A rare and surprising discovery
Prof. Savvides (VIB-Ghent University) said, “We investigated GIF because we are intrigued by how viruses use specialized proteins to change the immune system’s response. What we discovered was surprising: it is very rare that one viral protein can target two different host proteins to dodge the immune response, yet this functional duality is exactly what characterizes GIF. Most surprising was the finding that GIF uses its structure in distinct ways to target the cytokines IL-2 and GM-CSF with high affinity. Remarkably, GIF’s structure does not look anything like the natural receptors of the cytokines it targets, yet it is able to mimic their ability to bind to IL-2 and GM-CSF to prevent the normal functions of the two cytokines. A scary feat!”