March 26, 2012 Contact: John Ascenzi, Children’s Hospital of
Philadelphia, Phone: (267) 426-6055, Ascenzi@email.chop.edu New
biological research reveals how an invading virus hijacks a
cell’s workings by imitating a signaling marker to defeat the
body’s defenses. By manipulating cell signals, the virus
destroys a defensive protein designed to inhibit it. This
finding, from studies in human cell cultures, may represent a
broader targeting strategy used by other viruses, and may lay
the scientific groundwork for developing more effective
treatments for infectious diseases. “Learning details of how
cells respond to viruses helps us to understand key cellular
machinery better,” said study leader Matthew D. Weitzman, Ph.D.,
of the Center for Cellular and Molecular Therapeutics at The
Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. “This study tells us how a
virus overcomes intrinsic host defenses. In this case the virus
mimics signals used during normal DNA repair mechanisms.” The
study team, formerly based at the Salk Insti