A new study has identified the mechanism by which the SARS/CoV-2 virus can evade host immune system. The research has been published in Nature Communications Journal.
Researchers from Japan and the United States found that SARS/CoV-2 can destroy an important molecular pathway linking to an immune complex called MHC type I. Scientists should be able to better understand the mechanism by which COVID-19 infection occurs. Koichi Kobayashi, an immunologist at Texas A&M University and Hokkaido University, led the study.
Kobayashi stated that “the mechanisms we identified may provide new molecular target for drug discovery.” To examine how SARS-CoV-2 virus, which causes COVID-19, affected gene expression in COVID-19 patients, the scientists used bioinformatics. This is a useful method to examine the function of complex cell signalling pathways that trigger immune reactions to fight off harmful bacteria or viruses.
MHC (major hertocompatibility complex), class I molecules are a key weapon in the immune response to viruses. A virus can infect a cell by allowing the production of viral antigens. This attracts the attention of immune cells known as cytotoxic T cells. These immune cells target infected cells and destroy them along with the virus. To validate their findings, the research team infected human cell line with the SARS-2 virus to analyse gene expression in COVID-19 patients.
The results showed that a protein called ORF 6 from the SARS virus suppressed a host protein called NLRC5, which is responsible for activating MHC class I pathway. This happens in two ways, according to the study. ORF6 hampered cell signalling and turned off expression of NLRC5. ORF6 also prevented NLRC5 from functioning.
MERS and HIV are also known to target the MHC class 1 pathway. Although researchers believed that SARS-CoV-2 also did this, this study is the only one to reveal the mechanism. The immune system is effectively unable to detect viruses in infected cells if they are not activated by the MHC class 1 pathway. Kobayashi stated that this helps explain why SARS-CoV-2 virus persists and why it continues to infect others, leading to the pandemic. (ANI)
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