Treatment with Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor Reduces Viral Titers in the Brains of West Nile Virus-Infected Mice and Improves Survival
Sarah Stonedahl, J. Smith Leser, Penny Clarke, Huntington Potter, Timothy D. Boyd, Kenneth L. Tyler
Abstract
Although rare, WNV encephalitis poses a devastating health concern, with few treatment options and frequent long-term neurological sequelae. Currently, there are no human vaccines or specific antivirals against WNV infections, so further research into potential new therapeutic agents is critical. This study presents a novel treatment option for WNV infections using GM-CSF and lays the foundation for further studies into the use of GM-CSF as a treatment for WNV encephalitis as well as a potential treatment for other viral infections.
Topics & Concepts
MicrogliaBiologyImmunologyVirologyGranulocyte macrophage colony-stimulating factorChemokineViral encephalitisCytokineEncephalitisVirusInflammationNeuroinflammation and Neurodegeneration MechanismsMosquito-borne diseases and controlInfectious Encephalopathies and Encephalitis