1. The importance of genomic analysis in cracking the coronavirus pandemic
- Author
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Vittoradolfo Tambone, Alessandra Borsetti, Marco Ciotti, Gabriella d'Ettorre, Martina Bianchi, Massimo Ciccozzi, Silvia Angeletti, Eleonora Cella, Giancarlo Ceccarelli, Marco Magheri, Francesco Unali, Aldo Pezzuto, Stefano Pascarella, Laura Leondina Campanozzi, Francesca Benedetti, Marta Giovanetti, and Davide Zella
- Subjects
0301 basic medicine ,2019-20 coronavirus outbreak ,COVID-19 Vaccines ,diagnosis ,Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) ,Genome, Viral ,Review ,Disease ,Computational biology ,medicine.disease_cause ,molecular epidemiology ,Pathology and Forensic Medicine ,Viral Proteins ,03 medical and health sciences ,0302 clinical medicine ,vaccine ,Pandemic ,Genetics ,Animals ,Humans ,Medicine ,Molecular Biology ,Phylogeny ,Coronavirus ,Molecular epidemiology ,SARS-CoV-2 ,business.industry ,pandemic ,COVID-19 ,Molecular diagnostics ,030104 developmental biology ,COVID-19 Nucleic Acid Testing ,030220 oncology & carcinogenesis ,Mutation ,Molecular Medicine ,Viral disease ,business - Abstract
Introduction: Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic has pushed the scientific community to undertake intense research efforts. Understanding SARS-CoV-2 biology is necessary to discover therapeutic or preventive strategies capable of containing the pandemic. Knowledge of the structural characteristics of the virus genome and proteins is essential to find targets for therapies and immunological interventions. Areas covered: This review covers different areas of expertise, genomic analysis of circulating strains, structural biology, viral mutations, molecular diagnostics, disease, and vaccines. In particular, the review is focused on the molecular approaches and modern clinical strategies used in these fields. Expert opinion: Molecular approaches to SARS-CoV-2 pandemic have been critical to shorten time for new diagnostic, therapeutic and prevention strategies. In this perspective, the entire scientific community is moving in the same direction. Vaccines, together with the development of new drugs to treat the disease, represent the most important strategy to protect human from viral disease and prevent further spread. In this regard, new molecular technologies have been successfully implemented. The use of a novel strategy of communication is suggested for a better diffusion to the broader public of new data and results.
- Published
- 2021