Genetic screening to fight the common childhood virus that causes hand, foot and mouth disease

The unavailability of antiviral medicines and vaccines has made outbreaks of hand, food and mouth disease (HFMD) caused by enterovirus 71 (EV71), a serious threat that affects millions worldwide. Now, an A*STAR comprehensive study has identified which human proteins in a cell are hijacked by EV71 and which try to resist its invasion. Clarifying these host-pathogen interactions could reveal new targets for antiviral therapeutics. EV71 infections mainly affect children and can lead to aseptic meningitis, and long-term neurological complications, including polio-like paralysis. Since the EV71 genome encodes for just 11 proteins, it has cleverly evolved to exploit human cells to its advantage and guarantee its successful replication. To check which human proteins facilitate or hinder EV71 replication, scientists at the A*STAR Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology have developed a gene ‘atlas’. They screened 21,121 human genes, using a technique called small interfering RNA (siRNA). The team reported an extensive list of...