A scientist who has dedicated seven years of her life to studying viruses thriving in the https://www.express.co.uk/latest/yellowstone-volcano" rel="nofollow - Yellowstone Hayden Valley claims to have come across a potentially game changing discovery.
Deep
in the bubbling hot springs of the Yellowstone super volcano, Montana
State (MSU) researcher Rebecca Hochstein says she has found a new
resilient form of pathogen.
Ms Hochstein came across her startling
findings in an 80ºC (176ºF) degree pool, where she unearthed a
mysterious lemon-shaped virus strand.
Her findings were published
in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science of the United
States of America – the official scientific journal of the National
Academy of Sciences.
According to study
co-author Martin Lawrence, of the MSU Department of Chemistry and
Biochemistry, there are three typical shapes of virus known to man.
He said: “There are really only three common shapes for viruses – spherical, cylindrical and lemon-shaped.
“We
have understood for many years the principles for the construction of
cylindrical and spherical viruses, but this is the first time we have
really understood how the third class of viruses is put together.”
"We
now understand how this third kind of virus shell is assembled and the
dynamic process it uses to carry and then eventually eject the DNA that
it is carrying.
"This understanding could potentially be adapted for technological uses."
The
monumental discovery could now explain how viruses change form and pave
the way for innovative virus-based cancer treatments.
This is the first time we have really understood how the third class of viruses is put together
Martin Lawrence, MSU Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry
Professor Lawrence said these
viruses could be “loaded” with medicinal cargos and unleashed inside the
human body to target specific areas, such as cancer tumours.
This
could in effect make targeted drug treatments much more effective,
opening up new avenues for therapy and reduce drug side effects.
Co-author
Mark Young, professor of Plant Sciences and Plant Pathology at MSU,
further underlined the virus’ resilience to the deadly conditions of
Yellowstone could lead to breakthrough biotech research.
He said: “The detailed
understanding of this virus isolated from a boiling acid hot spring in
Yellowstone provides a potentially new virus-based nano-container that
can operate at high temperature and acidic conditions which is of
interest to biotech companies.
"This is because it extends the conditions under which virus-based nano-cages can operate.
“Already,
these types of nano-cages have been shown to be stable in the animal GI
track, opening the possibility for their development as smart drug
delivery systems."
Viruses have been used extensively in medicine in recent years, thanks to the rise of virotherapy.
Cancer research studies have
increasingly looked into the applications of oncolytic ECHO-7 viruses in
combating cancer and cancer remission.
According to the Journal
of Cancer, several oncolytic based therapies have already been approved
and registered for cancer therapy in the past decade.
Latvia was
the first to approve such medicine in 2004 with Rigvir, followed by
Oncorine in 2005 in China and Imlygic in 2015 in the US and Europe.
Viral
gene therapy has also been extensively studied in relation to
Parkinson’s disease, to deliver reserves of Dopamine straight to the
brain in order to prevent the disease.
Source, photos and video: https://www.express.co.uk/news/science/931022/yellowstone-volcano-warning-virus-super-volcano-eruption-scientists" rel="nofollow - https://www.express.co.uk/news/science/931022/yellowstone-volcano-warning-virus-super-volcano-eruption-scientists