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Early Viral Entry Assays for the Identification and Evaluation of Antiviral Compounds
Published on: October 29, 2015
The infectious aetiology of disease: the search for new agents
David N Fredricks1, David A Relman2
1is a Member of the Program in Infectious Diseases at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Centre and Assistant Professor of Medicine at the University of Washington, Seattle, USA. He qualified from Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, and trained in internal medicine at the University of California, San Francisco and in infectious diseases at Stanford University. His research interest is the use of microbial nucleic acid sequences in the detection and identification of novel and uncultivated pathogens.
Abstract:
There are many diseases for which a microbial aetiology is suspected. The hypothesis that a disease has an infectious cause is supported by: clinical features (similar to those of known infectious diseases, e.g. fever, leucocytosis), epidemiology (case clustering in time or location), histology (inflammation of affected tissues, e.g. granulomata) or characteristic microbial structures, treatment (clinical response to antimicrobial treatment), and prevention of disease by vaccines targeting microbial antigens. Proof that a microbe causes a disease requires more rigorous evidence. Future attempts to identify novel microbes associated with human disease may use sequence-based approaches. High-throughput sequencing may allow identification of unique microbial nucleic acid sequences in a background of host DNA. The complete sequencing of the human genome and multiple microbial genomes make this approach more feasible. DNA microarrays are also likely to be used in the search for novel pathogens.
Insights
Identifying the microbial cause of diseases is crucial. New sequence-based methods, like high-throughput sequencing, aid in detecting novel pathogens by analyzing microbial DNA alongside host DNA.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology and Infectious Diseases
- Genomics and Bioinformatics
Background:
- Many diseases are suspected to have a microbial origin.
- Evidence for infectious causes includes clinical, epidemiological, histological, and treatment responses.
- Rigorous proof is required to establish a microbe as the causative agent.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore advanced methods for identifying novel microbial pathogens.
- To leverage genomic technologies for disease etiology research.
Main Methods:
- Utilizing sequence-based approaches, including high-throughput sequencing.
- Analyzing unique microbial nucleic acid sequences within host DNA.
- Employing DNA microarrays for pathogen discovery.
Main Results:
- High-throughput sequencing enables the identification of unique microbial nucleic acid sequences.
- The availability of complete human and microbial genomes enhances sequence-based identification.
- DNA microarrays are a valuable tool in the search for new pathogens.
Conclusions:
- Sequence-based methods offer powerful new avenues for identifying novel microbial causes of human disease.
- Technological advancements in genomics and sequencing are critical for future infectious disease research.
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