre in August 2016. The second such case was diagnosed in a 21-year-old student who visited the centre about a month later. A 55-year-old patient was the third of such case reported in June 2017.

“They all had high fever along with chills, uneasiness, body pain and headache when they visited our primary health centre. They tested positive for malaria, so we started treatment while the results of dengue and chikungunya tests were awaited. To our surprise, they tested positive for both,” said doctors, adding a national action plan is needed to check such infections.

Doctors said while the triple infection is rare, it poses a diagnostic dilemma and higher risk of morbidity as well.

A report stated the June 2017 case at the hospital required intensive treatment with "intravenous artesunate (medication for malaria), ceftriaxone (antibiotic), pantocid (proton-pump inhibitor), pacimol, emset, mucaine gel application for oral ulcers and plenty of intravenous dextrose, ringer lactate and dextrose normal saline during hospital stay.

Experts stressed the importance of educating doctors about the increased risk of triple concurrent infections for timely diagnosis.
Although these diseases have almost identical manifestations, it is important to differentiate them for proper treatment.

Malaria is a life-threatening disease. It is caused by Plasmodium, a single-celled parasite often transmitted through the bite of an infected Anopheles mosquito. Dengue and chikungunya are transmitted by Aedes aegypti.

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Researchers identify ‘dark proteins’ of chikungunya virus

At a time when mosquito-borne diseases are creating health havoc in the country, a study done by the researchers claimed to have discovered a technique that could help design improved drugs to treat chikungunya. The study identified the 'dark' regions in the proteins of Chikungunya virus. According to the researchers, the findings may help doctors make progress in the treatment of the vector-borne viral infection.

Basically, their research is aimed at understanding the structure and action of the Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) through computational studies. The researchers defined the dark proteome as proteins with structures that can not be determined by conventional methods, such as X-ray crystallography and electron microscopy. The dark proteome, unlike conventional proteins, are unable to fold spontaneously into single, well-defined 3D structures, making it difficult for scientists to understand their properties, said the study. 


“The pathogenic mechanism of mosquito-borne Chikungunya is not fully understood as yet because of the scarcity of information about the structure and non-structure of the viral proteins,”  he said . “Our research seeks to fill this gap in knowledge,” he said.

The team used multiple computational tools to identify the molecular recognition features of the virus (MoRF)in the proteins of the chikungunya virus. They found that all Chikungunya virus proteins have at least one MoRF crucial for signalling events during survival and pathogenesis of the virus.

More than 1.5 million deaths worldwide are caused by viral infections every year, said the researchers quoting WHO reports. However, the researchers are now hopeful that there would be a better path towards the design of specific drug molecules that can act against this virus once all the molecular mechanisms of CHIKV proteins are deciphered and protein-protein interactions are understood.
 

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A molecule that could combat chikungunya

Researchers have identified a molecule that exhibits antiviral activity against the chikungunya virus, raising hopes of finding a new way to combat the mosquito-borne viral disease.

Chikungunya causes severe fever and joint pain. At present, there are no drugs or vaccine available in the market to treat it. The antiviral activity achieved around 99 per cent reduction in the virus, said the study.

The team used structure-based studies of chikungunya virus specific nsP2 protease to identify two molecules — Pep-I and Pep-II — that exhibited protease inhibitory as well as antiviral activity.
Out of the two molecules, the researchers found PeP-I to be more effective as an antiviral molecule.

“The nsP2 protease is a strict viral enzyme, meaning it is absent in humans, and thus, is an excellent antiviral drug target for chikungunya virus,” said lead researcher.

“Our research group has targeted nsP2 using biochemical and structure-based approach. We identified a molecule that not only possesses anti-nsP2 activity but also effectively kills the chikungunya virus in the cell based assays,” the researcher- said in a statement.

One of the two molecules — Pep-I — has higher antiviral activity against chikungunya virus. The PeP-I molecule inhibits the enzymatic activity of nsP2 viral protein and in cell based assay proved to be an effective antiviral molecule.

“Derivatives of PeP-I and PeP-I like molecules are being developed that will be tested for their antiviral potential in animal model,” the researcher said.


According to the researchers, any molecule that inhibits nsP2 protease should possess antiviral activity. To test the hypothesis they carried out antiviral studies using cell lines. The Pep-II molecule showed reduced antiviral activity of only 50 per cent even at a higher concentration, the study said.

The antiviral activity was tested by adding the molecules directly into the virus culture. The two molecules also reduced the viral RNA thus confirming the antiviral activity. 

“Out of the two molecules, PeP-I is more effective as an antiviral molecule as no virus was detected in cultured cells at concentration as low as 10 mM (microMolar),” study co-author said.

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Breakthrough in chikungunya treatment may come soon

In a move that could lead to a breakthrough in combating chikungunya,, the researchers have claimed to have discovered the anti-viral potential of a drug piperazine — used for worm infections. Medicine piperazine offers a new perspective for therapeutic intervention, thereby inhibiting the spread of virus, say researchers. Currently, there is no vaccine or anti-viral drug available in the market for the cure of chikungunya. The treatment has been focused on relieving the symptoms associated with the virus infection. The researchers spoke of the potential of piperazine as a pharmacotherapeutic agent and how binding these molecules to the hydrophobic pocket of capsid protein, present in the Chikungunya virus, offers a new perspective for therapeutic intervention, thereby inhibiting the spread of the virus.

Piperazine is commonly used in deworming treatments against roundworm and pinworm. “Developing a new antiviral drug molecule can take over a decade and that is the reason why we are looking at repositioning existing approved drugs and testing these to see if they can inhibit or kill pathogenic viruses,” said a researcher. Research has shown that piperazine, which is available in the market, is successful in curbing the spread and replication of the chikungunya virus in a lab setting. “We are currently testing the molecule on animals and hope to take this to clinical trials soon,” said a researcher. Chikungunya is a viral disease transmitted to humans by infected mosquitoes. It causes fever and severe joint pain. Other symptoms include muscle pain, headache, nausea, fatigue and rash.

The researchers said they found that piperazine would bind itself well with the hydrophobic pocket on the alphavirus capsid protein.  “This pocket is key to the replication of the virus and its spread inside a host. This inhibition of this pocket prevents budding and spread of the virus and can help in treating the virus effectively using existing drugs,” said they said.

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