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- Raise macrophages: scientists have found a target for the first cure for deadly Ebola
Raise macrophages: scientists have found a target for the first cure for deadly Ebola
Researchers from the UK have discovered genes whose changes clearly indicate a fatal outcome in an Ebola-infected patient. Now they can become a target for the first cure for deadly fever, Russian scientists have said. However, according to experts, to create a drug, it is important not only to identify the right genes, but also to understand the mechanism in which they are involved, and this work has not yet been completed. In the absence of effective means of controlling the pathogen, the epidemic continues in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The number of cases exceeded 1,000, and more than 250 people died, including 17 doctors. A group of Russian specialists is working in the disaster area, and Rospotrebnadzor has transferred 7,000 test systems to diagnose the virus.
Biomarkers of death
A group of British scientists has discovered several genes in the human body, changes in the work of which in those infected with the Ebola virus indicate a 100 percent chance of death. In addition to being able to predict the outcome of a disease, the data points to a target for a potential drug that can prevent death. Using artificial intelligence, experts analyzed samples taken from patients during the outbreak of the disease in West Africa in 2013-2016.
"In the models, the viral load indicator (the amount of virus in the sample. — Ed.) himself classified the outcomes of the disease in patients with an accuracy of 86.9%. Separately, the expression level of the MS4A4A gene provided 82.6% confidence. Combining the viral load with MS4A4A improved the prediction to 91.3%. The best model integrating the viral load, the ISG15 and MS4A4A genes, provided 100 percent accuracy on the test dataset," the scientists wrote in an article in The Journal of Infectious Diseases.
As immunologist Mikhail Bolkov explained to Izvestia, the main value of this work lies in the possibility of creating a cure for Ebola in the future.
— Researchers have identified biomarkers related, among other things, to the regulation of macrophages, cells of the immune system. When using their combination, the accuracy of the forecast in the framework of the study reached 100%. But the main thing is that scientists have managed to identify the key mechanisms of the immune response, which can eventually lead to death. This opens up opportunities for the development of targeted therapy aimed at macrophages and capable of stopping the pathological process. This approach will potentially prevent the severe course of the disease in patients," the specialist noted.
To date, there is no specific treatment for Ebola. Previously, vaccines were created against the most common strain of the virus, Zaire. However, the current outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo is linked to another variant of the pathogen, Bundibugio, against which existing vaccines are ineffective. Drugs targeting this strain are already being developed in Russia and a number of other countries, but clinical trials are needed to confirm their safety and effectiveness, which take time.
The outbreak in DR Congo
The situation in Africa continues to deteriorate. In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the number of cases exceeded 1 thousand people. During the outbreak, 254 deaths were registered, 100 patients recovered, and 365 cases remain in hospitals. During the outbreak, 17 medical workers died, and another 75 became infected. On June 20, the first suspected Ebola patient was reported by the Israeli Ministry of Health. Rospotrebnadzor sent specialists to the region and handed over 7 thousand test systems for virus diagnosis.
— Our test is based on real-time PCR. Accordingly, the uniqueness lies in the fact that in Russia this is, in fact, the first and only test, and in the world it is one of the few currently working with 100% sensitivity and specificity," said PhD, head of the scientific group for the development of new methods for the diagnosis of natural focal diseases of the Central Research Institute of Epidemiology. Rospotrebnadzor Evgeny Morozkin.
Virologist Anatoly Altstein agrees that the new data is of interest from the point of view of creating means to combat a deadly infection.
— In practical terms, it may be possible to implement them in new approaches to treatment. However, this requires additional research, which may take a considerable amount of time. Understanding targets is an important step in drug development, as it allows us to study the effects of various substances and select the most promising options," the specialist noted.
However, he stressed that working with the Ebola virus remains extremely difficult due to its high risk and is carried out only in specialized centers where all conditions are available.
At the same time, according to Andrey Prodeus, the chief freelance allergologist and immunologist of the Moscow region, the results obtained are still insufficient for practical application, since they do not reveal the mechanisms of the virus' action and are limited to observational data.
— One of the described genes is indeed involved in many infectious processes, the other is associated with processes in neuroglia. However, the work does not consider the mechanisms of this relationship — it is rather about the identified correlation," the specialist explained.
According to him, further in-depth research is needed to create new Ebola treatment methods based on these data.
Переведено сервисом «Яндекс Переводчик»
