Inhibiting influenza virus transmission using a broadly acting neuraminidase that targets host sialic acids in the upper respiratory tract.

ABSTRACT: The ongoing transmission of influenza A viruses (IAV) for the past century continues to be a burden to humans. IAV binds terminal sialic acids (SA) of sugar molecules present within the upper respiratory tract (URT) in order to successfully infect hosts. The two most common SA structures that are important for IAV infection are those with α2,3- and α2,6-linkages. While mice were once considered to be an unsuitable system for studying IAV transmission due to their lack of α2,6-SA in the trachea, we have successfully demonstrated that IAV transmission in infant mice is remarkably efficient. This finding led us to re-evaluate the SA composition of the URT of mice using in situ immunofluorescence and examine its in vivo contribution to transmission for the first time. We demonstr

SUBMITTER: Ortigoza MB 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10865980 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature