Hepatitis A virus detection in food: current and future prospects

Hepatitis A virus (HAV) is responsible for around half of the total number of hepatitis infections diagnosed worldwide. HAV infection is mainly propagated via the faecal-oral route and as a consequence of globalisation, transnational outbreaks of foodborne infections are reported with increasing frequency. Molecular procedures are now available and should be employed for the direct surveillance of HAV in food and environmental samples.     

Hepatitis C virus: Historical perspective and current concept

Abstract: Over the past 30 years, hepatitis C has emerged from shadowy enigma to important of public health. The existence of the etiological agent of this disease was first appreciated two decadesago but significant progress in its understanding had to wait its molecular characterization within the past 5 years. The virus is a member of the family Flaviviridae and is the cause of aproximately 20% of clinical viral hepatitis in the United States. While the control of the transmission of hepatis C virus in blood and blood products has been nothing less than spectacular, the control of community-acquired hepatitis C will be a major challenge to the scientific and medical communities.     

Hepatitis C in the liver transplant recipient: current understanding and treatment

Hepatitis C virus (HCV)-related liver disease is the leading indication for orthotopic liver transplantation worldwide. Recurrent HCV infection as defined by viremia after transplantation is nearly universal, with histologic evidence of recurrent hepatitis present in the majority. Although short-term survival appears to be similar to that in other causes of liver failure, it has recently been demonstrated that approximately 20-30% of HCV-positive patients develop allograft cirrhosis by 5 years. Therefore, it is possible to define disease outcomes within a relatively short period of follow-up. Identification of patients who are likely to develop progressive HCV-related allograft injury is important to optimize results of current antiviral therapy.     

Antenatal genetic diagnosis: current status and future prospects.

The current status of antenatal genetic diagnosis is reviewed and the limitations of present techniques are discussed. It is suggested that multidisciplinary clinics are the most efficient means of providing this aspect of health care. Advances in cell culture techniques, in ultrasonography and in fetoscopy will extend the services available, and the impact of this will be felt by the community. Education of the medical profession and the public in this area is necessary so that informed decision-making can take place.     

Molecular therapies for systemic lupus erythematosus: clinical trials and future prospects

The prognosis of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus has greatly improved since treatment regimens combining corticosteroids and immunosuppressive medications have been widely adopted in therapeutic strategies given to these patients. Immune suppression is evidently efficient but also leads to higher susceptibility to infectious and malignant diseases. Toxic effects and sometimes unexpectedly dramatic complications of current therapies have been progressively reported. Identifying novel molecular targets therefore remains an important issue in the treatment of lupus. The aim of this review article is to highlight emerging pharmacological options and new therapeutic avenues for lupus with a particular focus on non-antibody molecular strategies.     

Cacao biotechnology: current status and future prospects

Theobroma cacao—The Food of the Gods, provides the raw material for the multibillion dollar chocolate industry and is also the main source of income for about 6 million smallholders around the world. Additionally, cocoa beans have a number of other nonfood uses in the pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries. Specifically, the potential health benefits of cocoa have received increasing attention as it is rich in polyphenols, particularly flavonoids. At present, the demand for cocoa and cocoa‐based products in Asia is growing particularly rapidly and chocolate manufacturers are increasing investment in this region. However, in many Asian countries, cocoa production is hampered due to many reasons including technological, political and socio‐economic issues. This review provides an overview of the present status of global cocoa production and recent advances in biotechnological applications for cacao improvement, with special emphasis on genetics/genomics, in vitro embryogenesis and genetic transformation. In addition, in order to obtain an insight into the latest innovations in the commercial sector, a survey was conducted on granted patents relating to T. cacao biotechnology.     

Energy crops: current status and future prospects

Energy crops currently contribute a relatively small proportion to the total energy produced from biomass each year, but the proportion is set to grow over the next few decades. This paper reviews the current status of energy crops and their conversion technologies, assesses their potential to contribute to global energy demand and climate mitigation over the next few decades, and examines the future prospects. Previous estimates have suggested a technical potential for energy crops of～400 EJ yr^?1 by 2050. In a new analysis based on energy crop areas for each of the IPCC SRES scenarios in 2025 (as projected by the IMAGE 2.2 integrated assessment model), more conservative dry matter and energy yield estimates and an assessment of the impact on non‐CO₂ greenhouse gases were used to estimate the realistically achievable potential for energy crops by 2025 to be between 2 and 22 EJ yr^?1, which will offset～100–2070 Mt CO₂‐eq. yr^?1. These results suggest that additional production of energy crops alone is not sufficient to reduce emissions to meet a 550 μmol mol^?1 atmospheric CO₂ stabilization trajectory, but is sufficient to form an important component in a portfolio of climate mitigation measures, as well as to provide a significant sustainable energy resource to displace fossil fuel resources. Realizing the potential of energy crops will necessitate optimizing the dry matter and energy yield of these crops per area of land through the latest biotechnological routes, with or without the need for genetic modification. In future, the co‐benefits of bioenergy production will need to be optimized and methods will need to be developed to extract and refine high‐value products from the feedstock before it is used for energy production.     

The biology and future prospects of antivirulence therapies

The emergence and increasing prevalence of bacterial strains that are resistant to available antibiotics demand the discovery of new therapeutic approaches. Targeting bacterial virulence is an alternative approach to antimicrobial therapy that offers promising opportunities to inhibit pathogenesis and its consequences without placing immediate life-or-death pressure on the target bacterium. Certain virulence factors have been shown to be potential targets for drug design and therapeutic intervention, whereas new insights are crucial for exploiting others. Targeting virulence represents a new paradigm to empower the clinician to prevent and treat infectious diseases.     

Carriers and channels: current progress and future prospects

Recent advances in the understanding of biological transport and in the design of artificial transport systems have resulted from the structural elucidation of the K⁺ ion channel and from synthesis of artificial receptors for cations and anions, as well as neutral and zwitterionic organic molecules. Sensors, gated carriers, and self-assembling capsules and nanotubes are all important offsprings of current efforts to mimic natural transport across biomembranes.     

The nitrile-degrading enzymes: current status and future prospects

Nitrile-converting enzymes are becoming commonplace in the synthesis of pharmaceuticals and commodity chemicals. These versatile biocatalysts have potential applications in different fields including synthetic biocatalysis and bioremediation. This review attempts to describe in detail the three major classes of nitrile-converting enzymes, namely nitrilases, nitrile hydratases and amidases. Various aspects of these enzymes including their occurrence, mechanism of action, characteristics and applicability in different sectors have been elaborately elucidated. Cloning of genes related to nitrile-converting enzymes is also discussed.     

Vitamin K series: current status and future prospects

The Vitamin K series, particularly menaquinone, have been attracting research attention, due to the potential in reducing both osteoporosis and cardiovascular diseases. This review provides an overview of the types of vitamin K and their health benefits. This is followed by a critical review of the various biotechnological approaches used in the production of menaquinone, including solid and liquid state fermentations, extraction and recovery. The currently available market information is summarized and future growth prospects are discussed. Recommendations are also given for areas of future research in order to improve the production process for menaquinone and reduce costs.     

Hepatitis C virus, oxidative stress and steatosis: current status and perspectives

Reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (ROS/RNS), whether produced endogenously as a consequence of normal cell functions or derived from external sources, pose a constant threat to cells living in an aerobic environment. When the production of ROS/RNS overrides the antioxidant capability of the target cells, oxidative damage may occur as a consequence of the interaction with DNA, protein, and lipids. Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a major cause of viral hepatitis. Although the molecular mechanisms of HCV pathogenesis remain unclear, oxidative stress is emerging as a key step and a major initiator in the development and the progression of liver damage, and the evaluation of oxidative stress may be useful for a better understanding of the pathogenesis of hepatitis C. Liver steatosis is one of the most important histopathological features in patients with chronic hepatitis C. Both viral and host factors contribute to the development of steatosis, and putative defects caused by ROS/RNS may be involved through abnormalities in lipid metabolism. This review is aimed to offer an updated overview of the relationship between oxidative stress and HCV infection, focusing on the significance of ROS/RNS in the pathogenesis of liver disease. The potential role played by oxidative stress in the pathogenic mechanisms of HCV-related steatosis is also discussed.     

Stem cell-based therapies for fertility preservation in males: Current status and future prospects

With the decline in male fertility in recent years, strategies for male fertility preservation have received increasing attention. In this study, by reviewing current treatments and recent publications, we describe research progress in and the future directions of stem cell-based therapies for male fertility preservation, focusing on the use of spermatogonial stem cells (SSCs), SSC niches, SSC-based testicular organoids, other stem cell types such as mesenchymal stem cells, and stem cell-derived extracellular vesicles. In conclusion, a more comprehensive understanding of the germ cell microenvironment, stem cell-derived extracellular vesicles, and testicular organoids will play an important role in achieving male fertility preservation.     

Human astrovirus diagnosis and typing: current and future prospects

Human astroviruses (HAstV) are important human pathogens causing gastroenteritis worldwide. The increased recognition of astroviruses as the cause of sporadic outbreaks of disease is due to the recent availability of improved diagnostic methods. During the last decade, most epidemiological surveys have chosen astrovirus-specific RT-PCR as screening methods. In addition to serotyping by molecular techniques, new typing methods are being developed that may also identify other viral properties related to virulence. The information provided by different typing assays is required for a better understanding of both the antigenic diversity and the molecular mechanisms of pathogenicity.