The world intensively develops drugs from cancer based on viruses. In our country, such works are conducted in the Novosibirsk University, SSC "Vector", SB RAS and the Institute of Molecular Biology of the Russian Academy of Sciences.
We obtained recombinant strains of various viruses, which showed the prospects for their use to destroy cancer cells. The problem is now in obtaining financing for preclinical research and clinical trials.
Fortress writers predictions rarely come true literally. But with the story of Igor Rosokhovatsky "Mrs. Mrs." just so happened. In it, the poor cristed from cancer, eating a battle, infected with a bathat virus, while the rich is dying, although he was treated with the most modern methods. The story was published in 1962. And in 2015, US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) allowed the use of recombinant herpesvirus for the treatment of recurrent melanoma (skin cancer) and recombinant orthopoxvirus for the treatment of liver tumors.
Yes, of course, the current oncolic viruses are not plants viruses. But we see the beginning of the conscious use of viruses against cancer: the method of destruction of tumors using viruses was officially added to the list of cancer treatment methods.
Doubt and reinsurance
The method cannot be called new, because the first scientific publication dedicated to him appeared back in 1904. It described the use of the so-called "fixed" (weakened) strain of rabies virus to treat oncoboles. But the method has not received wide distribution, both due to the unpredictability of the results and the very significant reactor of the then vaccine against rabies.
Nevertheless, during the entire twentieth century, it was repeatedly returned to this method. In particular, since the 1950s in different countries It was used weakly or generally not pathogenic strains of viruses of western Nile, yellow fever, rabies virus, adenoviruses, Newcastle disease virus, enteroviruses, paralimixes and some other non-pathogenic or weak-bean viruses. At the same time, sometimes oncoboles were completely recoverable, temporary improvements were observed. But again, the absence of the predictability of the results, scientifically substantiated principles of action of viruses on tumors and the prejudice of the controlling bodies led to almost the complete cessation of the application of this approach.
Our work in this direction was started in the 1970s by Professor M.K. Voroshilova at the Institute of Poliomyelitis and viral encephalitis near Moscow. It used for the treatment of cancer Vaccine strains of poliomyelitis virus and other strains of non-pathogenic enteroviruses and in some cases achieved serious success. But the prejudices of the governing oncologists led to the ban on its work.
And in our country, and in a number of other countries, distrust of potentially useful anti-cancer viruses, until recently, prevented due to the fear of their pathogenic properties. At the same time, doctors know well that many chemotherapeutic drugs to combat onco-scabers give a mass of harmful adverse reactions. But they are used, and no prejudice for doctors to them. Meanwhile, the mechanism of action of most of these drugs is designed for the difference in the metabolism of cancer and normal cells. So affect these drugs and cancer, and some healthy, but actively metabolizing, dividing cells.
Existing approaches to the treatment of cancer1. Surgical tumor removal.
2. Radiotherapy - directional destruction of the tumor specially entered into cells with radioactive preparations or directed radiation exposure.
3. Chemotherapy - the destruction of tumor cells specific to the peculiarities of the metabolism of tumor cells by chemotherapy.
4. Therapy with highly specialized tumor antigens or to certain cellular proteins of monoclonal antibodies, which distinguish cells with these markers from normal cells, sweep their cells and attract the cells of the immune system, which, thanks to these tags, destroy cancer cells.
5. Therapy with antibodies that inhibit immune system blockers (IMMUNE Check-Points). At the same time, the "brakes" is turned off, which do not allow the immune system to fight the tumor, and the antitumor immune response begins to unfold.
6. Immunotherapy with the help of its T-cells activated by a special way.
7. Various treatment options with combinations mentioned above methods.
The first officially tested virus oncolitics
Since the 1990s, a theoretically much more substantiated concept of special oncolic viruses has appeared. For the first time, it was found out, as the mechanism of anticancer specificity of the deletion version of the adenovirus of the fifth serotype with the name of Onyx-015 was considered.
The fact is that in human cells and almost all mammals there are protein P53, which, at the beginning of any unusual processes in the cell (including viruses in it, it launches the process of apoptosis (programmed cell death) in order not to give a virus or In general, all this suddenly raised the unusual cell to multiply. However, in many tumor cells, the R53 protein gene is damaged, and the protein itself becomes defective on this of its own function, and nothing contains the reproduction of the virus in such cells.
But Adenovirus, in turn, is the E1B-55K protein, which connects P53 and does not allow him to launch apoptosis. Thus, if you remove part of the E1B gene from the virus genome, where the protein 55k is encoded, then such a virus will be multiplied only in tumor cells, where P53 does not work so, and in normal it cannot do this, since the cells will go to apoptosis And self-disperse.
Since the 1950s, in different countries, weakly, or at all are not pathogenic strains of fever viruses of Western Nile, yellow fever, rabies virus, adenoviruses, Newcastle virus, enteroviruses, paralimixes and some other non-pathogenic or weak-bean viruses
However, as it turned out later - in 2004, the removal of a part or a whole gene of E1B leads to the fact that the E1B-55K protein does not yet perform a number of functions for the propagation of adenovirus. In the tumor cells in its absence, this feature takes itself not yet established factor. It also turned out that there are many other defects in cells, which lead to their reincarnation into cancer, and then such adenoviruses do not work as therapeutic drugs.
In the late 1990s, this topic for a number of reasons went to the decline. Nevertheless, the Analog of OnyX-015, named H101 (Onkorin), was officially allowed for the treatment of patients with head and neck tumors in China. Another recombinant adenovirus obtained in China, also with the deletion of the E1B gene, but with the additional insertion of the human R53 gene, it is also used there for the treatment of cancerous entitled gendicin.
From 1998 to 2003, the vector of the adenovirus of the fifth serotype adenovirus with a completely remote E1B genome and partially, the E1B gene was obtained at the Vector forces of the Author's laboratory of this article. The drug based on it was named carcinsin, it was shown that it has similar to the American strain onyx-015 and Chinese oncolic properties.
This strain was carried out through a full cycle of preclinical tests under the guidance of Professor of the GSC WB "Vector" A.N. Sergeeva. Based on their results, carcinsine was allowed to clinical trials of the first phase, which in 2007 passed to ROH. N.N. Blokhin with the participation of eight volunteer patients. The tests showed good tolerability to patients with carcinsin, and in two cases there was also a healing effect, despite the fact that all sick volunteers had the fourth stage of the development of the disease. Unfortunately, financing for subsequent tests was not allocated in those years, and later it was relevant due to publications on the development of viral oncolitics of the following generations.
Preparations of the new generation
In 2010, he received a metagrant on research under the leadership of the famous Russian molecular biologist P.M. Chumakov, one of the leading performers of which was the author of this article. In NSU, in fact, a well-equipped research laboratory in a complex with workshop on microbiology was created, a number of overview articles on oncolic viruses were prepared and published, and in 2012, the first candidates oncolic strains were obtained and described.
Currently, outside the megagrant, the efforts of the informal team from the NSU employees, the SGTS WB "Vector" and received a number of recombinant strains of an ospovakcin virus with high oncolic characteristics that are on models in vivo. showed good prospects. In addition, oncolic strains of Paramiksovirus Sendai were characterized and was characterized and bacterial plasmids were constructed with a full-size genome of the adenovirus 6 serotype, extremely promising to obtain new recombinant oncolic strains with low-increasing genes of genes.
Thus, there are all grounds for conducting further work And especially - for full-size preclinical studies, and subsequently clinical trials of these and similar perspective oncolitic viral strains. Now the time has come to overcome prejudices and give green light to finance the development of these extremely promising drugs developed in Russia.
Works in this direction continue not only in NSU, Professor P.M. Chumakov develops these studies on enterovirus and paramixes in their laboratory at the Institute of Molecular Biology of the Russian Academy of Sciences named after V.A. Engelgardt in Moscow. They became interested in them in a number of clinics of Russia.
Can viruses be useful
This direction of work abroad in the last ten years has received a very powerful development. In October 2015, a cardinal shift occurred in the United States: as already mentioned, the FDA was allowed wide clinical trials of the third phase of the genetic engineering strain of herpesvirus with the name of Imligik (Imlygic) for the treatment of patients with a recurrent melanoma.
The original strain of herpesvirus, which contains attenuing (reduces its pathogenic properties) of mutation in the genome and expressed by the granulocyte-macrophage-colony-colonidulating human factor (GM-CSF or GM-CSF), was developed by the American company Biovex Inc. In 2011, this company, together with the rights to the drug, bought the AMGEN FarMiGigant. The same drug was officially allowed for use in Europe at the end of 2015, information about it is regularly updated on the website www.imlygic.com.
In the same period of 2015, a similar permission to carry out the third phase of clinical trials was obtained for the drug based on the recombinant strain of the Peksa-century, or JX-594 virus, or JX-594, with respect to the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma (liver cancer). This drug is designed on the basis of the original strain of the Wyeth ospovaluccin virus, in which the thymidicinase gene is removed to reduce reactogenicity and the human GM-CSF gene is built. It is now intensively investigated on volunteers. The results of several independent clinical trials of the first and the second phase are already known, they are positive, and therefore the clinical tests of the third phase for this drug are already a few dozen countries in 86 hospitals, which speaks of his great prospects.
At the last, 17th International Congress on Virology in Singapore, a plenary lecture of the Professor of Grant McFayadena from the United States and two sections: "viruses like Trojan horses" and "viruses and cancer" was devoted to oncolytic viruses. So interest in this area has increased colossal, and it is financed, more than ever, in Canada, USA, Japan, Finland and other countries.
In this regard, the question arises: and whether it is such that the role of at least some of the viruses for the human body is precisely in protection against cancer cells, and only sometimes they cause diseases, leaving under control?
Such an assumption deserves attention. Humanity has already created a lot of useful from very malicious, at first glance, substances and microbes. And viruses like drugs are very interesting because there are highly specific micrometers. Some of these people have already adapted for their needs and are used as living vaccines, therapeutic drugs (for example, bacteriophages are viruses of bacteria instead of antibiotics) and for the electoral combating harmful insects.
Sergey Neetivers, Corresponding Member of the Russian Academy of Sciences,Novosibirsk State University
Novosibirsk scientist developed a new method for generating bispecific therapeutic antibodies
Graduate student Novosibirski state University Victor Prince developed new method Generation of bispecific therapeutic immunoglobulins based on a process that occurs in the human body.
The new test system will help to detect lung cancer before the tumor appears.
A drop of nicotine, alas, still kills. Moreover, more than 1.4 million cases of lung cancer are registered annually in the world. Unfortunately, for a million patients, the diagnosis is fatal.
Novosibirsk scientists offered a new approach to the treatment of hypertension
Scientists of the Novosibirsk National Research State University together with colleagues from the institutes of the SB RAS (Institute of Chemical Biology and Fundamental Medicine, the Institute of Cytology and Genetics, the Catalysis Institute) were able to reduce the pressure in rats with arterial hypertension (with chronically elevated arterial pressure) using the method of gene therapy .
The loudest and important studies of scientists from the Russian Academy of Sciences for 2016 according to NGS
Mathematics hamsters, poison for the treatment of the heart, rescue from Encephalitis and melting of the ice of Greenland - NGS.NOVOSI studied the loudest and important studies of scientists from wounds in the last year. Novosibirski are proud to be academgorodomk and glory scientific Center Siberia, which the city received thanks to the institutions of SB RAS and a scientist working in them.
From this article you will learn about the dangers and benefits of viruses.
Everyone knows that viruses are very dangerous. They cause diseases from individuals, and sometimes whole epidemics, as a result of which thousands and millions are dying. But is it all definitely? Let's try together to deal with those such microscopic killers and are always harmful. What is the benefit and harm of viruses? Read about this in this article.
Harm viruses for the human body, in what danger: impact
The painful smallest genetic material, falling into the body, destroys the host cell, and this is the main harm of viruses for the human body and any other living being.
- The danger lies in a negative effect on a good cell, as well as in the flow of the process of embedding the genetic information of the virus into the gene of the affected cell.
- Inside the affected cell is performed independent assembly Viral smallest particles in full-fledged new viruses.
- The danger of viruses is also the causes of many incurable diseases, for example, HIV (flowing into AIDS), hepatitis, poliomyelitis, rabies and others.
- To fully cure these diseases is impossible. You can maintain the condition of the body, but to get rid of forever will not work.
- The influenza virus, for example, every year is new, and more complications appear. Even there is a vaccine, but people are still sick. Read the flu.
There are cases B. modern world, which indicate that we are still defenseless in the face of viral danger, despite the development of medicine. For instance:
- The AIDS virus has been winning the planet for several decades, and in some countries, including Russia, he acquired the character of the epidemic.
- Ebola fever recently created a huge panic in the world because of the outbreak of infection in Africa.
- In 2005, all Japan went to gauze bandages due to fear of bird flu.
But perhaps viruses are not only our enemies, but also friends. One of the scientific hypotheses assumes that mutations in the human ancestors DNA caused by diseases may have led to the development of our species to a modern person. But first of all it is worth learn what a virus is and how it acts.
Bacteria causing viruses: what is the difference from viruses?
Many people do not distinguish viruses and bacteria, and in vain. After all, there are many differences between these organisms:
The second difference:
- Lies in the structure.
- If bacteria is a full-fledged live cell, then the virus is usually ring, like the bacteria, the genetic chain, which "travels" in the protein shell.
- On this shell, there are often special growths that allow the virus to "cling" per cell and infect it.
- There are also viruses that affect only bacteria - bacteriophages. Their structure is more complicated than others. Bacteriophages remotely resemble a syringe. They have a head, legs that fix the body of the virus on the cell wall of the bacteria, and the "needle" through which the genetic material is injected into the bacterium.
Another difference:
- Each virus has its own sphere of influence.
- For example, there is neither a single recorded case of human damage to the plant virus, and vice versa.
- It is also worth noting that some viruses can relatively peacefully exist within a representative of one biological species, but to be fatally dangerous for the other.
- The AIDS virus went to people from monkeys. This virus itself does not bring tangible damage to the monkeys, but his mutating variety is a big threat to people.
Mutations of viruses occur very quickly. Because of this, for example, humanity every year is forced to pick a vaccine from the notorious influenza virus, and its unknown mutations lead to epidemics with many victims. But everything is not so bad. Viruses can be useful. Read more about it.
Is there any benefits of viruses for the human body: influenza, herpes infections of different types on the skin
In fact, viruses who kill their owners lose those who have learned to live inside the body for a long time. For example, it is worth noting the following:
- Herpes virus or infection of different types On the leather, which is available in 95% of people, multiplies much better than the causative agent of any fatal infection.
- It is striking nervous cells that are not checked by the immune system, thereby not detecting by natural system protection systems.
- In addition, this virus does not cause special inconvenience to its carrier and manifests only in the form of acne on the skin.
- So coexisting in this way with a man, herpes lives a long life along with his master, which means it produces many other copies.
Surely, many wondered about the prospect of destroying all viruses and bacteria that cause infectious diseases. It is very tempting, but it is impossible at this stage of the development of mankind. It is also worth remembering that there may be even more aggressive and unknown microscopic killers to replace us with viruses. Therefore, the extermination of these organisms may not go out.
So is there any benefits of viruses for the human body? It is worth noting such aspects:
- Viruses are involved in the natural selection of people, no matter how cruel it sounds.
- Attacking the population of people, the virus screams those who are not able to resist him, but those who can resist, get immunity to a particular type of virus.
- This immunity is transferred from parents to children, and thus all mankind strengthens its epidemiological "shield".
- According to the forecasts of scientists, even if we do not learn to heal the human immunodeficiency virus, then by 2300 it will be also not dangerous for us, as well as herpes.
Interesting and such a fact:
- Penetrating into the cage, different viruses multiply in different ways.
- Especially the inquiry method for creating their own copies is used by the so-called retroviruses, including HIV. This type of viruses makes changes to the DNA of the attacked cell, introducing its genetic code into it.
- In the case of infection, the cell cannot determine the alien code inside its, so it produces viral proteins as their own.
- If sex cells are subjected to such invasion, the virus can be transmitted from parents to children.
- After some time, this piece of genetic code will be recognized and disconnected, but sometimes similar mutations may be useful.
- In this case, the genetic sequence will not be deactivated, and the host organism of these cells will receive some kind of evolutionary advantage.
According to scientists, there are 5-8 percent of the inclusions that took place from viruses in the genome of a modern person. This means that once viruses could be directly involved in human evolution. As for the influenza virus, its benefits are also obvious:
- Every year appears the new kind This virus and the human body is forced to constantly produce antibodies.
- That is, immunity is always "in case", and this is very good, since if there is no "work" for him, the immune system begins to destroy its own cells.
- Hence, seasonal allergies and different autoimmune diseases can develop.
There is also another type of useful viruses. Read more about it.
Viruses bacteria "bacteriophages", study of the genome: What is the benefit?
It should be noted that in recent years some viruses have put scholars for a person. For example, viruses bacteria bacteriophages, can help humanity in the fight against bacterial infections, which will soon become incurable due to antibiotic resistance.
Also without viruses it is impossible to imagine the editing of the genome:
- Nowadays, experiments with HIV are held.
- Scientists remove all malicious genome from it and use a virus for transporting useful genes.
- Such a study of the genome - genetic code will soon help to get rid of the most dangerous incurable diseases.
Perhaps in the future it will help heal many genetic diseases, including oncological diseases and AIDS itself. Therefore, it is impossible to say that viruses are an absolute evil, because they can be useful. Below you will find information about the most useful viruses for a person. Read further.
Top 10 useful viruses for man
If you say to someone that viruses can be useful, then a person will most likely look at you with surprise. But, if you still think about it, it was known for a long time. Still Paracels understood and reported to people that the poison of the medication is distinguished by dosage. Therefore, let's understand what viruses can be useful.
Here are the top 10 useful viruses for a person:
- There are such bacteria viruses in our body. They are on mucous membranes.
- Scientists have long conducted studies with bacteriophages that have placed in one medium with malicious bacteria.
- As a result, bacteriophages "won" and killed bad viruses.
- At the same time, human cells are not infected and therefore can be used in the treatment of bacterial infections.
GB Virus C against HIV:
- This virus is still not fully studied in this role, although it has long been known - this is hepatitis C.
- Experiments have shown that HIV ceases to develop if the hepatitis C virus appears in the body
- Many scientists argue that this virus will also help defeat Ebola.
Viral proteins on guard cells:
- Recently, scientists from the American University conducted studies of the cells of the 3-day embryo.
- Many protein structures were discovered different viruses. As a result, it became clear that many viruses are able to unite against themselves like.
- For example, Virus-protein REC increased the level of protein of another type of infection - ifitm1, which did not let into the cells of the embryo hazardous virus infections.
Viruses helping learning:
- When a small man, his brain is like a sponge and absorbs all the information, knowledge and skills.
- This "time window" opens with the ARC protein.
- Scientists found out that this virus protein transmits information from neuron to neuron.
- It is assumed that this virus has long been in the human body along with another infection. Then he "fell asleep", and the cells began to use viral proteins for their purposes.
Stomatitis helps cure oncology:
- Scientists use this virus for the benefit of humanity. But not the usual stomatitis, which often appears in people, and its special type - Vesicular VSV. It is common in horses and is passed to people. But we are manifested only in the form of blisters on the mucous membranes. It is not dangerous and almost harmless to humans.
- Scientists genetically changed VSV and successfully began to treat liver cancer patients.
- Its essence is that he breeds with high speed Only in cancer cells that are deprived of antiviral protection.
Norovirus:
- This pathogenic microorganism, which causes care disorders.
- But some strains of this virus were useful, but so far only for laboratory mice, who had problems with the intestines.
- Perhaps in a few years, specific strains of this virus will be used to treat diseases of the gastrointestinal tract.
Endogenous Retroviruses:
- They are responsible for their living things.
- Thanks to them, the ancient people have a placenta as a result of a genetic code mutation, and now a person, as well as all mammals can give birth to their offspring, and not to postpone the eggs, such as birds.
- In addition, with such intrauterine development, a person has become more brain and good mental abilities developed.
Gammagerpes viruses:
- Every person is familiar with the symptoms of food poisoning. This ailment is caused by special bacteria.
- But there is a gammagerpere virus MHV-68 for such an infection.
- If such an infection is opened with a form, then a person will never have food poisoning. But this does not mean that it is necessary to get rid of one threat to get rid of another virus.
Adenovirus - guard against cancer:
- It is a very scary and infectious virus that can cause colds, gastroenteritis and even pneumonia.
- At the same time, a specific adenovirus strain is perfectly associated with carbohydrate cancer cells, destroying them.
- This fact is still studied by scientists, but one is already clear that such a virus will lead to a successful fight against cancer.
Heat saving virus:
- This is a microorganism that is absent in the human body. But he needs people, and even plants to withstand the heat.
- Such a virus infects an endophyte fungus growing on tropical plants. And they are known to them, and heat is above 40 degrees.
- Scientists have implemented this virus to other plants growing in our strip and have excellent resistance to high temperatures. For example, tomatoes with such a virus can grow perfectly in the heat at 60 degrees. But as soon as the virus disappears from the plant, it immediately loses heat resistance and dies.
As you can see, there are many viruses in nature that we need.
Japanese human virus blockers: benefit and harm
The Japanese blocker of human viruses is two types:
- Small container for disinfection of rooms
- Minimum sizes pad for individual use
These containers contain a special filler, which is impregnated with chlorine dioxide. The benefits of such an element consists in disinfection, as well as in the current start of bactericidal and antiviral action.
However, it is necessary to remember how both of any medication or preventive agent have the optimal dosages of use, toxic doses and side effects of this virus blocker.
- Chlorine dioxide toxic and in large doses is deadly dangerous. Scientists even discovered the negative impact of this substance on pregnant women in the form of teratogenic effects on the fruit.
- It is known that chlorine has a negative effect on the body and leads to the development of cancer. In particular, it is dangerous towards children.
- Many people who put on themselves such an individual protection against virusesLose vigilance, hoping on the miraculous action of the blocker. They forget to wear a hat in winter, go in an unbuttoned jacket at a minus temperature. As a result, the person gets his cold or even inflammation of the lungs.
- Pregnant, lactating women and children are better to refrain from using such a fund. It is not known how chlorine dioxide will affect the children's body and on the fruit, if the future mother will inhale his pairs. Maybe therefore, in kindergartens of Japan, it is forbidden to use such virus blocks.
Although chlorine dioxide and helps to suppress viral reproduction, but this is not a panacea. Protect yourself from cold, frost and all viruses should also be additionally. Read reviews of people about this blocker below.
Air DOCTOR-Blocateur Viruses: Reviews
Air Doctor is a Japanese human virus blocker, which is considered one of the most effective means for preventing infection. It can be in two sets: children's and adult. Read reviews of people who are specifically reserved by this tool to protect themselves from viruses:
Nicole, 29 years
I live in Russia for several years. Air Doctor virus blockers brought from America. You can only buy distributors from Japan from hand. They bring a lot of money and quickly disassemble. I bought with a shelf life for 2 months, wore in winter during the flu epidemic. I didn't get sick, although everything was silent around, coughed and temperatibically. A year later I bought a children's for a son. By the way, in kindergarten, many parents put on such a blocker on their children.
Artem, 31 years old
I have such a block of viruses (in the amount of 6 pieces) from Japan brought a friend who works there. I just want to note that he did not help me, and I fell ill in February. The wife wore the whole winter - she caught the infection. Therefore, I unambiguously can not say anything.
Roman, 28 years old
I do not believe in such prevention, but brought my mother from the USA. She liked and said that this year was not sick thanks to Air Doctor. I saw that I wore constantly, even at home. The smell of Chlorks did not feel, but the neighbor, which came to visit her, noted some other sneakers. I heard that it all depends on the sense of smell - one person does not hear and under his nose, and the other accounts through the meter. Therefore, everything is individually.
Video: Viruses: types, devices and methods of cell infection
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In recent decades, biologists have increasingly put forward assumptions about "partial rationality" of those or other representatives of the animal or plant world. In recent years, some researchers have also made similar assumptions about microorganisms and mushrooms. It seems that in such assumptions the methodological error lies when the difference features are attributed to parts of the intelligent whole. After all, if you observe actions, for example, our hand in the separation from everything else, then in her (hands) actions, too, it is also easy to see the features of reasonable behavior. Modern Noology believes, for example, the quasi-curly behavior of unicellular communities and docoury organisms by the natural manifestation of the "internal dialogue" (biochemical and genetic), which goes inside each of us.
Viruses talk to each other
Biologists have found evidence that viruses have a certain form of collective mind and know how to recognize "tags" that leave their competitors and their relatives in the cells, and guided them when making decisions. "These bacteriophages (viruses affecting bacteria) contain two programs in themselves. behavior. One causes the cell to produce a huge number of its copies and launches the self-destruction program in it, and when the second is turned on, it is integrated into its DNA and goes into a "deep underground" with the possibility of revival in the future, "explains the molecular biologist Nonya Paris.
Diseases and infections are not something that only the person and other multicellular creatures suffer - between bacteria and viruses have already been a few hundred million years of survival. Traces of this war can be found everywhere - in every millilitress of seawater, it contains up to a billion "combat viruses" -Bacteriophages, and approximately 70% of marine microorganisms are infected with them.
For billions of years of evolution, viruses have learned to circumvent the attention of protective systems of microbes, and the latter have developed a kind of genetic "antivirus", the CRISPR-CAS9 system, which finds traces of viral DNA in the microbe genome and forces it to perform suicide to protect the adjacent bacteria. Viruses responded to these measures of "Evolutionary Defense", creating an anti-antivirus, overwhelming CRISPR-CAS9, and the biological arms race continued.
Rotes Sortes from the Israeli Institute of Watezmann's Science in Rehovote and his colleagues found another extremely interesting example of "weapons", invented by viruses, studying how Phi3t bacteriophage works, infecting ordinary bacilli (Bacillus subtilis).
Initially, scientists tried to understand a completely different thing - how microbes notify each other about the presence of the virus and are preparing to reflect his attack. As scientists believed, infected bacteria isolated into the environment, special signal molecules, which signal to other microbes in their risk colonies.
To test this hypothesis, the sages and his colleagues were raised by the Bacill colony, infected their phi3t, after which the liquid was filtered, which was isolated by microbes during the contamination of the colony. Part of this solution Biologists were added to a new bowl of bacteria, assuming that those signal molecules that their deceased bidders were isolated to the nutrient medium, prepare them to a new attack of viruses and protect them from infection. Reality turned out to be completely different.
It turned out that the short armor molecules arbitrium, which biologists were isolated from this solution, were actually designed to communicate viruses with each other, and not bacteria, and their "authors" were not microbes, but their irrequited guests.
These molecules showed the experiments of Israeli genetics, make the "switch" virus from one breeding program to another. In the presence of Arbitrium, viruses "go underground", embedded in the DNA of bacteria instead of breeding themselves in them and destroy cells. The program switching occurs for the reason that Arbitrium blocks the operation of the AIMR virus protein, which is responsible for the launch of the breeding procedure of viral DNA and dissolving the walls of the bacterium.
Why do you need viruses? A similar system of signals, as scientists explain, works as a peculiar form of a collective mind of viruses, which allows them to flexibly coordinate their behavior. When there are few viruses, they are more profitable to actively multiply, infecting new bacteria and killing them, but over time they are becoming too much and the bacteria begin to react to infection, or the number of bacillus drops to extremely low values.
At this point, viruses switches to an alternative infection program using signals like Arbitrium, and "hid in the crowd", waiting for a new convenient moment for infection. According to Sorrow, his team discovered more than a hundred other molecules similar to Arbitrium and Aimr, in other bacteriophage viruses, which indicates that many or even all viruses can "communicate" with themselves.
It is possible that similar systems also exist in viruses infecting a person, and their presence could explain how HIV and a number of other retroviruses are hiding in cells when trying to be expelled from the body. If scientists succeed in finding a molecule that will force HIV forever "split" in a cage and not to go out from there, the problem of combating it will be solved.
According to Nature
Let's analyze infections of viral originTo understand what it is as they develop in the organisms of infected people, what are the symptoms and how to treat them.
What is viral infection
Viral infection - This is a disease caused by infectious microorganisms, viruses that penetrate the cells of a living organism and use its mechanisms to multiply.
To fulfill its vital functions, it needs to colonize the host's body and gain access to replication biochemical mechanisms. Therefore, viruses infect cells of living organisms, capture them and colonize. Once in the cell, the virus embeds its genetic code into DNA or RNA, thereby forcing the host cell to reproduce the virus.
As a rule, as a result of such an infection, the cell loses its natural functions and dies (apoptosis), but he has time to replicate new viruses that infect other cells. This develops a total infection of the whole organism.
There are categories of viral infections that, instead of killing the host cells, change its characteristics and functions. And it can happen that at the same time the natural cell division process will be disturbed and it will turn into a cancer cell.
In other cases, the virus after infection of the cell can go to the "sleep" state. And only after some time, under the influence of some kind of event that disrupts the balance achieved, the virus awakens. It begins to multiply again and develops a recurrence of the disease.
How does the infection of the virus
Infection occurs when the virus It gets the opportunity to penetrate the body, overcoming its natural defensive barriers. After hitting the body, it is reproduced either at the entry position, or, with the help of blood and / or lymph, gets to the target organ.
Obviously, an important role is played by the method with which the transmission of viruses occurs.
The most common are:
- Receipt by fecal-oral way;
- Hit in the respiratory tract;
- Insect bites and, therefore, skin path;
- Through microscopic damage to the mucous membrane of the device of genitals of men and women;
- Through direct contact with blood (use of used syringes or toilet items);
- Vertical transmission from mother to the fetus through the placenta.
How viral infection develops
Development of viral infection Depends on various parameters, in particular:
- From the characteristics of the virus. Those. The ease with which he passes from one owner to another, on how easy it is to overcome the protection of the new owner, on how successfully the body opposes him is, and from how much damage it can create.
- From the characteristics of the immune system of the host. In the human body, except natural physical barriers (leather, mucous membranes, gastric juice, etc.), there is an immune system. Its task is to organize the internal defense and the destruction of potentially hazardous substances, such as viruses.
- From environmental conditions in which the owner lives. There are certain factors that obviously contribute to the dissemination and development of infection. An example of this is natural-climatic conditions.
After infection, the reaction of the immune system is developing, which can lead to three outcomes:
- White blood cells, in particular, lymphocytes define the enemy, attack it and, if possible, destroy together with infected cells.
- The virus can overcome the protective forces of the body and the infection spreads.
- A state of equilibrium is achieved between the virus and the body, which leads to a chronic infection.
If the immune system can overcome the infection, then the lymphocytes retain the memory of the violator. Thus, if the pathogen in the future again tries to invade the body, then, relying on the previous experience, the immune system quickly eliminates the threat.
It is important to note that the vaccine works in this principle. It includes inactivated viruses or parts them, and, therefore, is not able to cause a real infection, but is useful for "learning" of the immune system.
The most common viral infections
Each virus is striking, as a rule, a special type of cells, such as cold viruses penetrate the cells of the respiratory tract, the rabies virus and encephalitis infect the cells of the central nervous system. Below you will find the most common viral infections.
Viral respiratory tract infections
Of course, they meet most often and concern the nose and nasopharynx, throat, upper and lower respiratory tract.
Viruses that most often affect the breathing apparatus:
- Rinovirus Responsible for the common cold, which concerns the epithelium of the nose, throat and upper respiratory tract. It is transmitted through the discharge from the nose, and enters the body through the mouth, nose or eyes. The cold is spreading with air.
- Ortomiksovirus, in its diverse versions, is responsible for flu. Influenz viruses are two types: a and b, and each view has many different strains. The strain of the influenza virus mutates constantly, every year brings new virusdifferent from the previous one. The flu attacks the upper and lower respiratory tract, lungs and applies to air-droplet when coughing and sneezing.
- Adenovirus The pharyngitis and sore throat are responsible.
Viral infections The upper respiratory tract are the most common in adults, and in newborns and children more frequent viral infections of the lower respiratory tract, as well as laryngitis, which is often found in newborns, tracheitis, bronchitis and pneumonia.
Viral skin infections
Diseases of viral origin that affect the skin, there are a large set, many of them affect mainly children, for example, measles, chickenpox, rubella, pig, warts. In this area, it is of particular importance herpes Viruseswhich refers a chickenpox virus.
Known 8. different types, numbered from 1 to 8. Especially frequent are infections 2 Type of herpes virus: Epstein-Barr virus, which causes monoculosis, and cytomegalovirus. Herpes type 8 viruses cause cancer in patients with weakened immunity, AIDS patients.
Some of the described virus infections are very dangerous during pregnancy (rubella and cytomegalovirus), because they can, with a high probability, cause malformations of the fetus and miscarriage.
All herpes viruses lead to the development of chronic infections. Viruses are stored in the owner's body in latent form. But in some cases they can "awaken" and cause relapses. A typical example is herpes virus, which causes wind oil. In the latent form, the virus is hidden in the nerve ganglia of the spine in the immediate vicinity of the spinal cord and sometimes awakens, causing inflammation of nerve endings with strong pains, which are accompanied by the formation of skin rash.
Viral infections of the gastrointestinal tract
Gastrointestinal infections cause rotavirus and hepatitis virus, norovirusi. Rotaviruses are transmitted through feces and more often affect children and adolescents, manifest themselves with characteristic gastrointestinal symptoms: nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain and diarrhea. Hepatitis viruses are transmitted through consumption of contaminated food. Noroviruses are transmitted by the fecal-oral way, but can also penetrate the respiratory tract and cause flu-like syndromes from the lesion of the gastrointestinal tract, and, consequently, diarrhea and vomiting.
Viral genital infections
The virus affecting the reproductive organs of men and women includes herpes virus, human papilloma virus, human immunodeficiency virus.
A separate mention deserves the sad well-known HIV, which causes the syndrome of the acquired immunodeficiency, which is reflected in a sharp decrease in the effectiveness of the immune system.
Viral infections and cancer
Some types of viruses, as already mentioned, do not kill the host cell, and only change its DNA. All this leads to the fact that in the future they can break the process of replication and form a tumor.
The main types of viruses that may cause cancer's development:
- Papilloma virus. May lead to the development of cervical cancer.
- HBV and HCV virus. Can cause the development of liver cancer.
- Herpes virus 8.. It is the cause of the development of Caposhi sarcoma (skin cancer, very rarely) in AIDS patients.
- Epstein-Barr virus (Infectious mononucleosis). May cause Lymphoma Berkitta.
How to treat viral infections
Medicines used to combat viral infections are called simply Antiviral drugs.
They work, blocking the process of replicating the virus responsible for infection. But, as the virus extends through the cells of the body, the scope of these drugs is limited, since the structures in which they are effective are numerically limited.
In addition, they are distinguished by high toxicity for organism cells. All this leads to the fact that antiviral drugs are very difficult to use. Even more tangles the ball the ability of viruses to adapt to the action of drugs.
Most often use the following antiviral drugs:
- Acyclovir against herpes;
- Tsidofovir against cytomegalovirus;
- Interferon Alpha against hepatitis B and c
- Amantadin against influenza type a
- Zanyvir from influenza type A and B.
Therefore, the best treatment of viral infections Prevention remains based on the use of vaccine. But even this weapon is difficult to use, given the speed of mutation of some viruses. A typical example is a flu virus that mutates so quickly that every year there is a flash of a completely new strain, which forces the introduction of a new type of vaccine to combat it.
It is absolutely useless to take antibiotics for diseases caused by viruses. Antibiotics act on bacteria. They need to be used only in special cases and by appointing a doctor if he believes that a secondary bacterial infection has joined the viral infection.
If a person who has recently overwhelmed with the flu, ask whether the virus can be useful for his body, he will at best turn his finger at the temple. And it will be in its own way. Viruses, these tiny microorganisms that breed only if there are in a living organism are usually associated with the disease. Even the word "virus" means "poison" in Latin.
But still Paracels said that the poison of the medicine is distinguished by a dose. We present to you top 10 viruses that can be useful for people.
10. Bacteriophages - bacteria hunters
In our body there is an invisible battle. If you remove the film on it, I would come out. Imagine an organism that infects and devours a different organism. Only in the role of Monster is the bacteriophages living in the mucous membranes of the human body, and in the role of the victim - malicious bacteria. The study conducted in 2013 showed that when bacteriophage was placed in one culture of E. coli (intestinal wand), he was able to kill it.
But human body cells bacteriophages are not infected, and are successfully used in the treatment of bacterial infections. Isn't it one of the most useful viruses in the world?
9. GB Virus C against HIV
Another interesting virus, which is currently being studied by scientists, is known as GB Virus-C (GBV-C, he is hepatitis G). More than a billion people living today are already infected with them, without even suspecting it.
Several experiments show that when a person with HIV is also infected with GBV-C, HIV progression can slow down. Some experts also believe that GBV-C can help a person survive when infected with hemorrhagic ebola fever, although there are still few data about it.
8. Viruses guarding embryos
In the study of the cells of a three-day embryo, scientists discovered many viral proteins. Some of them have already begun to unite in the likeness of the finished particles of the virus. At the same time, they act on other embryo genes.
- Thus, the Viral protein REC contributed to an increase in the level of protein ifitm1, which is not transmitting a viral infection into the cell. That is, some viruses can remove the cells of the embryo from their "fellow".
- In addition, the REC protein regulated the number of ribosomes in several cell RNA. While scientists did not find out how this could affect the embryo.
- The results of experiments with embryonic cells were published in the Nature magazine in 2015.
7. I teach, thanks to the virus
Arc protein (pink)
At the beginning of life there is a "time window" when the brain is like a sponge, and easily absorbs new knowledge and skills. Without a protein called ARC, this window will never open.
According to the study of scientists from the University of Utah, Arc looks and acts as a viral protein. It is capable of transmitting genetic material from neuron to neuron. So, as viruses have viruses to infect host cells.
Researchers injected Arc to bacterial cells. And when the cells produced this protein, it was assembled into a form resembling capsid. This is the name of the shell containing genetic virus information.
There is an assumption that a long time ago ARC fell into the human genome together with some kind of virus. The virus, firm in the genome, "fell asleep", and the cells began to use viral proteins for their purposes.
The prospect of the fact that virus-like proteins can be the basis for a new form of communication between cells in the brain can change our understanding of how memories are created.
6. Stomatitis for the treatment of oncology
Vsv
Stomatitis is sick not only people. There is a vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV), which is distributed in horses. At the same time, it can be transmitted to other animals and even people. Maximum that he can cause a person - flu-like symptoms and blisters in the mouth.
But this unpleasant virus scientists were able to use for the benefit of a person. Genetically modified VSV applies in innovative liver tumor therapy. The method was developed by researchers from the University of Miami and the Research Institute under the Clinical Hospital Ottawa. Its essence lies in the fact that some modified viruses, including VSV, can be multiplied only in cancer cells, deprived of antiviral protection. Currently, innovative therapy is tested on people with liver cancer.
5. Good and bad norovirus
Norovirus - pathogenic microorganisms, causing vomiting, diarrhea and flu-like symptoms. Not only people are suffering from them, but also laboratory mice, the virus can easily destroy entire colonies of poor rodents.
However, some strains of Norovirus proved to be useful for mice that have grown in a sterile environment. In the body of such experiments lacked T- and B cells, which was harmed their intestines and immunity. And when adding a mouse noravirus, the "sterile" animals restored the intestinal tissue and the immune defense rises.
Perhaps in the future and people will give certain strains of norovirus to treat gastrointestinal diseases.
4. For giving birth Thank you Retrovirus
Difference is a complex and long process. And, perhaps, some women would prefer instead of long kinds to quickly postpone the eggs like snakes or turtles. But alas, for the lack of this opportunity, thank the so-called "endogenous retroviruses".
According to some scientists, these ancient viruses appeared at our ancestors and caused a mutation in the genetic code. Because of this mutation, the mammals appeared a placenta and the ability to live birth, which was a real evolutionary breakthrough. With the extension of intrauterine development, scientists bind essential changeswhich about 60 million years ago occurred in mammals. They have increased the size of the brain and mental abilities gradually developed.
3. Gammagueseviruses do not poison
Are you familiar with the torment related to food poisoning? Often this condition is caused by bacteria Listeria Monocytogenes. But for each infection there is a stop. And B. this case She is another infection - Gammagerpesvirus type MHV-68. It turned out that this infection occurring in a hidden form increases the resistance of the human body to Listeria Monocytogenes.
This, of course, does not mean that you need to pick up herpes to get rid of the threat of food poisoning.
2. Adenoviruses can help treat cancer
These are very common and very infectious viruses. Fortunately, with all this they are not too dangerous for a person. For example, they can cause a cold, gastroenteritis in children and is the most dangerous - pneumonia in people with weakened immunity.
At the same time, the strain of adenovirus type 52 (HADV-52) can be born with a specific type of carbohydrate, which is in the cells of the cancer tumor. This feature of the adenovirus requires further study, but gives hope for a more successful struggle with various types of cancer in the future.
1. The virus will save from the heat
In the first place in the list of viruses, useful for humanity, there is a microorganism, which is not in the human body. But it is still needed, only not to people, but plants to withstand a very hot temperature.
We are talking about a virus that infects an endophyte fungus. And he, in turn, grows on a tropical millet, which is nicked by tropical heat.
Scientists were able to attach the virus to other plants, and they received resistance to high temperatures. Researchers managed to grow tomatoes in the soil, the temperature of which reached 60 degrees Celsius. With the "seizure" of the virus, the plant immediately lost its heat resistance.
