David Lipnowski Photography, courtesy of UWinnipeg
January 27, 2022
Within human DNA are thousands of viruses – each with potential to express itself in a helpful or harmful way.
Dr. Renée Douville holds an abiding interest in these human endogenous retroviruses (ERVs), with an eye toward treatments for neurological disorders including the devastating motor neuron disease Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS).
And she’s thrilled to do so as the newest Principal Investigator with the Division of Neurodegenerative Disorders (DND) at the Hospital’s Albrechtsen Research Centre.
“It’s hard to put into words how happy I am – and my team is – to be here,” said Douville. “This is a dynamic research community. We’re surrounded by talented health researchers and I’m seeing their dedication and hard work every day.”
A Professor of Biology at the University of Winnipeg, Douville has been researching ERVs for more than 15 years.
“A good portion of human genome is viral,” she explains. “Scientists used to call it junk DNA; now we know it’s both beneficial and detrimental – for example, one of these genes is responsible for ‘gluing’ the placenta to the womb during pregnancy.”
“Others may be damaging. We’ve identified a certain endogenous retrovirus with a neurotoxic protein that shows up in ALS. It promotes neuronal damage and inflammation in the brain. With a greater understanding of how that happens, we’re making progress toward antiviral drugs and biomarkers for clinical trials. That will be a substantial contribution for development of desperately needed treatment options.”
Douville credits a small player with an outsized role in the research – the fruit fly.
“Fruit flies are an excellent research model for human diseases. We can do viral models and modify their genetic lines easily to test in different ways. We study how these changes impact their physiology and brains. The sheer volume of data output is another advantage.”
A Winnipegger who grew up in St. Boniface, Douville drew early inspiration to delve into the mysteries of DNA from the 1999 science-fiction novel Darwin’s Radio.
Real life sharpened her focus: Douville’s great uncle passed from ALS. As a post-doctoral fellow at McGill and Johns Hopkins, she met and was moved by the plight of many more ALS patients.
An estimated 3,000 Canadians are living today with ALS, for which there is currently no cure or effective treatment to halt or reverse its progress. Approximately 1,000 Canadians are diagnosed with ALS each year. Four out of five people with ALS will die within five years of diagnosis. (ALS Society of Canada)
Progress toward antivirals
“Anti-retrovirals are in use now to treat people living with HIV (human immunodeficiency virus). If we can use existing treatments that turned AIDS from a death sentence into a treatable disease, we can do the same for ALS patients. Anecdotal and published clinical evidence suggests they are very good.”
Few other labs in Canada and a small number in globally are studying ERVs, Douville said.
In addition to neurological disorders, literature is showing ERVs contribute to multiple sclerosis, arthritis, lupus, and numerous cancers.
While the relationship between disease and ERVs is complex, Douville believes treatments are on the horizon.
“Within the next few years, we’re going to have a strong recommendation for what antiviral drugs can be developed to fight endogenous retroviruses.”
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