When a pathogen like a dangerous virus invades the human body, it usually has to enter human cells to cause an illness. Influenza has to latch onto a receptor on the surface of a human cell so it can ...

Influenza viruses are among the most likely triggers of future pandemics. A research team from the Helmholtz Center for Infection Research (HZI) and the Medical Center—University of Freiburg has ...

Cells actively help to capture and incorporate influenza viruses. Here, a cell is shown, with a virus in the centre of the image. Fever, aching limbs and a runny nose – as winter returns, so too does ...

Like these substances, influenza viruses must also attach to molecules on the cell surface. The dynamics are like surfing on the surface of the cell: the virus scans the surface, attaching to a ...

Influenza A virus particles strategically adapt their shape—to become either spheres or larger filaments—to favor their ability to infect cells depending on environmental conditions, according to a ...

Memory cells in the nose slow the influenza virus as soon as it enters the body. They reduce viral levels and may help protect against more severe illness. The study from the University of Gothenburg ...

Scientists have uncovered a surprising new twist in what happens when cells die. As dying cells break apart, they leave ...

Serious infections with influenza A viruses are characterized by an excessive immune response, known as cytokine storm. It was previously unclear why some virus strains trigger these storms, while ...

Scientists found tiny cell "footprints" that influenza viruses may use to spread, opening new paths for antiviral research.

The deadly H5 form of bird flu that has cut a swath across North America and elsewhere for the past five years has finally been detected in Australia. So what’s stopping this virus turning into the ...