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>DRACO selectively induces apoptosis, or cell suicide, in cells containing any viral dsRNA [, which is RNA with two complementary strands that id the genetic material of some viruses], rapidly killing infected cells without harming uninfected cells.

and for the cases when pretty much all the cells of specific type are already infected?



Most viruses kill the host cell, or at least render it incapable of performing its normal function, so if most of the cells of a type are infected you are in trouble anyway.


Well, despite the qualifier MOST viruses, I would have to point out that some viruses end up being in your system without destroying their host cell - for example HSV.

Ideally a way to excise the viral code from the cell would be found. DRACO basically activates the destructor on a cell and ends the entire cell, even if it is still serving the body.

I also recall that our chromsomes contain the genomes of viruses that have been overcome over the span of our species life on this planet. Whether these fragments would get affected is something I'm curious about.




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