A set of encrypted signals similar to Human Parechovirus was identified in a plant virus with a single-stranded ribonucleic acid (RNA) genome.
Highlights
- A decoding mechanism within the genome of Human Parechovirus which causes common cold, polio has been identified.
- The details of the decoding mechanism appear identical //in all strains of the virus.
- The mechanism relies on multiple dispersed sites in the genome that act together in a cooperative way to enable efficient virus formation.
The team is now working to screen for potential anti-viral drugs that target this decoding mechanism. Successful future partnerships with the pharma-industry and further funding support could potentially see drug development results within the next ten years.
Professor Reidun Twarock, a mathematical biologist at the University of York's Departments of Mathematics, Biology, and the York Centre for Complex Systems Analysis, said: "Previously scientists have assumed that the signals regulating the assembly of a virus were located in a unique area of the genome.
"Using a combination of biological insight and mathematical modelling, our study suggests that, by contrast, the mechanism relies on multiple dispersed sites in the genome that act together in a cooperative way to enable efficient virus formation.
"The common cold infects more than two billion people annually, making it one of the most successful viral pathogens, so we are excited to make this crucial step forward."
Professor Peter Stockley, from the Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology at the University of Leeds, said: "The coding works like the cogwheels in a Swiss watch. We now need a drug that has the same effect as pouring sand into the watch; every part of the viral mechanism could be disabled.
The World Health Organisation has a goal of eliminating polio infections worldwide via vaccination but recognises that before vaccination can be terminated there is a need to develop anti-polio drugs to cure residual infections.
Professor Sarah Butcher, from the University of Helsinki, said, "This new research means that treatment would be less likely to trigger drug resistance, which is currently one of the major problems in anti-viral therapy. This discovery could be a great leap forward in curing a host of conditions."
Reference
- Peter Stockley et al., Scientists close in on cracking 'Enigma Code' of common cold, Nature Communications (2017).
Source-Medindia