Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Preface
Chapter 1. Zika Virus: An Introduction
(Subhash C. Basak, PhD, Apurba Bhattacharjee, PhD, and Ashesh Nandy, PhD, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Minnesota Duluth, MN, US, and others)
Chapter 2. Discovery of Anti-Zika Drugs Using in Silico Pharmacophore Modeling
(Apurba K. Bhattacharjee, PhD, Biomedical Graduate Research Organization, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine, Georgetown University, Washington, DC, US)
Chapter 3. Zika Virus: The Quest for Vaccines
(Proyasha Roy, Ashesh Nandy and Subhash C. Basak, Centre for Interdisciplinary Research and Education, Kolkata, India, and others)
Chapter 4. Quantitative Nucleic Acid Sequence Comparison Methods in the Characterization and Surveillance of Emerging Pathogens: A Study of Flavivirus Strains Including the Zika Virus
(Subhash C. Basak, PhD, Marjan Vracko, PhD, and Ashesh Nandy, PhD, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Minnesota Duluth, MN, US, and others)
Chapter 5. Data-Driven Strategies to Model and Mitigate the Threat of Zika
(Subhabrata Majumdar, University of Florida Informatics Institute, Gainesville, FL, US)
Index
Reviews
“The book of Basak et al. treats, at a high level of competence, the Zika virus problems, basic biology, surveillance, vaccine design, and anti-Zika drug discovery, with a computer-aided strategy. Simple to follow, yet complex, this endeavor presents an information content about one of the top current health topics: Zika virus. The topic is genteelly covered by 5 chapters, starting from chapter 1 with a brief and concise up-to-date discussion on Zika, and continued in chapters 2 to 5 with in silico discovery of anti-Zika drugs, designing vaccines, genetic approach for Zika treatment, and finally, data mining and OMICs approaches, respectively. This work is a valuable tool for those working in the field, both for experienced and novice ones. It offers a point-by-point guidance to the real word problems. In silico methods, used to identify issues in Zika drug and vaccine design, are presented in a clear, concise, easy to follow, and organized manner. Major strategies in a drug design project are covered. The book proposes a complex strategy for the Zika menace through effective anti-Zika drugs and vaccines, designed computationally. Work flows are set out to ease work and save time. Lastly, this edition should stay on lab shelves close to the scientists.” <B>- Mircea Diudea, PhD, Professor of Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Babes-Bolyai University, Cluj, Romania</B>
This book represents a beautiful initiative led by Drs. Basak, Bhattacharjee, and Nandy to combat neglected diseases transmitted by mosquitoes, particularly those carrying the Zika virus. The multidisciplinary approach, namely consisting of epidemiology, pathogenesis, and computer-aided design of both new vaccines and new drugs, including repurposing of drugs from those already approved by the FDA for their potential ready access to patients must be emphasized. I am sure it will achieve a great success.” <B>- Jorge Galvez, PhD, Professor of Physical Chemistry, University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain</B>
“In recent years, Zika virus has become a global emerging pathogen of international concern to the public health community. The book “Zika Virus Surveillance, Vaccinology, and Anti-Zika Drug Discovery: Computer-Assisted Strategies to Combat the Menace” brings together up-to-date results of research on data-driven and computer-assisted strategies of surveillance, vaccinology, and drug discovery for Zika. If you were once puzzled by relative problems, this book may provide you with a miraculous key.” <B>- Chun Li, PhD, Professor of Mathematics, Bohai University, Jinzhou, PR China</B>
“Zika virus is the leading global health concern due to its rapid spread and close relationship with microcephaly in recent years. This book brings together four levels of in silico-approaches in treating Zika virus together. I totally believe that these comprehensive overviews would make a great contribution in the field, especially to help the study of translational medicine of Zika virus.” <B>- Guang Hu, PhD, Associate Professor of Systems Biology, Soochow University, Suzhou, PR, China</B>
“Although the basic biology of the virus and surveillance of Zika viral diseases are already known and described in a few books (one published in 2018 by Elsevier), the computer-assisted and data-driven strategies of this book on: a) quantitative modelling of the spread of the disease from past outbreaks, b) vaccine design for Zika, c) anti-Zika drug discovery, and d) mathematical/statistical comparison of emerging strains with the existing ones, have not been covered by anyone till date. Thus, this is a new and timely compilation of information and ideas on Zika virus by the trios, as editors.” <B>- Dr. Debprasad Chattopadhyay, Scientist G & Director, Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR)-National Institute of Traditional Medicine, Nehru Nagar, Belagavi, India</B>
“Aedes aegypti is the principal vector of severe diseases including Zika. With global climate change and development of intercontinental exchanges, the risk of outbreaks is rapidly growing, making mosquito control an important concern. Professor Apurba Bhattacharjee is a recognized expert in mosquito control, and has proposed in various key publications a pioneering approach for repellent study. From a preliminary study of the relation between the structural characteristics of active amides and their protection time, he investigated the molecular stereoelectronic similarity between DEET and the juvenile hormone. This book proposes a cutting edge presentation of such research, with particular emphasis on methodology, acquired results and future developments. No doubt it will constitute an important milestone for researchers involved in vector borne diseases.” <B>- Jean Pierre Doucet, Chemistry Department, University Paris Diderot, Paris, France</B>
“This books offers a panoramic view of the Zika virus from different perspectives: modelling the spread of the disease, identification of vulnerable geographical areas, studies of the disease mechanism through virus genomics, description of computational models that could help to devise therapeutic compounds, different strategies for vaccine development and estimation of animal reservoirs for intervention in the virus life cycle. Therefore, the book is an important source of information on the virus that can be taken as the starting point for future research on the area.” <B>- Guillermo Restrepo, Dr. rer. Nat., Max Planck Institute for Mathematics in the Sciences, Leipzig, Germany</B>
<B>Dr. Melek TĂĽrker Saçan, Professor, Bogazici University, Institute of Environmental Sciences, Besiktas, Turkey – </B>To read the review, <a href=”https://novapublishers.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Book-Review-Zika-Virus-Surveillance-Vaccinology-and-Anti-Zika-Drug-Discovery-Computer-Assisted-Strategies-to-Combat-the-Menace-Saçan.pdf” target=”_blank”>click here.</A>
Additional Information
Keywords: Zika virus, Flavivirus, Surveillance of emerging viruses, Viral sequence comparison, Peptide vaccine, Computer-assisted drug design (CADD), Pharmacophore, SIR (Susceptible-Infectious-Recovered) model, Anti-Zika drug, Machine learning, Statistical model, Quantitative Structure Activity Relationship (QSAR), Computer-assisted strategies