CIRAD is the World Organization for Animal Health reference laboratory for rinderpest and peste des petits ruminants.
Contact
UMR Contrôle des maladies exotiques et émergentes
CIRA-INRA
TA A-15 / G
34398 Montpellier
Cedex 5, France
Tél. : +33 4 67 59 37 05
Fax : +33 4 67 59 37 98
Contact scientifique
Tél. : +33 4 67 61 57 64
Fax : +33 4 67 61 75 64
Contact commercial
A new generation of antivirals against morbillivirus diseases
Development of antiviral medicines against measles, rinderpest, peste des petits ruminants and distemper using the RNA interference method.
Morbilliviruses are responsible for serious diseases in humans and animals, such as measles, rinderpest, peste des petits ruminants and distemper. Vaccines exist against these diseases, but there is no specific treatment once a focus appears and serious after-effects can develop. In such cases, antivirals would be very useful in controlling the diseases. Interfering RNAs are promising molecules in the treatment of viral infections. Taking such an approach, interfering RNAs that are active against morbilliviruses have been developed.
Main advantages
- These interfering RNAs are anitivirals specific to morbilliviruses and are highly effective in vitro.
- Interfering RNAs act according to a natural cell process and their toxicity is reduced.
- These interfering RNAs target regions of the gene of the virus nucleoprotein which is essential for all morbilliviruses. That strengthens the therapeutic potential of these molecules.
- Interfering RNAs do not totally eliminate expression of the viral genes involved in the immune reaction of the host, which can thus develop a durable protective immune reaction. This is the basis of therapeutic vaccines.
Industrial usage
Antiviral medicines and therapeutic vaccines for human and veterinary use.
Development phase
- In vitro testing: over 90% inhibition of morbillivirus replication
- In vivo testing on laboratory animals: work under way on in vivo delivery methods, partnership search for interfering RNA delivery in large animals.
- Results: publications 2008 in Antiviral Research, 79: 37-48; Antiviral Research, 80 (2): 158-167; publication 2007 in Journal of General Virology, 88: 2307-2311.
Intellectual rights
CIRAD patent.
Partnership kind
The laboratory is seeking partners for therapeutic development of this technology: develop medicines, in vivo delivery of oligonucleotides, large-scale production of biomolecules, and clinical trials.