Scientists at Monash University's Biomedicine Discovery Institute (BDI) have identified a new mechanism used by Henipaviruses in infection, and potential new targets for antivirals to treat them. The researchers believe their findings may also apply to other dangerous viruses. Henipaviruses are among the deadliest of viruses and have no effective treatments, according to the researchers. The viruses include Hendra, lethal to humans and horses, and the Nipah virus, a serious threat in East and Southeast Asia. They are on the World Health Organization Blueprint list of priority diseases needing urgent research and development action. The BDI study (“ Viral regulation of host cell biology by hijacking of the nucleolar DNA-damage response ”) was published in Nature Communications . “Recent studies indicate that nucleoli play critical roles in the DNA-damage response (DDR) via interaction of DDR machinery including NBS1 [nibrin] with nucleolar Treacle protein, a key mediator of ribosomal RNA (rRNA) transcription and processing. ...
Original Article: Lethal Viruses Hijack DNA-Damage Response, May Be Exploited for Cancer