What if a single drop of blood could tell us about every single virus that has ever infected us? This in fact is reality as it has been put into practice by a team of Harvard Medical School researchers led by Steve Elledge. The researchers were interested in asking a profound, yet extremely challenging question: can we systematically reveal every virus that a human being has ever been infected with? To address this question, the Harvard Medical School researchers developed a virus screening and detection technology known as VirScan. When a virus infects a human (or an animal for that matter), the infection elicits an immune response in which antibodies against these viral proteins are made by the body. VirScan exploits the presence of these antibodies in blood serum and therefore allows us to determine the different types of viruses that an individual might have been exposed to in his or her lifetime.
To address this question, a remarkable tour de force study was undertaken where the investigators collected blood serum from 569 individuals residing in four different continents (Asia, Africa, North and South America). Some of their main results showed that close to 62 different viral species were detected amongst five of the 569 individuals that participated in the study and more than 80 different viruses were found to be present in two of the 569 individuals that took part in the study. Furthermore, the team uncovered a subtle yet important finding. They found a greater prevalence of certain viral infections which was also dependent on the geographical location. In addition, the present study also revealed other important findings. For instance, individuals that are HIV-positive have a greater likelihood of being infected with adenovirus than HIV-negative individuals underscoring the complexity of viral infection networks. In addition, the researchers also performed cost analysis studies and determined that a single comprehensive test that could cover over 200 different viruses can be performed for approximately $25. Thus, making such a test a very cost-effective assay.
However, the researchers do lament about the shortcomings of the current VirScan technology. For example, the investigators have stated that complicated viral epitope fragments currently cannot be detected by the VirScan technology. Therefore, it would be helpful for future versions of VirScan to be tweaked so that it is inclusive of these complex viral fragments that are currently not covered.
Prior to the publication of this study, a different test had to be performed for every single virus of interest. The present study thus represents a significant advance and therefore will be of extreme importance in comprehensively characterizing viral infections. This will allow for the creation of more effective and well informed treatments and therapeutic options. If VirScan becomes a marketable technology, its presence would no doubt be of extreme value in comprehensively ascertaining viral infections.
The present study was published in the June 4th issue of the journal Science.
Photo courtesy of pixabay.com
