Background: Enterococcus faecium is one of the members of ESKAPE pathogens. Due to its resistance to antimicrobial agents, treating this bacterium has become challenging. The development of innovative approaches to combat antibiotic resistance is necessary. Phage therapy has emerged as a promising method for curing antibiotic-resistant bacteria.Methods: In this study, E. faecium phages were isolated from wastewater. Phage properties were characterized through in vitro assays (e.g. morphological studies, and physicochemical properties). In addition, whole genome sequencing was performed. A hydrogel-based encapsulated phage was obtained and its structure characteristics were evaluated. Wound healing activity of the hydrogel-based phage was assessed in a wound mice model.Results: The purified phage showed remarkable properties including broad host range, tolerance to high temperature and pH and biofilm degradation feature as a stable and reliable therapeutic agent. Whole genome sequencing revealed that the genome of the EF-M80 phage had a length of 40,434 bp and harbored 65 open reading frames (ORFs) with a GC content of 34.9% (GenBank accession number is OR767211). Hydrogel-based encapsulated phage represented an optimized structure. Phage-loaded hydrogel-treated mice showed that the counting of neutrophils, fibroblasts, blood vessels, hair follicles and percentage of collagen growth were in favor of the wound healing process in the mice model.Conclusion: These findings collectively suggest the promising capability of this phage-based therapeutic strategy for the treatment of infections associated with the antibiotic-resistant E. faecium. In the near future, we hope to expect the presence of bacteriophages in the list of antibacterial compounds used in the clinical settings.

Background and Objectives: The interaction between nanoparticles (NPs) and viruses is attracting interest because of the antiviral potential of NPs. This study aims to investigate the antiviral potential of NPs against Herpes simplex virus types 1 (HSV-1). Materials and Methods: Molecular docking studies were conducted by Molegro virtual docker software. An extract of Juglans regia green husk was utilized to biosynthesize copper-oxide nanoparticles (CuNPs). The cytotoxicity of NPs was evaluated by MTT assay. Different treatment assays were conducted. Another assay was designed to employ the concentration of 300 μg/ml of CuNPs, which is the highest concentration that did not precipitate. Finally, chemically synthesized Iron oxide nanoparticles (FeNPs) were utilized to adsorb CuNPs. The antiviral effect of FeNPs was investigated, separately. Results: Docking results confirmed that NPs could interact with the HSV-1 glycoproteins and prevent viral entry. MTT assay results illustrated that the minimum non-toxic concentration (MNTD) of CuNPs is 100 μg/ml which did not exhibit antiviral properties. Employing a noncytotoxic concentration of FeNPs (300 mg/ml) in combination with cytotoxic concentration of CuNPs (300 μg /ml), eliminated the cytotoxicity effects of CuNPs. Exposure of the virus with the combination of CuNPs and FeNPs resulted in 4.5 log10 TCID50 reductions in HSV-1. While treating HSV-1 with only FeNPs reduced the titer of virus by 3.25 log10 TCID50 . Conclusion: The results highlight that combination of CuNPs and FeNPs have antiviral activity against HSV-1. Moreover, FeNPs demonstrated antiviral properties against HSV-1 separately.

Background and Objectives: Phage therapy has gained interest as an alternative treatment for methicillin-resistant Staph- ylococcus aureus (MRSA)infections. The purpose of this study was to isolate and characterize an effective bacteriophage against isolates of MRSA. Materials and Methods: Bacteriophage was isolated from hospital sewage. Lytic activity and the titers of phage lysates were measured using spot test anddouble-layer plaque assay. The phage characterization was determined through trans- mission electron microscopy. Adsorption rate, host range and stabilitytests were investigated. The latent period and burst size were estimated from a one-step growth curve. The effect of bacteriophage against MRSA biofilms wasdetermined and Real-time PCR was used to assess the effects of the bacteriophage on the expression of the biofilm-associated genes. Results: TEM resultsshowed that the phage resembled the Cystoviridae family. Its latent period was 30 min, corresponding to about 71/43 phage particles per infected cell. Thephage had a broad host range and it was most stable at 37°C and pH 7. It was sensitive to NaCl concentrations. The expressions of the biofilm-associated genes were significantly reduced in the presence of the phage. Conclusion: The isolated phage was effective against MRSA strains and it can be an optional strategy of controlling biofilm development.

There is a concern on safety of human Fresh Frozen Plasma (FFP) as it is a source of some medicinal products. The possibility of transmission of blood-borne are reported often due to emerging viruses. There are some Pathogen Reduction Technologies (PRT) to inactivate viruses. Methylene Blue (MB) based method is one of them. The aim of this study was to examine new designated device to inactivate model viruses. Four model viruses were used in this study:Vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV), Herpes Simplex Virus I (HSV-1), Bovine Viral DiarrheaVirus(BVDV) and Polio Virus.50% Tissue Culture Infective Dose (TCID 50) and Reed–Muench Methods were used to titer the viruses. MB in two final concentration of 0.1 μM and 1 μM and illumination in about 627nm with red LED (Lamp Emitting Diode) for 15, 30, 45 and 60 minutes were used. Three replicates employed for each experiments. 1μMconcentration of MB showed more effective than 0.1μMin all designed illumination period for inactivation of HSV, VSV and BVDV. This method also demonstrated best results for enveloped model viruses. The most Log reduction for HSV, VSV and BVDV were6.28, 5.54 and 6.22, respectively. For HSV and BVDV inactivation, the best illumination period was 45 minutes. Model viruses showed sensitivity combination of MB and illumination using red LEDs. As results show this device could inactivate model viruses and reduce their titer very close to approved commercial devices, in compare.

A population-based seroepidemiological and molecular survey on severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) was performed to detect induced antibodies to prior exposure and active infection of children aged 14 years or less in Tehran between 19 September 2020 and 21 June 2021. Moreover, correlations between the children’s demographic data and coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) symptoms with the infection status were investigated. Out of 1517 participants, cardinal symptoms of COVID-19 (fever > 38 °C and/or cough and/or diarrhea) were detected in 18%, and serological history of SARS-CoV-2 infection and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) positivity were confirmed in 33.2% and 10.7% of the weighted population, respectively. The prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 infection was significantly higher among 10–14-year-old children. Active infection was significantly higher in symptomatic children and during autumn 2020 and spring 2021. The quantitative reverse transcription real-time PCR (RT-qPCR) positivity was significantly higher among families with a lower socioeconomic status, whereas no association between RT-qPCR or seropositivity was determined with household size, underlying diseases, or gender. In conclusion, high SARS-CoV-2 infection prevalence and seroprevalence were detected in children in Tehran in different seasons. Infection prevalence was significantly higher in older children and in those with a positive history of close contact with infected cases and/or lower socioeconomic status.