are studying the immunology of Dengue Fever down in South America, where Dengue is quite endemic. Dengue isx a hemorrhagic disease caused by the Dengue virus. Your research will look at a monoclonal antibody (mAb) froma mouse model that recognizes antigens to the Dengue Virus. After creating hybridomas, you choose one that produces an anti-Dengue IgA mAb. Shortly after producing this antibody, five patients enter a clinic in which you are working with in this project. Unfortunately, three patients die before receiving treatment. The doctors in charge of the clinic allow you to have a few small lung biopsies from the deceased patients to ensure they died by Dengue infection. Use the information provided from above to answer the following questions. Before you start, review antibodies, especially IgA, make sure you include (+) and (-) controls in your experiments, be specific in the reagents used and don't forget you have just small amounts of potentially viral infected lung tissue. You have made the mAb's as discussed in class. (25 Points)
A. Explain how Dengue gets into the cell and its replication process
B. Design an experiment around your mAb to ensure that the patients died from a Dengue infection. Describe the experiment, with controls and would your results look like.
C. Your top Post-Doc in your lab asks if the IgA could be used therapeutically to protect Dengue patients. Why makes your Post-Doc think your anti-IgA mAb could be used therapeutically? Describe what you might think could happen in the patient's body after injection of the mAb.
D. Describe two scenarios in which your anti-Dengue IgA mAb might not work used therapeutically.
E. It is important to realize that your mAbs are typical IgA antibodies. If the anti-Dengue IgA antibodies were to be used therapeutically, it is important that the therapy be used with anti-IgA and not anti-IgG antibodies, which is the typical antibody used in response to viral infections. Explain why this is.
Answers
Dengue is a significant global health problem.
Even though a vaccine against dengue is now available, which is a notable achievement, its long-term protective efficacy against each of the 4 dengue virus serotypes remains to be definitively determined.
Consequently, drugs directed at the viral targets or critical host mechanisms that is used safely for Dengue.
It is a well-known fact that Dengue is one of the most significant health issues globally.
Though, there is some vaccine against this condition is available now that is a big achievement, its enduring protecting power against every dengue related virus serotypes actually remains to be surely determined.
Accordingly, drugs actually directed at the crucial host mechanisms or viral targets which are safely used for this health problem.