Respiratory Viruses That Hijack Immune Mechanisms May Have Achilles’ Heel

One viral protein could provide information to deter pneumonia causing the body’s exaggerated inflammatory response to respiratory viruses, including the virus that causes COVID-19. That viral protein is NS2 of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), and a study has found that if the virus lacks this protein, the human body’s immune response can destroy the virus before exaggerated inflammation begins. The research, conducted at Washington State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine, was published on January 18, 2022 in the journal MBio. The open-access article is titled “Human Respiratory Syncytial Virus NS2 Protein Induces Autophagy by Modulating Beclin1 Protein Stabilization and ISGylation.”