Gut microbiome powers flu vaccination
Our gut talks the language of our immune system, playing a key role in the complex mechanisms of immunoregulation. If antibiotics are essential to kill pathogenic bacteria, it is also true that they change the composition and metabolism of the gut microbiome, the...
Antiviral drug discovery – Part 1: From no drug to promising candidates
From target to drug Traditionally, antiviral drug discovery has started from detailed knowledge of a specific viral target. Proteins that are critical for a virus’ life cycle (e.g., polymerase, protease, and envelope) are first characterised, ideally by...
The making of dengue virus: the structural proteins
A brief jaunt through the dengue life cycle During DENV entry into the host cell, the envelope protein binds to the cognate receptor and triggers DENV endocytosis and internalization within an endosome. Next, low endosomal pH induces changes in the conformation of the...
IFITMs and the dangers of IFN
Our cells use a wide variety of mechanisms to prevent virus infection. These mechanisms are usually mediated by proteins that are upregulated upon induction of interferon. Among these interferon-stimulated effectors, the IFITM (interferon-induced transmembrane)...Page 3 of 8