The process by which the body protects itself against an invading virus has been revealed by a
biochemistry team from Texas A&M University.
Research undertaken by the
biochemistry and biophysics experts focused on the innate immune system of human beings.
Gel-filtration chromatography was used to determine what type of RNA binds to RIG-I, an enzyme known to detect foreign RNA in order to trigger the immune response.
Following this, surface plasmon resonance showed how quickly viral RNA is bound and released again by RIG-I in order to initiate the innate response.
The innate immune system offers some protection against invading viruses without the need to have encountered the threat before.
This compares with the adaptive immune system, which remembers the threat from a previous encounter, such as an earlier illness or an inoculation.
Biochemistry research at the university has expanded rapidly, the educational institution says, as more inquiry has been made in recent years into the atomic basis of life.
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