monocytes
neutrophils
leukocytes =
lymphocytes =
WBCs
type of leukocyte
NK cells
innate immune system
Dendritic cells (DC)
CD4T
‘helper’ T cells - they do not neutralise infections but rather trigger the body’s response to infections
CD8T
adaptive immune system
Interleukin (IL)
cytokine
small, short-lived proteins (made in response to pathogens)
D.I.C.
Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation = implication of Cytokine Storm
A.R.D.S.
Acute respiratory distress syndrome = CS can cause ARDS
Anaemia
–> decreased capacity of the blood to carry oxygen to the body’s tissues
Cytokine storm
–> overactivation of other immune cells like T-cells, macrophages, and natural killer cells
–> (can) tissue damage, organ dysfunction, and sometimes death
how antiviral drugs work
Rather than killing a virus directly, antivirals usually inhibit the growth, development and multiplication of viruses at different points
= do not cure the disease but slow down the progress allowing the body’s natural defences to take over
why viruses mutate
all organisms mutate (natural selection)
why virus mutation problem for antivirals
reasons viruses are genome-mapped
viral diseases with antiviral drugs (6)
two antiviral drugs for COVID-19 in Australia
primarily used for people with mild COVID-19 who have a high risk for developing severe disease, reducing the need (or lowering the risk) for admission to hospital
oral:
* Paxlovid (most effective oral treatment to date)
* Lagevrio (molnupiravir)
covid - rna or dna virus?
RNA
RNA viruses vs DNA viruses - mutate
reverse transcriptions
synthesis of DNA from an RNA template
RNA is starting material
link between Anti-RNA polymerase and protein synthesis
of variants genome mapped to date
13