PhD defence S. (Syriam) Sooksawasdi Na Ayudhya

Below is a brief summary about the dissertation:

Enterovirus D68 (EV-D68) causes mild to severe respiratory disease and is associated with acute flaccid myelitis since 2014. Currently, the understanding of the ability of EV-D68 to replicate in the central nervous system (CNS), and whether it is associated with a specific clade of EV-D68 viruses or specific viral factors, is lacking. We showed that ability to replicate in cells of the CNS is not a clade specific feature. We also found that EV-D68 can infect both spinal motor neurons and cortical neurons suggesting the ability of virus in motor neurons in vivo might be due to the route of neuroinvasion. We also found some immune cells (B cells and dendritic cells) are susceptible and permissive to enterovirus D68 and might play a role in contributing to systemic dissemination. Since the viral RNA is rarely detected in the CNS, making diagnosis of EV-D68 infection in the CNS is challenge, we evaluated diagnostic tool to detect intrathecal antibody as an indirect way to diagnosis EV infection in the CNS. Enhancing our understanding of the pathogenesis of EV-D68 will offer insights for developing therapeutic interventions and vaccines, as well as improving patient outcomes.