Scientists have found new drug targets for antiviral infections in the body

The Center for Excellence and Innovation in Molecular Cell Science of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology) Wang Hongyan Research Group, in cooperation with Wei Bin of Shanghai University (former researcher of the Wuhan Virus Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Sciences), found that the 7 dehydrogenated cholesterol reductase (DHCR7) in cells lowers the function and mechanism of congenative immune antiviral infection in the body, blocking its activity can significantly enhance the human immune "guardian" - macrophages to remove Zika virus, influenza virus, herpes virus and other viruses. The study provides a new drug target for fighting new or highly pathogenic viral infections. Related papers have been published online in "Immunity", related inventions have been patented.
cholesterol is closely linked to cardiovascular disease, but new research suggests that reducing the synthesis of cholesterol in macrophages can help fight viral infections. The study screened for DHCR7, a reductase that "abnormally expresses" both DNA viruses and RNA virus infections, and converts 7-dehydrogenated cholesterol (7-DHC) into cholesterol. Researchers have found that blocking DHCR7 activity can reduce cholesterol while promoting 7-DHC accumulation, which ultimately increases the level of type 1 interferon, such as IFN beta, effectively preventing viral infections.
researchers found that the "signal pathline" was built like a "baton" transmission: 7-DHC, like a radar on the membrane surface of macrophages, transmits virally invading "red flags" to the macrophage intrinsic protein kinase AKT3 to promote AKT3 activity; This signaling path is like a "concentration number" that eventually allows macrophages to remove the invasive virus as quickly as possible.
the study, researchers also found that the breast cancer chemotherapy drug takaxifen has new features to suppress herpes and Zika virus infection, a drug approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to inhibit DHCR7 activity. (Source: Huang Xin, China Science Journal)
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