Cells' own abnormal RNA may trigger inflammation during viral infection, challenging 20 years of assumptions
New research led by the Hudson Institute of Medical Research has shown how a cell recognizes that it is infected with a virus to protect itself and surrounding cells or induce inflammation. The discovery, published in Nature Immunology and led by Dr. Natália Sampaio, turns our understanding of how inflammation begins at a cellular level on its head.
Researchers from the Hudson Institute of Medical Research have uncovered a new understanding of how cells detect and respond to viral infections. The study, published in Nature Immunology, challenges 20 years of scientific assumptions about the process.
The focus of the research was on a cellular sensor called MDA5, which is produced by every cell and triggers an inflammatory response when it detects abnormal double-stranded RNA (dsRNA). Traditionally, scientists believed that the dsRNA came directly from the invading virus. However, the new research shows that the source of this abnormal RNA is actually the host cell itself.
Professor Paul Hertzog, head of the Regulation of Interferon and Innate Signaling research group at the Hudson Institute, explains that when a virus hijacks a cell and turns it into a virus-making factory, the host cell's internal balance is disrupted. This cellular stress causes the host cell's RNA to be improperly processed, resulting in the generation of aberrant double-stranded RNA. This host-derived dsRNA then binds to MDA5, causing an inflammatory response that alerts neighboring cells to help control the infection.
The lead researcher, Dr. Natália Sampaio, emphasizes that MDA5 is not detecting a foreign viral component but rather an internal cellular crisis triggered by the infection. This discovery significantly changes our understanding of how cells recognize and respond to viral infections, particularly novel viruses like SARS-CoV-2.
The findings also have broader implications, as they suggest that imbalances in RNA can contribute to inflammation in various scenarios, including rare genetic diseases, neurological conditions, and during cancer treatments. The researchers developed specialized methods to investigate MDA5 activation and resulting inflammation, which can now be applied to many other disease scenarios beyond viral infections.
Written by urgent.news from Medical Xpress's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
