PAF's fever pitch

By drawing parallels between disease cascades, a Brazilian-led team has found that a sepsis target-platelet activating factor-may be a good intervention point for treating severe dengue fever. Targeting the proinflammatory mediator reduced the severity of dengue infection in mice,¹ and the group plans to have a platelet activating factor receptor inhibitor in the clinic by year end.

There are four serotypes of the mosquito-borne dengue virus, and neutralizing antibodies against one serotype don't protect against infection by the other three. Indeed, previous infection by any one serotype puts the patient at risk of severe dengue fever upon infection with a second dengue serotype. Severe dengue infection is characterized by extensive plasma leakage and hemorrhaging and can lead to hypotension, shock and death...