New Antiviral Targets Identified to Combat Dengue

INSERM: The dengue virus – like all other viruses – hijacks many of the host cell’s functions to accomplish its infectious cycle. For the very first time, researchers from Inserm, CNRS and Université Paris Diderot have recently identified all of the cellular factors that interact with the virus as it replicates. By providing proof of concept that some of these molecules can be inhibited, these scientists are paving the way for new antiviral therapies for dengue and also for other viruses in the same family, such as the Zika and West Nile viruses. This research has been published in Cell Reports.

what are antibodies and why are viruses like dengue worse the second time?

TheConversation: Our immune system is like a highly trained army. It fends off invading pathogens, usually very effectively. The problem is that sometimes it makes mistakes and attacks us. This can result in allergies, autoimmune diseases or just misfires in the immune system’s attack of invading cells.
But there’s another way the immune system can fail us – by throwing down the welcome mat for viruses on their second invasion.

Asthma Drug to Be Tested in Clinical Trial to Manage Dengue Fever

Singapore: A drug that has been used for over 30 years as an asthma and allergy medicine is now being tested to treat symptoms of dengue fever. The National University of Singapore (NUS) and Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School Singapore (Duke-NUS) are running a clinical trial, in collaboration with National University Hospital (NUH) and Singapore General Hospital (SGH), called KETODEN, to test the drug Ketotifen on patients who are infected with dengue. 

A mosquito sex-determining gene could help fight dengue fever, life science researchers say

VirginiaTech: Males aren’t relevant — at least when it comes to disease transmission by mosquitoes. Researchers with the Fralin Life Science Institute at Virginia Tech have identified a gene responsible for sex determination in mosquitoes that transmit yellow fever, dengue, and chikungunya viruses. Only female mosquitoes bite because they need blood for developing eggs, and researchers believe that a higher ratio of males could reduce disease transmission. In a study published Thursday in Science Express, the scientists identify a male-determining genetic switch called Nix in Aedes aegypti mosquitoes that underlies the difference between males and females. These master switches often reside in genomic black holes, which is why none had been found in mosquitoes or other insects before.

Dengue: bacteria vs mosquitoes

Melbourne: Researchers at the University of Melbourne along with international collaborators are using a novel way to block the dengue virus in Aedes aegypti mosquitoes using the insect bacterium Wolbachia and have for the first time provided projections of its public health benefit. Dengue is a viral infection spread between humans by Aedes aegypti mosquitoes. Dengue causes flu-like symptoms, including intense headaches and joint pains.

New class of antibodies raises hope of dengue fever vaccine

Imperial College. UK: Scientists have discovered a new class of human antibodies against the dengue fever virus, which could be exploited to develop a vaccine. Dengue fever cases have risen dramatically in recent decades as the disease has spread to new areas. An estimated 390 million infections occur each year, with around 40 per cent of the world’s population living in areas at risk. In most cases it causes flu-like illness, but in some patients it develops into dengue haemorrhagic fever, which can lead to shock, haemorrhage and death.

Scientists Identify Important Mechanism Involved in Production of Mosquito Eggs

UC Riverside (US) research on mosquitoes could lead to innovative strategies for controlling mosquito populations. Diseases transmitted by mosquitoes have contributed to the death and suffering of millions throughout human history, earning the mosquito the title as the world’s most dangerous animal.