Researchers at the Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology (SMART) and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have uncovered
genetic differences between 2009 H1N1 flu strain and previously circulating H1N1 strain. In
their research, Professor Ram Sasisekharan and his colleagues found the 2009 H1N1 strains
distinct from existing strains. This means that individuals are likely not protected from
infection due to the presence of any existing cross-reactive antibodies – proteins that
protect humans from infections. The 2009 H1N1 is presently vulnerable to antivirals but
would only require one key mutation or change to become resistant to viral inhibitors like
Tamiflu®.
SMART and MIT reported their full sequence analysis of the 2009 H1N1 virus in the current
issue of Nature Biotechnology. The study comes from the laboratory of Professor
Sasisekharan and details a structural and functional context for some of the noted genetic
differences between the recent and previously circulating strain.
Other important findings of this study include the fact that for 2009 H1N1, a key viral
protein, the polymerase complex that plays a role in copying the viral genome and is critical
for influenza to transmit from person-to-person, is not fully human-adapted.
According to this study, if the 2009 H1N1 acquires a “humanised” polymerase complex, its
ability to transmit human-to-human would likely greatly increase. Analysis of a particular
cell surface viral protein (hemagglutin which is responsible for binding to human receptors)
indicates that it is likely to bind to a wide variety of host receptors, or glycans, and therefore
move between birds, pigs, and humans fairly easily. This finding confirms the previous
ground-breaking work of the Sasisekharan laboratory at MIT which examined virus
specifically based on these particular binding characteristics.
Professor Sasisekharan is a principal investigator in the Infectious Diseases Interdisciplinary
Research Group of the SMART Centre in Singapore. He is also the Director of the HarvardMIT Division of Health Sciences and Technology and the Edward Hood Taplin Professor of
Health Sciences and Technology and Biological Engineering at MIT.
“The foundation provided by SMART was key to moving this research forward. The crossdisciplinary interaction amongst researchers within SMART has led and will continue to lead
to cutting-edge research in infectious disease. Through collaborative efforts, such as those
made possible by SMART, it has proven feasible to develop a detailed framework for many infectious diseases including influenza. This type of framework continues to permit highly
pertinent research, which has a real impact on the public health, to be conducted. I am
happy to be part of SMART,” stated Professor Sasisekharan.
Rohan Abeyaratne, Director of SMART Centre said, “The Sasisekharan group at SMART has
long been at the leading edge of research on influenza. The distinction between the new
2009 H1N1 flu strain and the previously known H1N1 strain is a very significant finding. This
latest result is typical of the kinds of breakthroughs they are making.”
In addition to the scientific discoveries presented in Nature Biotechology, this paper also
provides an outline for the design of novel vaccines and/or therapeutics to combat influenza
broadly and the 2009 H1N1 strain in particular.
Date: July 23, 2019
Source: MIT