Gene Segment Identified in Virulent Human H5N1 Viruses
Key discovery may enable development of vaccines, therapeutics
BOSTON, Jan. 27, 2007 -- Viruses whose genomes constantly mutate, such as the H5N1 "bird flu," are driving a race to find relatively unchanging segments of their genomes; successful identification of these segments may allow more successful vaccines and therapeutics to be developed. Replikins are short fragments of the genomes of infectious organisms, which have been found to be related quantitatively to rapid replication and epidemic outbreaks (1,2). Scientists at Replikins, LLC have just identified a specific site in the human H5N1 virus genome which contains a dramatically higher concentration of replikins than the rest of the virus, and named it the Replikin Peak Gene(TM) (RPG). Two of the replikin components of RPG have been found to be conserved over 88 years in the following high-mortality and pandemic virus strains: H1N1, H2N2, H3N2, H5N1, and H7N7. This discovery makes possible very specific targeting with vaccines and other treatments; these Replikin peptides also form the basis for a pan-strain influenza vaccine, for which trials are underway. New quantitative virus protein sequence search software, FluForecast(R), available as a service from Replikins Ltd., was central to this work. RPG was isolated by comparing the replikin concentration (Replikin Count(TM)) of RPG to seven other defined areas of the H5N1 genome (Figure). The Replikin Count(TM) of RPG, was found to be associated with the pB1 area of the human H5N1 virus genome, and was increased tenfold from 2003 to 2006, during the current bird flu epidemics, when it was 4 to 10 times greater than that of the other genomic sections of the virus (hemagglutinin, neuraminidase, pA, pB2, ns, matrix, nucleocapsid)(p<0.001). In contrast to 'in vivo' or 'in vitro' localization of a gene, this method may be thought of as "in silico" identification or isolation of a gene. References:
1. BogochS, BogochES. Replikins: The Chemistry of Rapid
Replication. Begell Press, New York, 2005.
2. http://www.replikins.com