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New research from McGill University revealed that a virus infecting the parasite Leishmania was spread by exploiting a mechanism used for cell-to-cell communication, a discovery that could pave the way for new vaccines against infections at the origin of serious disfigurement.
Like animals, viruses evolve to improve their chances of survival. Every year, the influenza virus spreads by altering the key proteins present on its surface, in order to make our immune system believe that it has never met the pathogen. The herpes simplex virus, meanwhile, is hidden in the brain – a forbidden zone to your body's defenses – until the next time it's ready to attack.
Martin Olivier, Principal Investigator of the Program "Infectious Diseases and Immunity in Global Health" of the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Center, recently showed that a virus infecting a primitive cell type – the Leishmania parasite – also cunning to avoid detection.
In a study recently published in Microbiology of natureOlivier has discovered that the Leishmania 1 RNA virus (LRV1) is hiding in tiny vessels – called exosomes – that Leishmania parasites use to "communicate" with each other.
"This is the first time that a non-enveloped double-stranded RNA virus has been shown to be able to exploit lower eukaryotic exosomes to gain an envelope," explains Professor Olivier, also a professor of microbiology and immunology. "By hiding in these" communication modules ", the virus is protected from external threats and the infection of other Leishmania cells is facilitated."
Olivier and his colleagues also showed that leishmaniasis cases were significantly more aggressive when the parasites were infected with the LRV1 virus.
"This provides us with a new model for studying viral biology and the mechanisms regulating the release of the virus by host cells," adds Olivier. "Ultimately, the use of Leishmania exosomes containing the virus could lead to an effective vaccine against Leishmania viannia guyanensis – a particular strain of Leishmania that causes LRV1 infection."
The Leishmania parasite, mainly found in the tropics, is transmitted by sandflies and causes about one million cases of leishmaniasis per year, leaving thousands dead and leaving many others disfigured.
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Material provided by McGill University. Note: Content can be changed for style and length.
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