Your cells have a built-in antiviral alarm system — and scientists just found the volume knob. WSU researchers identified a cellular signaling pathway triggered by a protein called ISG15 that, when artificially amplified, significantly boosts cells' resistance to viral infection. The host-directed approach could work against a broad range of viruses and may even have applications in cancer and neurological disease treatment.
Washington State University researchers have uncovered a previously unknown cellular defense pathway that, when "cranked up," dramatically increases cells' resistance to viral infection. Published in Cell Communication and Signaling, the study centers on a protein called ISG15, which cells naturally produce during viral infection. The team discovered that when ISG15 is present outside cells, it acts as a booster signal, priming neighboring cells to resist infection before a virus can spread — a function that was previously unknown.
The catch? The body activates this pathway on its own, but only at low, insufficient levels. When researchers artificially amplified the response by adding recombinant ISG15 protein, cells became significantly more resistant to infection — demonstrated first with RSV, then with influenza A and parainfluenza viruses.
Key Takeaways:
Why it matters: Viruses mutate constantly, rendering many targeted antivirals obsolete over time. A therapy that works through the host cell rather than against the virus itself could offer a more durable, broad-spectrum solution — a potential game-changer for infectious disease and beyond.
