Indian scientists unravel dengue ?mystery?
Savita Verma
NEW DELHI, Oct. 18: In a landmark discovery that may hasten development of drugs and vaccines against the deadly dengue, which has already claimed over 100 lives in the country this year, Indian scientists have discovered a crucial mechanism through which the dengue virus enters the blood platelets, leading to lowering of platelet count, which is one of the main reason for haemorrhage and death in patients.
Currently there is no vaccine against the disease and treatment is only symptomatic. The discovery has been made by the Institute of Immuno haematology, Mumbai, in collaboration with the National Institute of Virology, Pune, after three to four years of hard work.
The director general of the Indian Council of Medical Research, General N K Ganguly, said the discovery had been patented and government was open to collaboration with private players for taking the discovery further.
Scientists found that platelets have a region called ?CD36 receptor?, which acts as the gateway for the virus entry into the platelets. Virus enters the platelets through this region, he said.
?Drugs and vaccines which block this receptor may be possible in the future. Once the virus is stopped from entering the platelets, their count would not lower and there will be no death,? he said.
Ganguly said making a vaccine against dengue was a difficult process as there were four types (sub-types) of the virus and a vaccine should be effective against all four. Besides the virus may also mutate. Speaking of the current dengue outbreak, he said three sub-types of the virus ~ DENI, DENII and DENIII ~ have been found in the country. This is a cause of worry as it may lead to cases of multiple infections by different strains in the same person. ?We don?t know how it would manifest,? he said.
Occurrence of different strains coupled with global warming was leading to breaking of the dengue cycle (the outbreaks were earlier cyclical happenings every three-four years), he said, and added that the disease was now being reported almost every other year. The figure for dengue has already reached close to 6423 and 107 deaths. Last year there were 11,985 cases and 157 deaths, in 2004 there were 4,153 cases and 45 deaths, while in 2003 there were 12,754 cases and 215 deaths. In 2002, there were 1,926 cases and 33 deaths and in 2001 there were 3,306 cases and 53 deaths. While, earlier the disease was reported during post rainy season, now cases were being reported even in early winter.
Savita Verma
NEW DELHI, Oct. 18: In a landmark discovery that may hasten development of drugs and vaccines against the deadly dengue, which has already claimed over 100 lives in the country this year, Indian scientists have discovered a crucial mechanism through which the dengue virus enters the blood platelets, leading to lowering of platelet count, which is one of the main reason for haemorrhage and death in patients.
Currently there is no vaccine against the disease and treatment is only symptomatic. The discovery has been made by the Institute of Immuno haematology, Mumbai, in collaboration with the National Institute of Virology, Pune, after three to four years of hard work.
The director general of the Indian Council of Medical Research, General N K Ganguly, said the discovery had been patented and government was open to collaboration with private players for taking the discovery further.
Scientists found that platelets have a region called ?CD36 receptor?, which acts as the gateway for the virus entry into the platelets. Virus enters the platelets through this region, he said.
?Drugs and vaccines which block this receptor may be possible in the future. Once the virus is stopped from entering the platelets, their count would not lower and there will be no death,? he said.
Ganguly said making a vaccine against dengue was a difficult process as there were four types (sub-types) of the virus and a vaccine should be effective against all four. Besides the virus may also mutate. Speaking of the current dengue outbreak, he said three sub-types of the virus ~ DENI, DENII and DENIII ~ have been found in the country. This is a cause of worry as it may lead to cases of multiple infections by different strains in the same person. ?We don?t know how it would manifest,? he said.
Occurrence of different strains coupled with global warming was leading to breaking of the dengue cycle (the outbreaks were earlier cyclical happenings every three-four years), he said, and added that the disease was now being reported almost every other year. The figure for dengue has already reached close to 6423 and 107 deaths. Last year there were 11,985 cases and 157 deaths, in 2004 there were 4,153 cases and 45 deaths, while in 2003 there were 12,754 cases and 215 deaths. In 2002, there were 1,926 cases and 33 deaths and in 2001 there were 3,306 cases and 53 deaths. While, earlier the disease was reported during post rainy season, now cases were being reported even in early winter.
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