New! Sign up for our free email newsletter.
Science News
from research organizations

Combating human parainfluenza virus

Date:
February 11, 2015
Source:
Griffith University
Summary:
Scientists have made a giant leap forward in understanding one of the most common causes of respiratory infections worldwide. This highly-infectious virus is the leading cause of upper and lower respiratory tract disease in young children, and each year results in hundreds of thousands of deaths in developing countries and thousands of hospitalizations worldwide.
Share:
FULL STORY

Gold Coast research has made a giant leap forward in understanding one of the most common causes of respiratory infections worldwide.

Research by Professor Mark von Itzstein and his team from Griffith University's Institute for Glycomics has made a breakthrough in tackling human parainfluenza virus, which causes respiratory infections such as croup, bronchiolitis and pneumonia.

This highly-infectious virus is the leading cause of upper and lower respiratory tract disease in young children, and each year results in hundreds of thousands of deaths in developing countries and thousands of hospitalisations world-wide.

The team for the first time has demonstrated how a protein associated with the surface of virus, haemagglutinin-neuraminidase, engages specific sugars to allow the virus to spread and cause infection.

Institute Director Professor Mark von Itzstein, of the Institute for Glycomics, said research findings published in the international journal Angewandte Chemie International Edition this week offers a new direction in drug discovery for the treatment of respiratory infections caused by this virus.

"This study provides us exciting new information about how this virus is released from infected cells and opens the door for novel antiviral drug discovery research.

"Effectively, the virus' haemagglutinin-neuraminidase reacts with a carbohydrate to form an intermediate that then is hydrolysed, enabling the virus to escape from the infected cell surface and cause further infection.

"We have developed a compound that allows the haemagglutinin-neuraminidase to form a similar intermediate, but reduces the ability of the virus to be released and consequently reduces any further infection. This compound provides a drug-like candidate," he said.

The Institute for Glycomics is a world leader in the study of glycans and carbohydrates (sugars) and how they behave in terms of disease prevention and cure.

"Australia continues to significantly benefit from the attraction of outstanding research talent from all over the world," said Professor von Itzstein.

Funding for the research was provided by the National Health and Medical Research Council and the Australian Research Council.

Professor von Itzstein's research team composed of Ms Larissa Dirr, an international PhD student originally from Germany, and early career researchers and co-senior authors Dr Ibrahim El-Deeb, from Egypt, and Dr Patrice Guillon from France.


Story Source:

Materials provided by Griffith University. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.


Journal Reference:

  1. Larissa Dirr, Ibrahim M. El-Deeb, Patrice Guillon, Cindy J. Carroux, Leonard M. G. Chavas, Mark von Itzstein. The Catalytic Mechanism of Human Parainfluenza Virus Type 3 Haemagglutinin-Neuraminidase Revealed. Angewandte Chemie International Edition, 2015; DOI: 10.1002/anie.201500511

Cite This Page:

Griffith University. "Combating human parainfluenza virus." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 11 February 2015. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/02/150211124037.htm>.
Griffith University. (2015, February 11). Combating human parainfluenza virus. ScienceDaily. Retrieved March 29, 2024 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/02/150211124037.htm
Griffith University. "Combating human parainfluenza virus." ScienceDaily. www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/02/150211124037.htm (accessed March 29, 2024).

Explore More

from ScienceDaily

RELATED STORIES