Flu and other viral infections could be stopped by boosting natural protein

http://www.foxnews.com/health/2014/06/12/flu-and-other-viral-infections-could-be-stopped-by-boosting-natural-protein/?intcmp=latestnews

Boosting a naturally occurring protein may help the body to detect and fend off certain viral infections on its own.

The discovery could lead to new, more effective treatments for many dangerous viruses – such as hepatitis C and influenza.

In a new study published in the journal Immunity, researchers from the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute (UPCI) detailed their investigation into the protein oligoadenylate synthetases-like, or OASL.  They revealed that by amplifying OASL in human cells, they were able to effectively inhibit viral replication.

According to the researchers, OASL is a key component of the body’s innate immune system, a subsystem of the overall immune system that allow our cells to intrinsically defend against pathogens.

“It was initially thought the [adaptive] immune system is all we have to protect against invasion – the one that makes antibodies and cells that can essentially destroy infected…