Scientists from the University of North Carolina have found that viruses that cause cancer in humans use their own protein to evade the host’s immune response. The study was published in the journal Nature Communications.
Kaposi sarcoma-associated herpes virus (KSHV) and Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) have previously been shown to increase the risk of certain cancers. These viruses have evolved with humans over millions of years, eventually developing mechanisms that allow them to escape the human immune system.
One of the techniques discovered by the authors of a new study: it turns out that viruses stimulate its production using the human BAF protein. In a series of experiments, biologists have found that BAF promotes the degradation of another protein, cGAS. The smaller it is, the less intensely the host’s body fights the infection.
Thus, overproduction of BAF allows viruses to multiply and spread more efficiently. Scientists believe that this protein could become a target for the treatment of viruses and vaccination against them. The discovery could reduce the incidence of virus-associated cancers.