Search

The novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 (severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2) has led to a global crisis by infecting millions of people across the globe eventually causing multiple deaths. The prominent player of the virus has been known as the spike protein which enters the host system and leads to the infection. The S2 subunit is the most essential in this process of infection as it helps the SARS-CoV-2 to infect the host by binding to the human angiotensin converting enzyme 2 (hACE2), with the help of the receptor binding domain found at the S2 subunit of the virus. Studies also hypothesize that the S glycoproteins present in the virus interacts with different hosts in different ways which might be due to the mutations taking place in the genome of the virus over time. This work aims to decipher the similarities and differences in the sequences of spike proteins from samples of SARS-CoV-2 acquired from different infected individuals in different countries with the help of in silico methods such as multiple sequence alignment and phylogenetic analysis. It also aims to understand the differential infection rates among the infected countries by studying the amino acid composition and interactions of the virus with the host.

Cancer is a most common and lethal disease in which certain cells in our body grow in an uncontrolled way. The growth of new vascular network is essential for sustained growth of tumor to adequately supply nutrients and oxygen. These requirements are mainly fulfilled by formation of fresh blood vessels. Angiogenesis plays a pivotal role in various physiological conditions within the human body, including, embryonic development and tissue repair after trauma or surgery. Angiogenesis is a hallmark feature of cancer, inflammatory diseases, and wound healing. Different growth factors and vascular genes mediate the angiogenic process, which is regulated by epigenetic states of gene especially through small RNAs. Epigenetic modification of tumor cells includes diverse reinforcing and converging signals, including histone modifications, DNA methylation, and non-coding RNAs. This chapter is focused on highlighting the role of angiogenesis in vasculogenesis process and epigenetic modifications in cancer progression. Moreover, we reported the importance of various angiogenic factors and their epigenetic modifications together with a novel therapeutic window towards the treatment of most common cancers using epigenetic regulators.