of Science
Nobel Australians
Background information
To put the Nobel prize-winning research into the context of the immune system, it may help you to read this.
Most of us have suffered from the effects of viruses – the itchy sores of chicken pox, the aches of influenza or the drippy nose from a common cold. But what are viruses and why do they make us sick?
What is a virus?
Viruses are submicroscopic particles composed of nucleic acid and protein. In contrast to other organisms, viruses can only multiply inside living cells.
Viruses cause diseases
The nucleic acid of a virus re-programs its host cell to produce viruses – and lots of them. The cell becomes a virus factory. The newly produced viruses infect other cells and then, if we are the host organism, we feel sick.
Getting better
When we are sick with a viral disease, our immune system works to eliminate viruses from our body. To do this, a virus-infected cell must be identified and killed before it can release a deadly cargo of new viruses. A type of white blood cell called a killer (or cytotoxic)
Killer T-cells recognise virus-infected cells
A killer T-cell is a lethal weapon so it is important that it only kills infected cells and not normal healthy cells. Fortunately for the immune system, cells constantly break down proteins, including viral proteins. These viral antigens are then transported to the cell surface where they are accessible to the immune system.
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