Establishment of therapeutic strategy for feline coronavirus infection targeting viral cell entry process

Research Project

Project/Area Number	16K08053
Research Category	Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
Allocation Type	Multi-year Fund
Section	一般
Research Field	Veterinary medical science
Research Institution	Kagoshima University
Principal Investigator	Endo Yasuyuki 鹿児島大学, 農水産獣医学域獣医学系, 教授 (90332600)
Project Period (FY)	2016-04-01 – 2019-03-31
Project Status	Completed (Fiscal Year 2018)
Budget Amount *help	¥4,810,000 (Direct Cost: ¥3,700,000、Indirect Cost: ¥1,110,000) Fiscal Year 2018: ¥1,820,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,400,000、Indirect Cost: ¥420,000) Fiscal Year 2017: ¥1,430,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,100,000、Indirect Cost: ¥330,000) Fiscal Year 2016: ¥1,560,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,200,000、Indirect Cost: ¥360,000)
Keywords	猫伝染性腹膜炎 / 獣医学 / ウイルス
Outline of Final Research Achievements	Feline infectious peritonitis is one of lethal diseases in cats caused by feline coronavirus. However, the treatment strategy has not been established yet since several strategies had been proposed. In the present study, I focused on the cell entry mechanism of feline coronavirus and tried to establish treatment strategy targeting it. The receptor of Type II Feline coronavirus has been identified as APN, and I found that the legand of APN, ubenimex, inhibited the viral growth in vitro. Because the receptor of Type I Feline coronavirus has not been identified yet, I tried to find it out and to clarify the molecular relationship between cellular receptor and viral envelope protein. However, I failed to identify the receptor of Type I Feline coronavirus during this period.
Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements	今回は研究期間内に最大の目標としてきた、I型猫コロナウイルスのレセプターの童貞には至らなかったが、この感染症に対する新たな治療戦略の一つの方法は示すことができたのではないかと思われる。II型ウイルスについては、まだin vitroの段階ではあったが、明らかなウイルス増殖抑制効果が見られたことから、これが実際に生体内で再現されれば治療法確立につながる可能性がある。I型ウイルスに対しても同様の効果が期待できることから、これが確立されれば小動物臨床の現場に貢献できる研究成果が得られるのではないかと考えている。