Scientists have found a way to activate the immune system against viruses

    




Researchers at the University of British Columbia have discovered a complex chain reaction in the body's immune system, which will allow you to develop a new treatment against harmful viruses.

Effective antiviral drugs that can withstand such viral pandemics, as the coronavirus that caused a deadly outbreak of SARS in 2002, very little. A group of scientists found that an enzyme called ММР12 has a dual function when deploying antiviral protein: it first enters in the infected cell to activate interferon alpha and then sends it outside the cell membrane to fight viruses. After the job of interferon alpha is done, ММР12 dissolves the protein during the healing process.

Scientists have developed a new antiviral drug that blocks ММР12 from dissolving interferon alpha outside the cell, giving the immune system extra support while maintaining high levels of protein in the blood. The drug cannot penetrate cell membranes, that is to intervene into useful work inside the cell. The drug has shown effective treatment of viral infections in mice and is promising as a new antiviral treatment of wide spectrum of action.

Source: nauka24news.ru/