( the protective T cell response that wo...)LIAI scientists make important finding on cytomegalovirus transmission

Croft said the scientists also tested a second approach, which used a stimulator antibody in mice to boost the action of the OX40 protein. OX40 helps T cells replicate more quickly, thus building the body’s ability to more effectively battle the virus. "We used this approach to tip the balance in favor of the T cells that would reduce the virus," he said.

The scientists got a stronger result by blocking the IL-10 receptor. "It significantly reduced the virus load in all the animals and in 50 percent of them it completely eliminated it," Croft said. The OX40 treatment also greatly reduced the virus load, but did not eliminate it in any of the animals.

The findings of the Ware and Croft team parallel those of LIAI researcher Matthias von Herrath, M.D., who last year announced that he had successfully eliminated a chronic virus infection in mice by blocking the IL-10 receptor. "Dr. von Herrath’s findings suggested that the IL-10 molecule plays a pretty important role in small RNA viruses, while our study looked at its impact in large DNA viruses," Ware said. "I think both of these studies lend credibility to the idea that the medical community should be looking at IL-10 as a molecular candidate that might be used to control persistent viral infections."

Ware and Croft’s next step will be conducting animal studies with the IL-10 suppression and the OX40 enhancement combined into one treatment. "We tested them separately, but they may well be even more effective when combined," Croft said.
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Source:La Jolla Institute for Allergy and Immunology