New ‘universal’ target for antiviral treatment | Science Daily

Researchers may have discovered an all-encompassing antiviral drug that would be effective against numerous diseases. Even with vaccines, certain viruses and infections still have a large effect on society, such as the recent Coronavirus outbreak. Researchers from Massachusetts General Hospital think that the protein Argonaute 4 (AGO4) is the weakness against viruses. The study has shown that his protein is especially effective in mammalian immune cells with antiviral properties. Cells that had an AGO4 deficiency were far more susceptible to infection than those with more of the protein. Researchers say the next step is to discover just how universal this finding may be.

Source: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/02/200211170106.htm