DoD targets South American disease through $2.5 million grant

Concern over the neurologically disastrous — and sometimes fatal — effects of the Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus (VEEV) has prompted the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) to invest $2.5 million into a related, five-year research grant.

Leading the team is Kylene Kehn-Hall, an associate professor from George Mason University. She will be assisted by scientists from the University of Maryland and molecular technologies/genomics analysis solutions company QIAGEN.

“The virus has no cure and can be easily aerosolized and weaponized,” Kehn-Hall said. “I would like to identify specific targets for the therapeutic countermeasures and show in a mouse model that we can prevent this disease.”

VEEV is a mosquito-borne disease that attacks neurons in the brain, causing swelling therein. Kehn-Hall and her team hope to progress toward treatment of the illness by identifying those events that aid the virus’s invasion and assault. Researchers want to find a way to inhibit the virus’ growth.

Kehn-Hall’s team also includes Jonathan Dinman from the University of Maryland and QIAGEN’s Jonathan Jacobs. Specifically, the team will research and identify the mosquito-borne pathogen’s pathways to brain cells.

“When brain cells die, bad things happen,” Dinman said. “Our goal is to come up with a remedy that won’t stop the virus, but one that will stop this pathology.”