Irish scientists led by a group from Trinity College Dublin have discovered how the dangerous respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) weakens our immune response, and in doing so, have identified an exciting new target for drug developers.
Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) causes a significant disease burden in the world population, with an estimated 33.1 million cases each year, and is the leading cause of viral bronchiolitis and pneumonia in children. It is a particular problem for children and the elderly, where treatment options are limited and relatively ineffective.
Working on human airway epithelial cells, the team discovered that RSV suppresses a key biological pathway in our cells (called the “JAK/STAT pathway”) and prevents key “immune system stimulators” from moving into the cells’ nuclei. These stimuli are normally activated by interferon alpha, our natural antiviral.
Nigel Stevenson, Associate Professor of Viral Immunology in the School of Biochemistry and Immunology at Trinity University, is the lead author of the research article which has just been published in a leading journal. Frontiers in immunology. Nigel, who works at the Trinity Biomedical Sciences Institute (TBSI), said:
“Interferon alpha, which activates signals in our cells through the JAK/STAT pathway, is responsible for triggering hundreds of antiviral genes to act, which target the virus in a variety of ways. So when RSV prevents interferon from communicating with these genes, the virus puts the brakes on our immune response, which can lead to the virus taking over the body and quickly causing very serious medical problems.”
“Our discovery is an exciting one because it identifies the JAK/STAT pathway as a key target for restoring therapeutic immunity. This new knowledge is of great value to drug designers, who need a full understanding of how the virus evades our immune system before they can successfully create a treatment capable of turning things around.
“We expect such a treatment to have a significant impact in treating RSV and even eliminating RSV infection, which is a much-needed solution for children and the elderly, who are very vulnerable to this dangerous virus.”
