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Virus Rampage
24 May 2014

Virus Rampage

Measles kills an estimated 122,000 people per year, mostly children in developing countries. It’s caused by a virus that invades human cells and induces them to fuse together into dysfunctional clumps called syncytia – one such clump is pictured here, formed from six cells. To defend themselves, cells produce a protein called RLRS that recognises strands of viral RNA – the invader’s genetic material – and triggers the production of enzymes that attack the virus. In a recent experiment, scientists infected cells with the measles virus and then isolated the RLRS-RNA complexes so that the interaction between the two molecules could be studied in detail. A better understanding of this immune response could help us to develop new anti-viral drugs and increase our knowledge of auto-immune diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis.

Written by Mick Warwicker

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BPoD stands for Biomedical Picture of the Day. Managed by the MRC Laboratory of Medical Sciences until Jul 2023, it is now run independently by a dedicated team of scientists and writers. The website aims to engage everyone, young and old, in the wonders of biology, and its influence on medicine. The ever-growing archive of more than 4000 research images documents over a decade of progress. Explore the collection and see what you discover. Images are kindly provided for inclusion on this website through the generosity of scientists across the globe.

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