Recombinant Echovirus E7 VP1 Protein [His]

Echovirus 30 (E30) is a major pathogen associated with aseptic meningitis. In the summer of 2014, a family clustering aseptic meningitis outbreak occurred in urban-rural fringe of Ningbo city in Zhejiang Province in China. To identify the etiologic agent, specimens were tested by cell culture and reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction. Pathogenic examination confirmed that the outbreak is caused by E30. The first case is a 6-year-old child, who studied in kindergarten in local, suffered from headache and fever. Same symptoms appeared in his parents, aunts, and other six relatives continuously. Meanwhile, vomiting occurred in majority of the patients and diarrhea in parts of them. White blood cells in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) exceeded normal range in all patients. Protein levels in CSF were above normal range in half of the patients. Glucose levels in CSF were within normal range in all patients. We isolated six strains E30 in the stool specimens of patients, and carried out sequencing analysis to VP1 region. Sequencing results showed that 100% sequence identity was seen in both nucleotide and amino acid levels. Phylogenetic analysis discovered that isolate in this study was grouped into sublineage D2 together with sequences isolated from other areas of China in the 2000s and 2010s. Our study is the first family clustering outbreak of aseptic meningitis caused by E30 in Zhejiang Province in China. It is essential to establish an enterovirus molecular surveillance system in China to prevent mass outbreaks in Zhejiang.

Oncolytic viruses are a fast-developing cancer treatment field. Numerous viruses have been tested in clinical trials and three are approved. The first, Rigvir, is an immunomodulator with anti-tumour effect for treatment of melanoma, local treatment of skin and subcutaneous metastases of melanoma, for prevention of relapse and metastasis after radical surgery registered in Latvia, Georgia, Armenia and Uzbekistan. The aim of the present review is to summarize the development of Rigvir. Approximately 60 viruses were screened preclinically. Clinical safety and efficacy trials were with 5 oncolytic enteroviruses. Safety of the selected and melanoma-adapted ECHO-7 virus Rigvir was tested in over 180 patients with no severe adverse events observed. Pre-registration efficacy studies involved over 700 cancer patients: over 540 melanoma patients, and patients with late stage stomach (ca. 90), colorectal cancer (ca. 60), and other cancers. Patients were treated with Rigvir for 3 years after surgery and compared to immunotherapy: 3- and 5-year overall survival appeared to be increased in Rigvir treated patients. In post-marketing retrospective studies, Rigvir-treated stage II melanoma patients showed a 6.67-fold decreased risk for disease progression in comparison to those that had been observed according to guidelines, and stage IB and stage II melanoma patients that had received Rigvir therapy had 4.39-6.57-fold lower mortality. The results are confirmed and extended by case reports. Several immunological markers have been measured. In conclusion, Rigvir is an oncotropic and oncolytic virus for treatment of melanoma; the results will be confirmed and updated by modern clinical studies.