Findings could inform novel treatments for the flu in humans
NEW
YORK, Oct. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ --
Researchers have identified the gene TDRD7 as a key regulator
against influenza A virus (IAV), which causes respiratory tract
infections in 5 to 20 percent of the human population. These
findings could facilitate the development of novel therapeutic
interventions against influenza virus infection. The study, led by
the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount
Sinai in collaboration with other institutions, was
published in Science Advances (DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abm5859) on
October 5.
IAV is responsible for 250,000-500,000 deaths per year
worldwide. When IAV infects its host, an immunological response
composed of a series of molecular processes begins. IAV can infect
several different species, and physiological and genetic
differences among these species can contribute to different host
responses, although some responses are shared.
"Identifying key defense processes and key regulators in
multiple species can facilitate the development of treatments for
IAV in humans," said Bin Zhang, PhD, Director of the Center for
Transformative Disease Modeling, Willard T.C. Johnson Research
Professor of Neurogenetics, and Professor of Genetics and Genomic
Sciences at Icahn Mount Sinai, who led the study.
The study used RNA sequencing to analyze gene expression over
time in cells and tissues collected from IAV-infected humans,
ferrets, and mice, identifying multiple key defense processes
specific to tissues and species. One gene found to play a key role
in immunological defense mechanisms against IAV across all species
was TDRD7, which encodes a Tudor domain-containing protein, a type
of protein shown to be involved in epigenetic regulation. In light
of this discovery, the researchers conducted subsequent experiments
inhibiting the function of TDRD7, resulting in an increase of virus
replication in IAV-infected models.
"Identifying both common and species-specific responses to
influenza is essential in developing effective therapies for the
flu and can help inform future research of other respiratory
infections, such as COVID-19," said Christian Forst, PhD, Assistant Professor of
Genetics and Genomic Sciences, and Microbiology, at Icahn Mount
Sinai and a first author of the study.
Co-first authors on the research team also include Laura Martin-Sancho, PhD, Staff Scientist at
Scripps Research, California, and
Shashank Tripathi, PhD, Assistant
Professor, Microbiology and Cell Biology, Centre for Infectious
Disease Research, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore.
Senior authors on the research team also include Adolfo
García-Sastre, PhD, Irene and Dr. Arthur M. Fishberg Professor of
Medicine and Director of the Global Health and Emerging Pathogens
Institute at Icahn Mount Sinai in New
York, and Elodie Ghedin, PhD,
Chief of the Systems Genomics Section and Deputy Chief of the
Laboratory of Parasitic Diseases at the National Institute of
Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health.
This study was supported by the National Institute of Allergy
and Infectious Disease (NIAID) of the National Institutes of Health
(NIH) under award numbers R21AI149013, U01AI111598, U19AI106754,
U19AI135972, U19AI142733, and U19AI168631 and NIAID-funded Center
for Research on Influenza Pathogenesis (CRIP) and Center of
Excellence for Influenza Research and Response (CEIRR, contract
#75N93021C00014).
About the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
The Icahn School of Medicine at Mount
Sinai is internationally renowned for its outstanding
research, educational, and clinical care programs. It is the sole
academic partner for the eight- member hospitals* of the Mount
Sinai Health System, one of the largest academic health systems in
the United States, providing care
to a large and diverse patient population.
Ranked 14th nationwide in National Institutes of Health (NIH)
funding and among the 99th percentile in research dollars per
investigator according to the Association of American Medical
Colleges, Icahn Mount Sinai has a talented, productive, and
successful faculty. More than 3,000 full-time scientists,
educators, and clinicians work within and across 34 academic
departments and 35 multidisciplinary institutes, a structure that
facilitates tremendous collaboration and synergy. Our emphasis on
translational research and therapeutics is evident in such diverse
areas as genomics/big data, virology, neuroscience, cardiology,
geriatrics, as well as gastrointestinal and liver diseases.
Icahn Mount Sinai offers highly competitive MD, PhD, and
Master's degree programs, with current enrollment of approximately
1,300 students. It has the largest graduate medical education
program in the country, with more than 2,000 clinical residents and
fellows training throughout the Health System. In addition, more
than 550 postdoctoral research fellows are in training within the
Health System.
A culture of innovation and discovery permeates every Icahn
Mount Sinai program. Mount Sinai's
technology transfer office, one of the largest in the country,
partners with faculty and trainees to pursue optimal
commercialization of intellectual property to ensure that
Mount Sinai discoveries and
innovations translate into healthcare products and services that
benefit the public.
Icahn Mount Sinai's commitment to breakthrough science and
clinical care is enhanced by academic affiliations that supplement
and complement the School's programs.
Through the Mount Sinai Innovation Partners (MSIP), the Health
System facilitates the real-world application and commercialization
of medical breakthroughs made at Mount
Sinai. Additionally, MSIP develops research partnerships
with industry leaders such as Merck & Co., AstraZeneca, Novo
Nordisk, and others.
The Icahn School of Medicine at Mount
Sinai is located in New York
City on the border between the Upper East Side and East
Harlem, and classroom teaching takes place on a campus facing
Central Park. Icahn Mount Sinai's location offers many
opportunities to interact with and care for diverse communities.
Learning extends well beyond the borders of our physical campus, to
the eight hospitals of the Mount Sinai Health System, our academic
affiliates, and globally.
- Mount Sinai Health System member hospitals: The Mount Sinai
Hospital; Mount Sinai Beth Israel; Mount Sinai Brooklyn; Mount
Sinai Morningside; Mount Sinai Queens; Mount Sinai South Nassau;
Mount Sinai West; and New York Eye and Ear Infirmary of
Mount Sinai.
Media Contact
Karin Eskenazi, Mount Sinai
Health System, 212-241-9200, NewsMedia@mssm.edu
SOURCE Mount Sinai Health System
