Guillian-Barré Syndrome, or GBS, is an autoimmune condition with neurological and debilitating symptoms. Patients may experience fever, tingling in hands/feet and a decline in their coordination due to muscle weakness. When the disease progresses, paralysis may occur and the patient may become dependent on life support. Researchers are now speculating that the Zika virus may be linked to GBS. In the New York Times article, “ Zika Virus May Be Linked to Surge in Rare Syndrome in Brazil,” Simon Romero and Donald G. McNeil Jr. discuss concerning reports that may link the two disorders. The findings discussed in this article can directly link to the research of Dr. Kelly Langert.
Brazil experienced an increase in cases of the virus, Zika. According to Romero and McNeil, nearly 4,000 cases of babies being born with abnormal head circumference. The pregnant person would contract the Zika virus from a mosquito and can potentially transmit the virus to their baby. However, Brazilian officials also experienced an increase in GBS that was a previously rare condition to local physicians. Romero and McNeil interview, Dr. Wellington Galvão, a hematologist from northeast Brazil who estimates that, “Zika increases by about 20 times the probability that an individual can get Guillian-Barré” (Romero). Dr. Galvão describes that in 2015 he treated 43 patients with GBS which was far from the average of 10 to 15 cases in prior years.
While Brazilian officials were investigating the sudden increase of GBS, neighboring countries, including Columbia, Venezuela and El Salvador, that experienced the spread of Zika also reported an increase in GBS (Romero). Although many patients with GBS recover, the sudden rise in the disorder left an unsettling feeling for many physicians. The research of Dr. Langert and colleagues may contribute to future therapeutic interventions for GBS. Dr. Langert and their team research a potential therapy for an animal model similar to symptoms of GBS.
In “Attenuation of experimental autoimmune neuritis with locally administered lovastain-encapsulating poly(lactic-co-glycolic) acid nanoparticles,” published in the Journal of Neurochemistry, Dr. Langert and colleagues discuss their research on poly(lactic-co-glycolic) acid, or PLGA, and its potential to manage experimental autoimmune neuritis (EAN). EAN is the animal model used in this study and is characterized similarly to the human autoimmune disorder GBS. Their research concludes that the application of PLGA nanoparticles “significantly attenuates the clinical development of systematic experimental autoimmune neuritis (EAN), a well-established animal model of AIDP/GBS” (Langert). These results and future research may have groundbreaking impacts for successfully treating GBS in humans.
Brazil experienced an increase in cases of the virus, Zika. According to Romero and McNeil, nearly 4,000 cases of babies being born with abnormal head circumference. The pregnant person would contract the Zika virus from a mosquito and can potentially transmit the virus to their baby. However, Brazilian officials also experienced an increase in GBS that was a previously rare condition to local physicians. Romero and McNeil interview, Dr. Wellington Galvão, a hematologist from northeast Brazil who estimates that, “Zika increases by about 20 times the probability that an individual can get Guillian-Barré” (Romero). Dr. Galvão describes that in 2015 he treated 43 patients with GBS which was far from the average of 10 to 15 cases in prior years.
While Brazilian officials were investigating the sudden increase of GBS, neighboring countries, including Columbia, Venezuela and El Salvador, that experienced the spread of Zika also reported an increase in GBS (Romero). Although many patients with GBS recover, the sudden rise in the disorder left an unsettling feeling for many physicians. The research of Dr. Langert and colleagues may contribute to future therapeutic interventions for GBS. Dr. Langert and their team research a potential therapy for an animal model similar to symptoms of GBS.
In “Attenuation of experimental autoimmune neuritis with locally administered lovastain-encapsulating poly(lactic-co-glycolic) acid nanoparticles,” published in the Journal of Neurochemistry, Dr. Langert and colleagues discuss their research on poly(lactic-co-glycolic) acid, or PLGA, and its potential to manage experimental autoimmune neuritis (EAN). EAN is the animal model used in this study and is characterized similarly to the human autoimmune disorder GBS. Their research concludes that the application of PLGA nanoparticles “significantly attenuates the clinical development of systematic experimental autoimmune neuritis (EAN), a well-established animal model of AIDP/GBS” (Langert). These results and future research may have groundbreaking impacts for successfully treating GBS in humans.
In conclusion, the sudden increase in Guillian-Barré Syndrome has bewildered Brazilian officials who have claimed that GBS may be linked to the Zika virus. Although there is no definite link between the Zika virus and GBS, useful research has been conducted on a potential therapy for the syndrome. The research of Dr. Langert and all future research can lead medicine to a cure for Guillian-Barré Syndrome.
Works Cited
Langert, Kelly A., et al. Attenuation of Experimental Autoimmune Neuritis with Locally Administered Lovastain-Encapsulating Poly(Lactic-Co-Glycolic) Acid Nanoparticles. Journal of Neurochemistry, 2016.
Romero, Simon, and Donald G. McNeil. “Zika Virus May Be Linked to Surge in Rare Syndrome in Brazil.” New York Times, New York Times, www.nytimes.com/2016/01/22/world/americas/zika-virus-may-be-linked-to-surge-in-rare-syndrome-in-brazil.html?searchResultPosition=1.
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