Proteomic investigations of dengue virus infection: key discoveries over the last 10 years

ABSTRACT

Introduction

Dengue virus (DENV) infection remains one of the most significant infectious diseases in humans. Several efforts have been made to address its molecular mechanisms. Over the last 10 years, proteomics has been widely applied to investigate various aspects of DENV infection.

Areas covered

In this review, we briefly introduce common proteomics approaches using various mass spectrometric modalities followed by summarizing all the discoveries obtained from proteomic investigations of DENV infection over the last 10 years. These include the data on DENV-vector interactions and host responses to address the DENV biology and disease mechanisms. Moreover, applications of proteomics to disease prevention, diagnosis, vaccine design, development of anti-DENV agents and other new treatment strategies are discussed.

Expert opinion

Despite efforts on disease prevention, DENV infection is still a significant global healthcare burden that affects the general population. As summarized herein, proteomic technologies with high-throughput capabilities have provided more in-depth details of protein dynamics during DENV infection. More extensive applications of proteomics and other powerful research tools would provide a promise to better cope and prevent this mosquito-borne infectious disease.

KEYWORDS:

• Dengue fever
• hemorrhagic fever
• mass spectrometry
• proteome
• proteomics
• shock
• therapy
• vaccine

Article highlights

• Proteomics is a precise and sensitive technology with high-throughput capability to examine the proteins involved in emerging and re-emerging dengue virus (DENV) infection.

• All key discoveries of proteomic investigations of DENV infection over the last 10 years are summarized.

• Applications of proteomics to DENV infection include DENV–vector interactions, host (human) immune responses to DENV infection and vector (mosquito) proteins, DENV–host interactions, host intrinsic factors and other cellular responses during DENV infection, discovery of diagnostic and prognostic markers for DENV infection, and anti-viral activities of DENV inhibitors and vaccines.

Declaration of interest

The authors have no relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript. This includes employment, consultancies, honoraria, stock ownership or options, expert testimony, grants or patents received or pending, or royalties.

Reviewer disclosures

Peer reviewers on this manuscript have no relevant financial or other relationships to disclose.

Author contribution statement

All authors have substantially contributed to the conception and design of the review article and interpreting the relevant literature, and been involved in writing and revising this review article.

Supplementary materials

Supplemental data for this article can be accessed online at https://doi.org/10.1080/14789450.2024.2383580.

Additional information

Funding

S Hadpech and V Thongboonkerd, are supported by the National Research Council of Thailand (NRCT): High-Potential Research Team Grant Program [N42A660625].