2013 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

Treatment of rebies using intratheal immunization and the mechanisms of the treatment

Research Project

Project/Area Number	23380171
Research Category	Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)
Allocation Type	Single-year Grants
Section	一般
Research Field	Basic veterinary science/Basic zootechnical science
Research Institution	Hokkaido University
Principal Investigator	UMEMURA Takashi 北海道大学, 人獣共通感染症リサーチセンター, 特任教授 (00151936)
Project Period (FY)	2011-04-01 – 2014-03-31
Keywords	狂犬病 / 治療実験 / 鞘内免疫 / 脳免疫 / 心筋壊死 / 神経原性心筋症 / ワクチン投与 / ウサギ
Research Abstract	Rabies is a fatal zoonotic disease for which no effective treatment measures are currently available. I purposed treatment of rabid animals using intrathecal immunization which means direct inoculation of vaccine into cerebrospinal fluid, based on our previous research results on brain immunity. As a result, the treatment using intrathecal immunization on rabid patients who ever received pre- or post-exposure vaccination resulted 100% survival of the patients. However, their recovery was incomplete and persisted were nervous signs due to brain damages before the treatment. Rabid patients usually show myocardial necrosis of unknown pathogenesis. The present research disclosed that the myocardial lesion was neurogenic cardiomyopathy and complication of myocardial lesion should be kept in mind at the treatment of rabid patients.