Biomedical sciences researchers find new way to prevent and cure
rotavirus, other viral infections

Date:
October 2, 2020
Source:
Georgia State University
Summary:
A combination of two substances secreted by the immune system can
cure and prevent rotavirus infection, as well as potentially treat
other viral infections that target epithelial cells, which cover
body surfaces such as skin, blood vessels, organs and the urinary
tract, according to researchers.



FULL STORY ==========================================================================
A combination of two substances secreted by the immune system can
cure and prevent rotavirus infection, as well as potentially treat
other viral infections that target epithelial cells, which cover body
surfaces such as skin, blood vessels, organs and the urinary tract,
according to researchers in the Institute for Biomedical Sciences at
Georgia State University.


========================================================================== Rotavirus, which causes severe, life-threatening diarrhea in
young children and moderate gastrointestinal distress in adults,
leads to thousands of deaths in children annually, particularly in
developing countries where rotavirus vaccines are only moderately
effective. Rotavirus is an RNA virus that primarily infects intestinal epithelial cells.

The substances identified in the study, officially known as cytokines,
are interleukin 18 (IL-18) and interleukin 22 (IL-22). IL-18 and IL-22
are produced when the body detects a protein in the whip-like appendage
of bacteria.

The study, which investigated how these cytokines inhibit rotavirus
infection, found when mice were treated with both IL-18 and IL-22, the cytokines promoted each other's expression, but also impeded rotavirus
by independent, distinct mechanisms that involved activating receptors
in intestinal epithelial cells.

These actions resulted in rapid and complete expulsion of rotavirus,
even in hosts with severely compromised immune systems. The therapy
was also found to be effective for norovirus, a contagious virus that
causes vomiting and diarrhea. The findings are published in the journal
Science Immunology.

"Our study reports a novel means of eradicating a viral infection,
particularly viruses that infect epithelial cells," said Dr. Andrew
Gewirtz, senior author of the study and a professor in the Institute
for Biomedical Sciences at Georgia State. "The results suggest that a
cocktail that combines IL-18 and IL- 22 could be a means of treating
viral infections that target short-lived epithelial cells with high
turnover rates." The study is funded by grants from the National
Institutes of Health.


========================================================================== Story Source: Materials provided by Georgia_State_University. Note:
Content may be edited for style and length.


========================================================================== Journal Reference:
1. Zhan Zhang, Jun Zou, Zhenda Shi, Benyue Zhang, Lucie Etienne-Mesmin,
Yanling Wang, Xuyan Shi, Feng Shao, Benoit Chassaing, and Andrew T.

Gewirtz. IL-22-induced cell extrusion and IL-18-induced cell
death prevent and cure rotavirus infection. Science Immunology,
2020 DOI: 10.1126/sciimmunol.abd2876 ==========================================================================

Link to news story: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/10/201002141910.htm

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