Flu Viruses ‘Surf’ Into Human Cells in Real Time
In a discovery that feels like watching a movie, scientists from ETH Zurich and Japan have recorded flu viruses entering human cells in real time. The surprising thing is our cells don’t just stay idle. The cells even move toward the influenza viruses and pull them in. This new finding is helping experts to understand seasonal influenza infections.
Every winter, we deal with familiar flu symptoms like fever, body aches, and a runny nose. This happens when a flu viruses enter our body through droplets and sticks to our cells. But the study shows the infection isn’t just the virus acting alone.
A Close-Up Look at How the flu viruses Enters
The research team, led by Yohei Yamauchi from ETH Zurich, used a special microscope built by themselves. It helped them to zoom in on the outer surface of living human cells in a Petri dish.
For the first time, they were able to see the exact moment when a flu virus enters a cell. The results were surprising.
According to Yamauchi, “The infection is like a dance between virus and cell.” The cell does not simply wait. It seems to move toward the influenza viruses and pull them closer.
How the flu viruses “Surfs” Into the Cell?
The scientists found that the flu virus moves along the cell surface like it’s “surfing.” It jumps from one receptor to another until it finds a spot with many grouped receptors. This is the best spot for the virus to enter.
Once the cell senses the virus, it forms a small pocket underneath it. A protein called clathrin helps shape this pocket. As it deepens, it surrounds the virus and forms a tiny bubble called a vesicle. The cell then pulls this bubble inward, letting the virus inside.
The surprising part is that the influenza virus uses the cell’s normal system — the same one the cell uses to absorb important things like iron and hormones. The virus hijacks a process the cell depends on for survival.
Why Scientists Could Not See This Earlier
Before this, scientists could not watch this process happen. Electron microscopes show very sharp images, but they require killing the cell. Fluorescence microscopes can show live cells, but not in great detail.
This is the reason why scientists couldn’t see the moment when the influenza viruses entered the cell.
A New Technology: ViViD-AFM
The new method, called ViViD-AFM, combines confocal imaging with Atomic Force Microscopy. Now, scientists see clear details and live movement at the same time.
With this tool, the team saw things they had never seen before:
- The cell calls clathrin proteins to catch the virus
- The cell membrane lifts as if trying to grab the virus
- If the virus moves away, the cell makes wave-like motions to pull it back
This means both the virus and the cell are involved. The cell and flu viruses interact in a very active and dynamic way.
How This Could Help Future Treatments of flu viruses?
Seeing the infection in real time gives researchers a way to test antiviral drugs. Now, they can watch how influenza behaves as it gets inside a cell. This method can also help study other viruses and even vaccines.
If scientists understand every step of how the virus gets in, they may discover new ways to block infections and create better treatments for seasonal influenza.
