Photo via Pexels
A study led by Dr. Michelle Baker from the CSIRO Australian Centre for Disease Preparedness and researchers from the University of California, Berkeley, has uncovered unique aspects of the bat immune system that enable them to carry highly pathogenic viruses like coronaviruses and Hendra virus without developing disease. The research revealed that bats possess a constantly 'primed' innate immune response, particularly via type I interferons, that allows them to suppress viral replication early and tolerate high viral loads. Unlike other mammals, bats don't trigger an excessive inflammatory response, which is often the cause of severe disease symptoms in humans. This finely tuned balance prevents bats from succumbing to the viruses, while inadvertently making them ideal reservoirs for zoonotic spillover events. The findings were published in *Nature Microbiology*.
Editorial check
How this page is checked
Source trail
science.org
External links are separated from Surfaced commentary.
Reader safety
Context before clicks
Product links and external services are not presented as guarantees.
Monetization
No affiliate flag
Ads and commerce links are kept distinct from editorial text.
Surfaced take
Why It’s Fascinating
Experts are fascinated by this discovery because it offers crucial insights into how animals can co-exist with viruses that are lethal to humans, challenging our understanding of host-pathogen interactions. It overturns the assumption that a strong, inflammatory immune response is always beneficial, suggesting that in some cases, a more tempered, sustained antiviral state is key to survival. Within 5-10 years, deciphering these bat immune mechanisms could inform novel antiviral therapies or vaccine strategies for humans, aiming to modulate our own immune responses to viral infections for better disease tolerance. Imagine a cellular 'fire alarm' system that always rings quietly, keeping viral fires small and contained, rather than waiting for a massive blaze to erupt and then flooding the entire building. Public health researchers, vaccinologists, and those developing treatments for emerging infectious diseases stand to benefit most. What specific genetic or epigenetic factors allow bats to maintain this delicate immunological balance, and can these be mimicked in other species, including humans? This contrasts sharply with the often hyper-inflammatory 'cytokine storm' responses seen in humans with severe viral infections like COVID-19, which cause significant tissue damage.
Related
Mailbrew
Mailbrew is a personalized email digest service that aggregates content from various sources into a single, curated newsletter, developed by a small startup…
Diigo
Diigo, developed by Diigo, Inc., is a powerful social bookmarking and web annotation tool that allows users to save, highlight, and add sticky notes to web…
Enjoyed this? Get five picks like this every morning.
Free daily newsletter — zero spam, unsubscribe anytime.