Featured Article Academic Journal Main Category: Genetics Also Included In: Flu / Cold / SARS;Swine Flu Article Date: 26 Mar 2012 - 3:00 PDT

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People who do not have the rare variant of IFITM3 only have mild reactions to the influenza virus, said the researchers who found the gene codes for a protein that is important for helping the body defend itself against the virus.

It appears that when there is plenty of IFITM3 protein in the body, the flu virus can't penetrate deep into the lungs.

The 2009 H1N1 "swine flu" pandemic showed how quickly a new virus can spread, and how a generally mild infection can become serious and even kill a small subset of the population, the authors write in their background information.

The antiviral role of IFITM3 in humans was first suggested by studies that showed the protein blocked the growth of influenza virus and dengue virus in cultured cells.

So they decided to take this further by examining the effect of this protein family in lab mice.

See the original post:
Gene Explains Why Flu Can Be Serious

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