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    <journal-meta>
      <journal-id journal-id-type="nlm-ta">Avicenna J Med Biotech</journal-id>
      <journal-id journal-id-type="publisher-id">arij002</journal-id>
      <journal-title-group>
        <journal-title>Avicenna Journal of Medical Biotechnology</journal-title>
      </journal-title-group>
      <issn pub-type="ppub">2008-2835</issn>
      <issn pub-type="epub">2008-4625</issn>
      <publisher>
        <publisher-name>Avicenna Research Institute</publisher-name>
      </publisher>
    </journal-meta>

    <article-meta>
      <article-id pub-id-type="publisher-id">ajmb30422</article-id>
      <article-id pub-id-type="doi"></article-id>
      <article-id pub-id-type="pmid"></article-id>
      <article-categories>
        <subj-group subj-group-type="heading">
             <subject></subject> 
        </subj-group>
        <subj-group>
            <subject></subject>
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      </article-categories>
      <title-group>
        <article-title>COVID-19 and Medical Biotechnology</article-title>
      </title-group>
        <contrib-group><contrib contrib-type="author"><name><surname>Rezaei</surname><given-names>Nima</given-names></name></contrib><aff>Biotechnology Department, Biotechnology Research Center, Pasteur Institute of Iran      , Tehran, Iran</aff></contrib-group>
      <pub-date pub-type="ppub">
        <day></day>
        <month></month>
        <year></year>
      </pub-date>
      <pub-date pub-type="epub">
        <day></day>
        <month></month>
        <year></year>
      </pub-date>
      <volume>12</volume>
      <issue>3</issue>
      <fpage>139</fpage>
      <lpage>139</lpage>
      <history>
        <date date-type="received">
          <day>1</day>
          <month>6</month>
          <year>2020</year>
        </date>
        <date date-type="accepted">
          <day>2</day>
          <month>6</month>
          <year>2020</year>
        </date>
      </history>
      <abstract>
      <p>
      &lt;p&gt;Novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, caused by Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), became a global challenge &lt;sup&gt;1&lt;/sup&gt;. The disease which emerged in Wuhan, China, late 2019, has affected more than 6 million individuals in almost all countries and regions, leading to death in more than 350,000 only in a 6-month period (Date: June 1st, 2020). It should be mentioned that SARS-CoV-2 is responsible for the 3rd respiratory syndrome, caused by coronaviruses during last two decades, while SARS-CoV and Middle East Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) were both connected to the emergence of severe respiratory syndromes in 2003 and 2012, respectively &lt;sup&gt;2&lt;/sup&gt;. Meanwhile there is no effective treatment or vaccine for the disease.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Although the pathogenesis of SARS-CoV-2 has not been clearly understood yet, it is a large enveloped virus, similar to other coronaviruses, which contains several proteins including M (membrane), S (spike), E (envelope), and N (nucleocapsid), which are good candidates for targeting &lt;sup&gt;3&lt;/sup&gt;. Among them, S glycoprotein, with two domains of S1 and S2, has been as of interest of recent studies, while it is responsible for invasion and entry into the host cells; the Receptor Binding Domain (RBD) of S1 interacts with Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme 2 (ACE2) on the cell surface, while the S2 domain is responsible for virus-cell membrane fusion and viral entry with higher affinity &lt;sup&gt;4&lt;/sup&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Considering the fact that the immune system is affected by the SARS-CoV-2, immune-based treatment, including corticosteroids, monoclonal antibodies against pro-inflammatory cytokines, plasma therapy, and intravenous immunoglobulin was practiced in some patients in a few studies &lt;sup&gt;5&lt;/sup&gt;. However, the efforts should not be limited to such treatments, while novel therapeutic approaches could be considered, using medical biotechnology.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Such pandemic is complex problem, which needs transdisciplinary studies. The development of medical biotechnology to produce pharmaceutical and diagnostic products is a need, which needs close collaboration with other disciplines &lt;sup&gt;6&lt;/sup&gt;. It should be emphasized that it has been clear that coronaviruses know no borders; therefore borderless solution is needed to fight COVID-19 &lt;sup&gt;7&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;sup&gt;,&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;sup&gt;8&lt;/sup&gt;. It is to be hoped that the lessons we learned from SARS-CoV-2, help us to prevent possible pandemic in the near future.&lt;/p&gt;

      </p>
      </abstract>
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