Yale University researchers have developed a new RNA therapy as a means of combating the West Nile Virus.
Study details published in Cell Host & Microbe showed how the approach, delivered through the nose of mice infected with the virus, reduced the virus in the brain, allowing the immune system to destroy the virus and develop long-term protection against the disease.
Investigators said the work involved focusing on a small interfering RNA molecule, noting RNA acts against multiple mosquito-borne flaviviruses.
As a means of directing the RNA to infected cells, researchers packaged it in a peptide derived from the rabies virus, which is able to enter nerve cells.
They said the final step was to the deliver the therapy through the nose where it could bypass natural barriers protecting the brain.
Researchers concluded the treatment offers a promising late-stage therapy and lifelong immunity. It prevents pathology in the brain and gives the mice a chance to develop a robust immune response.
Currently, there are no approved vaccines or effective therapies for West Nile Virus disease, officials said. While many infected individuals have no symptoms, others can develop severe neurological problems and even die from the disease.
Researchers maintain the sporadic nature of the disease makes it exceedingly difficult for testing and implementing vaccines.