In a major breakthrough, British scientists discovered that antibodies can fight viruses from within infected cells.
Till now, scientists believed that antibodies could only reduce infection by attacking viruses outside cells and also by blocking their entry into cells.
The breakthrough research by the scientists at the MRC laboratory of molecular biology in Cambridge is likely to lead to development of new anti-viral drugs for common, but often fatal diseases like common cold and gastroenteritis.
“Antibodies are formidable molecular war machines; it now appears that they can continue to attack viruses within cells. This research is not only a leap in our understanding of how and where antibodies work, but more generally in our understanding of immunity and infection,” Sir Greg Winter, deputy director of the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, said.
Viruses they have been held responsible for twice as many deaths as cancer every year. “Doctors have plenty of antibiotics to fight bacterial infections but few anti-viral drugs. Although these are early days, and we don’t yet know whether all viruses are cleared by this mechanism, we are excited that our discoveries may open multiple avenues for developing new anti-viral drugs,” Dr Leo James, the lead author of the study, said.
Researchers have revealed that antibodies remain attached when viruses enter healthy cells. “Once inside, the antibodies trigger a response, led by a protein called TRIM21, which pulls the virus into a disposal system used by the cell to get rid of unwanted material. This process happens mostly before viruses have chance to harm the cell,” the study said.