How Poxviruses Such As Smallpox Evade The Immune System

[Michaelangelica]

How Poxviruses Such As Smallpox Evade The Immune System

 

ScienceDaily (Feb. 1, 2008) — Scientists at Saint Louis University and the University of Alabama at Birmingham have uncovered important new information about a key protein that allows viruses such as smallpox to replicate and wreak havoc on the immune system.

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"The poxviruses are able to evade the immune system very skillfully," Buller said, "so we wanted to identify exactly how these viruses work -- what makes them so effective and efficient."

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Of all the poxviruses, smallpox in particular has played a gruesome role in human history. The virus is estimated to have caused between 300 million and 500 million deaths in the 20th century alone.

Though smallpox was declared officially eradicated in 1979, many experts fear that clandestine samples of the virus may have survived -- thus making it a major bioterrorism concern.

How Poxviruses Such As Smallpox Evade The Immune System