the eLife virus uses immunoproteins to avoid the antiviral immune system!

, July 8, 2020 /PRNewswire/
-- Scientists have discovered a new antiviral defense system that can be used to treat many viral infections by discovering the glitot of the hepatitis C virus to evade the immune system, according to a new study published in the journal Elifeviruses have many strategies to avoid immune system defensesThey usually do this by hijacking the immune system's own proteinsAn immune protein that is often attacked by viruses such as HIV, hepatitis C and SARS coronavirus is called procycline A (CypA)Understanding how CypA is used by viruses could help scientists develop drugs to fight all of these viruses, including the SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes the COVID-19 pandemicphoto source: Center for Study of Hepatitis C, The Rockefeller UniversityAssistant Professor of Biomedical and Molecular Sciences at Queen's University of Canada, Che Colpitts, who was the lead author of the study, explained: "Previously,clinical trialsshowed that blocking CypA reduces the ability to replicate and enhance immune responses from the hepatitis C virusWe're starting to understand how CypA helps hepatitis C escape the immune system"
in the experiment, the team usedliver cancercells that had or did not have a normal innate immune system in people infected with the hepatitis C virusThe innate immune system scans the body for potential threats, such as viruses or bacteria and triggers a reaction The scientists used a tool called short hairclip RNA to selectively suppress CypA and found that this prevented the virus from replicating only in liver cells with a normal innate immune system They also showed that CypA inhibitors help prevent the virus from absorbing CypA and prevent its proliferation known CypA binds to an immune protein called protein kinase R (PKR), affecting its ability to detect viruses So the team used a gene editing tool called CRISPR/Cas9 to remove the PKR gene from human liver cells with an innate immune system In cells without PKR, procycline inhibitors are less able to prevent the virus from multiplying This is because The PKR that identifies the virus and triggers the anti-virus defense does not exist "These findings reveal a new antiviral defense mechanism that inhibits the growth of the virus," said Greg Towers, professor of molecular virology at University College London, This opens the door to the development of CypA-targeted antiviral drugs that can be used to treat many viruses that are currently incurable (BioValleyBioon.com) references: Virus co-opts immune protein to the anti-antiviral anti-mansdefences Che C Colpitts et al, hepatitis C exploit viruss cyclophilin a to fia PKR, eLife (2020) DOI: 10.7554/eLife.52237