Dengue disease findings could influence anti-viral drugs

A new study into Dengue, an insect-borne tropical disease that infects up to 390 million worldwide could influence the development of anti-viral drugs that are effective against all four types of the virus.

Lead researcher Dr Andrew Davidson, Senior Virologist at Bristol, and colleagues examined the nuclear localisation properties of the NS5 protein of all four dengue virus (DENV) types and found major differences for the four DENV types.

Davidson said: “The study shows for the first time that there may be significant differences in specific properties of the viral proteins for the four DENV types. This is important as it impacts on our understanding of viral replication and pathogenesis and the design of anti-viral therapies that are effective against all DENV types.”

Any one of the four types of dengue virus could result in a spectrum of illness ranging from dengue fever (a milk flu-like illness that causes joint pain and high temperatures) to the potentially fatal dengue haemorrhagic fever. The disease is poorly understood and no vaccines or anti-viral drugs currently exist to safely control the disease.

All four types of DENV are genetically different, but little is known about how these genetic differences might translate into differences in virus replication and pathogenesis.

The Bristol team had previously shown that the viral NS5 protein is fundamental to DENV genome replication which accumulates in the nucleus during infection where it is believed to effect host cell function. Consequently, NS5 is now a key target for the development of anti-viral agents.

The researchers are now focused on comprehensively comparing the effects of different DENV types on the host cell.

Paper: Serotype Specific Differences in Dengue Virus Non-Structural Protein 5 Nuclear Localization