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【medical-news】Ebola 和 Marburg 病毒致病的关键机制
Discovery is expected to lead to new drugs for treatment of certain viral hemorrhagic fevers in humans and apes
Researchers in the Greene Infectious Disease Laboratory at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the Caribbean Primate Research Center have discovered a key mechanism by which the Filoviruses, Ebola and Marburg, cause disease. The identification of an amino acid sequence in Filoviruses that results in the rapid depression of immunological response is described in the December 2006 issue of The FASEB Journal. Using this information, researchers can begin to develop new drugs to stop these devastating diseases.
Filoviruses, named for their threadlike appearance in electron microscopy (filo= thread in Latin), are associated with outbreaks of fatal hemorrhagic fever in sub-Saharan Africa. Viral hemorrhagic fevers are of specific concern because they are associated with high morbidity and mortality (up to 80% mortality rates) and the potential for rapid dissemination through human-to-human transmission. The term "viral hemorrhagic fever" characterizes a severe multisystem syndrome associated with fever, shock, and bleeding caused by infection with one of a number of viruses, including the Filoviruses Ebola and Marburg.
Both humans and apes are susceptible to viral hemorrhagic fevers, and it is speculated that filovirus infections account at least in part for the recent decline in the gorilla and chimpanzee population in central Africa. There is no cure or approved vaccine for either Marburg or Ebola virus. Immunosuppression occurs early after infection and allows the viruses to reproduce rapidly and cause disease.
"Currently, there is no way to treat most viral hemorrhagic fever outbreaks, and increased international travel, trafficking in wildlife, political instability, and terrorism have made emerging infectious diseases a global concern," stated W. Ian Lipkin, MD, director of the Greene Infectious Disease Laboratory at the Mailman School's Department of Epidemiology and professor of Epidemiology, Neurology, and Pathology at Columbia University. "The identification of this new mechanism for immunosuppression is anticipated to lead to new drugs for intervention in filoviral hemorrhagic fevers of humans and apes."
In the study, researchers describe a series of amino acids in Ebola and Marburg viruses that resemble proteins in retroviruses known to suppress the immune system. By targeting these amino acids, new drugs could disrupt the ability of these viruses to shut down immune systems and make them vulnerable to the body's natural defenses.
"This brilliant study shows that many viruses, including HIV, use a similar mechanism to disarm their victims," said Gerald Weissmann, MD, Editor-in-Chief of The FASEB Journal. "The Columbia study has shown us new ways to fight against deadly viruses the world over."
The method for discovering this protein underscores the power of bioinformatics for addressing the challenges of emerging infectious diseases. The investigators are currently exploring whether insights derived from understanding the potency of these immunosuppressive peptides can be exploited to treat autoimmune diseases. 认领之 Researchers discover key mechanism by which lethal viruses Ebola and Marburg cause disease
研究人员发现致命病毒Ebola和Marburg致病的关键机制
Discovery is expected to lead to new drugs for treatment of certain viral hemorrhagic fevers in humans and apes.
这项发现有希望产生治疗人和猿某些病毒性出血热的新药。
Researchers in the Greene Infectious Disease Laboratory at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the Caribbean Primate Research Center have discovered a key mechanism by which the Filoviruses, Ebola and Marburg, cause disease. The identification of an amino acid sequence in Filoviruses that results in the rapid depression of immunological response is described in the December 2006 issue of The FASEB（Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology ） Journal. Using this information, researchers can begin to develop new drugs to stop these devastating diseases.
哥伦比亚大学Mailman公共卫生学院的Greene传染病试验室，疾病控制和预防中心以及加勒比海灵长类动物研究中心的研究员们发现了脊髓灰质炎病毒、埃博拉病毒和马尔堡病毒致病的关键机制。导致免疫应答快速抑制的脊髓灰质炎病毒氨基酸序列的鉴别发表在2006年12月的FASEB杂志上。有了这些信息，研究者们就可以开始研发阻止这些破坏性很强疾病的新药。
Filoviruses, named for their threadlike appearance in electron microscopy (filo= thread in Latin), are associated with outbreaks of fatal hemorrhagic fever in sub-Saharan Africa. Viral hemorrhagic fevers are of specific concern because they are associated with high morbidity and mortality (up to 80% mortality rates) and the potential for rapid dissemination through human-to-human transmission. The term "viral hemorrhagic fever" characterizes a severe multisystem syndrome associated with fever, shock, and bleeding caused by infection with one of a number of viruses, including the Filoviruses Ebola and Marburg.
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作者:admin@医学,生命科学 2011-08-29 17:14
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