June 7, 2016.
According to a study conducted by a team of researchers from the University of Massachusetts, our body is able to defend itself against the Zika virus, thanks to a protein called IFITM3.
A protein that would block the replication of the virus
American researchers have made a discovery that could well put an end to the spread of the Zika virus. This is what reveals a study published in the journal Cell Reports. According to this study, a protein, present in the cells of our body, could block the replication of the virus. Replication is the set of biochemical processes that take place in the cell infected by a virus and which have the effect of producing new units of this virus.
This protein, called IFITM3, could therefore prevent infection and prevent its spread. According to the researchers, when the protein is present in small amounts in the cell, the virus easily enters and infects it. On the other hand, when IFITM3 is very present, Zika fails to reach the heart of the cell and is therefore eliminated by the immune system.
Zika finds himself in a place where he can do no harm
” These works show that IFITM3 acts on the front line to prevent Zika from invading all the cellular resources it needs to spread. Said George Savidis, one of the study’s authors. ” Concretely, IFITM3 keeps the virus in a place where it can do no harm “.
According to the researchers, it would therefore suffice to stimulate the activity of this protein to effectively fight the infection by the Zika virus. If new work will be necessary to test the experiment on mice, this discovery could well be the basis of new treatments, to fight against this infection which is transmitted to humans through the bite of a tiger mosquito.
Read also: 5 things to know about the Zika virus
