SCIENTISTS IDENTIFY HOW ANDES VIRUS ATTACHES TO HUMAN CELLS

Scientists at Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Institut Pasteur and LSU Health Shreveport say they have identified how Andes hantavirus recognises a protein on human cells. Their study, published in Nature, examined how a spike protein on the virus attaches to a cell-surface receptor called PCDH1. The researchers say this attachment allows the virus to enter a cell and multiply. Ramandeep Kaur of LSU Health Shreveport was a co-first author, and Kartik Chandran of Albert Einstein College of Medicine was a co-corresponding author.

Earlier research had established that the virus used PCDH1 to infect cells, but had not explained how its spike protein attached to the receptor. “Our latest work solves this puzzle: We reveal a new way in which a virus can capture its receptor during infection and also suggest how we can fight back with therapies targeted to exploit the resulting viral vulnerability,” Chandran said. Rohit Jangra of LSU Health Shreveport said rodents carry hantaviruses and people can become infected accidentally. Human infections mainly follow inhalation of airborne virus particles from infected rodents’ urine, droppings or saliva.

The researchers cited an Andes hantavirus outbreak aboard a cruise ship earlier this year in which three passengers died and 13 became ill. More than 20 hantaviruses are known to cause illness in humans. Andes virus is the only one known to spread between people, typically through close and prolonged contact. Hantaviruses can cause pulmonary syndrome, a severe respiratory illness that can rapidly lead to breathing failure. No vaccines or treatments have been approved for Andes virus, and the researchers say the finding could guide work on therapies for it and other hantaviruses.