From Yale News
March 29, 2018
A Yale-led research team developed a new RNA therapy, delivered through the nose, to treat mice infected with West Nile Virus. The innovative approach reduced the virus in the brain, allowing the immune system to destroy the virus and develop long-term protection against West Nile Virus disease, the researchers said.
The findings, published in Cell Host & Microbe, may represent a breakthrough strategy for treating West Nile Virus after virus invasion of the brain and the central nervous system, noted senior author Priti Kumar, M.D., associate professor of infectious disease at Yale School of Medicine.
There are no approved vaccines or effective therapies for West Nile Virus disease, a mosquito-borne condition. While many infected individuals have no symptoms, others — particularly the very young and older adults — can develop severe neurological problems and even die from the disease. The sporadic nature of the disease makes it exceedingly difficult for testing and implementing vaccines, said Kumar.