Immune System's Interaction with Flu Depicted in Digital Model
In a groundbreaking study published in the Journal of Virology, a team of researchers has made significant strides in understanding the immune response to influenza type A. The study, led by Ha Youn Lee, Sung Yong Park, Jeanne Holden-Wiltse, Hongyu Miao, David Topham, Joseph Hollenbaugh, Tim Mosmann, Brian Ward, John Treanor, Xia Jin, Alan Perelson, and others, has identified specific mRNAs, lncRNAs, and miRNAs that play crucial roles in host viral response and regulation of inflammation during influenza infection.
The researchers used a quantum-inspired algorithm to pinpoint genes such as FAM96A, C1orf131, and IL15, along with microRNAs like hsa-miR-4750-5p, hsa-miR-4734, and hsa-miR-122-5p, which are critical in the pathophysiology of influenza A infection. The study also highlighted miRNA–mRNA interactions involving hsa-let-7b-5p and hsa-mir-30a-5p that regulate inflammatory protein activity.
These findings offer several benefits for treatment design and pandemic preparedness. They provide molecular targets for therapeutic interventions aiming to modulate the immune response and inflammation caused by influenza A virus. By enhancing the understanding of host-pathogen interactions at the genetic and molecular level, the research can guide the development of antiviral drugs or immune modulators. Furthermore, the insights gained can inform vaccine development by identifying key immune response regulators that could improve vaccine efficacy.
The study also contributes to the development of computational and experimental models to predict immune reactions in future influenza outbreaks, thus improving rapid response strategies for pandemic preparedness.
Influenza type A viruses are classified by differing versions of key proteins, hemagglutinin (H) and neuraminidase (N), on their outer surfaces. The researchers' model predicts that drugs and vaccines that change the presentation of disease-related protein fragments (antigens) by dendritic cells to T cells could have a significant impact on a patient's recovery from the flu.
Dendritic cells, which roam the body and check each particle they come across for a self or invader "label," carry the pieces to the nearest lymph node. A strong antibody response, along with local T cell expansion, is important to ensure protection against future pandemics.
The team's model suggests that some unconventional therapies that rapidly boost immune responses might be effective in a worst-case scenario of a pandemic influenza virus. The model predicts that antiviral therapies may be more effective if taken in combination, but only if administered within two days of infection.
Lowering the viral load or spread within two days of symptoms enables rapid control of the infection, as predicted by the model. The new "global" flu model is built out of preexisting, smaller-scale models that capture simulated interactions between virtual immune cells and viruses.
The model compares the individual contribution of various immune cells in clearing influenza from the body, including dendritic cells, T cells, and antibodies. Heterosubtypic immunity to influenza depends on the number of killer T cells present in the lungs of a given individual at the start of infection.
While this study focuses on gene and miRNA regulators identified through simulation, broader efforts in pandemic preparedness also emphasize accelerating vaccine development with machine learning and integrated surveillance systems linking human and animal data, which leverage artificial intelligence to speed detection and treatment design.
The journal "Journal of Virology" has accepted a computer simulation of major portions of the body's immune reaction to influenza type A for publication. This study represents a significant step forward in our understanding of influenza and could lead to improved treatment and pandemic preparedness strategies.
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- This groundbreaking study in the Journal of Virology, focusing on the immune response to influenza type A, sheds light on the role of specific genes and microRNAs in health-and-wellness, particularly in the regulation of inflammation during medical-conditions induced by the virus.
- The insights gained from this research can inform not only the development of antiviral drugs or immune modulators, but also the design of vaccines that target key immune response regulators, enhancing their efficacy and contributing to the broader efforts in pandemic preparedness.
