10-Sep-2026
The viral tipping point
Weizmann Institute of ScienceUntil now, virologists have addressed the infectious dose mainly at the level of the whole organism, but scientists from the laboratory of Prof. Noam Stern-Ginossar at the Weizmann Institute of Science have discovered that the fate of an individual infected cell, too, depends on the number of virions that enter it. In a study published in Nature Communications and focusing on herpesviruses, the researchers reveal that the cellular infectious dose determines whether a virus will become active in the cell or enter a dormant state. These findings pave the way for therapies that could control the outcome of infection.
- Journal
- Nature Communications