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Pathogenic Microorganisms, Viruses and Therapeutic Strategies

A special issue of International Journal of Molecular Sciences (ISSN 1422-0067). This special issue belongs to the section "Molecular Microbiology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (20 August 2025) | Viewed by 3178

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Department of Natural Sciences, University of South Carolina Beaufort, Bluffton, SC 29909, USA
Interests: medicinal chemistry; structural biology; biochemistry; Chagas disease; human African trypanosomiasis; leishmaniasis; coronavirus disease; dengue fever; neglected tropical diseases
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Guest Editor
Skaggs School of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California San Diego (UC San Diego), La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
Interests: drug discovery and development against parasitic diseases; high throughput screening; Chagas disease; leishmaniasis

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Therapeutic strategies involved in targeting pathogens that cause serious illness, harm, or death to humans and/or domestic animals are a critical area of research. It is mandatory for novel therapeutic discoveries to be made at the early stage so that treatments downstream at the clinic will eventually come to fruition. Studies in medicinal chemistry offer the development and identification of compounds that demonstrate efficacy, selectivity against the pathogen, low toxicity to host cells, and minimize side effects, among other traits. This Special Issue is tailored to studies involving the discovery of therapeutic drug compounds, or other therapeutic approaches, that elucidate promise on countering the viability of selected pathogenic microorganisms or viruses. Since Int. J. Mol. Sci. is dedicated to chemistry and biology at the molecular level, pure clinical studies will not be considered, but clinical submissions with biomolecular experiments are certainly welcomed.

Prof. Dr. Edward D’Antonio
Dr. Jair L. Siqueira-Neto
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • medicinal chemistry
  • pathogenic microorganisms
  • bacteria
  • fungi
  • viruses
  • pathogen
  • therapeutic

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

13 pages, 1831 KB  
Article
siRNA Cocktail Targeting Multiple Enterovirus 71 Genes Prevents Escape Mutants and Inhibits Viral Replication
by Yun Ji Ga and Jung-Yong Yeh
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2025, 26(19), 9731; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms26199731 - 6 Oct 2025
Viewed by 246
Abstract
RNA interference (RNAi) is a powerful mechanism of post-transcriptional gene regulation in which small interfering RNA (siRNA) is utilized to target and degrade specific RNA sequences. In this study, experiments were conducted to evaluate the efficacy of combination siRNA therapy against enterovirus 71 [...] Read more.
RNA interference (RNAi) is a powerful mechanism of post-transcriptional gene regulation in which small interfering RNA (siRNA) is utilized to target and degrade specific RNA sequences. In this study, experiments were conducted to evaluate the efficacy of combination siRNA therapy against enterovirus 71 (EV71) and the potential of this therapy to delay or prevent the emergence of resistance in vitro. siRNAs targeting multiple genes of EV71 were designed, and the effects of a cocktail of siRNAs on viral replication were assessed compared to those of single-siRNA treatment. Cotransfection of multiple siRNAs targeting different protein-coding genes of the EV71 genome effectively suppressed escape mutants resistant to RNAi. Combination therapy with siRNAs targeting multiple viral genes successfully prevented viral escape mutations over five passages. By contrast, serial passaging with a single siRNA led to the rapid emergence of resistance, with mutations identified in the siRNA target sites. The combination of siRNAs specifically targeting different regions demonstrated an additive effect and was more effective than individual siRNAs at inhibiting EV71 replication. This study supports the effectiveness of combination therapy using siRNAs targeting multiple genes of EV71 to inhibit viral replication and prevent the emergence of resistant escape mutants. Overall, the findings identify RNAi targeting multiple viral genes as a potential strategy for therapeutic development against viral diseases and for preventing the emergence of escape mutants resistant to antiviral RNAi. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Pathogenic Microorganisms, Viruses and Therapeutic Strategies)
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19 pages, 4287 KB  
Article
Quercetin and Silybin Decrease Intracellular Replication of Piscirickettsia salmonis in SHK-1 Cell
by Mick Parra, Katherin Izquierdo, Meraiot Rubio, Antonia de la Fuente, Mario Tello and Brenda Modak
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2025, 26(3), 1184; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms26031184 - 29 Jan 2025
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1666
Abstract
Piscirickettsia salmonis is the pathogen that has most affected the Chilean salmon industry for over 30 years. Considering the problems of excessive use of antibiotics, it is necessary to find new strategies to control this pathogen. Antivirulence therapy is an alternative to reduce [...] Read more.
Piscirickettsia salmonis is the pathogen that has most affected the Chilean salmon industry for over 30 years. Considering the problems of excessive use of antibiotics, it is necessary to find new strategies to control this pathogen. Antivirulence therapy is an alternative to reduce the virulence of pathogens without affecting their growth. Polyphenolic compounds have been studied for their antiviral capacity. In this study, the capacity of quercetin and silybin to reduce the intracellular replication of P. salmonis in SHK-1 cells was evaluated. For this, three different infection protocols in Salmon Head Kidney-1(SHK-1) cells were used: co-incubation for 24 h, pre-incubation for 24 h prior to infection, and post-incubation for 24 h after infection. In addition, the effect of co-incubation in rainbow trout intestinal epithelial cells (RTgutGC) and the effect on the phagocytic capacity of SHK-1 cells were evaluated. The results obtained showed that quercetin and silybin decreased the intracellular replication of P. salmonis in SHK-1 cells when they were co-incubated for 24 h; however, they did not have the same effect in RTgutGC cells. On the other hand, both compounds decreased the phagocytosis of SHK-1 cells during co-incubation. These results are promising for the study of new treatments against P. salmonis. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Pathogenic Microorganisms, Viruses and Therapeutic Strategies)
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