PRESS-NEWS.org - Press Release Distribution
PRESS RELEASES DISTRIBUTION

Breakthrough could lead to protection from fatal infections

Research shows that deletion of the Epac1 gene protects from fatal rickettsiosis

2013-12-13
(Press-News.org) Contact information: Raul Reyes
rareyes@utmb.edu
409-747-0794
University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston
Breakthrough could lead to protection from fatal infections Research shows that deletion of the Epac1 gene protects from fatal rickettsiosis Researchers at the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston have discovered a way to block a disease pathway that could be a breakthrough in defeating some of the world's most devastating human infections.

Rickettsioses are a group of insect-borne diseases caused by bacteria. One type, typhus fever, has been cited as a high-level threat by the National Institutes of Health because the bacteria can spread and multiply very easily, and the untreated infection can lead to death.

What researchers at UTMB have found is a way to protect against what can be a fatal rickettsial infection. Their findings appear in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

"Even more exciting, there is preliminary evidence that the experimental drug we have identified as being effective against rickettsiae may also be effective against viruses," said Dr. David Walker, chairman of the department of pathology at UTMB and executive director for the Center for Biodefense and Emerging Infectious Diseases.

Many scientists are concerned that temperature increases due to global climate change will lead to more widespread cases of rickettsioses, since the bacteria are spread by ticks, lice, fleas and chiggers that thrive in warmer climates. In addition, because the bacteria are easily transmitted, they could pose a bioterrorism threat, Walker said.

The diseases, which include Rocky Mountain spotted fever, can lead to death. In fact, a fatality rate as high as 32 percent has been reported in hospitalized patients with Mediterranean spotted fever.

"We believe that it is imperative that we find a way to control this disease," Walker said.

In their study at UTMB, scientists know signals to cells can be controlled by a molecular messenger known as cyclic AMP, which plays crucial roles in the development of many human diseases, including those caused by bacteria and viruses.

In humans and animals, the effects of this messenger are controlled by two types of receptors, one known as protein kinase A, or PKA, and a newly identified protein known as Epac. PKA and Epac can act in concert or in opposition to control many cell functions.

Two leading scientists of this multidisciplinary, cutting-edge research collaboration at UTMB, Dr. Bin Gong and Dr. Xiaodong Cheng, used mice in which the gene for the Epac receptor was inactivated. They found that mice infected with deadly Rickettsia bacteria are resistant to fatal infection.

The mechanism by which this happens is being identified, and now a new candidate drug that inhibits Epac, known as ESI for Epac-specific inhibitor, has also been shown to protect normal mice from a fatal rickettsial infection. The researchers are currently designing a second-generation ESI that is more potent and is not toxic even at high doses. There are also indications from preliminary experiments that ESI protects animals against some lethal viral infections.

"This is an exciting development, given that our arsenal of treatments for these bacteria is quite limited," Walker said.

### The PNAS study's other authors include Thomas Shelite, Fang C. Mei, Tuha Ha, Yaohua Hu, Guang Xu, Qing Chang, Maki Wakamiya, Thomas G. Ksiazek, Paul J. Boor, Donald H. Bouyer and Vsevolod L. Popov from UTMB and Ju Chen of the University of California, San Diego. Funding was provided by the Center for Biodefense and Emerging Infectious Diseases, the Carmage and Martha Walls Distinguished University Chair in Tropical Diseases and the National Institutes of Health.


ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

Evidence of savings in accountable care organizations and cancer care

2013-12-13
Evidence of savings in accountable care organizations and cancer care LEBANON, NH (Dec. 12, 2013) – Approximately 10 percent of Medicare spending is for cancer care, and Medicare spending is nearly four times higher for beneficiaries ...

Clot-busters, caught on tape

2013-12-13
Clot-busters, caught on tape High-speed photography provides first direct evidence of how microbubbles dissolve killer blood clots WASHINGTON, D.C. Dec. 13, 2013 -- Ultrasound-stimulated microbubbles have been showing promise in recent years as a non-invasive ...

Jailhouse wine is not as delicious as it sounds, could be deadly

2013-12-13
Jailhouse wine is not as delicious as it sounds, could be deadly WASHINGTON — In a case series seemingly tailor-made for cinematic tragedy or farce, emergency physicians report severe botulism poisoning from a batch of potato-based "wine" (also known ...

Duke engineers make strides toward artificial cartilage

2013-12-13
Duke engineers make strides toward artificial cartilage Composite material closest yet to properties of the real thing DURHAM, N.C. -- A Duke research team has developed a better recipe for synthetic replacement cartilage in joints. Combining two innovative technologies ...

Marine biologists unmask species diversity in coral reefs

2013-12-13
Marine biologists unmask species diversity in coral reefs Rising water temperatures due to climate change are putting coral reefs in jeopardy, but a surprising discovery by a team of marine biologists suggests that very similar looking coral species differ in how they survive ...

From friend to foe: How benign bacteria evolve to virulent pathogens

2013-12-13
From friend to foe: How benign bacteria evolve to virulent pathogens Bacteria can evolve rapidly to adapt to environmental change. When the "environment" is the immune response of an infected host, this evolution can turn harmless bacteria into life-threatening ...

Physical activity may slow kidney function decline in patients with kidney disease

2013-12-13
Physical activity may slow kidney function decline in patients with kidney disease 60 million people globally have chronic kidney disease. Washington, DC (December 12, 2013) — Increased physical activity may slow kidney function decline in patients with kidney disease, ...

Diet and physical activity may affect one's risk of developing kidney stones

2013-12-13
Diet and physical activity may affect one's risk of developing kidney stones Even small amounts of exercise provide benefits Washington, DC (December 12, 2013) — Even small amounts of physical activity may decrease the risk of developing kidney stones, according ...

Astronomers discover first noble gas molecules in space

2013-12-13
Astronomers discover first noble gas molecules in space Noble gas molecules have been detected in space for the first time in the Crab Nebula, a supernova remnant, by astronomers at UCL. Led by Professor Mike Barlow (UCL Department of Physics & Astronomy) ...

Using air transportation data to predict pandemics

2013-12-13
Using air transportation data to predict pandemics Computational model demonstrates how disease spreads in a highly connected world Computational work conducted at Northwestern University has led to a new mathematical theory for understanding the global spread ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

Mandatory standards for the indoor environment would result in immense benefits to the health and productivity of people around the world

Chickadees have unique neural “barcodes” for memories of stashing away food

Chickadees are memory geniuses. Their barcode-like neural activity may be to thank

Tiny orchid flowers pollinated by tiny flies

Researchers develop AI-based tool paving the way for personalized cancer treatments

Reports of COVID-19 vaccine adverse events in predominantly republican vs democratic states

Patient out-of-pocket costs for biologic drugs after biosimilar competition

New Brigham research highlights combining prostate MRI with a blood test to avoid unnecessary prostate biopsies

Scientists discover a key quality-control mechanism in DNA replication

Lipids with potential health benefits in herbal teas

Synergically improved energy storage performance and stability in sol–gel processed BaTiO3/(Pb,La,Ca)TiO3/BaTiO3 tri-layer films with a crystalline engineered sandwich structure

International collaboration enabled participatory stock assessment on glass eel fisheries in West Java, Indonesia

Enhanced melanoma vaccine offers improved survival for men

Nearly one-third of patients with TBI have marginal or inadequate health literacy

Genetic causes of cerebral palsy uncovered through whole-genome sequencing

Modesty and boastfulness – perception depends on usual performance

Do sweeteners increase your appetite? New evidence from randomised controlled trial says no 

Women with obesity do not need to gain weight during pregnancy, new study suggests

Individuals with multiple sclerosis face substantially greater risk of hospitalisation and death from COVID-19, despite high rates of vaccination

Study shows obesity in childhood associated with a more than doubling of risk of developing multiple sclerosis in early adulthood

Rice Emerging Scholars Program receives $2.5M NSF grant to boost STEM education

Virtual rehabilitation provides benefits for stroke recovery

Generative AI develops potential new drugs for antibiotic-resistant bacteria

Biofuels could help island nations survive a global catastrophe, study suggests

NJIT research team discovering how fluids behave in nanopores with NSF grant

New study shows association of historical housing discrimination and shortfalls in colon cancer treatment

Social media use may help to empower plastic surgery patients

Q&A: How to train AI when you don't have enough data

Wayne State University researchers uncover potential treatment targets for Zika virus-related eye abnormalities

Discovering Van Gogh in the wild: scientists unveil a new gecko species

[Press-News.org] Breakthrough could lead to protection from fatal infections
Research shows that deletion of the Epac1 gene protects from fatal rickettsiosis