IAV Develops Safe Nipah Virus-Like Particles for Research

Scientists at the Institute of Advanced Virology (IAV) in Thonnakkal, Thiruvananthapuram, have come up with a new way to make Nipah virus-like particles (VLPs) that are not contagious but look like the wild-type Nipah virus (NiV). This new discovery makes it possible to make antibodies that neutralize NiV that work better and safer in less biosafety-sensitive circumstances.

Contextual Overview

The Nipah virus is a very dangerous zoonotic disease that can kill up to 80% of people who get it. Because NiV is infectious, it needs to be handled and studied with Biosafety Level-4. But there aren’t many studies that include virus neutralization tests, which makes it harder to come up with specific treatments and vaccines.

Development of NiV-VLPs

The IAV’s method uses plasmid-based genes to make “HiBiT-tagged” NiV-VLPs that contain important virus structural proteins. There are functional and morphological similarities between these lab-made VLPs and the wild Nipah Virus. However, they cannot reproduce because they do not contain viral genetic material.

Advantages of NiV-VLPs

Using NiV-VLPs makes it possible to do virus neutralization tests in Biosafety Level-2 labs instead of Level-4 labs. This greatly lowers the risks and makes it possible to do more research. Adding a HiBiT tag also makes these studies more sensitive and accurate, which could speed up the development of vaccines and antiviral drugs.

More About Nipah virus-like particles (VLPs)

Nipah virus-like particles (VLPs) are non-infectious mimics of the actual Nipah virus, used primarily in research, especially for vaccine development. These VLPs contain some parts of the virus but not its DNA, so they do not pose a risk of infection. VLPs cause immune responses that are similar to those caused by natural viruses. This makes them useful for understanding how viruses interact with their hosts and how they get around the immune system. Nipah VLPs are very important for testing vaccines because they are safer than live viruses. They have also been critical during outbreaks where Nipah’s high death rate (up to 75%) requires quick, successful vaccine strategies.

Month: Current Affairs - June, 2024

Category: Science & Technology Current Affairs