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The nanosized Cu-MOF/hydroxychloroquine systems reduce the infectivity of SARS-CoV-2 by the viral Spike protein–ACE2 receptor binding inhibition, the presence of copper in the MOF nodes, and the semi-controlled release of the drug.

Yellow-orange latex of Chelidonium majus L. has been used in folk medicine as a therapeutic agent against warts and other visible symptoms of human papillomavirus (HPV) infections for centuries. The observed antiviral and antitumor properties of C. majus latex are often attributed to alkaloids contained therein, but recent studies indicate that latex proteins may also play an important role in its pharmacological activities. Therefore, the aim of the study was to investigate the effect of the crude C. majus latex and its protein and alkaloid-rich fractions on different stages of the HPV replication cycle. The results showed that the latex components, such as alkaloids and proteins, decrease HPV infectivity and inhibit the expression of viral oncogenes (E6, E7) on mRNA and protein levels. However, the crude latex and its fractions do not affect the stability of structural proteins in HPV pseudovirions and they do not inhibit the virus from attaching to the cell surface. In addition, the protein fraction causes increased TNFα secretion, which may indicate the induction of an inflammatory response. These findings indicate that the antiviral properties of C. majus latex arise both from alkaloids and proteins contained therein, acting on different stages of the viral replication cycle.

Yellow-orange latex of

Plants are a rich source of new antiviral, pharmacologically active agents. The naturally occurring plant alkaloid berberine (BBR) is one of the phytochemicals with a broad range of biological activity, including anticancer, anti-inflammatory and antiviral activity. BBR targets different steps in the viral life cycle and is thus a good candidate for use in novel antiviral drugs and therapies. It has been shown that BBR reduces virus replication and targets specific interactions between the virus and its host. BBR intercalates into DNA and inhibits DNA synthesis and reverse transcriptase activity. It inhibits replication of herpes simplex virus (HSV), human cytomegalovirus (HCMV), human papillomavirus (HPV), and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). This isoquinoline alkaloid has the ability to regulate the MEK-ERK, AMPK/mTOR, and NF-κB signaling pathways, which are necessary for viral replication. Furthermore, it has been reported that BBR supports the host immune response, thus leading to viral clearance. In this short review, we focus on the most recent studies on the antiviral properties of berberine and its derivatives, which might be promising agents to be considered in future studies in the fight against the current pandemic SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19.

Human papillomaviruses (HPVs) are considered to be key etiological agents responsible for the induction and development of cervical cancer. However, it has been suggested that HPV infection alone may not be sufficient to promote cervical carcinogenesis, and other unknown factors might be required to establish the disease. One of the suggested proteins whose deregulation has been linked with oncogenesis is transcription factor Yin Yang 1 (YY1). YY1 is a multifunctional protein that is involved not only in the regulation of gene transcription and protein modification, but can also control important cell signaling pathways, such as cell growth, development, differentiation, and apoptosis. Vital functions of YY1 also indicate that the protein could be involved in tumorigenesis. The overexpression of this protein has been observed in different tumors, and its level has been correlated with poor prognoses of many types of cancers. YY1 can also regulate the transcription of viral genes. It has been documented that YY1 can bind to the HPV long control region and regulate the expression of viral oncogenes E6 and E7; however, its role in the HPV life cycle and cervical cancer development is different. In this review, we explore the role of YY1 in regulating the expression of cellular and viral genes and subsequently investigate how these changes inadvertently contribute toward the development of cervical malignancy.

Chelidonium majus L. is a latex-bearing plant used in traditional folk medicine to treat human papillomavirus (HPV)-caused warts, papillae, and condylomas. Its latex and extracts are rich in many low-molecular compounds and proteins, but there is little or no information on their potential interaction. We describe the isolation and identification of a novel major latex protein (CmMLP1) composed of 147 amino acids and present a model of its structure containing a conserved hydrophobic cavity with high affinity to berberine, 8-hydroxycheleritrine, and dihydroberberine. CmMLP1 and the accompanying three alkaloids were present in the eluted chromatographic fractions of latex. They decreased in vitro viability of human cervical cancer cells (HPV-negative and HPV-positive). We combined, for the first time, research on macromolecular and low-molecular-weight compounds of latex-bearing plants in contrast to other studies that investigated proteins and alkaloids separately. The observed interaction between latex protein and alkaloids may influence our knowledge on plant defense. The proposed toolbox may help in further understanding of plant disease resistance and in pharmacological research.

It is already known that cells respond strongly to topography and chemistry of 2D surfaces. In this work we study cell-material interactions; in particular, we investigated the attachment and alignment of SH-SY5Y cells of neuronal origin on grooved-patterns made from Silicon (Si) and Gold (Au). The Au-Si groove-pattern stimulated 93% of SH-SY5Y cells to differentiate into neuroblast-like type (N-type) in 2 days and outgrown neurites exhibited strong anisotropy along the grooves with 90% of cells having one or two neurites. In comparison, random distribution of morphology type, neurite number, and alignment were observed on control flat surfaces (Si and Au). We further show that designed Au-Si groove-patterns can be used to form reversed groove patterns on polycarolactone surface via soft lithography approach. Sixty-nine percentage of SH-SY5Y cells aligned along the obtained reversed groove patterns of the same dimensional characteristics to Si-Au grooves. In particular, this work demonstrated that the Au-Si grooves pattern stimulates neurite polarity, elongation, and morphological differentiation of neuroblastoma cells without any exogenous supply of growth factors or stimulants in just 2 days, which can lead to selective procedure of obtaining homologous population of neuron-like cells for future nerve regeneration therapies.

Wirusy onkogenne (onkowirusy) są zaangażowane w powstawanie około 12% nowotworów u ludzi. Obecnie wirusy, o których wiadomo, że powodują raka, to wirusy zapalenia wątroby typu C i B (HCV i HBV), wirusy brodawczaka ludzkiego (HPV), wirus polyoma komórek Merkla (MCV), ludzki herpeswirus-8 (HHV-8) i ludzki wirus limfotropowy komórek T (HTLV-1). Wirusy nie są jednak pełnymi kancerogenami i w procesie transformacji nowotworowej odgrywają różną rolę. Onkowirusy mogą bezpośrednio zakłócać funkcjonowanie genów kodujących komórkowe białka regulatorowe w wyniku insercji własnego genomu do genomu komórkowego. Mają także własne geny kodujące białka, które zaburzają regulację procesów komórkowych lub zawierają onkogeny wirusowe v-onc, które mogą brać udział bezpośrednio w rozwoju procesu nowotworowego.

Viruses are intracellular pathogens which utilize a number of host metabolic processes for virus replication in addition to proteins which are encoded for virus itself. Therefore, an effective antiviral drug must interfere with virus encoded proteins without affecting any cellular metabolic processes. Unfortunately, many antiviral drugs that have an inhibitory effect on virus replication, also have an inhibitory effect on molecular processes in infected, as well as uninfected, cells. There is currently no approved remedy for many viruses. Plants represent a large potential source of antiviral agents, such as: alkaloids, flavonoids, phenolic acids, phenylpropanoids, lignins, terpenoids, quinine, tannins, thiophenes, polyacetylenes or proteins. Some of them possess broad spectrum of antiviral activity.

Oncogenic viruses (oncoviruses) are implicated in approximately 12% of all human cancers. Currently, the viruses known to cause human cancer are: Hepatitis B and C viruses (HBV and HCV), Human Papillomaviruses (HPV), Merkel Cell Polyomavirus (MCV), Human Herpesvirus-8 (HHV-8), Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV) and Human T-cell lymphotropic virus-1 (HTLV-1). However, oncoviruses are not complete carcinogens, need additional factors andisplay different roles in transformation. Oncoviruses can directly disrupt important regulatory cell genes by inserting virus genom into the DNA of the host cell. They also contain their own genes that damage the regulation of the cell. Some viruses have v-onc that cause disregulation of cellular processes and can lead to cancerous growth.Wirusy onkogenne (onkowirusy) są zaangażowane w powstawanie około 12% nowotworów u ludzi. Obecnie wirusy, o których wiadomo, że powodują raka, to wirusy zapalenia wątroby typu C i B (HCV i HBV), wirusy brodawczaka ludzkiego (HPV), wirus polyoma komórek Merkla (MCV), ludzki herpeswirus-8 (HHV-8) i ludzki wirus limfotropowy komórek T (HTLV-1). Wirusy nie są jednak pełnymi kancerogenami i w procesie transformacji nowotworowej odgrywają różną rolę. Onkowirusy mogą bezpośrednio zakłócać funkcjonowanie genów kodujących komórkowe białka regulatorowe w wyniku insercji własnego genomu do genomu komórkowego. Mają także własne geny kodujące białka, które zaburzają regulację procesów komórkowych lub zawierają onkogeny wirusowe v-onc, które mogą brać udział bezpośrednio w rozwoju procesu nowotworowego.

Viruses are intracellular pathogens which utilize a number of host metabolic processes for virus replication in addition to proteins which are encoded for virus itself. Therefore, an effective antiviral drug must interfere with virus encoded proteins without affecting any cellular metabolic processes. Unfortunately, many antiviral drugs that have an inhibitory effect on virus replication, also have an inhibitory effect on molecular processes in infected, as well as uninfected, cells. There is currently no approved remedy for many viruses. Plants represent a large potential source of antiviral agents, such as: alkaloids, flavonoids, phenolic acids, phenylpropanoids, lignins, terpenoids, quinine, tannins, thiophenes, polyacetylenes or proteins. Some of them possess broad spectrum of antiviral activity.Wirusy są wewnątrzkomórkowymi patogenami, które wykorzystują liczne procesy komórkowe oraz białka i czynniki wirusowe do swojej replikacji. Obecnie nie ma odpowiednich środków umożliwiających zwalczanie licznych zakażeń wirusowych. Skuteczny lek przeciwwirusowy nie powinien uszkadzać komórkowych procesów metabolicznych w zakażonej komórce, jak również w komórkach niezainfekowanych. Rośliny stanowią potencjalne źródło czynników przeciwwirusowych, takich jak: alkaloidy, flawonoidy, kwasy fenolowe, fenylopropanoidy, ligniny, terpenoidy, chininy, taniny, tiofeny, poliacetyleny czy białka. Niektóre z tych czynników wykazują szerokie spektrum aktywności przeciwwirusowej.

This book was prepared by the employees of the NanoBioMedical Centre at the Adam Mickiewicz University to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Poznań University foundation. In this book, we present our artistic interpretation of the photographs published in our free accessible internet book „Microstructures - photo album”. In this book we present colorized images of advanced nano and micro-materials prepared at our Centre, captured thanks to the cutting-edge and innovative microscopic techniques: scanning and transmission electron microscopy and scanning ion microscopy. By combining science and art in a creative way, we endeavor to capture the attention of young audience and ultimately encourage them to pursue scientific subjects in their future careers., Artistic interpretations of images obtained with different imaging techniques.