Influenza virus method (flu) Learning to adapt to infect humans has always interested scientists. The pathogen appears to have a unique adaptability to infect us, however, a new study reveals that it may have an unexpected ally when it comes to making us sick.
Our cells indicate to the virus the easiest path of entry and, moreover, extend their membranes to embrace the invader in a process that doctors have defined as “access to the enemy.”
This discovery was made by a team that analyzed the behavior of the virus in detail. Scientists from Switzerland and Japan used their own microscopy technique and magnified the image of the cell surface to a scale not yet obtained, allowing the malicious particle to clearly observe its entry into living tissue.
They saw that the cells did not remain negative when approached fluIn fact, they are trying to catch the attacker. “Infecting the body’s cells is a dance between the virus and the cell,” says Dr. Yohei Yamauchi, who led the study.
The cell opens to influenza
The particle exploits the natural absorption process that ensures that hormones, cholesterol and iron enter the cells. What the influenza virus does is trick, dancing with the cell, into being interpreted as a useful source of input.
It moves across the membrane and passes through successive connections until it reaches the receptor-rich area. What the research discovered is that the cell facilitates the entry of the disease into it, opening its entrances and expanding its membrane to pull the virus directly into it.
This movement can only be observed through a new technique that combines fluorescence and microscopic observation to study membrane movements. Thus, the team demonstrated that the cells help the virus at several stages, and even move more aggressively if the virus tries to break free.
ViViD-AFM microscopy expands access
For researchers, the monitoring method, called ViViD-AFM, allows antiviral candidates to be tested directly in live cultures to understand how they can signal cells that this particle is not their friend.
Thus, the research paves the way for evaluating drugs and also for understanding the adaptations that diseases cause to their structure. The study authors stress that this technique could also be used to investigate the behavior of other viruses or even vaccines.
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