Janet Chantler

BSc, BSc

Investigator Emerita, BC Children's Hospital

The coxsackieviruses are ubiquitous viruses that cause many of the common summer "flu-like " diseases. There are 23 group A and six group B coxsackieviruses; we are infected by many different strains over our lifespan. Most of these infections manifest as only a mild fever, muscle aches and, sometimes, a rash, but there is mounting evidence that these viruses are more pathogenic than previously thought. For example, coxsackieviruses can cause aseptic meningitis in very young children, and there is evidence that they cause chronic heart damage in some patients by infecting and damaging cardiomyocytes - the muscle cells of the heart. Certain group B coxsackieviruses are also believed to trigger type 1 diabetes in genetically susceptible children. Our research is directed at understanding the underlying mechanisms by which these viruses cause long-term complications, with a view to developing novel treatment strategies as well as a combined attenuated vaccine that would protect against the most virulent serotypes.