Researchers have discovered a protein that can prevent severe brain damage and reduce the risk of fatal HSV-1 infection

A new study by researchers at the University of Illinois at Chicago shows that a mechanism can prevent the herpes simplex virus from causing severe brain damage and death

Researchers have discovered the role of a protein complex, the target of mammalian rapamycin complex 2, in the antiviral defense mechanism

The paper entitled "mTORC2 provides neuroprotection and boosts immunity during viral infection" was recently published in the journal Nature Communications

Eye herpes infection is the main cause of infectious blindness and can lead to fatal brain infections

Using a genetically modified mouse model, the researchers revealed the importance of mTORC2 in activating innate and viral adaptive immunity in the process of ocular HSV-1 infection

Shukla said: "We found that animals lacking functional mTORC2 showed significant loss of immune activation and more virus transmission to neuronal tissue

In order to eliminate the lifelong type 1 herpes simplex virus infection, it is necessary to reveal the role of key cell proteins and regulatory functions to prevent virus replication and cause damage, explained Rahul Suryawanshi, the lead author of this study, former postdoctoral Shukla intern, and now at the Institute of Technology , San Francisco

Chandrashekhar Patil, a co-author of the study and a visiting scholar in the UIC Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, said: "Animal experiments emphasize the importance of neuronal cell death inhibitors during viral encephalitis, which may mimic and/or improve mTORC2 function.

Shukla said this study explains that the pro-survival function of mTORC2 may not be limited to viral infections

Shukla said: "Our research will inspire other researchers to study the role of mTORC2 in neurodegenerative diseases and other diseases

DOI

10.

Methodological research

Computational simulation/modeling

Subject of research

animal

Article title

mTORC2 confers neuroprotection and potentiates immunity during virus infection