PubMed · 13324927
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F J O'MEARA. 1956. Dengue (Eastern Mediterranean).. https://doi.org/10.1016/0035-9203(56)90081-5
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Dengue is the most common global problem in recent times, particularly in tropical and subtropical areas, yet antivirals for therapy or prophylaxis are lacking. Millions of people are affected by this dengue virus, but no proper medication is available yet to cure this disease. One polyprotein that is encoded by the DENV genome is converted into structural and non-structural proteins that are necessary for viral pathogenesis and replication. Among these, the non-structural protein complex NS2B-NS3 is essential for viral polyprotein processing, replication, and host innate immune response control. It acts as a trypsin-like serine protease. The NS2B/NS3 protease is a key enzyme involved in viral replication and serves as a major target for drug development against the dengue virus. The NS3 protease has a conserved catalytic triad (His-Asp-Ser), whereas NS2B serves as an essential cofactor that stabilizes the active conformation of the enzyme and aids in substrate recognition. By disrupting interferon signalling pathways, the NS2B-NS3 protease not only aids in viral replication but also makes immune evasion easier. The compound that inhibits the action of this enzyme could be pioneering in the antiviral drug discovery process. This article provides a comprehensive overview of the detailed structural information of the viral protease (NS2B/NS3) enzyme with the mechanistic role of this enzyme, and highlights various inhibitors related to the NS2B/NS3 protease. A more thorough comprehension of this protease could facilitate the logical development of potent antiviral medications to prevent dengue infection.
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Dengue virus, the causative agent of dengue fever and its more serious manifestation dengue hemorrhagic fever, is widespread throughout tropical and subtropical regions. The virus exists as four distinct serotypes, all of which have cocirculated in Bangkok for several decades with epidemic outbreaks occurring every 8-10 years. We analyze time-series data of monthly infection incidence, revealing a distinctive pattern with epidemics of serotypes 1, 2, and 3 occurring at approximately the same time and an isolated epidemic of serotype 4 occurring in the intervening years. Phylogenetic analysis of virus samples collected over the same period shows that clade replacement events are linked to the epidemic cycle and indicates that there is an interserotypic immune reaction. Using an epidemic model with stochastic seasonal forcing showing 8- to 10-year epidemic oscillations, we demonstrate that moderate cross-protective immunity gives rise to persistent out-of-phase oscillations similar to those observed in the data, but that strong or weak cross-protection or cross-enhancement only produces in-phase patterns. This behavior suggests that the epidemic pattern observed in Bangkok is the result of cross-protective immunity and may be significantly altered by changes in the interserotypic immune reaction.