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An Amphibian Host Defense Peptide Is Virucidal for Human H1 Hemagglutinin-Bearing Influenza Viruses

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  • An Amphibian Host Defense Peptide Is Virucidal for Human H1 Hemagglutinin-Bearing Influenza Viruses

    Immunity. 2017 Apr 18;46(4):587-595. doi: 10.1016/j.immuni.2017.03.018.
    An Amphibian Host Defense Peptide Is Virucidal for Human H1 Hemagglutinin-Bearing Influenza Viruses.

    Holthausen DJ1, Lee SH1, Kumar VT2, Bouvier NM3, Krammer F3, Ellebedy AH1, Wrammert J1, Lowen AC1, George S2, Pillai MR2, Jacob J4.
    Author information

    Abstract

    Although vaccines confer protection against influenza A viruses, antiviral treatment becomes the first line of defense during pandemics because there is insufficient time to produce vaccines. Current antiviral drugs are susceptible to drug resistance, and developing new antivirals is essential. We studied host defense peptides from the skin of the South Indian frog and demonstrated that one of these, which we named "urumin," is virucidal for H1 hemagglutinin-bearing human influenza A viruses. This peptide specifically targeted the conserved stalk region of H1 hemagglutinin and was effective against drug-resistant H1 influenza viruses. Using electron microscopy, we showed that this peptide physically destroyed influenza virions. It also protected naive mice from lethal influenza infection. Urumin represents a unique class of anti-influenza virucide that specifically targets the hemagglutinin stalk region, similar to targeting of antibodies induced by universal influenza vaccines. Urumin therefore has the potential to contribute to first-line anti-viral treatments during influenza outbreaks.
    Copyright ? 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.


    KEYWORDS:

    antiviral; host defense peptide; influenza; innate immunity

    PMID: 28423338 DOI: 10.1016/j.immuni.2017.03.018

  • #2
    Immunity. 2017 Apr 18;46(4):517-518. doi: 10.1016/j.immuni.2017.04.007.
    Treating Flu with Skin of Frog.

    Crowe JE Jr1.
    Author information

    Abstract

    Glands in frog skin secrete substances that possess broad antimicrobial function. Holthausen et al. mined this soup of natural products and discovered a peptide that destroys diverse human influenza strains (Holthausen et al., 2017). This study points the way to the discovery of novel anti-influenza molecules targeting conserved elements on influenza surface proteins.
    Copyright ? 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.


    PMID: 28423328 DOI: 10.1016/j.immuni.2017.04.007

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