Ancient viruses are animated in the laboratory
Last reviewed: 23.04.2024
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Scientists are sure that it is best to use viruses for gene therapy, first of all because of their ability to make changes in the genetic apparatus of somatic cells of the body, while the viruses are capable of further life and reproduction.
In the new research project, scientists have been able to restore several ancient viruses, in addition, specialists used them to treat laboratory animals (with diseases of the muscles, eye retina, liver).
As noted by scientists, gene therapy is referred to as experimental methods of treatment. Such treatment implies the use of genes instead of surgery or drugs - nucleic acids are introduced into the tissue, which prevent or suppress the pathological process.
Experts suggest that a new study will help to better understand the biological structure, for example, of adeno-associated viruses. Specialists intend to create a new generation of viruses to continue developing in the field of gene therapy.
The author of the new scientific project was Luc Vandenberg, from the medical school of Harvard University.
Adeno-associated viruses are microscopic microorganisms that penetrate the human body, but do not cause any pathological processes, it is due to this unique feature that these viruses are ideal for gene therapy.
Researchers have chosen one of the viruses that inhabit humans. But researchers faced one problem, as it turned out, once encountered with the virus, the immune system "recalls" it and tries to destroy it in case of repeated infection. For this reason, the effectiveness of gene therapy based on such viruses was limited.
Specialists decided to create a new type of benign adeno-associated viruses, which the immune system will not recognize, which will give enough time for the genes to be delivered to the cells. Such viruses would make gene therapy available to most patients.
Scientists note that such types of viruses are quite difficult to create, since they have a complex structure. To achieve their goals, scientists decided to use the ancient viruses. In the study of the viral pedigree, the researchers traced the history of the evolution of viruses and established what happened to them during the entire existence of the change.
In the laboratory, scientists recreated 9 ancient viruses with an integral structure. During the test on laboratory animals, they found that the oldest virus copes with the task in the most effective way, namely it delivers the necessary genes to the liver, the eye retina, muscles, while the scientists did not reveal any negative reactions from the body or the toxic effect .
Now scientists continue research and are trying to create new, more advanced forms of the virus so that they can be used in clinical practice. In addition, they intend to check whether ancient viruses can be used to treat blindness or severe liver disease and it is likely that the practice of using viruses for treatment will become the usual practice of future medicine.
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