A single siRNA suppresses fatal encephalitis induced by two different flaviviruses.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) and West Nile virus (WNV) are neurotropic flaviviruses that can cause acute encephalitis with a high fatality rate. Currently there is no effective treatment for these infections.

Methods and findings

We tested RNA interference (RNAi)-based intervention to suppress lethal JE and WN encephalitis in mice. To induce RNAi, we used either lentivirally expressed short hairpin RNA (shRNA) or synthetic short interfering RNA (siRNA). As target, we selected the cd loop-coding sequence in domain II of the viral Envelope protein, which is highly conserved among all flaviviruses because of its essential role in membrane fusion. Using as a target a species-specific sequence in the cd loop that is conserved only among the different strains of ei

SUBMITTER: Kumar P 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC1361782 | biostudies-literature | 2006 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature