Culling all flaviviruses

Washington University researchers have identified a host protein - signal peptidase complex subunit 1 (SPCS1) - that may be required for replication of all flaviviruses, and believe that inhibiting the target could provide a general-purpose treatment for the class, with minimal harm to the host.

In a study published in Nature, a group led by Michael Diamond, a professor of internal medicine at the university, identified SPCS1 in a CRISPR-based genetic knockout screen for host factors that protect HEK cells from lethal challenge with the West Nile flavivirus. ...