Due to the rise in heartland virus disease cases and the absence of drugs or therapies to combat this tick-borne disease, this particular ailment has become a topic of discussion in the scientific world. At our company, we are committed to advancing the field of infectious disease through innovative vaccine and therapy development services specifically tailored for Heartland virus disease.
Overview of Heartland Virus Disease
Heartland virus disease (HVD) is a new tick-borne disease caused by the Heartland virus (HRTV) which belongs to the bandavirus genus in the family of Phenuiviridae. First reported from Missouri around 2009, the virus has become a major public health issue of concern as more cases are reported in the Southern and MidWestern states of the USA. The disease is mostly transmitted through the bite of a lone star tick {Amblyomma americanum}. The clinical features associated with the disease may include febrile illness with myalgia, fatigue, headaches, gastrointestinal disorders and in severe cases leukopenia and thrombocytopenia may occur.
Fig.1 Maximum-likelihood tree showing genetic relationships among the tick-borne, mosquito-borne, and sand-fly-borne phleboviruses. (Brault A. C., et al., 2018)
Vaccine Development for Heartland Virus Disease
The creation of the HVD vaccine is set to include the following types:
- Recombinant Protein Vaccines: Developing the vaccine through proteins such as glycoprotein obtained from HRTV so that the vaccine can evoke a response without having to use live virus particles.
- Viral Vector Vaccines: The use of nonpathogenic viruses as vectors for HRTV genes which will be transduced into host cells with the aim of stimulating production of viral proteins enabling the immune system to learn how to recognize HRTV.
- mRNA Vaccines: As there are suggestions of using mRNA to combat future variants. These could also clinically serve HVD, permitting form quick response and usage to outbreaks that have recently occurred.
Therapeutics Development for Heartland Virus Disease
Though this antiviral agent has been primarily designed with an intention to combat influenza, it has yielded some promising results in animal studies concerning a few other virus infections, including HRTV.
These compounds which come from traditional Chinese medicine are said to have antiviral effects, thus they are being tested against the HRTV compound.
Although mainly an antifungal, this agent can have off-label clinical uses based on its immunomodulatory effects in treating severe cases of HVD.
HRTV therapeutics should be explored more in the context of this NF-κB inhibitor as it possesses antiviral characteristics.
Our Services
We focus on delivering comprehensive solutions by conducting dedicated services and innovative research. On a global scale, we are committed to advancing excellence in drug development which entails the constant endeavor to drive therapeutic and vaccine developments successfully.
- Interferon-α/β/γ Receptor–Deficient (Ag129) Mice
- CD-1 Mice
- New Zealand White Rabbit Infection HRTV Models
- Chickens (Leghorn) Infection HRTV Models
- Boer Goats Infection HRTV Models
Our commitment to advancing HVD research is exemplified by our comprehensive preclinical research services. We employ a range of methodologies to explore the safety, immunogenicity, and efficacy of potential vaccine candidates and antiviral therapies. If you are interested in our services, please feel free to contact us.
References
- Brault, Aaron C., et al. "Heartland virus epidemiology, vector association, and disease potential." Viruses 10.9 (2018): 498.
- Dembek, Zygmunt F., et al. "Heartland Virus Disease—An Underreported Emerging Infection." Microorganisms 12.2 (2024): 286.
All of our services and products are intended for preclinical research use
only and cannot be used to diagnose, treat or manage patients.
