Yoshihiro Kawaoka
Jeff Miller / University of Wisconsin, Madison
In the heated debate two laboratories has designed a variant of avian influenza H5N1 for the first time easily transmitted between mammals, a critical voice was missing: Yoshihiro Kawaoka. But today, Kawaoka speaks his mind in a Nature comment and a detailed response to the questions of Science Insider.
A virologist at the University of Tokyo and the University of Wisconsin, Madison, Kawaoka conducted a study that sparked alarm around the world that these laboratory creations might escape or give ideas to bioterrorism. In a commentary published online by Nature today provides fascinating details about his study, a report which was accepted by the journal but remains unpublished. Kawaoka also discusses his thoughts on the recommendation of the National Scientific Advisory Council of the US Government for Biosecurity (NSABB) that Nature and Science who agreed but not published a paper by the second laboratory that performed the studies, key redact portions experiments to prevent the wide dissemination of the recipe for a potential bioweapon.
As explained Kawaoka, experience differs in several key ways from that conducted by the laboratory of Ron Fouchier at Erasmus MC in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. Both teams did their experiments in ferrets, a favorite laboratory model for studying the transmission of influenza viruses as they mimic the spread of the virus in humans. So far, H5N1 has never transmitted efficiently between ferrets or humans, although it is decimating poultry flocks and killing mammals that often infects. Fouchier, who discussed his work at scientific meetings and with the media, has concocted a transmissible H5N1 in ferrets both through manipulation of viral genes and repeatedly transplanting the virus from animals to help adapt in this host. This virus is highly lethal.
Kawaoka, however, stitched the gene for hemagglutinin H5 bird-in-a H1N1 virus that spreads easily between humans and caused relatively mild pandemic 09. His mutant, as of Fouchier, easily transmitted among ferrets housed in different cages, but it was not fatal. "Above all, the current vaccines and antiviral compounds are effective against it," Kawaoka wrote in his commentary.
Although Kawaoka and other Fouchier joined last week by signing an agreement to suspend studies for 60 days on the H5N1 virus that can transmit in mammals, it emphasizes both in his commentary and Science Insider he disagrees strongly with the efforts to restrict the work and any publication. "As the risks of this research and its publication are debated by the community, I argue that we should pursue transmission studies of the virus highly pathogenic avian influenza with the emergency," he wrote in Nature. "Because H5N1 mutations that confer transmissibility in mammals may emerge in nature, I think it would be irresponsible not to study the underlying mechanisms."
Kawaoka emphasized that the benefits of driving and fully the publication of this work outweigh the perceived risks. He argues that "there is already enough information publicly available to allow someone to make a transmissible H5 HA-possessing" highly qualified researchers conducted the work under stringent biosecurity standards, the results can help to inform surveillance efforts and the proposed mechanisms for restricting access to the data is "unwieldy." He also emphasizes that the work could attract other researchers to address critical issues. He notes, for eg surprising discovery from his lab that mutations associated with transmission are not simply not involve the hemagglutinin protein of how influenza binds to cellular receptors, as many researchers assume. "the writing of the manuscript, for to contain the risk, it will be harder for legitimate scientists to get this information while failing to provide a barrier to those who would do harm, "he wrote.
Fouchier, who was in close contact with Kawaoka during this controversy, welcomed his colleague make public his thoughts on issues. "I think it's a very powerful statement about the benefits that this type of work that far outweigh the theoretical risks," says Fouchier. "By following the tips NSABB, the world will not get more safe, it can actually get less secure. "
in a reply via email to questions submitted by Science Insider, Kawaoka explains that he has not spoken to this partly because of his discussions with Nature . "the newspaper advised me to avoid talking to the media until the document was published," he wrote. "Without being able to describe our results, I can not fully answer questions from the media want to talk. " He said he decided to break his silence because of the decision to delay the publication of his study. "I felt that now, especially with the publication of the statement that interrupt us transmission studies, it was time to comment," he said.
Kawaoka seemed unperturbed by claims that this type of research itself is irresponsible and should never have been done. "actually, I do not let such criticism bother me," he wrote. "I acknowledge the public concern about the influenza research HPAI. But despite what the headlines say, I know that our research has the potential to provide significant benefits for public health. "
In Japan, which unlike the United States have been several outbreaks of H5N1 in birds, "not much" controversy has surrounded this study, he said, that "the public has concerns about a real risk that exists in nature rather than a potential risk of bioterrorism. "He added that" people are asking why we break from the search, they think it is important that we continue . "
Kawaoka accepted the 60-day moratorium because he hoped it would lead to a more thoughtful discussion of the issues." I went controversy about these experiences had caused a situation very serious and that the regulatory discussions and the publication of our research took place without the contribution of science, "he said." and we were losing public support, who we wanted to enjoy our conclusions . "
He said he is confident that 60 days is enough time to resolve many of the issues raised by the work. "We should be able to find solutions if people are willing to listen to others and make decisions based on data, not fear," he concluded.
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