- Mosquito-borne viral infections, including dengue virus, are spreading globally and infect up to 400 million people annually with no available treatments.
- Researchers at the Stowers Institute for Medical Research discovered that dengue and other viruses utilize less efficient codons in their genetic code to replicate and spread in their hosts.
- The study found that dengue virus prefers using less optimal codons in both mosquito and human hosts as a strategy to evade the host’s antiviral response.
- Many other viruses, including HIV and SARS-CoV-2, also preferentially use less efficient codons relative to humans, suggesting an evolutionary benefit for the virus in using host cell resources.
- Understanding the mechanism behind how viruses benefit from using inefficient codons could aid in developing novel antiviral treatments and vaccines to combat the increasing cases of mosquito-borne viral infections like dengue.
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Infectious Diseases, Public Health & Prevention, Research