Study identifies how hantaviruses infect lung cells

(Albert Einstein College of Medicine) Hantaviruses cause severe and sometimes fatal respiratory infections, but how they infect lung cells has been a mystery. In today's issue of Nature, an international team including researchers at Albert Einstein College of Medicine reports that hantaviruses gain entry to lung cells by 'unlocking' a cell-surface receptor called protocadherin-1 (PCDH1). Deleting this receptor made lab animals highly resistant to infection. The findings show that targeting PCDH1 could be a useful strategy against deadly hantavirus pulmonary syndrome.
Source: EurekAlert! - Infectious and Emerging Diseases - Category: Infectious Diseases Source Type: news