Mutations let JC polyomavirus evade antibodies, offering clues for vaccines and treatments

Article excerpt

In people with severely compromised immune systems, JC polyomavirus can trigger an untreatable, often fatal brain disease. An international research team has identified how virus mutations can strategically interfere with how human antibodies recognize the virus, allowing it to evade an immune response. The new insights into the interactions between the JC polyomavirus and the human immune system, published in PNAS, could lay the foundation for the development of treatments and vaccines.