New Delhi: Researchers have found that the virus responsible for Chikungunya fever can spread directly from cell to cell, an advance that could help in developing effective vaccines or treatments for the debilitating and increasingly common mosquito-borne disease. The findings, published in the journal Nature Microbiology, likely solve the longstanding mystery of how the virus, now emerging as a major health threat, can manage to escape antibodies circulating in the bloodstream. Study leader Margaret Kielian, a Professor at Albert Einstein College of Medicine, US, said,
Previously, Chikungunya virus was thought to spread in the body by infecting a cell, replicating within that cell, and then sending new copies of the virus into the bloodstream that then infect new cells. However, we’ve found that the virus can also hijack a host cell’s cytoskeleton—the proteins that support cells and maintain their shape. The virus causes the infected cell to send out long thin extensions that make contact with uninfected neighbouring cells, enabling the virus to safely and efficiently travel from one cell to another.
The researchers have named these virus-induced structures intercellular long extensions, or ILEs. First author Peiqi Yin, a postdoctoral fellow in Ms. Kielian’s lab added,
This mode of viral transmission may not only shield some copies of the virus from the host’s immune response, but it may also explain why symptoms of Chikungunya infection can persist for many months or years.
The Chikungunya virus is spread to humans by the bite of infected mosquitoes, which become infected by feeding on people who already have the virus. In addition to fever, infections often lead to chronic and debilitating arthritis.
Over the past 15 years, the Chikungunya virus has become an important and increasingly widespread human pathogen. Multiple outbreaks have caused millions of human infections in numerous areas including the Americas, Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Caribbean.
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The first part of the study involved the use of cultured mouse cells. The researchers exposed the cells to the Chikungunya virus that expressed a fluorescent reporter protein, allowing them to observe that infectious virus particles were indeed being transmitted from cell to cell via ILEs.
Cell-to-cell transmission occurred even in the presence of high quantities of neutralising antibodies that were added to the culture medium, they said.
To confirm this mode of cell-to-cell transmission in living animals, the researchers studied Chikungunya infection in mice. Mice that were first inoculated with neutralising antibodies and were then directly injected with the Chikungunya virus did not become infected.
However, antibody-treated mice that were then injected with virus-infected cells, rather than just the virus, did develop Chikungunya infections that were resistant to the neutralising antibodies. Ms Yin siad,
Together, these studies show that ILEs shield the Chikungunya virus from neutralising antibodies and promote intercellular virus transmission, both in vitro and in vivo.
In a final set of studies, the researchers determined that certain antiviral antibodies were able to block ILEs from forming and prevent cell-to-cell transmission. Ms. Kielian added,
If we can generate the production of such antibodies in human patients, or develop other methods to stop ILE formation, that could be especially helpful in combatting the chronic symptoms of Chikungunya infection.
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(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
NDTV – Dettol have been working towards a clean and healthy India since 2014 via the Banega Swachh India initiative, which is helmed by Campaign Ambassador Amitabh Bachchan. The campaign aims to highlight the inter-dependency of humans and the environment, and of humans on one another with the focus on One Health, One Planet, One Future – Leaving No One Behind. It stresses on the need to take care of, and consider, everyone’s health in India – especially vulnerable communities – theLGBTQ population,indigenous people, India’s different tribes, ethnic and linguistic minorities, people with disabilities, migrants, geographically remote populations, gender and sexual minorities. In wake of the currentCOVID-19 pandemic, the need for WASH (Water,SanitationandHygiene) is reaffirmed as handwashing is one of the ways to prevent Coronavirus infection and other diseases. The campaign will continue to raise awareness on the same along with focussing on the importance of nutrition and healthcare for women and children, fightmalnutrition, mental wellbeing, self care, science and health,adolescent health & gender awareness. Along with the health of people, the campaign has realised the need to also take care of the health of the eco-system. Our environment is fragile due to human activity, which is not only over-exploiting available resources, but also generating immense pollution as a result of using and extracting those resources. The imbalance has also led to immense biodiversity loss that has caused one of the biggest threats to human survival – climate change. It has now been described as a “code red for humanity.” The campaign will continue to cover issues likeair pollution,waste management,plastic ban,manual scavengingand sanitation workers andmenstrual hygiene. Banega Swasth India will also be taking forward the dream of Swasth Bharat, the campaign feels that only a Swachh or clean India wheretoiletsare used andopen defecation free (ODF)status achieved as part of the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan launched byPrime Minister Narendra Modiin 2014, can eradicate diseases like diahorrea and the country can become a Swasth or healthy India.
