Powerful antibody against dengue virus found

Researchers have identified a powerful antibody which requires a minute amount to neutralise the dengue virus, paving the way for effective treatment of the mosquito-borne infection. A new study showed how a newly identified antibody 5J7, is highly effective in killing dengue virus whereby only 10-9 gm of antibody is needed to stop the infection of dengue serotype 3 virus (DENV-3). This new finding gives hope for the development of effective dengue treatments, researchers said. Over the last 50 years, the incidence of dengue virus has increased by 30 times worldwide. The virus causes fever, rashes and joint pain and in severe cases, bleeding and shock. However, till now, there is no licensed dengue vaccine or therapeutic agent due to the presence of four circulating virus serotypes (DENV1-4) complicating their development. Researchers isolated 5J7 from 200 different candidate antibody molecules by studying blood samples from a dengue infected patient. By examining the virus-antibody complex structure at...