Poliomyelitis
Poliomyelitis is an infectious disease caused by a virus that may lead to paralysis by damaging the nervous system. At Protheragen, we are deeply committed to unique research in treatment methodologies and modeling pertaining to poliomyelitis. We intend to provide end-to-end therapeutic development solutions to commercialization for poliomyelitis.
Overview of Poliomyelitis
Poliomyelitis (polio) is an infectious disease caused by the poliovirus which belongs to the Picornaviridae family and genus Enterovirus. Polio primarily infects motor neurons in the anterior horn of the spinal cord and brainstem , leading to flaccid paralysis. The disease occurs in four forms:
| Clinical Form | Frequency | Key Features |
| Asymptomatic Infection | ~72% of cases | No noticeable symptoms; immune system clears virus without clinical signs. |
| Abortive Poliomyelitis | ~24% of cases | Mild, non-specific symptoms (fever, headache, sore throat, vomiting). |
| Non-Paralytic Poliomyelitis | ~4% of cases | Aseptic meningitis (neck stiffness, photophobia); no motor deficits. |
| Paralytic Poliomyelitis | <1% of cases | Flaccid paralysis (acute onset, asymmetrical). |
Pathogenesis of Poliomyelitis
Poliomyelitis occurs when the poliovirus infects the central nervous system following replication in the oropharynx and intestines due to neural tropism via CD155 receptors on motor neurons. The virus disseminates either through blood or retrograde axonal transport, selectively infecting and destroying anterior horn cells in the spinal cord and brainstem motor nuclei. This leads to inflammatory infiltrates, neuronophagia, and subsequent flaccid paralysis from motor neuron loss.
Fig.1 Schematic diagram of the pathological mechanism of poliomyelitis. (Mbani C J, et al., 2023)
Therapeutic Development for Poliomyelitis
| Drug Names | Mechanism of Action | Targets | NCT Number | Research Phase |
| nOPV1+nOPV2 | Genetically stabilized live-attenuated vaccines inducing mucosal IgA and systemic IgG responses against poliovirus types 1 & 2 | Poliovirus capsid proteins, CD155 receptor on host cells | NCT06895486 | Phase II |
| nOPV3 | Same as above, targeting poliovirus type 3 with enhanced genetic stability to prevent reversion | Poliovirus type 3 capsid proteins, CD155 receptor | NCT05654467 | Phase II |
Disclaimer: Protheragen focuses on providing preclinical research services. This table is for information exchange purposes only. This table is not a treatment plan recommendation. For guidance on treatment options, please visit a regular hospital.
Our Services
As a provider of preclinical research services for poliomyelitis, Protheragen offers comprehensive solutions in diagnostic and therapeutic development. We have expertise in developing physiologically relevant models for in depth biomarker discovery and validation as well as optimization of therapeutic efficacy which include in vitro models, animal models and specialized blood-brain barrier (BBB) models tailored for the central nervous system (CNS).
Therapeutic Development Services
By Mechanism of Action
Disease Model Development Services
PVR Transgenic Mouse Model: These mice are engineered to express the human poliovirus receptor (hPVR), making them susceptible to poliovirus infection, unlike normal mice. The mice can be infected via intravenous or intramuscular injection, as well as through direct inoculation into the spinal cord or brain.
Protheragen is steadfastly dedicated to meticulously validating and optimizing therapies for poliomyelitis through a thorough series of pharmacodynamics (PD), pharmacokinetics (PK) and toxicology studies. If you are interested in our services, please feel free to contact us for more details and quotation information of related services.
Reference
- Mbani C J, Nekoua M P, Moukassa D, et al. The fight against poliovirus is not over[J]. Microorganisms, 2023, 11(5): 1323.