2023-06-29 16:54:32
The human BTN3A3 gene was already known to scientists, but not for its antiviral abilities. This discovery means that targeted solutions could be made to avian flu viruses in order to prevent their spread to humans.
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There has recently been an increase in cases of avian influenza in the world, both in domestic and wild birds, and sometimes even in humans. Since 2003, 873 cases of human infection with the H5N1 virus have been reported to the World Health Organization. Why is avian flu transmitted in rare cases to humans? This is the subject of the latest international study on the pandemic potential of avian flu, led by Glasgow scientists and published in Nature.
« We know that most emerging viruses with the potential to cause a pandemic in humans come from animals. It is therefore essential to understand what genetic barriers could prevent an animal virus from replicating in human cells, and therefore prevent infection. “, explained Professor Massimo Palmarini, director of the Centre for Virus Research in Glasgow. The six-year study identified the human BTN3A3 gene as an avian flu defender. This gene is found in the lungs and upper respiratory tract of humans, where influenza viruses replicate.
The history of influenza pandemics is linked to the BTN3A3 gene
However, the resistance capacity of the BTN3A3 gene is not infallible. First, the seasonal human flu viruses (which infect us regularly) are resistant to this gene, which means that the latter cannot successfully block them. This is also the case for other avian flu viruses such as H7N9, which has a genetic mutation allowing it to escape the blocking effects of the BTN3A3 gene.
« By tracing the history of human influenza pandemics and linking gene resistance to key virus types, the researchers concluded that all human influenza pandemics, including the 1918 Spanish flu and the 2009 swine flu, were due to strains resistant to the BTN3A3 gene », Reports The Guardian.
« Viruses are constantly changing and can potentially overcome some of these barriers by mutating over time. added Professor Palmarini. By studying the evolution of avian flu strains, scientists have shown an increase in the number of strains resistant to the BTN3A3 gene circulating in poultry, and this at about the same time as the contagion events in humans. .
Monitoring viruses before they spread
This study suggests that resistance to the BTN3A3 gene may represent a key factor in determining whether an influenza strain has human pandemic potential. ” This is why genetic surveillance of viruses will be crucial to help us better understand and control the spread of viruses with zoonotic and pandemic potential. “, warn the researchers.
Dr Rute Maria Pinto, co-author of the study, added: ” Identifying BTN3A3-resistant variants as soon as they appear in birds could help prevent human infections. Control measures for emerging avian influenza viruses can be tailored specifically to those resistant to BTN3A3, in addition to other genetic characteristics known to be important for zoonotic transmission. »
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