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Virus research is very important, not only in the context of the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus. Scientists at Aarhus University in Denmark have figured out how viruses evade the body’s immune response and lead to infection.
Viruses know how to trick our body
Viruses have the unique ability to trick and circumvent the body’s immune system and infect cells. Most people recover from a viral infection, but some viruses such as the flu and the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus show just how dangerous it can be to get infected, especially if there is no effective treatment and vaccines.
Hence, scientists who study viruses are constantly looking for answers to the questions of how the virus “cheats” and deceives the immune system. Once they find out, it will be easier for them to fight these viruses.
Perhaps the answer to this question was found by professor and virologist Søren Riis Paludan from the Department of Biomedicine at Aarhus University in Denmark, who, together with colleagues from Oxford and Gothenburg University, worked out a piece of virus tactics to attack the immune system.
Professor Søren Riis Paludan heads a laboratory that studies the immune system’s ability to fight diseases caused by the herpes virus, influenza viruses and, more recently, the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus.
In a new study, researchers found an interesting thing that could explain how the virus bypasses the immune system to cause infection.
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How do viruses infect?
In a study published in the Journal of Experimental Medicine, researchers looked for answers to the question of how the herpes simplex virus bypasses the immune system and causes infection in the brain. It is a rare infection but has a high mortality rate.
“In our study, we found that the herpes simplex virus is capable of inhibiting a protein in cells called STING, which is usually activated when there is a threat. When STING is inhibited, the body’s immune system is also inhibited. The virus thus prevents the body from defending itself. Other viruses use the same principle »said Paludan.
The researcher also said that although the study focuses on the herpes viruses, it could also translate into the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus, as the STING protein is also inhibited during infection from this coronavirus.
«This suggests that we have found the Achilles’ heel of viruses. Our discovery gives hope that if we can prevent the virus from blocking the STING protein, we can thwart the virus replication process »- said the expert.
Previous studies have shown that the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus, like the herpes virus, inhibits the STING protein, preventing a normal immune response. “This suggests that we have found a common denominator for several types of viruses and that this is probably an important element in the development of treatments,” he added.
Earlier, scientists discovered that the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus is sensitive to antibodies isolated in the course of work on the SARS coronavirus.
“Knowing these protected sites could aid in the design of vaccines and therapeutic agents against SARS-CoV-2 that would also protect against other coronaviruses – including those that may emerge in the future,” explained study senior author Ian Wilson, professor of structural biology and head of the Department of Integrative Structural and Computational Biology at Scripps Reaserch.
As part of self-control and self-care, it is worth performing a package of 6 blood tests to check the body’s immune resistance. This is especially important if you want to take steps to strengthen your body from recurring infections.
Do you want to support the functioning of your body? Try a food supplement with grape seed extract with antiviral properties – you can find it on Medonet Market.
What do we know about the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus?
- What does the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus look like? Scientists analyze its structure
- Scientists are looking for the “missing link” of the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus pandemic
- SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus is a chimera of two viruses? Scientists have a new theory