Viruses-BaselPub Date : 2025-09-05DOI: 10.3390/v17091212
Pietro Trisolini, Simona Cammarota, Anna Citarella, Marianna Fogliasecca, Viviana Alicchio, Stefania Antonacci, Romina Giannini, Renato Lombardi, Mariantonietta Piccoli, Francesco Pomarico, Cataldo Procacci, Antonino Siniscalco, Stefania Spennato, Annalisa Saracino, Sergio Lo Caputo
{"title":"Antiretroviral Adherence and Use of Antihypertensives, Statins, and Antidiabetics Among Elderly People with HIV: A 5-Year Real-World Study in Southern Italy.","authors":"Pietro Trisolini, Simona Cammarota, Anna Citarella, Marianna Fogliasecca, Viviana Alicchio, Stefania Antonacci, Romina Giannini, Renato Lombardi, Mariantonietta Piccoli, Francesco Pomarico, Cataldo Procacci, Antonino Siniscalco, Stefania Spennato, Annalisa Saracino, Sergio Lo Caputo","doi":"10.3390/v17091212","DOIUrl":"10.3390/v17091212","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Modern antiretroviral therapy (ART) has transformed HIV into a chronic, manageable condition. This retrospective analysis of administrative data from Apulia (Southern Italy) covering 2018-2023 evaluated demographic changes, ART regimen trends, adherence, and the use of antihypertensives, statins, and antidiabetics among people with HIV (PWH). Temporal trends were assessed using compound annual growth rate (CAGR). ART adherence was measured as proportion of days covered (PDC), categorized as <75%, 75-90%, and ≥90%. Over the study period, the proportion of PWH aged 18-54 declined, while those aged 55-64 and ≥65 increased (CAGRs: +10.9%, +14.3%). Use of single-tablet regimens rose from 45.1% to 79.6% (CAGR +12.1%), and integrase-based regimens increased from 52.0% to 69.0%, while protease inhibitor and multi-tablet regimens declined. Antihypertensives were the most prescribed concomitant drugs, followed by statins and antidiabetics (CAGRs: +5.8%, +9.7%, +9.5%). In 2023, 81.9% of subjects achieved PDC ≥ 90%, although lower adherence was observed in women and treatment-naïve individuals. These findings indicate a shift toward simplified, integrase-based regimens and high ART adherence, alongside a growing cardiometabolic burden. Tailored strategies are needed to support adherence, particularly in women and treatment-naïve individuals, and to address cardiovascular risk in aging PWH.</p>","PeriodicalId":49328,"journal":{"name":"Viruses-Basel","volume":"17 9","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2025-09-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12474231/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145179954","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Biomarker-Based Risk Assessment Strategy for Long COVID: Leveraging Spike Protein and Proinflammatory Mediators to Inform Broader Postinfection Sequelae.","authors":"Ying-Fei Yang, Min-Pei Ling, Szu-Chieh Chen, Yi-Jun Lin, Shu-Han You, Tien-Hsuan Lu, Chi-Yun Chen, Wei-Min Wang, Si-Yu Chen, I-Hsuan Lai, Huai-An Hsiao, Chung-Min Liao","doi":"10.3390/v17091215","DOIUrl":"10.3390/v17091215","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Long COVID, characterized by persistent symptoms following acute SARS-CoV-2 infection, has emerged as a significant public health challenge with wide-ranging clinical and socioeconomic implications. Developing an effective risk assessment strategy is essential for the early identification and management of individuals susceptible to prolonged symptoms. This study uses a quantitative approach to characterize the dose-response relationships between spike protein concentrations and effects, including Long COVID symptom numbers and the release of proinflammatory mediators. A mathematical model is also developed to describe the time-dependent change in spike protein concentrations post diagnosis in twelve Long COVID patients with a cluster analysis. Based on the spike protein concentration-Long COVID symptom numbers relationship, we estimated a maximum symptom number (~20) that can be used to reflect a persistent predictor. We found that among the crucial biomarkers associated with Long COVID proinflammatory mediator, CXCL8 has the lowest 50% effective dose (0.01 μg mL<sup>-1</sup>), followed by IL-6 (0.39), IL-1β (0.46), and TNF-α (0.56). This work provides a comprehensive risk assessment strategy with dose-response tools and mathematical modeling developed to estimate potential spike protein concentration. Our study suggests persistent Long COVID guidelines for personalized care strategies and could inform public health policies to support early interventions that reduce long-term disability and healthcare burdens with possible other post-infection syndromes.</p>","PeriodicalId":49328,"journal":{"name":"Viruses-Basel","volume":"17 9","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2025-09-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12474022/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145179901","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Phylogenetic and Molecular Evolutionary Insights into Monkeypox Virus Circulation in Shenzhen, China, 2023-2024.","authors":"Chuan Shi, Xiaochen Zheng, Lei Lei, Jinhui Xiao, Guangqing Yu, Yingdong Li, Zhifeng Ma, Minjie Li, Yanling Zeng, Ziquan Lv, Yixiong Chen, Wei Tan, Qianru Wang","doi":"10.3390/v17091214","DOIUrl":"10.3390/v17091214","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The 2022 global mpox outbreak highlighted the risk of sustained human-to-human transmission of monkeypox virus (MPXV) in non-endemic regions, yet genomic surveillance in Asia, particularly in China, remains limited. This study conducted horizontal genomic surveillance of MPXV in Shenzhen from 2023 to 2024 to characterize the phylogenetic structure, mutational patterns, and adaptive evolution of locally circulating strains. Phylogenetic analysis showed 95.2% of strains belonged to the dominant lineage C.1.1, with 4.8% in lineage E.3, forming three distinct genetic clusters that indicate multiple independent introductions and established local transmission chains. Whole-genome mutational analysis identified 146 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), 81.5% of which carried APOBEC3-mediated mutation signatures (TC > TT and GA > AA), reflecting host-driven antiviral editing. Notably, dynamic changes in low-complexity regions (LCRs) were observed, implying potential roles in genome plasticity and adaptive evolution. Functional analysis revealed non-synonymous substitution biases in host-interacting proteins OPG064, OPG145, and OPG210, while replication protein OPG105 remained conserved. Structural modeling identified critical substitutions in OPG002 (S54F), OPG016 (R84K), and OPG036 (R48C) that may enhance immune evasion by modulating TNF-α signaling, NKG2D engagement, and Type I interferon antagonism. These findings illuminate unique MPXV evolutionary dynamics in Shenzhen, emphasizing continuous genomic surveillance for non-endemic outbreak preparedness.</p>","PeriodicalId":49328,"journal":{"name":"Viruses-Basel","volume":"17 9","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2025-09-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12474256/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145180159","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Viruses-BaselPub Date : 2025-09-05DOI: 10.3390/v17091211
Po-Ling Chen, Guohua Yang, Chet Ojha, Balaji Banoth, Charles J Russell
{"title":"Modification of H1N1 Influenza Luciferase Reporter Viruses Using StopGo Translation and/or Mouse-Adapted Mutations.","authors":"Po-Ling Chen, Guohua Yang, Chet Ojha, Balaji Banoth, Charles J Russell","doi":"10.3390/v17091211","DOIUrl":"10.3390/v17091211","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Reporter viruses are valuable tools for studying infections at the cellular level and in living animals. They also enable rapid, high-throughput antiviral drug screening and serological studies. We previously developed a bioluminescence-based reporter virus, rTN09-PA-Nluc, derived from influenza A/Tennessee/1-560/2009 (TN09, pH1N1) in which a NanoLuc (Nluc) reporter protein was fused to the PA protein. Reduced growth of rTN09-PA-Nluc in MDCK cells and mice was restored by mutations arising from mouse adaptation. Here, to test the hypothesis that the growth defect resulted from the PA-Nluc protein fusion, we generated the luciferase reporter virus rTN09-PA-Nluc/SG, which undergoes StopGo translation to yield separate PA and NLuc proteins along with a proportion of the PA-Nluc fusion. The rTN09-PA-Nluc/SG virus had greater protein expression and increased replication in MDCK cells compared to rTN09-PA-Nluc. The reporter virus encoding StopGo translation was superior to the virus without it in bioluminescence-based virus neutralization assays in vitro, providing results in 24 h as opposed to 3 days using unmodified influenza virus and standard neutralization assay protocols. However, the reporter virus encoding StopGo translation remained attenuated in mice. Mouse-adaptive mutations were needed for full virulence and efficient non-invasive imaging in mice. Overall, these findings demonstrate the benefit of incorporating StopGo translation into influenza reporter viruses for in vitro assays, yet mouse-adapted mutations appeared superior in mice.</p>","PeriodicalId":49328,"journal":{"name":"Viruses-Basel","volume":"17 9","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2025-09-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12474268/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145180054","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Recombinant Chimeric Virus-like Particles of Human Papillomavirus Produced by Distinct Cell Lineages: Potential as Prophylactic Nanovaccine and Therapeutic Drug Nanocarriers.","authors":"Cyntia Silva Oliveira, Dirce Sakauchi, Érica Akemi Kavati Sasaki, Aurora Marques Cianciarullo","doi":"10.3390/v17091209","DOIUrl":"10.3390/v17091209","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Antigenicity and immunogenicity define a potent immunogen in vaccinology. Nowadays, there are simplified platforms to produce nanocarriers for small-peptide antigen delivery, derived from various infectious agents for the treatment of a variety of diseases, based on virus-like particles (VLPs). They have good cell-penetrating properties and protective action for target molecules from degradation. Human papillomavirus (HPV) causes anogenital warts and six types of cancer in infected women, men, or children, posing a challenge to global public health. The HPV capsid is composed of viral type-specific L1 and evolutionarily conserved L2 proteins. Produced in heterologous systems, the L1 protein can self-assemble into VLPs, nanoparticles sized around 50-60 nm, used as prophylactic vaccines. Devoid of the viral genome, they are safe for users, offering no risk of infection because VLPs do not replicate. The immune response induced by HPV VLPs is promoted by conformational viral epitopes, generating effective T- and B-cell responses. Produced in different cell systems, HPV16 L1 VLPs can be obtained on a large scale for use in mass immunization programs, which are well established nowadays. The expression of heterologous proteins was evaluated at various transfection times by transfecting cells with vectors encoding codon-optimized <i>HPV16L1</i> and <i>HPV16L2</i> genes. Immunological response induced by chimeric HPV16 L1/L2 VLP was evaluated through preclinical assays by antibody production, suggesting the potential of broad-spectrum protection against HPV as a prophylactic nanovaccine. These platforms can also offer promising therapeutic strategies, covering the various possibilities for complementary studies to develop potential preventive and therapeutic vaccines with broad-spectrum protection, using in silico new epitope selection and innovative nanotechnologies to obtain more effective immunobiologicals in combating HPV-associated cancers, influenza, hepatitis B and C, tuberculosis, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), and many other illnesses.</p>","PeriodicalId":49328,"journal":{"name":"Viruses-Basel","volume":"17 9","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2025-09-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12474027/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145180144","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Viruses-BaselPub Date : 2025-09-04DOI: 10.3390/v17091210
Shixuan Zhu, Nan Cao, Huawei Zhang, Leqiang Sun
{"title":"Development of a Safe and Effective mRNA Candidate Vaccine Against PEDV G2c Genotype Infection.","authors":"Shixuan Zhu, Nan Cao, Huawei Zhang, Leqiang Sun","doi":"10.3390/v17091210","DOIUrl":"10.3390/v17091210","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV) is a highly contagious coronavirus that causes severe diarrhea, dehydration, and high mortality in piglets, leading to significant economic losses in the swine industry. The spike (S) protein of PEDV is the primary target for neutralizing antibodies and is critical for vaccine development. In this study, the pUC57-S01 and pUC57-S02 plasmids carrying the codon-optimized truncated S gene sequence were constructed. The mRNA S01 showed higher protein expression in vitro than mRNA S02, as confirmed by Western blotting. The safety and immunogenicity of mRNA S01 were evaluated in animal experiments. The results indicated that the mRNA S01 vaccine was safe for piglets and pregnant sows. Immunogenicity was assessed by a neutralization assay, which revealed that encapsulated mRNA S01 induced high levels of neutralizing antibody titers in pigs. Challenge protection efficiency tests showed that the mRNA S01 vaccine conferred immunity to newborn piglets, protecting them from a homologous PEDV strain challenge. This study provides a foundation for the clinical application of PEDV mRNA vaccines and offers a reference for the development of novel vaccines against PEDV.</p>","PeriodicalId":49328,"journal":{"name":"Viruses-Basel","volume":"17 9","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2025-09-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12474126/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145179890","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Viruses-BaselPub Date : 2025-09-03DOI: 10.3390/v17091208
Hyeokjun Yun, Jong Wan Kim, Jae Kyung Kim
{"title":"Multivariate Assessment of Thyroid, Lipid, and Inflammatory Profiles by HBV Status and Viral Load: Age- and Sex-Specific Findings.","authors":"Hyeokjun Yun, Jong Wan Kim, Jae Kyung Kim","doi":"10.3390/v17091208","DOIUrl":"10.3390/v17091208","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection may influence extrahepatic systems, including endocrine and lipid regulation. In this cross-sectional study, 186 adults were stratified by HBV DNA status and viral load to examine thyroid function, systemic inflammation, and lipid metabolism, with further analyses by age and sex. Thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH, a pituitary regulator of thyroid function) levels were significantly lower in HBsAg-positive individuals compared with controls; however, this association was attenuated after stratification by viral load, indicating that the relationship is not unequivocally independent of HBV DNA levels, as free thyroxine (FT4, the circulating thyroid hormone reflecting gland activity) levels remained stable. Lipid profiles displayed demographic-specific patterns: males with high viral load exhibited lower HDL cholesterol, whereas younger HBV-positive individuals showed higher LDL cholesterol. CRP levels were unaffected by HBV status or viral load, aligning with the absence of systemic inflammation in early or inactive disease stages. Age was a major determinant across biomarkers, with complex interactions involving sex and viral load. These findings indicate subtle but clinically relevant extrahepatic effects of HBV infection and underscore the need for personalized monitoring and longitudinal studies to clarify metabolic and cardiovascular implications. These subgroup trends should be interpreted with caution given the absence of BMI, liver enzyme, fibrosis, medication, and comorbidity data in this retrospective cohort.</p>","PeriodicalId":49328,"journal":{"name":"Viruses-Basel","volume":"17 9","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2025-09-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12474459/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145179971","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Viruses-BaselPub Date : 2025-09-03DOI: 10.3390/v17091207
Viviane Lima Batista, Jenniffer Ramos Martins, Celso Martins Queiroz-Junior, Eugenio Damaceno Hottz, Mauro Martins Teixeira, Vivian Vasconcelos Costa
{"title":"Mechanisms of Thromboinflammation in Viral Infections-A Narrative Review.","authors":"Viviane Lima Batista, Jenniffer Ramos Martins, Celso Martins Queiroz-Junior, Eugenio Damaceno Hottz, Mauro Martins Teixeira, Vivian Vasconcelos Costa","doi":"10.3390/v17091207","DOIUrl":"10.3390/v17091207","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The circulatory and immune systems function in close coordination to maintain homeostasis and act as a frontline defense against infections. However, under certain conditions, this interaction becomes dysregulated, leading to thromboinflammation, a pathological process marked by the concurrent and excessive activation of coagulation, inflammation, and endothelial dysfunction. During viral infections, this phenomenon can markedly worsen clinical outcomes. Evidence indicates that viruses such as dengue, chikungunya, influenza, and SARS-CoV can trigger thromboinflammatory responses involving platelet activation, the release of procoagulant and pro-inflammatory mediators, and the formation of thrombi within blood vessels. While this response may initially help contain viral dissemination, in cases of high viremia it can progress to disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC), hemorrhage, and multiple organ failure. This review compiles current evidence on thromboinflammatory mechanisms induced by arboviral and respiratory viruses and examines how these processes contribute to diseases' pathogenesis and clinical severity.</p>","PeriodicalId":49328,"journal":{"name":"Viruses-Basel","volume":"17 9","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2025-09-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12474485/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145179995","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Viruses-BaselPub Date : 2025-09-03DOI: 10.3390/v17091206
Jinxian Xu, Xinyan Zhang, Yi Liao, Ting Shi, Brendan Marshall, Ming Zhang
{"title":"Depletion of Caspase-12 Alleviates Retinal Degeneration in Aged BALB/c Mice Following Systemic Neonatal Infection by Murine Cytomegalovirus (MCMV).","authors":"Jinxian Xu, Xinyan Zhang, Yi Liao, Ting Shi, Brendan Marshall, Ming Zhang","doi":"10.3390/v17091206","DOIUrl":"10.3390/v17091206","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>(1) Background: Retinal degeneration develops upon caspase-12 activation in aged BALB/c mice following systemic neonatal infection. (2) Methods: MCMV or medium was injected intraperitoneally (i.p.) into caspase-12<sup>-/-</sup> and caspase-12<sup>+/+</sup> mice (on BALB/c background) at <3 days after birth. At 8 and 12 months post infection (p.i.), eyes were analyzed by SD-OCT before eyes and extraocular tissues were collected and analyzed by plaque assay, H&E staining, TUNEL assay, Western blot and real-time RT-PCR. (3) Results: Virus DNA, but not replicating virus, was present in eyes and extraocular tissues at 8 and 12 months p.i. Several MCMV genes were expressed in eyes of both MCMV-infected caspase-12<sup>-/-</sup> and caspase-12<sup>+/+</sup> mice, while mean retinal thickness was significantly higher in MCMV latently infected aged caspase-12<sup>-/-</sup> mice compared to age-matched infected caspase-12<sup>+/+</sup> mice. Although similar levels of cleaved caspase-1 were detected in eyes of both infected caspase-12<sup>-/-</sup> and control mice, significantly higher levels of activated NF-κB, cleaved caspase-8, MLKL, p-RIP3 and p53 were observed in eyes of infected caspase-12<sup>+/+</sup> mice compared to eyes of infected caspase-12<sup>-/-</sup> mice. (4) Conclusions: Our results suggest that caspase-12 contributes to retinal degeneration during MCMV ocular latency via multiple pathways including apoptosis and necroptosis.</p>","PeriodicalId":49328,"journal":{"name":"Viruses-Basel","volume":"17 9","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2025-09-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12474503/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145179882","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Development of an Acid-Protective Polymer Encapsulation Formulation for Oral Delivery of Salmonella Phages.","authors":"Manju Bernela, Nitin Virmani, Bidhan Chand Bera, Rajesh Kumar Vaid, Medhavi Vashisth, Taruna Anand","doi":"10.3390/v17091205","DOIUrl":"10.3390/v17091205","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Bacteriophage therapy can successfully provide additional treatment to control <i>Salmonella</i> infection, but low gastric pH limits its oral application. The present study aimed to develop an improved encapsulation formulation with enhanced acid protection for oral delivery of <i>Salmonella</i> phages using polymers. This was achieved by encapsulating a phage cocktail containing three different bacteriophages against <i>Salmonella</i> sp. in alginate beads incorporating polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), PVP-K30, and calcium carbonate as viscosity modifiers and acid protection enhancers. Further, the beads were coated with poly-L-lysine to improve the stability and tested for their efficacy for improved phage viability under in vitro acidic conditions for subsequent use in oral delivery. Moist beads were slimy, and semi-dried beads presented a coarse surface as observed using FE-SEM. <i>In vitro</i> studies revealed that the free phage cocktail exhibited complete inactivation when exposed to acidic pH 2.5 after 15 min incubation. In contrast, the encapsulated phage cocktail showed a decrease of only 1.66 log units in viability when incubated for 90 min at pH 2.5. Furthermore, oral delivery of the encapsulated phage cocktail in the poultry model significantly reduced bacterial load in infected birds' intestines.</p>","PeriodicalId":49328,"journal":{"name":"Viruses-Basel","volume":"17 9","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2025-09-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12474357/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145179933","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}