Using JLP Health’s screening technology, a European research team identifies that infected mice are protected from disease by reducing LDLR
Vienna (OTS) – A study published today in Nature Microbiology was conducted by scientists from Austria’s JLP Health GmbH in collaboration with researchers from the Vienna Institute of Molecular Biotechnology of the Austrian Academy of Sciences (IMBA), the Karolinska Institutet and the Karolinska University Hospital in Stockholm, Sweden , reveals a new cell entry receptor for the Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF) virus.
Using JLP Health’s screening technology, this interdisciplinary study found that the LDL (low density lipoprotein) receptor interacts directly with proteins on the virus envelope. This receptor enables the virus to dock and penetrate into the human cell and, as a result, the virus to multiply and spread. In mice infected with the CCHF virus, it was demonstrated that limiting LDLR expression leads to a significant decrease in disease symptoms.
The CCHF virus is transmitted by the Hyalomma tick and causes serious symptoms that can be life-threatening. With 10,000 to 15,000 infections worldwide annually, 500 of which are reported as fatal, the CCHF virus is ranked second on the WHO’s list of priority viral infections with epidemic potential. This particular virus is widespread in regions such as the Balkans, the Middle East, Africa and Asia. Now climate changes are expanding the habitat of the Hyalomma tick and the virus has already been detected in EU countries such as Spain, France, Greece and Bulgaria. There are currently no specific medications or vaccines, so infected people can only be treated symptomatically.
Vanessa Monteil, virologist and first author of the study, emphasizes that “the CCHF virus poses a major threat to human health and this study provides important insights into how the virus interacts with our body.” LDLR is a well-studied receptor is best known for its central role in cholesterol homeostasis. The researchers in this study demonstrated the potential of using soluble LDLR variants as bait to trap the virus and thus prevent the CCHF virus from entering cells.
“Climate change is driving the dramatic spread of CCHF virus infections in Europe. The new understanding of how the virus enters our cells gives us a key competency for the development of rational CCHF virus-specific therapies,” says Moritz Horn, Chief Scientific Officer of JLP Health.
JLP Health, together with its partners, is exploring the potential of LDLR for future treatment options for CCHF viral infections.
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Further information about this study can be found at: DOI 10.1038/s41564-024-01672-3
“This project was funded by the Innovative Medicines Initiative 2 Joint Undertaking (JU) under grant agreement No. 101005026. The JU receives support from the European Union’s Horizon Research and Innovation Program 2020 and EFPIA (European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations).”
About JLP Health
JLP Health is a private biotechnology company based in Vienna focused on discovering new drug targets to develop innovative therapies for diseases with high unmet medical needs. Founded by Josef Penninger and colleagues, JLP Health uses unique and unbiased genetic screening approaches with unprecedented structural resolution (structural biology through genetics) to understand molecular mechanisms required for the action of cancer drugs. In addition to the oncology focus, this platform technology is used to detect host cell factors that are essential for viral infections. Through these screening capabilities, JLP Health also explores molecular mechanisms of natural products to develop rational treatment options based on a fundamental understanding of drug actions.
DISCLAIMER and FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
The information contained in this press release contains forward-looking statements that involve a number of risks and uncertainties. The forward-looking statements made herein represent JLP Health’s judgment as of the date of this press release. Such forward-looking statements are neither promises nor guarantees, but are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond our control and which may result in the actual results may differ materially from those expressed in these forward-looking statements. JLP Health undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements contained in this press release as a result of new information or future events or developments.
This press release does not constitute medical advice and is for informational purposes only. Any medical information contained in this post is not a substitute for appropriate professional advice.
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