Could a skin creme prevent mosquito-borne diseases?

Skin cream activates the body’s immune defense to stop viruses in their tracks. Credit: Steven Bryden

Article Highlights

A skin cream used to treat warts and skin cancer could help protect people against viral diseases such as Zika and dengue, according to new research
The findings have identified a new method that may prevent infection from a wide variety of dangerous viruses.
Rising global temperatures, coupled with an increasingly inter-connected world, has led to an upsurge in potentially deadly mosquito-borne illnesses for which no effective treatments currently exist
Scientists studied four types of virus transmitted by mosquitos and found that applying a cream within an hour of a mosquito bite dramatically reduced infection rates in their models
They used two different models to understand the effect of the skin cream – human skin samples and mice. In both cases, applying the skin cream acted like a warning signal which caused a rapid activation of the skin’s immune response that fights any potential viral threats. This prevented the virus from spreading around the body and causing disease
“By boosting the immune system and not targeting a specific virus, this strategy has the potential to be a ‘silver bullet’ for a wide range of distinct mosquito-borne viral diseases.” DR STEVEN BRYDEN
The cream, called imiquimod or Aldara, is commonly used to treat genital warts and some forms of skin cancer. The researchers caution that further testing is needed before recommendations can be made for people to start using this cream on mosquito bites
Lead author Dr Clive McKimmie, from the University of Leeds’ School of Medicine, said: “This study shows that a clinically approved, widely used skin cream has the potential to be repurposed as a valuable protector against insect-borne diseases
“What is especially encouraging about our results is that the cream was effective against a number of distinct viruses, without needing to be targeted to one particular virus
“If this strategy can be developed into a treatment option then we might be able to use it to tackle a wide range of new emerging diseases that we have not yet encountered
There are hundreds of viruses spread by biting mosquitoes which can infect humans
At present, there are no anti-viral medicines and few vaccines to help combat these infections
By applying skin cream after a bite, researchers found that they could pre-emptively activate the immune system’s inflammatory response before the virus becomes a problem. The cream encouraged a type of immune cell in the skin, called a macrophage, to suddenly spring into action to fight off the virus before it could spread around the body
“But we are hopeful that one day this discovery could help a vast number of people to avoid disease, particularly in parts of the world hardest hit by these devastating diseases
“If we can repurpose this cream into an anti-viral treatment option, it could be a useful addition to mosquito repellent as a way of avoiding infection from harmful diseases
“This approach could be particularly valuable for people at high risk of infection, such as those with a suppressed immune system, and in times of disease outbreak.”

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