The study learned more about how RSV evades our immune system, which is valuable knowledge to develop more effective treatments.
A research team led by Trinity College Dublin scientists have uncovered new details on the dangerous respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), which could give drug designers an edge in developing treatments.
RSV is a common respiratory illness that can cause cold-like symptoms and can be particularly serious for infants and older adults. Ireland experienced a rise in RSV cases at the end of 2022 during the colder winter months.
The disease is the most common cause of pneumonia and bronchiolitis in infants, with estimates of roughly 33m RSV cases worldwide every year. The EU approved a batch of RSV vaccines in 2023.
But to boost the progress towards viable vaccines further, a team of Irish scientists have discovered how RSV suppresses our immune system. Through this discovery, the team have identified a new target for drug designers to focus on.
The researchers found that the disease suppresses a key biological pathway in our cells, called the JAK/STAT pathway, which impacts an immune system response.
“Interferon-alpha, which activates signals in our cells through the JAK/STAT pathway, is responsible for kick-starting hundreds of antiviral genes into action, which then target the virus in a number of different ways,” said Trinity assistant professor Dr Nigel Stevenson, a senior author of the study.
“So when RSV prevents interferon from communicating to these genes, the virus slams the brakes on our immune response, which can result in the virus taking hold and quite quickly causing very serious medical issues.”
Stevenson said this is an “exciting revelation” from the study, as it identifies the JAK/STAT pathway as a “prime target for therapeutic immune restoration”.
“This new knowledge is very valuable to drug designers, as they need to fully understand how a virus evades our immune system before they can successfully create a therapeutic to turn the tide,” Stevenson said.
“We predict such a therapeutic could make a significant impact in treating RSV and even clear an RSV infection, which would represent a much-needed solution for both children and the elderly, who are very vulnerable to this dangerous virus.”
Last year, Dublin-based pharma services company Hvivo signed a contract to use its human challenge model to test a potential RSV vaccine from a global biotech company. The company secured the contract for a phase 2 trial of a RSV vaccine candidate later that year.
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