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Echovirus 11 (E11) has gained attention owing to its association with severe neonatal infections. From 2018 to 2023, a surge in severe neonatal cases and fatalities linked to a novel variant of genotype D5 was documented in China, France, and Italy. However, the prevention and control of E11 variants have been hampered by limited background data on the virus circulation and genetic variance. Therefore, the present study investigated the circulating dynamics of E11 and the genetic variation and molecular evolution of genotype D5 through the collection of strains from the national acute flaccid paralysis (AFP) and hand, foot, and mouth disease (HFMD) surveillance system in China during 2000–2022 and genetic sequences published in the GenBank database. The results of this study revealed a prevalent dynamic of E11 circulation, with D5 being the predominant genotype worldwide. Further phylogenetic analysis of genotype D5 indicated that it could be subdivided into three important geographic clusters (D5-CHN1: 2014–2019, D5-CHN2: 2016–2022, and D5-EUR: 2022–2023). Additionally, variant-specific (144) amino acid mutation sites and positive-selection pressure sites (132, 262) were identified in the VP1 region. Cluster-specific recombination patterns were also identified, with CVB5, E6, and CVB4 as the major recombinant viruses. These findings provide a preliminary landscape of E11 circulation worldwide and basic scientific data for further study of the pathogenicity of E11 variants.

Background: Hereditary hearing loss is an important component of congenital hearing loss. MARVELD2 (OMIM ID:610572), located in the DFNB49 locus, which encodes a tight junction protein tricellulin playing an important role in the sensory epithelial barrier of the inner ear, may contribute to nonsyndromic autosomal recessive hereditary hearing loss. Methods: Two Han Chinese pedigrees with hearing loss underwent clinical and genetic analyses. Variants were detected by targeted next‐generation sequencing and sequencing data were compared with the Human Genome Reference (GRCh 37/hg 19) to identify mutant genes and loci. Furthermore, online tools such as RDDC, SpliceAI, and REVEL were used to predict risks from different variants. Results: Both two probands failed neonatal hearing screening and were diagnosed with sensorineural hearing loss. A total of 3 mutations were detected in the two families, c.1331+1G>A, c.1325A>G, and c.782G>A. According to ACMG/AMP guidelines, they were judged to be pathogenic, uncertain significance, and uncertain significance, respectively. Conclusions: These findings contribute to a better understanding of the relationship between different variants of MARVELD2 and hearing. This could further expand the spectrum of deafness gene mutations and contribute to deafness patient management and genetic counseling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Herpesvirus is a prevalent pathogen that primarily infects human epithelial cells and has the ability to reside in neurons. In the field of otolaryngology, herpesvirus infection primarily leads to hearing loss and vestibular neuritis and is considered the primary hypothesis regarding the pathogenesis of vestibular neuritis. In this review, we provide a summary of the effects of the herpes virus on cellular processes in both host cells and immune cells, with a focus on HSV-1 as illustrative examples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inner ear organoids play a crucial role in hearing research. In comparison to other animal models and 2D cell culture systems, inner ear organoids offer significant advantages for studying the mechanisms of inner ear development and exploring novel approaches to disease treatment. Inner ear organoids derived from human cells are more closely resemble normal human organs in development and function. The 3D culture system of the inner ear organoid enhances cell-cell interactions and mimics the internal environment. In this review, the progress and limitations of organoid culture methods derived from tissue-specific progenitors and pluripotent stem cells (PSCs) are summarized, which may offer new insights into generating organoids that closely resemble the inner ear in terms of morphology and function., (© 2024 Wiley‐VCH GmbH.)

The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) persists in latently infected CD4 + T cells and integrates with the host genome until cell death. Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) is associated with HIV-1. Possibly, treating HIV/AIDS is an essential but challenging clinical goal. This review provides a detailed account of the types and mechanisms of monotherapy and combination therapy against HIV-1 and describes nanoparticle and hydrogel delivery systems. In particular, the recently developed capsid inhibitor (Lenacapavir) and the Ainuovirine/tenofovir disoproxil fumarate/lamivudine combination (ACC008) are described. It is interestingly to note that the lack of the multipass transmembrane proteins serine incorporator 3 (SERINC3) and the multipass transmembrane proteins serine incorporator 5 (SERINC5) may be one of the reasons for the enhanced infectivity of HIV-1. This discovery of SERINC3 and SERINC5 provides new ideas for HIV-1 medication development. Therefore, we believe that in treating AIDS, antiviral medications should be rationally selected for pre-exposure and post-exposure prophylaxis to avoid the emergence of drug resistance. Attention should be paid to the research and development of new drugs to predict HIV mutations as accurately as possible and to develop immune antibodies to provide multiple guarantees for the cure of AIDS., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest. The authors declared that they were an editorial board member of Frontiers, at the time of submission. This had no impact on the peer review process and the final decision., (Copyright © 2023 Peng, Zong, Wang, Chen, Chen, Peng and Liu.)