Mr Jason Lenzo, Dr Cassandra Lawson and Dr Oreline Silvia are handling heart disease.

THE ability of the herpes virus Cytomegalovirus to induce inflammatory heart disease, or myocarditis, by tricking the body into attacking its own soft tissue is something Murdoch immunologist Dr Cassandra Lawson has been investigating for the past 10 years.

“We are trying to unravel the key as to why it is specifically heart tissue that is affected,” said Dr Lawson.

She said the herpes virus was so successful because its proteins appeared so similar to those in the body’s own cells.

Myocarditis is a chronic condition leading to dilated cardiomyopathy (where the heart doubles in size) and may eventually result in a heart transplant.
Dr Lawson was recently awarded a NH&MRC (National Health and Medical Research Council) grant for more than $230,000 over three years to investigate myocarditis in humans.

“The occurrence of this disease has been drastically underestimated, and it is possible that nearly everyone is a potential time bomb,” said Dr Lawson.
“The condition is hard to diagnose because it is not possible to examine the whole heart, as often only a small biopsy is taken. It is also hard to locate the virus in that tissue as it can lie dormant for long periods.”

Dr Lawson explained that the herpes virus was very easily transmitted through the exchange of body fluids or even close contact with infected people, and that daycare centres were one of the major reservoirs for transmission.

Cytomegalovirus can infect a range of people without demonstrating any symptoms, and usually needs a genetic predisposition or a specific suppression of the immune system to trigger the disease.

Those who are immuno-compromised such as HIV/AIDS patients, people undergoing transplantation, such as bone marrow recipients, and new-born babies are particularly at risk.

Dr Lawson explained that it was important to develop a targeted strategic therapy for the chronic disease as the current treatment with general immunosuppressants actually makes patients more susceptible to infection.

“We are working hard to understand the mechanisms of the disease, what the immune response is doing wrong and, ultimately, to find a vaccine or treatment.”

Current research is focused on the role of T cells, or small white blood cells, in the disease process, and the use of DNA vaccines in immunotherapy to correct auto-immune disease.

Dr Lawson is working with Murdoch researchers Dr Ondine Silvia and Mr Jason Lenzo (funded by SmithKline Beecham International) and results are anticipated in the next two to three years.