Katharina S Schmitz, Kim Handrejk, Lelde Liepina, Lisa Bauer, Griffin D Haas, Fabiënne van Puijfelik, Edwin J B Veldhuis Kroeze, Marta Riekstina, Jurgis Strautmanis, Huyen Cao, Robert M Verdijk, Corine H GeurtsvanKessel, Sander van Boheemen, Debby van Riel, Benhur Lee, Matteo Porotto, Rik L de Swart, Rory D de Vries
Subacute sclerosing panencephalitis (SSPE) is a rare but fatal late neurological complication of measles, caused by persistent measles virus (MeV) infection of the central nervous system. There are no drugs approved for the treatment of SSPE. Here, we followed the clinical progression of a 5-year-old SSPE patient after treatment with the nucleoside analog remdesivir, conducted a post-mortem evaluation of the patient's brain, and characterized the MeV detected in the brain. The quality of life of the patient transiently improved after the first two courses of remdesivir, but a third course had no further clinical effect, and the patient eventually succumbed to his condition...
February 8, 2024: Journal of Virology