Since it's unknown which virus will become the next pandemic, these U of A scientists are preparing for a number of possibilities
When it comes to the numerous viruses that have the potential to spur the world's next pandemic, there's not a one-size-fits-all approach to planning medical treatment. But a one-size-fits-several solution may do the trick, a University of Alberta scientist says.
Matthias Götte, a virologist and chair of the U of A's medical microbiology and immunology department, is leading a team of about 15 people in Edmonton working on how to better prepare the world for the next pandemic.
"COVID-19 taught us a lot of lessons and we have to get better. We have to be better prepared; we have to respond quicker," he told CTV News Edmonton in a recent interview.
His idea is to have a drug template, of sorts, for each of the kinds of viruses that could lead to a pandemic.
Götte's team studies virus families that have "high" pandemic potential and the drugs that most effectively target each.
"As soon as a pandemic hits or an outbreak hits, you would like to have on-hand therapies or medical counter measures that work immediately," Götte said.
"When a new virus emerges that belongs to one of these families of viruses we're working on, we have a good starting point and can tailor to the new pathogen. That's the idea."
Götte and his team specifically study viral polymerase enzymes – a.k.a., the engine of the virus which drives it to replicate and spread.
According to Hery Lee, a third-year PhD student working under Götte, one of the questions they try to answer is: "After the virus has been targeted with a specific antiviral, how does the virus then respond?"
"Is it going to develop what we term as resistance?" she said. "So is the virus going to take from its arsenal something that can counteract the antivirals that we work with?"
The method has been successful in work treating chronic viral disease, like HIV and Hepatitis C, Götte noted.
"Now, we are trying to develop antiviral drugs by targeting the engine of the virus to other viruses, like Ebola."
Ebola belongs to the filovirus family, as does Marburg, which can cause severe hemorrhagic fever. Other virus families the U of A team is targeting include picornaviruses, which cause the common cold, and flaviviruses, the cause of yellow fever and dengue fever.
In a globalized world, more pandemics are likely, Götte believes.
But during previous outbreaks – such as of HIV, Hepatitis C, Ebola, and Zika – scientists "missed opportunities" to prepare in the same way he is working to now, the U of A professor says.
"There was a lot of funding in the beginning and then the virus disappeared and the funding disappeared, before we were actually able to cross the finish line. That should not happen again."
The U of A researchers are collaborating with colleagues in California and North Carolina under a program funded by the National Institutes of Health in the United States. The new Antiviral Drug Discovery (AViDD) Centers for Pathogens of Pandemic Concern, of which Götte's work is a part, are backed by nearly $600 million.
With files from CTV News Edmonton's Nahreman Issa
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING King Charles' cancer treatment progressing well, says Buckingham Palace
King Charles III’s doctors are 'sufficiently pleased' with his cancer treatment and he is expected to return to public-facing duties, Buckingham Palace announced on Friday.
Orca calf that was trapped in B.C. lagoon for weeks swims free
An orca whale calf that has been stranded in a B.C. lagoon for weeks after her pregnant mother died swam out on her own early Friday morning.
'Unacceptable': Trudeau reacts after AFN chief says headdress taken from plane cabin
After the Assembly of First Nations' national chief said her headdress was taken from an airplane cabin this week, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called the incident 'unacceptable' and a 'mistake' on the part of Air Canada.
Regina police officer injured after being accidentally shot by fellow officer's gun
An investigation is underway after a Regina police officer was accidentally shot by a fellow officer’s gun during the search of a house early Friday morning.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
DEVELOPING Bird flu outbreaks: WHO weighs in on public health risk
The current overall public health risk posed by the H5N1 bird flu virus is low, the World Health Organization said on Friday, but urged countries to stay alert for cases of animal-to-human transmission.
Taylor Swift dons Montreal designer's dress in 'Fortnight' video
A pair of Montreal designers' work has now been viewed over 41 million times. Taylor Swift dons a Victorian throwback black gown in her latest music video, 'Fortnight', designed by UNTTLD due Simon Belanger and Jose Manuel Saint-Jacques.
From faulty kids' cribs to flammable kids' bathrobes, here are the recalls of the week
Health Canada issued recalls for various items this week, including kids’ bathrobes, cribs and henna cones.
Island near Mull of Kintyre for sale for US$3.1 million
An idyllic 453-acre private island is up for sale off the west coast of Scotland and it comes with sandy beaches, puffins galore, seven houses, a pub, a helipad and a flock of black-faced sheep.