Discovery of molecular machine that drives spread of flu virus
Tuesday, October 27, 2015 - 05:00
in Health & Medicine
Scientists have used Diamond to uncover the structure of a key component involved in the spread of influenza C virus. Integral to viral replication, polymerases are enzymes that copy the viral genome and produce messenger RNA which is then used to make building blocks for new virus particles. Influenza C is a variety of flu, a viral infection that altogether affects approximately 3 to 5 million people every year, leading to between 250,000 to 500,000 deaths around the world. Understanding the atomic structure of this polymerase could be a major step forward, supporting the development of drugs that prevent it from functioning, effectively 'disarming' the flu virus and making it unable to spread.