Tiny Virus, Big Problem
Stacey Hawkins
Founder and CEO at Biotech Primer Inc. | Leading Biotech Education Provider
From BioTech Primer's Aug 7, 2014 WEEKLY newsletter
Written by Emily Burke, Ph.D.
Seven proteins, a long single strand of RNA, and a lipid envelope-type membrane make up the intelligent, yet calamitous Ebola virus. How does a handful of proteins and genetic material wreak such havoc?
By infecting white blood cells called macrophages during an integral part of the immune process; Ebola disrupts the body's defenses against foreign invaders.
Macrophages normally release signaling molecules to alert and activate other white blood cells to help fight infection. Simply put, Ebola inhibits macrophages from doing their job. The virus stealthily evades the immune system and spreads to the lining of blood vessels before moving to liver and kidney tissue. Infected endothelial cells, the cells that line blood vessels, become “leaky”, giving rise to the gruesome hemorrhaging characteristic of infection.
Read the entire WEEKLY and learn about the therapeutics in development for Ebola.