[Short Communication] Immunology of a Morbillivirus: Measles 1954 to Current

Abstract

Measles is a virus, abbreviated to MeV, thought to have existed around 4000 years ago that has long been known to be causal in infant disease affecting mortality and remaining a public health issue. The causal virion is defined biologically within the Family _Paraxmyxoviridae_, Genus _Morbillivirus_ and Species _MeaslesMorbillivirus. _Similar to other infections, MeV is an airborne infection with the virion particle composed of a negative (-ve) sense single–stranded (ss) ribonucleic acid (RNA) genome code, around 15-16kb in size, encoding for eight predominant proteins. The first isolation of MeV occurred in 1954 of MeV known as the “Edmonston strain” from David Edmonston, a student at Fay School in Boston. The lack of antigenic variation by the MeV particle is suggestive that the third pathogen with the potential to be eradicated requires further research. In 1954 knowledge of the immune system had only just started emerging. Just prior, in 1948, a pioneer Mark Adams examined how 7 bacterial viruses could be inactivated through gas/liquid exchange through bubbling nitrogen over _Escherichia coli. _This occurs through barriers known as the glycocalyx and endothelial surface layer (GC-ESL) together with immunological cell phenotypes that can restrict viral replication through respiratory epithelial and endothelial cell layers affected by MeV. Other proteins like cytokines, chemokines as well as adhesion molecules and receptors direct immune cell systems. Therefore it was then observed that a preventative chemical could inactivate pathogenic infection. Here is a discussion of contextual MeV immunological characteristics during infection. Potential explanations to elucidate this further with regards to past, present, and future research are considered. This outline will provide key insights and be useful to researchers, clinicians and academics in the future.