Scientists from the Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School Singapore recently discovered a new way the dengue virus suppresses the immune system. This discovery can help further understanding about the virus, aiding in the development of more efficient medications.

The long-time method, considered to be the most effective, involved using vector control to target the virus. This is based on the elusiveness of the virus, which deterred proper development of vaccines and treatment.

The study results were published in the journal PLOS Pathogens, detailing how researchers from Duke-NUS, from the Program in Emerging Infectious Diseases, discovered an innovative way in which dengue virus-2 attacks the immune system.

The researchers discovered that the virus enters a cell and produces large amounts of viral RNA, called sfRNA, a component of the dengue virus’s genetic material. According to researchers, the virus attaches to proteins in the cell that normally produce antiviral proteins when under attack. This newly discovered interaction indicates that the cell can no longer produce antiviral defenses.

Professor Mariano Garcia-Blanco, senior study author, from EID, said in a statement, “These findings were surprising because in 30 years of RNA and dengue related research this new mechanism was never discovered.” Garcia-Blanco continued, “We not only found a new way in which the pathogen (dengue virus) interferes with the host response (human immune system) we also uncovered the first mechanistic insight into how this non-coding RNA works. This discovery opens the door to explore therapeutics through this channel.”

Associate Professor Eng Eong Ooi, Deputy Director of EID, noted, “The dengue virus employs multiple strategies to evade our immune responses. These strategies provide the virus with redundancies so that if one approach fails, it has others to provide it with the necessary means to thrive.”

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the dengue virus is one of the leading causes of illness and death among the tropics and subtropics, estimating that nearly 400 million people become infected annually. Dengue is transmitted by mosquito bites.