Mass spectrometry offers new clues to treat dengue infection
Excerpt from the open-access journal PLoS Pathogens news story, Research points to possible new route to fight dengue virus:
Researchers have identified enzymes and biochemical compounds called lipids that are targeted and modified by the dengue virus during infection, suggesting a potential new approach to control the aggressive mosquito-borne pathogen. Their results appear March 22nd in the Open Access Journal PLoS Pathogens.
Findings also suggest that medications used to treat high cholesterol and other lipid-related conditions might also inhibit dengue's replication and could represent a potential new therapy. The researchers have identified how infected mosquito cells undergo changes to certain lipids in membranes and in biochemical sensors that alert cells of invading viruses.
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EMSL’s high-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry capability played a key role in the analysis of dengue-infected mosquito cells and revealed that membrane remodeling is directly linked to a unique lipid repertoire induced by dengue virus infection.
Learn more by reading the related Purdue University news item.
Reference: Perera R, C Riley, G Isaac, AS Hopf-Jannasch, RJ Moore, KW Weitz, L Pasa-Tolic, TO Metz, J Adamec, RJ Kuhn. 2012. “Dengue Virus Infection Perturbs Lipid Homeostasis in Infected Mosquito Cells.” PLoS Pathogens 8(3):e1002584. doi:10.1371/journal.ppat.1002584.
Released: March 28, 2012
