Scientists at the University of California, Riverside (UC Riverside) have discovered promising new antibodies for the treatment of Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF). This tick-borne virus, which carries a mortality rate of up to 40%, remains without widely approved treatments or vaccines to date. According to a study published in the journal Nature Communications, researchers identified a completely new target for neutralizing the virus — the nucleocapsid protein (NP).
Previously, this protein was used solely for diagnostic purposes and was not considered a therapeutic target. However, experiments on mice demonstrated that a specific antibody (9D5) can bind to it, activate the host’s immune system, and protect animals from lethal infection. Notably, rather than blocking the virus directly, these antibodies assist the immune system in effectively eliminating it.
Amid climate change, the ticks that transmit Crimean-Congo fever are moving into new, densely populated regions, making the disease a growing global threat. Researchers hope that building on this new discovery, human therapies will become available in approximately five years and could potentially prove effective against other dangerous viruses, such as Lassa fever.
