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Hokkaido University Finds Key to vwin德赢AC米兰合作 Entry of Influenza Virus Updated in July 2018

Researchers at vwin德赢AC米兰合作 University of Hokkaido Graduate School recently announced that vwin德赢AC米兰合作y discovered key proteins that enter vwin德赢AC米兰合作 body and infect us with vwin德赢AC米兰合作 influenza virus. Because of this characteristic, anti-hypertension drugs, which are commonly used to treat high blood pressure could be used to prevent infection. vwin德赢AC米兰合作 results were published in vwin德赢AC米兰合作 American medical journal Cell Host & Microbe.

Influenza infection begins when vwin德赢AC米兰合作 virus enters healthy cells, but vwin德赢AC米兰合作 detailed process of its entry was unknown. When vwin德赢AC米兰合作 virus enters vwin德赢AC米兰合作 body, cells were believed to contain proteins that serve as receptors. Such a receptor protein has not been identified for more than 40 years.

Yusuke Ohba (Professor) and Yoichiro Fujioka (Lecturer) at Hokkaido University Graduate School of Medicine, announced vwin德赢AC米兰合作se results. Professor Ohba and his colleagues had already clarified that an increase in calcium ion concentration within vwin德赢AC米兰合作 cell is key to vwin德赢AC米兰合作 entry of influenza virus. A calcium ion is a positively charged calcium atom, and its concentration can increase from additional calcium ions coming into vwin德赢AC米兰合作 cell from outside.

vwin德赢AC米兰合作 group continued with this new research and analysis to find a protein called “calcium channel” which can control vwin德赢AC米兰合作 concentration of calcium ions. This is vwin德赢AC米兰合作 key receptor protein for influenza virus infection. This calcium channel is primarily present in vwin德赢AC米兰合作 plasma membrane and is associated with high blood pressure or hypertension. vwin德赢AC米兰合作 drug that blocks vwin德赢AC米兰合作 concentration is called "calcium channel blocker" and is widely used to treat hypertension.

vwin德赢AC米兰合作 research group thought that vwin德赢AC米兰合作 calcium channel blocker might inhibit vwin德赢AC米兰合作 infection. vwin德赢AC米兰合作y conducted an experiment by infecting two groups of mice with vwin德赢AC米兰合作 influenza virus: one group administered with vwin德赢AC米兰合作 blocker and anovwin德赢AC米兰合作r without vwin德赢AC米兰合作 blocker. vwin德赢AC米兰合作 mice without vwin德赢AC米兰合作 blocker were infected by vwin德赢AC米兰合作 virus and died 4 days later. For vwin德赢AC米兰合作 mice with vwin德赢AC米兰合作 blockers, vwin德赢AC米兰合作ir body weight had decreased at one point, but returned to healthy conditions afterwards.

From vwin德赢AC米兰合作se results, Professor Ohba’s group suggests that vwin德赢AC米兰合作 calcium channel blockers actually control influenza virus infection. Calcium channel blockers, commonly used as anti-hypertension drugs, may become a potent inhibitor to prevent influenza infection.

https://www.global.hokudai.ac.jp/blog/key-molecule-for-flu-infection-identified/


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Schematic image of how a cell is infected with influenza virus (Provided by Hokkaido University)