Polio: the Virus, Disease, Prevention and Vaccine

Title: Polio: the Virus, Disease, Prevention and Vaccine

Name: Juan Angel, Ava-Dawn Anigbogu, Mariela Carrera, Sreyashi Gosh, Sarah Imtiaz, Justin Nam, Tiffany Perez, Alexis Oyediran, Eileen Zhu

Faculty: Jerome Langer, PhD, Beatrice Haimovich, PhD and Patricia Irizarry, PhD.

*Students represent undergraduate programs from Rutgers New Brunswick (SAS and SEBS) and Rutgers Newark. The students were supported by funds from the Initiative for Maximizing Student Development (IMSD) at Rutgers, an NIH-NIGMS supported program.

Programs: RISE program

Abstract:

The study of previous epidemics, their causes, progression and resolution, can provide perspective on the current SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. Undergraduate participants in the IMSD summer program focused on polio, from early to current times. Working in groups, the IMSD scholars researched the history of the polio disease (poliomyelitis), its causative agent (poliovirus) and related biology, the infection mechanism, types of poliovirus-induced morbidities, and the successful development of polio vaccines during the epidemic of the 1950s. This abstract is based on a manuscript that the students authored.

Poliomyelitis, known as polio, is an acute communicable disease that affects mainly children. Poliomyelitis is caused by the poliovirus for which humans are the only natural hosts and reservoirs. Intensive research has revealed the detailed structure of the virus particle and its RNA genome, with an understanding of the roles of many of its genes in the infection and reproduction processes in cells, and its effects on the body. The virus enters via the mouth, may initially infect cells of the throat and from there spread into cells of the gastrointestinal tract. The majority (95%) of individuals who contract poliovirus eliminate it by immune defenses and remain asymptomatic or develop minor flu-like symptoms. In about 5% of infected individuals, the virus spreads from the gastrointestinal tract to cells of the central nervous system. These individuals develop more severe symptoms that can include meningitis, with approximately 1% of cases developing paralysis and/or lung disfunction that can lead to death.

Preventive measures that are taken to lessen the spread of poliovirus infection focus on hygiene, including proper and frequent handwashing. Currently, there is no treatment for poliomyelitis. The focus is on relieving symptoms. Depending on the severity of the disease, approaches include bed rest, analgesics, physical therapy, ventilation to allow respiratory muscles to recover, and nasogastric feeding. Effort to develop a polio vaccine began in the late 1930s. However, it was only in the early 1950s that Jonas Salk developed and successfully tested a polio vaccine using polioviruses inactivated by treatment with formaldehyde. Large-scale testing in 1954 was shown in 1955 to be effective, but soon after an improperly inactivated batch of vaccine led to cases of polio, leading to a suspension of vaccination. However, Albert Sabin and colleagues had developed a weakened (“attenuated”) strain of poliovirus, which was given orally. After widespread testing in the Soviet Union, the oral vaccine was widely adopted, although both vaccines remained in us. Intense international efforts led to the eradication of polio in most countries, but it remains endemic in certain parts of the world, particularly in war and conflict zones. Given its devastating impact on humans’ health, organizations such as the Center for Disease Control (CDC) and Prevention and the World Health Organization (WHO) are keeping poliovirus under tight surveillance.

Student Biographies:

1. Angel, Juan

Juan Angel is a rising senior at Rutgers-New Brunswick. He is from Colombia and came to the United States 5 years ago. He completed an Associate Degree in Biology with a major in Biology at the County College of Morris (NJ). Juan transferred to Rutgers University in 2019 and is majoring in Cell Biology and Neuroscience. Juan intends to pursue medical school or a M.D/Ph.D. program. He is interested in research opportunities in neurodegenerative diseases, inflammation, and neuroscience. He participates in EOF and ODASIS programs at Rutgers. These programs enable Juan to meet students with similar background, motivation, and interests in different fields of science. He enjoys exercising, hiking, and meeting with friends. Juan has always been determined to pursue his academic goals and is the first in his family who has the opportunity to complete- a college degree.

2. Anigbogu, Ava-Dawn

Ava-Dawn Anigbogu is a rising senior at Rutgers-New Brunswick and is originally from Franklin Township, NJ. She is majoring in the Biological Sciences at the School of Arts and Sciences with the intention of attending medical school. Ava-Dawn is a member of the Douglass Residential College and holds several leadership positions. She loves learning new things and hopes to further her research experience.

3. Carrera, Mariela

Mariela is a rising senior at Rutgers University-New Brunswick, originally from Ecuador. She is a McNair Scholar and a member of a program for non-traditional students at Douglass Residential College. Mariela is completing her third year in Biotechnology and plans to complete a minor in Biochemistry. Before Mariela transferred to Rutgers, she was an active member of the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society in her Community College. She taught Spanish and worked in diverse projects to promote her native language and culture in downtown Jersey City. In the summer of 2019, Mariela was an intern at Columbia University. She analyzed the source and fate of microplastic fibers in the ocean, and then was chosen to present this project at the Ocean Sciences Meeting in San Diego, CA. Currently, Mariela also participates in a research project at the University of Delaware investigating genes and transporters responsible for the fate of cadmium in rice. She is happy to be participating in the Rutgers IMSD Undergraduate Summer Program as part of a research team that is working on literature review on poliomyelitis. Mariela has an intense desire to contribute to society through science and aspires to pursue a Ph.D. degree in Biomedical Sciences. She would like to specialize in molecular biology and/or immunology.

4. Ghosh, Sreyashi

Sreyashi Ghosh is a rising junior at the Rutgers School of Arts and Sciences-New Brunswick. Sreyashi is majoring in Biological Sciences and minoring in Public Health in the pre-medicine track with an intention of getting a master’s degree after her undergraduate years. She has worked on research projects at the Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Rutgers Cancer Institute, American Society of Plant Biologists, and The Palmer Station Long Term Ecological Research program. She has also published a paper in IEEE, and a DNA sequence in NCBI as a Waksman Student Scholar. Outside of her research, she is an active member of the Douglass Residential College and has a leadership role in multiple projects. This has allowed her to participate in internships in places such as Picatinny Arsenal and other locations. Sreyashi also loves to give back to the community and has participated in various STEM activities such as volunteering as a tour guide at the Liberty Science Center and leading programs to teach STEM concepts to children in her local community. Her ultimate goal is to challenge herself into a PhD program to engage in research work that solves problems and passionately drive improvement of existing processes with innovative solutions.

5. Imtiaz, Sarah

Sarah Imtiaz is a rising junior at Rutgers University in New Brunswick, New Jersey originally from The Bronx, New York. Located within the School of Arts and Sciences, Sarah is majoring in Biological Sciences and minoring in Chemistry and Spanish with the intention of attending medical school. Sarah is an active member of the Douglass Residential College and is involved in various leadership initiatives with the Asian American Cultural Center and Blood Initiative at Rutgers University. Ultimately, she is committed to expanding her undergraduate experiences in order to continue growing as a person capable of handling challenges in life and seizing new opportunities.

6. Nam, Justin

Justin Nam is a rising senior at Rutgers-New Brunswick. He is majoring in Exercise Science in the School of School of Environmental and Biological Sciences (SEBS) and aspires to attend a physical therapy school post-graduation. He also works in the Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Natural Resources under Dr. Kenneth McGuiness studying the origin of biocatalysts. He hopes to gain experience in research and seek out more opportunities for growth.

7. Oyediran, Alexis

Alexis Oyediran is a rising junior at Rutgers-New Brunswick, and is originally from Flemington, NJ. She is majoring in Public Health in the Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy with a minor in Biological Sciences, Health & Society. Alexis is interested in how healthcare systems can affect various populations to improve their health outcomes. In addition, she is interested in health policy research. Alexis is an active member of the Rutgers community and is involved in various leadership initiatives. As an Alcohol and Other Drug Peer Educator, she provides important resources to her peers on how to stay safe in order to improve their own health outcomes. In her free time, Alexis loves to travel and is excited to explore new countries when it is safe to do so. Ultimately, she hopes to expand her global health research experiences, and to learn how to improve health for all. Alexis plans to attend medical school.

8. Perez, Tiffany

Tiffany Perez is a rising senior at Rutgers-Newark, and is originally from Moonachie, NJ. Tiffany is majoring in Neuroscience and Behavior with a minor in Psychology in the School of Arts and Sciences. Tiffany intends to pursue a PhD in Neuroscience. She also works in the Department of Behavioral and Neural Sciences under Dr. William Graves researching the neurobiology of language, with particular emphasis on reading, hoping to ultimately help those with language and/or reading disorders. Tiffany is also an active member of the Garden State – Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation (LSAMP) and is working within their STEM summer research program where she is assessing relationships between autistic traits and semantic judgments through online assessments. Tiffany’s undergraduate experiences have allowed her to be a part of the Annual GS-LSAMP STEM Research Conference where she will present her work in the coming year. Ultimately, she hopes to continue to expand her research background in order to explore the many fields of neurobiology.

9. Zhu, Eileen

Eileen Zhu is a rising senior at Rutgers-New Brunswick, originally from Piscataway, NJ. Eileen is majoring in Genetics in the School of Arts and Sciences. She also works at the Robert Wood Johnson Medical School in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology under Dr. Kiran Chada studying the molecular role of HMGA2 in mesenchymal tumorigenesis. Outside of the lab Eileen is an active member of the Douglass Residential College and is involved in various leadership initiatives. Eileen’s undergraduate experiences have allowed her to participate in various STEM outreach programs with local New Brunswick schools and had unique opportunities to widen her perspective on public health issues in the local community. Ultimately, she intends to earn a MPH in Epidemiology and PhD in Genetic Epidemiology.