New experimental antibiotic could inhibit life-threatening viral infections with no cure

In an effort to find a permanent cure for life-threatening viral infections that take thousands of lives each year, researchers at the Florida campus of The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) claim to have identified a potential treatment for a number of deadly viruses that have no cure so far.

For the first time, the TSRI researchers have also identified a previously unknown process that seems to promote an infection in the viruses that cause life-threatening infections, including Ebola, West Nile and dengue. All these viruses currently lack vaccines and treatments.

According to the study published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the researchers have designed an experimental vaccine that could be used as a potential treatment to prevent the viruses from producing an infection.

Knowing the fact that such viruses use a specific molecule to enter the cell, the researchers explain, "In the study, we were able to show how a second molecule plays a major and previously unknown role in that process. We also show an antibiotic called duramycin inhibits the actions of this molecule.”

During the study, the researchers found that a lipid called phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) has a role to play in the viral entry. PE is present on the surface of the viruses. According to the researchers, duramycin works by blocking the entry of the virus by attacking itself to the PE receptors.

TSRI Associate Professor Hyeryun Choe further says that their research findings deepens the team's understanding of the infection process and could prove to be an effective broad-spectrum antiviral strategy.

Filoviruses like Ebola and flaviviruses like West Nile and dengue have emerged as major health concerns leading to the deaths of thousands of people around the world each year. The most dangerous is the dengue virus and it is estimated that more than 100 million people are at the risk of getting infected by it annually.

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