For example, the two scientists learned Hendra and Nipah share a molecule dubbed “G’’, which during the course of infecting a cell acts as the “glue’’ that binds it to the cell’s surface. When this happens, Porotto said, it spurs a cascade of events helping the virus enter the cell.
The hope, he said, is to develop sustained-release anti-virals against these deadly new pathogens.
—Delthia Ricks / (LAT-WP)