New $3.7 million NIH grant supports collaborative research against MERS coronavirus
A relatively new virus has commanded the attention of a team of multi-institutional researchers and prompted a $3.7 million for five-year research project.
“Since the unexpected emergence of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) in 2013, the ongoing outbreaks of MERS in the Middle East and the potential for global transmission of MERS have underscored the urgent need for effective preventive and therapeutic measures against this highly virulent coronavirus,” said Dr. Kyeong-Ok “KC” Chang, a virologist at the Kansas State University College of Veterinary Medicine.
Co-crystallization of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) 3C-like protease and one of the effective compounds.
Dr. Chang is collaborating with multiple scientists from various disciplines: Dr. Yunjeong Kim, a virologist from Kansas State University; Dr. William C. Groutas, a medicinal chemist at Wichita State University; Dr. Stanley Perlman, a virologist at the University of Iowa; and Dr. Scott Lovell, a structural biologist at the University of Kansas.
The title of their grant is, “Small Molecule Protease Inhibitors against Middle East Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus.” The grant is provided under the category of R01 funding by the National Institutes of Health’s National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.
Coronaviruses are part of a group of RNA viruses that look like a corona or halo when viewed under the electron microscope. Directly acting inhibitors such as polymerase inhibitors and protease inhibitors have been successfully developed and available to the public against some of important viral infections like the human immunodeficiency virus and hepatitis C virus. But there is no specific antiviral available for MERS-CoV yet.
Drs. Kim, Chang and Groutas have been working on protease inhibitors for a fatal feline coronavirus infection, called feline infectious peritonitis (FIP) and have recently shown the efficacy of their inhibitor in the treatment of FIP in feline patients, showing the promising potential for their approach for the development of antiviral drug for coronavirus infection.
“MERS-CoV has two viral proteases that are essential for viral replication, making them attractive therapeutic targets,” Dr. Chang said. “We are working on the development of protease inhibitors against one of MERS-CoV proteases by optimizing current effective compounds toward preclinical drug candidates. This campaign will have a significant impact on MERS-CoV research and public health.“
The grant is expected to support work from 2018 to 2023.
Veterinary students join Beef Cattle Institute for industry education
By Shelby Mettlen
Beginning May 14, 10 incoming first- and second-year veterinary students joined the Beef Cattle Institute (BCI) at Kansas State University for two weeks of beef industry-related tours, presentations and hands-on demonstrations.
Students Braxton Butler, Izabella Carmona, Lena Fernkopf, Jared Heiman, Ashley Joseph, Megan Westerhold, Meredith Schmidt, Matthew Kelso, Libby Farney and Shanlyn Hefley are part of the Veterinary Training Program for Rural Kansas (VTPRK), a state-funded effort provided through the College of Veterinary Medicine to return veterinary graduates to rural Kansas to serve counties of fewer than 35,000 residents.
The VTPRK students visit Cattle Empire LLC in Satanta.
The program provides up to $20,000 per year toward academic and professional development to each of five students per class over the course of four years. Graduates of the VTPRK program are required to practice veterinary medicine in a qualifying county for four years following graduation.
During the first week, the students, BCI Director Dr. Brad White and Kelly Oliver, program coordinator, toured a number of beef industry businesses across western Kansas. Starting at National Beef in Dodge City, the group moved to Forget-Me-Not Farms dairy in Cimarron, Cattle Empire in Satanta, Hy-Plains Feedyard in Montezuma, and finished up at Gardiner Angus Ranch and Ashland Veterinary Clinic in Ashland.
“The goal of hosting these students is to prepare our VTPRK students for success in rural practice,” Dr. White said. “BCI works closely with several industries involved in rural practices and we want to work with students to help them gain early experience.”
The following week, the students returned to Manhattan for five days of presentations by industry leaders, tours and cattle-handling demonstrations. The group traveled to St. Joseph, Missouri, May 24 to tour Boehringer Ingelheim and wrapped up the course with Animal Health Commissioner Dr. Justin Smith and Assistant Emergency Management Coordinator David Hogg at the Kansas Department of Agriculture building in Manhattan.
Lena Fernkopf, Circleville, Kansas, enjoyed the diversity of the tours and presentations.
“It was nice to be able to see all aspects of the cattle industry, from feedlot, to dairy, and everything in between,” she said. “I also really enjoyed getting to visit with veterinarians and learn more about what they do on a daily basis and learn more about a career in veterinary medicine in western Kansas. Overall, I think the tours and presentations offered us an opportunity to see many aspects of the industry that many students will not get to see.”
The students were recognized during the college’s 80th Annual Conference for Veterinarians in Manhattan, Kansas, on June 3.
Students visit Boehringer Ingelheim in Saint Joseph, Missouri.
K-State team conducts first U.S. livestock study with Japanese encephalitis virus
By Gabriella Doebele
In what is believed to be the first study of its kind in the United States, Kansas State University College of Veterinary Medicine researchers found that North American domestic pigs are potentially susceptible to infections with the Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV).
“Japanese encephalitis virus is a mosquito-transmitted flavivirus that has high human and veterinary public health significance,” said So Lee Park, a third-year veterinary student and concurrent Ph.D. student, who was the first author on this research article.
Dr. Dana Vanlandingham mentors So Lee Park, who is a concurrent DVM/Ph.D. student, on high-containment research at the Biosecurity Research Institute at K-State.
So Lee demonstrates techniques in a training laboratory while wearing personal protective equipment.
“Collectively, our study demonstrates for the first time that North American domestic pigs can contribute to the JEV transmission cycle as amplifying hosts.”
Support for the research was provided in part through a State of Kansas National Bio and Agro-defense Facility (NBAF) transition grant since this mosquito-borne flavivirus is an NBAF priority pathogen. The research was conducted at K-State’s Biosecurity Research Institute (BRI).
“In this study, domestic pigs from North America were intravenously challenged with JEV to characterize the pathological outcomes,” said Dr. Dana Vanlandingham, associate professor in the Department of Diagnostic Medicine/Pathobiology (DMP) and corresponding author. “Detection of infectious viruses in nasal secretions suggest infected animals are likely to promote the vector-free transmission of JEV. As such, JEV may have the potential to become endemic in the U.S. after an introductory event similar to the recent emergence of West Nile virus, a closely related flavivirus.”
Earlier research found that some North American mosquitoes can transmit the virus.
“This means that all components of the transmission cycle are present in the U.S.” said Dr. Scott Huang, assistant research professor in DMP.
While an introductory event involving JEV has yet to happen in the U.S., researchers recommend increased international and possibly local surveillance of JEV through diagnostic methods. They believe JEV is both a significant swine and human pathogen that cannot be ignored.
This study was published in Scientific Reports on May 21. Other K-State contributors included Amy Lyons, research assistant in DMP and master’s student in biomedical science; Victoria Ayers, a Ph.D. student in pathobiology; Susan Hettenbach, research assistant for the BRI; Dr. Kenneth Burton, program director of the National Agricultural Biosecurity Center at Kansas State University; Dr. Stephen Higgs, director of the BRI and professor in DMP; and Dr. Scott McVey, a USDA collaborator and director of the Center for Grain and Animal Health Research.