Positive effect of antiviral treatment in Ljungan virus diabetic animal-model
Antiviral therapy normalizes the blood glucose level in Ljungan virus (LV) infected diabetic mice. Antiviral therapy also delayed onset of diabetes in type-1 diabetes-prone rats. These observations suggest that antiviral medicines may play a therapeutic role in diabetes.
A study from Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm, Sweden shows that the CD-1 mice infected early in life with LV develop a type-2-like diabetes later in life. Antibodies directed against LV and an antiviral medicine (Pleconaril) normalized the blood glucose level in these mice. The combination treatment of antibodies and antiviral medicine worked best. Antiviral therapy and antibody treatment also delayed the onset of disease in type 1 diabetes-prone rats. The results point to LV being an essential component in the development of diabetes in these animal models. The results also indicate that antiviral treatment may have the potential to play a very important role in treatment of diabetes.
Professor Per-Olof Berggren, Department of Molecular Medicine and Surgery
