Measles Virus Unveiled: Resurgence, Hidden Potential, and Research Tools
On February 26, 2025, Texas health officials reported a child’s death from measles—the first U.S. fatality since 2015—linked to an outbreak in Gaines County, where vaccination rates are only 82%, below the national 93%. This outbreak has spread to over 124 cases across Texas and New Mexico, highlighting measles’ resurgence amid vaccine hesitancy.
Beyond this public health challenge, measles virus (MeV) is gaining attention as a potential cancer fighter. Attenuated vaccine strains, used safely for decades, show promise in oncolytic virotherapy, selectively targeting tumors via receptors like CD46 and nectin-4, triggering immune responses, and undergoing genetic engineering for cancer treatment.
Fig.1. Schematic illustration of measles virus structure.
Measles’ Dual Nature: Structure and Potential
MeV, an enveloped, spherical virus (100–250 nm), has a single-stranded, negative-sense RNA genome (~15,900 nucleotides) encoding six structural and two nonstructural proteins:
- Nucleoprotein (N): Encapsulates RNA for replication.
- Phosphoprotein (P): Partners with L protein in RNA polymerase.
- Matrix Protein (M): Drives virion assembly and budding.
- Fusion Protein (F): Fuses viral and host membranes, a key immune target.
- Hemagglutinin (H): Binds receptors (e.g., SLAMF1, nectin-4) for entry and immunity.
- Large Protein (L): Powers RNA transcription and replication.
These proteins not only drive infection but also underpin MeV’s oncolytic potential. Vaccine strains, used safely for over 50 years, exploit tumor cells’ overexpression of receptors such as CD46 and nectin-4, making them preferential targets. MeV induces syncytia formation—giant, fused cell clusters—and triggers robust anti-tumor immune responses, activating dendritic cells and cytotoxic T-lymphocytes. Genetic engineering further enhances this, with modifications like the sodium iodide symporter (NIS) for imaging and tumor-specific ligands for retargeting, currently in early-phase clinical trials for cancers like ovarian cancer, glioblastoma, and multiple myeloma.
A notable finding, as cited in a 2016 review in Viruses (Measles to the Rescue: A Review of Oncolytic Measles Virus), is the observation of dramatic remissions in multiple myeloma patients after high-dose intravenous MeV, underscoring its therapeutic promise beyond its infectious role.
Vaccination Challenges
The MMR vaccine, given at 12–15 months and 4–6 years, offers 97% protection but requires 95% coverage to prevent outbreaks. Measles’ ability to linger airborne for two hours fuels its spread, as seen in Texas, where hesitancy has weakened immunity.
Research Tools from Abinscience
Abinscience provides recombinant MeV proteins for studying its biology and developing therapies, supporting applications like ELISA, Western blot, and oncolytic design:
| Catalog No |
Product Name |
| VK397012 |
Recombinant MeV N/Nucleoprotein Protein, N-His |
| VK654011 |
Recombinant MeV H/Hemagglutinin glycoprotein Protein, C-His |
| VK654012 |
Recombinant MeV H/Hemagglutinin glycoprotein Protein, N-His |
| VK446012 |
Recombinant MeV F1/Fusion glycoprotein F1 Protein, N-His |
| VK448012 |
Recombinant MeV M/Matrix protein Protein, N-His |
| VK796012 |
Recombinant MeV P/Phosphoprotein Protein, N-His |
| VK815012 |
Recombinant MeV V/Non-structural protein V Protein, N-His |
| VK641012 |
Recombinant MeV C/Protein C Protein, N-His |
(Full list at Abinscience.)
Measles: A Dual Challenge and Opportunity
Measles’ 2025 resurgence underscores vaccination’s urgency, while its oncolytic potential offers hope for cancer therapy. Abinscience’s reagents empower researchers to explore this duality, transforming a public health threat into a precision tool against cancer.
Discover Abinscience Measles Research Tools Now!
