Molecule senses human respiratory viruses

Molecule senses human respiratory viruses

• SAN ANTONIO, Aug. 25 (UPI) -- University of Texas Health Science Center microbiologists say they have identified a defense molecule that senses the presence of respiratory viruses. The scientists, led by Assistant Professor Santanu Bose, said the cellular molecule not only can sense two common respiratory viruses, but it also can direct cells to mount a defense. The researchers said their discovery of the molecule, called NOD2, could lead to new therapies for human respiratory syncytial virus and influenza A, both of which are serious threats to people with weak immune systems. "This molecule could be used to boost host immune defenses and stimulate vaccine efficacy … especially among high-risk indi- viduals," Bose said. "This is a major breakthrough in under- standing respiratory virus behavior and innate immune anti- viral factors, and provides the basis for innovative thera- pies to improve host responses to infectious diseases," said Professor Joel Baseman, chairman of microbiology and immun- ology at the Texas Health Science Center. The research that included graduate student Ahmed Sabbath and research scien- tists Te-Hung Chang and Rosalinda Harnack appears online in the journal Nature Immunology.

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