Measles researchers used genetic sequencing tools to study how the measles virus mutated and spread in the brain of a person who died from a rare and deadly brain disease.
This disease is a complication of the measles virus and may become more common as measles reemerges among unvaccinated individuals.
The virus acquired distinct mutations that allowed it to spread from the frontal cortex to other parts of the brain.
It will be helpful
The study's findings will help scientists understand how viruses adapt and cause diseases in the brain, potentially aiding the development of effective antiviral drugs.
Measles is an extremely contagious disease that spreads through respiratory droplets when an infected person coughs or sneezes.
The lead researcher has been studying the measles virus and its connection to the brain for many years.
Subacute sclerosing panencephalitis, a rare and lethal brain disease, can develop several years after a measles infection and is characterized by symptoms such as memory loss, seizures, and immobility.
The team had the opportunity to study the brain of an individual who had measles as a child and later developed SSPE.
They found that the measles virus's genome changed in harmful ways once it entered the brain, with multiple replications resulting in a varied population of genomes.
Specific combinations of these genomes promoted the spread of the virus throughout the entire brain.
Why it's important
The researchers plan to further investigate how specific mutations facilitate virus spread in the brain using cultivated brain cells and organoids.
While antiviral drugs may be developed in the future, vaccination remains the most effective method for preventing SSPE and other complications of measles.
Previously, we talked about screen time and sleep.
