Varanasi: With the success of the RNA-based vaccine in the management of Covid-19, it was revealed that RNA-based drugs and vaccines could play an important role in prevention of infectious diseases in the days to come.
A study conducted by researchers of the Molecular Biology Unit at the Institute of Medical Sciences, the University of Banaras Hindu (IMS-BHU) has highlighted the important role of small RNA during Chandipura virus infection, which can be used in Michorna-based therapy.
Recently, research on the pathogenesis of the Chandipura virus was carried out by Neha Pandey under the supervision of Prof.
Sunit Kumar Singh, a famous virology and head of the molecular biology unit.
This study was published in the July-2021 issue of the prestigious international scientific journal Peer Prestive, “Journal of Biomedical Science”.
“Whatever is ignored today may be a potential threat tomorrow.
Therefore, it is very important to understand the complicated mechanism of the neglected virus,” Singh said.
He said that in 1966, the Chandipura virus was found during an outbreak of fever unknown in Chandipur Village near Nagpur, Maharashtra.
The Chandipura virus attracted the attention of the virologists between 2002 and 2004, when infections were reported at Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Gujarat.
According to him, there is no special antivirus drug for the treatment of Chandipura viruses.
Prevention of vectors spreading the Chandipura virus, maintaining nutrition, health, cleanliness, and good awareness in rural areas will help in preventing risk associated with viral infections.
Brain microglial cells respond quickly to infections in the brain.
Chandipura virus infection in the brain is too active activating microglial cells and induces inflammation.
He said that this study highlights the mechanism that might be involved in worsening symptoms similar to encephalitis during chandipura virus infection.
Chandipura virus is a RNA virus.
Children under 15 years are more susceptible to Chandipura virus infections and have a higher mortality rate.
Chandipura virus spreads through infected sand and mosquitoes.
Sandflies owned by Phlebotomus SPP and Sergentomyiia SPP are reported to play a major role as a vector for Chandipura virus transmission.
There are millions of nerves and cells in the human brain.
Infection in the brain produces inflammation and disrupts the normal function of the brain.
Chandipura virus infection leads to high fever, vomiting, seizures, and other brain disorders, similar to symptoms such as encephalitis, and very affected patients can enter commas or other serious complications.
These symptoms are classified under the category of Acute Ensefalitis Syndrome (AES).
Most cases AES is considered caused by bacterial meningitis or Japanese virus encephalitis infections (JEV).
However, in more than half of AES cases, sources or factors cannot be traced.
Singh said that this study highlighted the role of MICRORNA-21 in activating microglial cells in the Chandipura virus infected with human microglious cells.
Chandipura virus infection in microglial cells confirms Microrna-21, which leads to reducing phosphatase and tensin homologous expression (PTEN) in cells.
This leads to increased activation of nuclear capa-light-chain-enhancer nuclear factors that are activated (NF-KAPPAB P65) in human microglial cells.
Activation of NF-KAPPAB P65 promotes the reaction that contributes to the irregularity of symptoms associated with encephalitis.