Fatal Measles Virus Infection Prevented by Brain-Penetrant Fusion Inhibitors
Open Access
- 15 December 2013
- journal article
- Published by American Society for Microbiology in Journal of Virology
- Vol. 87 (24), 13785-13794
- https://doi.org/10.1128/jvi.02436-13
Abstract
Measles virus (MV) infection causes an acute childhood disease that can include infection of the central nervous system and can rarely progress to severe neurological disease for which there is no specific treatment. We generated potent antiviral peptide inhibitors of MV entry and spreading and MV-induced cell fusion. Dimers of MV-specific peptides derived from the C-terminal heptad repeat region of the MV fusion protein, conjugated to cholesterol, efficiently protect SLAM transgenic mice from fatal MV infection. Fusion inhibitors hold promise for the prophylaxis of MV infection in unvaccinated and immunocompromised people, as well as potential for the treatment of grave neurological complications of measles.Keywords
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