Abstract

BETANCOURT ALVAREZ, Pablo Ricardo; LUJAN RISCO, Yusimy; RAMIREZ ZAYAS, Roger  and  CALDERIN MARIN, Osaida. Ebolavirus: molecular biology and immune response evasion. Rev Cubana Hematol Inmunol Hemoter [online]. 2015, vol.31, n.4, pp. 0-0. ISSN 1561-2996.

The current Ebolavirus disease outbreak that strikes West Africa has claimed the life of around 9 000 people and has infected more than 22 000 in six countries, and some isolated cases have reached cities of Europe and the United States. Though the clinical course of the disease is well known, the specific mechanisms of its pathogenicity have not been fully delineated yet. Fatal cases of Ebolavirus disease are marked by a catastrophic failure of both innate and adaptive immune responses, mediated by virus-encoded proteins as well as properties associated with its structure. Ebolavirus genome comprises only seven genes encoding about 10 proteins, enough to cause a disease which fatality fluctuates from 40 to 90 %. At the heart of Ebola-induced immune dysregulation is an early and coordinated disruption by VP24, VP30, and VP35 that leads to elevated levels of virus replication, a cascade of inappropriately timed cytokine release, and death of both antigen-presenting and responding immune cells. The complex mechanisms of Ebola to selectively regulate immune responses and its variable pathogenicity in different host species makes this virus both, a challenging foe and scientifically interesting.

Keywords : ebolavirus; molecular biology; immune response evasion.

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