Scientists at the Bengaluru R&D lab achieved a new milestone in fighting rabies using a redirected cancer medicine as a remedy for rabies. The novel method is capable of injecting the drug for rabies viral, alleviating tens of millions of infected patients all over the world.
Second Life for an Existing Drug
Historically, rabies has always been fatal if there is a clinical presentation, and prevention is post-exposure prophylaxis alone. The Bengaluru group has found, however, that an off-the-shelf drug that was designed and manufactured to treat cancer has greater antiviral activity against the rabies virus. By repurposing the available drug, researchers see a possibility to an effective treatment for rabies by avoiding the long and costly process of developing a drug de novo.
The Science of Discovery
The drug has also been discovered to be effective as an anticancer agent by inhibiting some cell pathways utilized by the rabies virus for entry and replication in the host. Intravenous administration of the drug in the laboratory has been shown to control the viral load in infected cells and thereby prevent drug resistance. The outcome shows that the drug inhibits the viral life cycle by preventing it from hijacking part of the host cell machinery.
Implications of the Treatment for Rabies
If the efficacy of this repurposed drug is proven through clinical trials, then the treatment course of rabies would totally be revolutionized. Post-exposure prophylaxis, vaccination, and, in a few instances, rabies immunoglobulin injection is all that are left for all those who have come into contact with the rabies virus. It is in environments of adverse resources that such interventions are most out of reach and only within a supportive environment after exposure do they become warranted.
A treatment for therapeutic rabies that cures the symptoms, would represent an essential unmet clinical requirement and would have the capability of reducing death from rabies by a considerable factor.
Other Complementary Initiatives in Rabies Prevention
This is one step ahead of enhanced rabies control in India. For example, Karnataka’s Department of Health ordered all state government hospitals to provide free Anti-Rabies Vaccine (ARV) and Rabies Immunoglobulin (RIG) to all dog or animal bite victims irrespective of their socio-economic status. The policy aims to give adequate and timely treatment to all to prevent the disease from developing.
Other than that, Indian Immunological Ltd (IIL) is also developing a bi-valent human monoclonal antibody against rabies. That has been supported under the National Biopharma Mission of the Department of Biotechnology as one of the measures for maximizing the effectiveness of prophylaxis and availability of rabies. IIL’s Dr. K. Anand Kumar added that this all-human monoclonal antibody will change the dynamics of rabies therapy and reduce side effects of the current treatment options. The Road Ahead
While drug repurposing as a method of cancer treatment is a promising avenue for developing a cure for rabies, there remains a lot of work to be done before it can be established as a proven method. Conducting proper clinical trials would be necessary in order to determine the safety and efficacy of the drug among human patients. Approval from regulatory bodies and plans for mass production and distribution would also have to be undertaken. But this breakthrough is evidence that frontier science is capable of eradicating chronic public health epidemics.
Conclusion
Bengaluru R&D center discovery of a promising rabies cure through re-purposing of a drug is a medical scientific feat. Piling on ongoing work on how to prevent and treat rabies better, the new breakthrough bodes well for future elimination of a disease that still kills thousands of people yearly.
A passionate writer, Niharika wants to create an impact as she believes that Journalism is not just a profession, but a passion to follow and live in. With a keen eye for storytelling and a commitment to impactful writing. she strives to inform, engage, and inspire through the pieces that she crafts. Niharika has covered the 38th National Games, getting to know the lives of athletes and players closely. When not writing she is listening to music, or browsing through social media for more meaningful topics to cover.
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