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The research team formed by Professor Chang Shu-Yuan from the Department of Medical Laboratory Science and Biotechnology at National Taiwan University and Associate Professor Hsu Chia-Lin (second from the right) from the Institute of Microbiology and Immunology at Yang-Ming University has discovered a transport protein responsible for delivering essential nutrients to cells, inadvertently becomes a pathway and vulnerable point for the invasion of enterovirus type 71 and other similar viruses.

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection continues to pose threats to public health. The clinical manifestations of lung pathology in COVID-19 patients include sustained inflammation and pulmonary fibrosis. The macrocyclic diterpenoid ovatodiolide (OVA) has been reported to have anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, anti-allergic, and analgesic activities. Here, we investigated the pharmacological mechanism of OVA in suppressing SARS-CoV-2 infection and pulmonary fibrosis in vitro and in vivo. Our results revealed that OVA was an effective SARS-CoV-2 3CLpro inhibitor and showed remarkable inhibitory activity against SARS-CoV-2 infection. On the other hand, OVA ameliorated pulmonary fibrosis in bleomycin (BLM)-induced mice, reducing inflammatory cell infiltration and collagen deposition in the lung. OVA decreased the levels of pulmonary hydroxyproline and myeloperoxidase, as well as lung and serum TNF-ɑ, IL-1β, IL-6, and TGF-β in BLM-induced pulmonary fibrotic mice. Meanwhile, OVA reduced the migration and fibroblast-to-myofibroblast conversion of TGF-β1-induced fibrotic human lung fibroblasts. Consistently, OVA downregulated TGF-β/TβRs signaling. In computational analysis, OVA resembles the chemical structures of the kinase inhibitors TβRI and TβRII and was shown to interact with the key pharmacophores and putative ATP-binding domains of TβRI and TβRII, showing the potential of OVA as an inhibitor of TβRI and TβRII kinase. In conclusion, the dual function of OVA highlights its potential for not only fighting SARS-CoV-2 infection but also managing injury-induced pulmonary fibrosis.

The team has previously confirmed that GMI can prevent SARS-CoV-2 infection by inducing the degradation of ACE2 in host cells, inhibiting cell fusion, and disrupting the binding between ACE2 and spike protein. In this study, the team further established the anti-inflammatory effects and mechanisms of GMI in SARS-CoV-2 infection. They measured the inflammation caused by SARS-CoV-2 subunits in mouse macrophages and lung tissues and confirmed through animal experiments that GMI can suppress SARS-CoV-2-related inflammation and elucidated its inhibitory mechanisms.

In the occurrence of an epidemic, how does basic research play a crucial role?
Here are a few examples below in the context of biological sensing research for virus detection and antiviral drug screening.



Please refer to the full article in Physics Bimonthly, Volume 2, Issue No. 45, April 2023, pages 9-16.
 





Source: 博客  https://www.books.com.tw/products/R030093542?loc=P_0004_001


 

[Lecture Series] In collaboration with the Taiwan Anti-Tuberculosis Association, we wholeheartedly welcome everyone to sign up and participate.

ORGANIZATION PURPOSE:
One Health Workforce Academies’ (OHWA) mission is to promote the development, delivery, institutionalization, accreditation, and employer-recognition of training and educational activities that are in alignment with One Health core competencies and technical skills. As part of this mission, we have developed a publicly accessible One Health Workforce Academies website to provide high-quality, readily available training materials and resources to engage and support One Health students, faculty, and practitioners.

The "One Health Student Short Film Competition" has started!

TAOHUN (Taiwan One Health University Network) and the RCEP-NYCU (Research Center for Epidemic Prevention and One Health) have co-organized the One Health Student Short Film Competition. The competition has officially begun! All you need to do is create a short film related to "Zoonotic Diseases" and submit your entry through the designated website.

Outstanding teams will have the chance to win cash prizes and receive sponsorship to attend the 2022 One Health Student Summit in Bangkok, Thailand!

Don't miss this opportunity to showcase your creativity and contribute to the promotion of One Health principles. Join the competition now and make a difference in the field of health and science!

For submission and more information, please visit https://forms.gle/ag4SywCbxuSE4Jgu6
Good luck to all participants!