A surprise discovery helps scientists understand what makes rabies deadly, and perhaps how better to combat it. In an unexpected discovery, scientists at Jefferson Medical College have found that a tiny change in a rabies virus protein can turn a “safe” virus extremely deadly. The finding has enabled the researchers to refine a vaccine they previously created against rabies in wildlife, making it safer and more effective. “We have identified a molecular mechanism involved in making the rabies virus pathogenic and lethal, and have developed a very safe vaccine for the immunization of wildlife,” says Bernhard Dietzschold, DVM, professor of microbiology and immunology at Jefferson Medical College of Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia, who led the work. “As a result, we think we have engineered a virus which is nonpathogenic and extremely stable.” Reporting recently in the Journal of Virology, Dr. Dietzschold, Matthias Schnell, Ph.D., associate professor of microbiology and immunology at Jefferson Medical College, and their co-workers identified a mutation in a rabies virus gene that changes a single amino acid in the virus’s outer coat. The alteration was enough to turn a “safe” virus into a deadly version, making the virus unusable for vaccination.
