"We have limited funding, but we have made really good progress," Farzan said. "I'm told this is going in NIH's fast-track mechanism, so we're hoping to hear something in the not too distant future."
Some day, news flying around about PS Targeting will shock many, but if you go back and read carefully..... many here will have know what many have known what is coming for a very long time:
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TIM-family Proteins Promote Infection of Multiple Enveloped Viruses through Virion-associated Phosphatidylserine
Stephanie Jemielity, Jinyize J. Wang, Ying Kai Chan, Asim A. Ahmed, Wenhui Li, Sheena Monahan, Xia Bu, Michael Farzan, Gordon J. Freeman, Dale T. Umetsu, Rosemarie H. DeKruyff, Hyeryun Choe
PLOS
Published: March 28, 2013 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1003232
Abstract
Human T-cell Immunoglobulin and Mucin-domain containing proteins (TIM1, 3, and 4) specifically bind phosphatidylserine (PS). TIM1 has been proposed to serve as a cellular receptor for hepatitis A virus and Ebola virus and as an entry factor for dengue virus. Here we show that TIM1 promotes infection of retroviruses and virus-like particles (VLPs) pseudotyped with a range of viral entry proteins, in particular those from the filovirus, flavivirus, New World arenavirus and alphavirus families. TIM1 also robustly enhanced the infection of replication-competent viruses from the same families, including dengue, Tacaribe, Sindbis and Ross River viruses. All interactions between TIM1 and pseudoviruses or VLPs were PS-mediated, as demonstrated with liposome blocking and TIM1 mutagenesis experiments. In addition, other PS-binding proteins, such as Axl and TIM4, promoted infection similarly to TIM1. Finally, the blocking of PS receptors on macrophages inhibited the entry of Ebola VLPs, suggesting that PS receptors can contribute to infection in physiologically relevant cells. Notably, infection mediated by the entry proteins of Lassa fever virus, influenza A virus and SARS coronavirus was largely unaffected by TIM1 expression. Taken together our data show that TIM1 and related PS-binding proteins promote infection of diverse families of enveloped viruses, and may therefore be useful targets for broad-spectrum antiviral therapies. Author Summary
To infect cells, enveloped viruses typically utilize cellular receptors, which mediate specific, high-affinity interactions with the viral entry protein and prime the entry protein for subsequent steps in the viral entry process. Viral entry is also enhanced by attachment factors. Although less specific than receptors, attachment factors can alter the course of infection and thus severity of viral disease by increasing the infection efficiency of specific target cells. Here we observed that TIM proteins, a group of proteins that promote phagocytosis of apoptotic cells, can dramatically enhance the entry of a number of viruses, including Ebola, West Nile and dengue viruses, whereas they have little effect on the entry of other viruses. The inability of a virus to use TIM proteins may be due to the presence of an abundant, high-affinity receptor (Lassa fever virus), or because the TIM proteins direct virions to a non-productive internalization pathway (SARS coronavirus, influenza A virus). Mechanistically, TIM proteins appear to interact with enveloped viruses and apoptotic cells similarly by binding phosphatidylserine residues exposed on the viral and cellular membranes. Collectively our studies show that TIM proteins are attachment factors that can substantially improve the infection efficiency of a number of pathogenic viruses.
.... so 2012 the year blind siding news and investigations begin
....so 2013 the rebuilding year continues, investigations turn up sabotage like acts in Fargo at CSM in North Dakota and ends with 4 top global KOL's incoming to Peregrine in Dec 2013 and much too much PS Targeting news/data and phase III Sunrise to mention on going...
....so 2014 it all continues with more PS Targeting / PS receptors news and patient power recruitment into Sunrise again, too much PS Targeting receptor news to mention...
...so 2015 the year of "Wait, nothing will happen till 2016 or 2017" lol ...when it was said many months (March of 2014) ago by Choe that the trouble begins with flipped PS
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Today: Your chance to read up and realize all the puzzle pieces from Choe/Farzan big flipped PS researchers into 2013 and digging deeper into PS Targeting into 2014 and sooner or later, someone big will not want to wait to see others pick up the headlines.
"Bavituximab is a first-in-class phosphatidylserine (PS)-targeting monoclonal antibody that is the cornerstone of a broad clinical pipeline." -- Big Pharmas nightmare... unless they are fortunate enough to have The Bavi Edge!
