Invention:
This invention includes methods and pharmaceutics used to treat alphavirus infections by inhibiting specific cytokine production. These cytokines impair the immune response to the infection and causes inflammation, so its inhibition hastens recovery and diminishes symptom severity.
Background:
Varying immune response to alphaviral infections (specifically Chikungunya virus) is based on specific cytokine production, including the target cytokine of this treatment method. The inventors identified these cytokines and their effect on immune response. The inventors also demonstrated cytokine-inhibiting treatments as a method improving immune response and diminishing joint swelling in adult and old mice.
Applications:
- Treat alphavirus infection
- Infectious disease research
Advantages:
- Current treatments of alphavirus infection rely on supportive care during host immune response. There is no widely successful vaccine or established pharmaceutic treatment for the virus outside of treating viral symptoms.
- This cytokine inhibition treatment improves antibody response and treats joint swelling symptoms associated with the virus. Current treatments only treat viral symptoms during slowed immune response.
Status: issued U.S. Patent #10,882,903
