Researcher explain how embryo fights retroviral infection

Some viruses insert themselves into the host's DNA during infection in a process called retroviral integration, causing several diseases, including AIDS and cancer, notes a Texas A&M researcher who specializes in fetal diseases. However, stem cells that give rise to the early embryo and yolk sac fight back, inhibiting further infection by aggressively silencing the invading viral DNA, says Michael Golding of the Department of Veterinary Physiology and Pharmacology.

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