LAURA HELENA VEGA GONZALES GIL
@fiocruz.br
Virology
IAM-FIOCRUZ
Scopus Publications
- Serological analysis of COVID-19 patients highlights cross-reactivity of antibodies with the HIV-1 2F5 epitope
Tayná E. Lima, Carlos A.A. Brito, Laura H.V.G. Gil, Rafael Dhalia, Franciane M.E. Teixeira, et al.
Journal of Clinical Virology, 2025 - Microcontact printing of lectin self-assembled monolayers for arbovirus detection
Raiza P. S. Lucena, Alberto G. Silva‐Junior, Isaac A. M. Frías, Laura H. V. Gil, Marli T. Cordeiro, et al.
Biotechnology Progress, 2025
Arboviruses significantly burden public health in Brazil, constituting a constant challenge for health authorities. The diagnosis and, consequently, clinical management and the reporting of arbovirus infections in regions where multiple arboviruses coexist are complex processes. Herein, we report the development of a new electrochemical biosensor based on Concanavalin A (ConA) to identify carbohydrate patterns in the viral structure of Dengue 3 (DENV‐3), Zika (ZIKV) and Chikungunya (CHIKV) viruses. The biorecognition of arboviruses was carried out through functionalization with 4‐aminophenylacetic acid (CMA) on poly (ethylene terephthalate) (PET) substrate coated with a gold layer combining microcontact printing (μCP). Bovine serum albumin (BSA) was used after ConA immobilization to block binding to nonspecific sites. Subsequently, the interaction between ConA and arbovirus was characterized by standard atomic force microscopy (AFM), fluorescence microscopy, cyclic voltammetry (CV), and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). Fluorescent imaging was conducted to confirm the occurrence of the DENV‐3, ZIKV, and CHIKV detection processes. The obtained results demonstrated the success of the biosensor (CMA‐ConA‐BSA) manufactured on a PET substrate using μCP for detecting medically significant arboviruses. RCT values showed an increase in impedimetric response total of the system after exposition to DENV‐3 (RCT = 68.82 kΩ) and a lower recognition to CHIKV (RCT = 44.44 kΩ). The present biosensor platform reveals the applicability of the ConA lectin in the viral biorecognition process based on flexible biosensors for differential detection of DENV‐3, ZIKV, and CHIKV. ConA‐based electrochemical biosensor provide high selectivity, real‐time detection, and low volumes of analytes. - Unprecedented Oropouche Fever Outbreak in Brazil: Could the M Segment-Encoded Proteins Provide Clues to Possible Insights?
José Valter Joaquim Silva Júnior, Thaísa Regina Rocha Lopes, Natália Hettwer Pedroso, Ricardo Durães‐Carvalho, Rudi Weiblen, et al.
Journal of Medical Virology, 2024 - Development of a New Multispecies Protein A-Based ELISA for Serodiagnosis of Hepatitis E Infection with Validation in Domestic Swine
Maria Gabriela Oliveira da Paz, Matheus Filgueira Bezerra, Andrei Félix Mendes, Adalucia da Silva, Gustavo Barbosa de Lima, et al.
Foodborne Pathogens and Disease, 2024
Hepatitis E virus (HEV) infects roughly 20 million people worldwide, causing self-limiting acute hepatic disease that can evolve into a chronic course. HEV-3, HEV-4, and HEV-7 genotypes are zoonotic and transmitted to humans by consuming raw or undercooked meat. Here, we developed an indirect ELISA based on the recombinant HEV-3 capsid and performed a seroprevalence study on domestic swine in northeastern Brazil. Our in-house ELISA was initially validated using a subset of 79 sera characterized by concordant results for two distinct commercial ELISA kits. Our ELISA exhibited excellent sensitivity (94%) and specificity (100%), with an area under the curve of 0.99 Further testing, including 212 swine sera, revealed a seroprevalence of 57.5% (95% confidence interval, 50.6-64.3%). Our findings indicate that the novel ELISA test could accurately detect specific anti-HEV antibodies in domestic pigs and should be further validated in humans and other mammals. - Reverse Genetics of Dengue Virus
José Valter Joaquim Silva Júnior, Andréa Nazaré Monteiro Rangel da Silva, Jefferson José da Silva Santos, Laura Helena Vega Gonzales Gil
Methods in Molecular Biology, 2024 - Application of concanavalin A as a new diagnostic strategy for SARS-COV-2 spike protein
Raiza P.S. Lucena, Alberto G. Silva-Junior, Laura H.V. Gil, Marli T. Cordeiro, César A.S. Andrade, et al.
Biochemical Engineering Journal, 2024 - Epitope mapping and a candidate vaccine design from canine distemper virus
Camila Santos, Jerlane Teles, Georgia es, Laura Gil, Amanda Vieira, et al.
Open Veterinary Journal, 2024
Background: Canine distemper is a worldwide spread disease that has been described in 12 families of mammals, especially in the Carnivora order, being better studied in domestic canines where vaccination represents the best means of control. Canine distemper is controlled by vaccination, but many cases of the disease still occur in vaccinated animals. Aim: The aim of this work was to study antigen specific epitopes that can subsidize the development of a new vaccine approach. Methods: Mapping of T cell reactive epitopes for Canine Distemper Virus (CDV) was carried out through ELISPOT assays using 119 overlapped synthetic peptides from the viral hemagglutinin protein, grouped in 22 pools forming a matrix to test the immune response of 32 animals. Results: Evaluations using the criteria established to identify reactive pools, demonstrated that 26 animals presented at least one reactive pool, that one pool was not reactive to any animal, and six pools were the most frequent among the reactive peptides. The crisscrossing of the most reactive pools in the matrix revealed nine peptides considered potential candidate epitopes for T cell stimulation against the Canine Distemper Virus and those were used to design an in-silico protein, containing also predicted epitopes for B cell stimulation, and further analyzed using immune epitope databases to ensure protein quality and stability. Conclusion: The final in silico optimized protein presents characteristics that qualifies it to be used to develop new prototype epitope based anti-CDV vaccine. - Uncovering neglected subtypes and zoonotic transmission of Hepatitis E virus (HEV) in Brazil
Debora Regina Lopes dos Santos, Ricardo Durães-Carvalho, Noemi Rovaris Gardinali, Lais Ceschini Machado, Vanessa Salete de Paula, et al.
Virology Journal, 2023
Hepatitis E virus (HEV) circulation in humans and swine has been extensively studied in South America over the last two decades. Nevertheless, only 2.1% of reported HEV strains are available as complete genome sequences. Therefore, many clinical, epidemiological, and evolutionary aspects of circulating HEV in the continent still need to be clarified. Here, we conducted a retrospective evolutionary analysis of one human case and six swine HEV strains previously reported in northeastern, southern, and southeastern Brazil. We obtained two complete and four nearly complete genomic sequences. Evolutionary analysis comparing the whole genomic and capsid gene sequences revealed high genetic variability. This included the circulation of at least one unrecognized unique South American subtype. Our results corroborate that sequencing the whole capsid gene could be used as an alternative for HEV subtype assignment in the absence of complete genomic sequences. Moreover, our results substantiate the evidence for zoonotic transmission by comparing a larger genomic fragment recovered from the sample of the autochthonous human hepatitis E case. Further studies should continuously investigate HEV genetic diversity and zoonotic transmission of HEV in South America. - The protein disulfide isomerase inhibitor 3-methyltoxoflavin inhibits Chikungunya virus
Ana C. Puhl, Rafaela S. Fernandes, Andre S. Godoy, Laura H.V.G. Gil, Glaucius Oliva, et al.
Bioorganic and Medicinal Chemistry, 2023 - Characterization of the RNA-dependent RNA polymerase from Chikungunya virus and discovery of a novel ligand as a potential drug candidate
Marjorie C. L. C. Freire, Luis G. M. Basso, Luis F. S. Mendes, Nathalya C. M. R. Mesquita, Melina Mottin, et al.
Scientific Reports, 2022
Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) is the causative agent of Chikungunya fever, an acute febrile and arthritogenic illness with no effective treatments available. The development of effective therapeutic strategies could be significantly accelerated with detailed knowledge of the molecular components behind CHIKV replication. However, drug discovery is hindered by our incomplete understanding of their main components. The RNA-dependent RNA-polymerase (nsP4-CHIKV) is considered the key enzyme of the CHIKV replication complex and a suitable target for antiviral therapy. Herein, the nsP4-CHIKV was extensively characterized through experimental and computational biophysical methods. In the search for new molecules against CHIKV, a compound designated LabMol-309 was identified as a strong ligand of the nsp4-CHIKV and mapped to bind to its active site. The antiviral activity of LabMol-309 was evaluated in cellular-based assays using a CHIKV replicon system and a reporter virus. In conclusion, this study highlights the biophysical features of nsP4-CHIKV and identifies a new compound as a promising antiviral agent against CHIKV infection. - The Antifungal Itraconazole Is a Potent Inhibitor of Chikungunya Virus Replication
Lucca R. Policastro, Isabela Dolci, Andre S. Godoy, José V. J. Silva Júnior, Uriel E. A. Ruiz, et al.
Viruses, 2022 - Active circulation of madariaga virus, a member of the eastern equine encephalitis virus complex, in northeast brazil
Laura H. V. G. Gil, Tereza Magalhaes, Beatriz S. A. S. Santos, Livia V. Oliveira, Edmilson F. Oliveira-Filho, et al.
Pathogens, 2021 - Serologic evidence of West Nile virus and Saint Louis encephalitis virus in horses from Southern Brazil
Matheus N. Weber, Ana C. S. Mosena, Letícia F. Baumbach, Mariana S. da Silva, Raíssa Canova, et al.
Brazilian Journal of Microbiology, 2021 - Correction to: Serologic evidence of West Nile virus and Saint Louis encephalitis virus in horses from Southern Brazil (Brazilian Journal of Microbiology, (2021), 52, 2, (1021-1027), 10.1007/s42770-021-00474-7)
Matheus N. Weber, Ana C. S. Mosena, Letícia F. Baumbach, Mariana S. da Silva, Raíssa Canova, et al.
Brazilian Journal of Microbiology, 2021 - Reporter replicons for antiviral drug discovery against positive single-stranded RNA viruses
Rafaela S. Fernandes, Marjorie C. L. C. Freire, Renata V. Bueno, Andre S. Godoy, Laura H. V. G. Gil, et al.
Viruses, 2020 - Nanostructured impedimetric lectin-based biosensor for arboviruses detection
Estefani P. Simão, Dammyres B.S. Silva, Marli T. Cordeiro, Laura H.V. Gil, Cesar A.S. Andrade, et al.
Talanta, 2020 - Absence of norovirus contamination in shellfish harvested and commercialized in the northeast coast of Brazil
K.M. Guarines, R.P.G. Mendes, M.T. Cordeiro, M.P. Miagostovich, L.H.V.G. Gil, et al.
Brazilian Journal of Medical and Biological Research, 2020 - Previous dengue or zika virus exposure can drive to infection enhancement or neutralisation of other flaviviruses
Renato AS Oliveira, Edmilson F de Oliveira-Filho, Ana IV Fernandes, Carlos AA Brito, Ernesto TA Marques, et al.
Memorias do Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, 2019 - Evolutionary study of potentially zoonotic hepatitis e virus genotype 3 from swine in northeast brazi
Edmilson Ferreira de Oliveira-Filho, Debora RL dos Santos, Ricardo Durães-Carvalho, Adalúcia da Silva, Gustavo Barbosa de Lima, et al.
Memorias do Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, 2019 - A scoping review of Chikungunya virus infection: epidemiology, clinical characteristics, viral co-circulation complications, and control
José V.J. Silva, Louisa F. Ludwig-Begall, Edmilson F. de Oliveira-Filho, Renato A.S. Oliveira, Ricardo Durães-Carvalho, et al.
Acta Tropica, 2018 - Seroprevalence of selected flaviviruses in free-living and captive capuchin monkeys in the state of Pernambuco, Brazil
E. F. de Oliveira-Filho, R. A. S. Oliveira, D. R. A. Ferreira, P. O. Laroque, L. J. Pena, et al.
Transboundary and Emerging Diseases, 2018 - Current status, challenges and perspectives in the development of vaccines against yellow fever, dengue, Zika and chikungunya viruses
José V.J. Silva, Thaísa R.R. Lopes, Edmilson F. de Oliveira-Filho, Renato A.S. Oliveira, Ricardo Durães-Carvalho, et al.
Acta Tropica, 2018 - Viral immunogenicity determines epidemiological fitness in a cohort of DENV-1 infection in Brazil
Tauyne Menegaldo Pinheiro, Mânlio Tasso de Oliveira Mota, Aripuanã Sakurada Aranha Watanabe, Joice Matos Biselli-Périco, Betânia Paiva Drumond, et al.
Plos Neglected Tropical Diseases, 2018 - Development and characterization of a packaging cell line for pseudo-infectious yellow fever virus particle generation
Sabrina Ribeiro de Almeida Queiroz, José Valter Joaquim Silva Júnior, Andréa Nazaré Monteiro Rangel da Silva, Amanda Gomes de Oliveira Carvalho, Jefferson José da Silva Santos, et al.
Revista Da Sociedade Brasileira De Medicina Tropical, 2018 - Risk Analysis and Occurrence of Hepatitis E Virus (HEV) in Domestic Swine in Northeast Brazil
Edmilson F. de Oliveira-Filho, Kennya G. S. Lopes, Deivson S. Cunha, Virginia S. Silva, Clara N. Barbosa, et al.
Food and Environmental Virology, 2017
