Influenza virus uses a protein to mask itself as it enters our cells, delaying immune system detection and providing an opportunity to take hold without a fight, according to new findings in Nature Communications.
The immune system is mechanized to detect viruses as soon as they enter cells and initiate processes to engage them in microscopic combat, and understanding how the flu circumvents those systems to evade detection could lead to better treatments, according to the researchers.
"This indicates that the recognition mechanism in the immune system that the influenza virus evades is generally important for the body's ability to defend itself against viruses. It is therefore important basic research knowledge for us," Christian Holm, PhD, an associate professor at AarhusUniversity in Denmark and co-author of the study, said in a statement. "The more knowledge we have about why a virus becomes dangerous, the easier it is to develop treatments."
Additionally, understanding influenza's evolved masking tactic could help fight other autoimmune diseases that trigger self-attacking responses from the immune system, such as rheumatoid arthritis and lupus, according to the authors.