IISc study sheds light on how bat-origin viruses manipulate human cell death

IISc researchers discovered how viruses like SARS-CoV-2 manipulate cell death, and why bats tolerate them better than humans. A viral protein, Nsp13, mimics human cell death mechanisms, potentially causing severe damage in humans. Bats, despite having similar proteins, experience less inflammation, suggesting a different cell death response. This research could lead to new Covid-19 treatments targeting Nsp13’s cell death function.