Study reveals how one antibody blocks dangerous effects of dengue virus infection

CHICAGO, Jan. 8 (Xinhua) -- Researchers from the University of California, Berkeley, and the University of Michigan (UM) revealed how an antibody called 2B7 neutralizes one specific protein made by dengue virus called NS1, which is short for "non-structural protein 1" and is key to the dengue virus's ability to both replicate and cause disease.

The researchers had previously demonstrated that the protein itself can cause leaks in the endothelial barrier, even in the absence of infectious viral particles. And in cases of dengue virus infection, the more NS1 found circulating in the host's blood, the more severe the infection is likely to be.