Grant: Doctoral Research Award: Canada Graduate Scholarships

Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) is the leading cause of hospitalization and second leading cause of mortality in infants worldwide. In Canada, RSV accounts for 10-30% of all respiratory virus infections annually. Since its discovery in 1956, there has been one antibody therapeutic available to prevent disease only in high risk infants. Due to enormous efforts from the RSV community, there have been many developments in RSV preventative treatments. In 2023, two vaccines were approved for pregnant women and the elderly, and a second antibody was approved for all infants. Until recently, RSV research has focused on developing treatments. Studies regarding RSV adaptation have been neglected by comparison, despite viruses regularly mutating to avoid drug pressures. Our efforts must be redirected to understanding how RSV mutates so we can maintain the effectiveness of these therapies. The best defense against RSV are antibodies that target the RSV-F protein, and all current RSV therapies target this protein. RSV mutates to avoid drug pressure by developing resistance mutations. These are typically found on areas in RSV-F where antibodies attach called binding sites. Our group found that mutations outside of binding sites can change how effective antibodies are against RSV. The mutation we identified changes the shape of RSV-F binding sites and the growth pattern of RSV. I am collecting RSV samples to identify which types of RSV are currently the most common and which of them grow and spread the fastest. I am also testing how well antibodies work against these RSV types and checking which mutations in RSV-F cause these different responses. By identifying specific positions in RSV-F that are most susceptible to mutation, we can better inform healthcare and policy makers of concerning mutations and improve our understanding of how RSV will mutate in response to therapies. Ultimately, this will allow us to monitor concerning RSV types and effectively preserve therapies.