How Ebola blocks immune system

Ebola Virus

Well just like the whole world is on watch for the Ebola outbreak so shall I! recently I read an article in which they discuss the process of how the Ebola virus blocks our immune system making it deadly, researchers at the Washington University School of Medicine identified one way the Ebola viruses dodges the bodies antiviral defenses, which they believe that having such an understanding could lead to new therapies. Basically in the article with the research that has been done they were able to tell that the Ebola protein VP24, binds to a host protein in our body signaling molecules in and out of the cell’s nucleus . The study concluded that the viral protein takes away the host protein’s ability to carry an important immune signal into the nucleus. The signal helps activate the immune system’s antiviral defenses, and blocking it. That is believed to be the big contribution factor why the virus is so deadly. Now if you were like me and didn’t understand what all that scientific mumbo-jumbo was talking about I can help you, the Ebola virus enters our body attaching to one of our cells and making the immune system believe it belongs there, it’s all about infiltration and disseat.

Cite:

DOE/Argonne National Laboratory. "How Ebola blocks immune system." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 29 August 2014. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/08/140829135459.htm>.