IISc researchers working on anti-virals for mosquito-borne diseases

Johnson and Johnson was working on the dengue antiviral for long time.
Researchers point to the need for antivirals as mosquito borne diseases are rising not just in India, but globally. No country has any antivirals so far.
Researchers point to the need for antivirals as mosquito borne diseases are rising not just in India, but globally. No country has any antivirals so far.Representative image
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BENGALURU: Vaccines and antiviral, although not very effective are there for flu virus, however there are none which are clinically approved for mosquito borne viral diseases like Dengue, Zika and Chikungunya.

Realising the need for them in the era of global warming and with rising incidents in mosquito borne viral diseases, a team of researchers from the Department of Microbiology and Cell Biology at the Indian Institute of Science’s (IISc’s) Centre for Infectious Disease Research laboratory are working on antivirals for mosquito borne viral diseases.

Speaking to The New Indian Express, Shashank Tripathi, assistant professor, from the department said earlier these viral diseases were more prevalent regions in the global south. But now because of global warming, incidents of mosquito borne viral diseases are also being reported from norther hemisphere region in the last decade.

“Mosquito borne viruses are always around us. Their increase or decrease of cases is seasonal. While there are vaccines for influenza, there is nothing for mosquito borne viral diseases, only symptomatic treatment is given. There is no specific drug for the treatment. Our lab is undertaking early discovery and preclinical development of antivirals for mosquito borne viruses like Dengue, Zika and JEV. Hopefully clinical trials in future,” he said.

Researchers point to the need for antivirals as mosquito borne diseases are rising not just in India, but globally. No country has any antivirals so far.

Johnson and Johnson was working on the dengue antiviral for long time. In October 2024 they pulled out from Phase-2 clinical trial of their Antiviral candidate drug Mosnodenvir.

The research team in IISc is focusing on Aedes aegypti mosquito, which is found during the day time. It hosts many flavi- viruses like Dengue, Zika and Japanese encephalitis viruses. The research team is looking for answers to questions- What is special about the mosquito, Why do these viruses like the mosquito and what are the human factors the mosquito borne viruses prefer.

The Centre for Infectious Disease Research laboratory studies varied types of viruses in length. Tripathi said the team is studying how viruses over power their host despite producing a limited amount of proteins. It is also to be noted that viruses rapidly resist hurdles by changing their genomes, due to which making antivirals and vaccines against them is difficult

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