Scientists have illuminated the process by which a highly infectious virus, recently transmitted from animals to humans, gains entry into human cells.
Dr. Isaacs said the virus caused fever and severe respiratory symptoms and was from the same class of viruses as the deadly Nipah and Hendra viruses.
“It’s important we understand the inner workings of these emerging viruses, which is where our work comes in.”
The research team in front of UQ’s cryogenic electron microscope, L-R Dr. Ariel Isaacs, Associate Professor Daniel Watterson, Dr. Naphak Modhiran, and Dr. Yu Shang Low. Credit: The University of Queensland
The team used UQ’s molecular clamp technology to hold the fusion protein of the Langya virus in place to uncover the atomic structure using cryogenic electron microscopy at UQ’s Centre for Microscopy & Microanalysis.
“Understanding the structure and how it enters cells is a critical step towards developing vaccines and treatments to combat Henipavirus infections,” Dr. Isaacs said.
“There are currently no treatments or vaccines for them, and they have the potential to cause a widespread outbreak.”
Associate Professor Daniel Watterson, a senior researcher on the project, said they also saw that the Langya virus fusion protein structure is similar to the deadly Hendra virus, which first emerged in southeast Queensland in 1994.
“These are viruses that can cause severe disease and have the potential to get out of control if we’re not properly prepared,” Dr Watterson said.
“We saw with COVID-19 how unprepared the world was for a widespread viral outbreak and we want to be better equipped for the next outbreak.”
The researchers will now work to develop broad-spectrum human vaccines and treatments for Henipaviruses, such as Langya, Nipah, and Hendra.
Reference: “Structure and antigenicity of divergent Henipavirus fusion glycoproteins” by Ariel Isaacs, Yu Shang Low, Kyle L. Macauslane, Joy Seitanidou, Cassandra L. Pegg, Stacey T. M. Cheung, Benjamin Liang, Connor A. P. Scott, Michael J. Landsberg, Benjamin L. Schulz, Keith J. Chappell, Naphak Modhiran and Daniel Watterson, 16 June 2023, Nature Communications.
DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-39278-8
UQ acknowledges the support of the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations, the Queensland and Australian governments and philanthropic partners.
News
An easy pill to swallow—new 3D printing research paves way for personalized medication
A new technique for 3D printing medication has enabled the printing of multiple drugs in a single tablet, paving the way for personalized pills that can deliver timed doses. Researchers from the University of [...]
Revolutionary “Quartet Nanocage” Vaccine Effective Against Coronaviruses That Haven’t Even Emerged Yet
Researchers have created a new vaccine technology that, in tests with mice, has demonstrated protection against a wide variety of coronaviruses, including those that could cause future disease outbreaks—even those not yet identified. This [...]
Researchers Warn: AI Systems Have Already Learned How To Deceive Humans
Numerous artificial intelligence (AI) systems, even those designed to be helpful and truthful, have already learned how to deceive humans. In a review article recently published in the journal Patterns, researchers highlight the dangers of [...]
MIT’s New MRI Technique Reveals Hidden Light Deep in the Brain
A novel MRI technique developed at MIT allows for detailed imaging of bioluminescence deep within the brain, offering new insights into how brain cells develop and communicate with each other. Scientists often label cells with proteins [...]
Revolutionary mRNA Cancer Vaccine Shows Immense Promise in First-Ever Human Clinical Trial
In a first-ever human clinical trial of four adult patients, an mRNA cancer vaccine created at the University of Florida rapidly reprogrammed the immune system to target glioblastoma, the deadliest and most aggressive form of brain [...]
Human brain map contains never-before-seen details of structure
A cubic millimeter of brain tissue may not sound like much. But considering that tiny square contains 57,000 cells, 230 millimeters of blood vessels, and 150 million synapses, all amounting to 1,400 terabytes of [...]
AI Ethics Surpass Human Judgment in New Moral Turing Test
AI’s ability to address moral questions is improving, which prompts further considerations for the future. A recent study revealed that when individuals are given two solutions to a moral dilemma, the majority tend to [...]
AstraZeneca removes its Covid vaccine worldwide after rare side effect
AstraZeneca withdraws COVID-19 vaccine: The pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine is being withdrawn worldwide after the company acknowledged for the first time in court documents that it can cause a rare and dangerous side [...]
AI Transforms Drug Discovery With Faster, Safer Cancer Treatments
The new platform helped UC San Diego scientists synthesize 32 potential multi-target cancer drugs. Scientists at UC San Diego have developed a machine learning algorithm to simulate the time-consuming chemistry involved in the earliest phases of [...]
Nanotech opens door to future of insulin medication
An international team, led by researchers from Australia, have developed a system using nanotechnology that could allow people with diabetes to take oral insulin in the future. The researchers say the new insulin could [...]
COVID-19’s Impact on Child Development More Subtle Than Expected
Researchers at Johns Hopkins Children’s Center express that the study results offer a sense of reassurance, instilling “guarded optimism” regarding the developmental outcomes of young children who have been exposed to restrictions stemming from [...]
New Hope for Neurological Disorders: Scientists Have Discovered How an Essential Nutrient Enters the Brain
Researchers have discovered the process by which dietary choline crosses the blood-brain barrier. This breakthrough has potential applications in enhancing drug delivery to the brain for treating neurological disorders. A researcher from the University of [...]
Developing a tech platform for fast, robust series production of nanoparticles
Nucleic acid-based medications such as mRNA vaccines offer tremendous potential for medicine and are opening up new therapeutic approaches. These active ingredients must be enclosed inside nanoparticles to ensure that they get to where [...]
Unlocking Medical Mysteries: Tyche AI’s Revolutionary Insight Into Ambiguity
By providing plausible label maps for one medical image, the Tyche machine-learning model could help clinicians and researchers capture crucial information. In biomedicine, segmentation involves annotating pixels from an important structure in a medical [...]
Scientists Decode the Molecular Impact of Exercise
MoTrPAC examined the molecular effects of exercise on 2,600 volunteers, incorporating factors like age, race, and gender diversity. Building upon research in rats, MoTrPAC discovered over 35,000 biological molecules responding to endurance exercise and [...]
Prostate Cancer Breakthrough: Urine Test Avoids Unnecessary Biopsies
A study in JAMA Oncology reveals that MyProstateScore 2.0, a new urine test analyzing 18 genes, surpasses PSA in detecting significant prostate cancers and could reduce unnecessary biopsies by up to 42%. A new urine test [...]
