Researchers at the CSIR-Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB), Hyderabad, announced the discovery of a cellular antiviral mechanism on 22 October 2026. The study identified DZIP3 as a protein that senses viral RNA and activates immune defences. Dr Santosh Chauhan, a Senior Principal Scientist at CCMB, led the research, and Dr Rinku Sahu was its first author.
Innate antiviral immunity
Innate immunity is the body’s rapid, first-line defence against pathogens and includes cellular mechanisms that recognise infection. In the pathway identified by the researchers, DZIP3 detects viral RNA inside a cell and changes shape to become activated. It then moves to the mitochondria, organelles that produce most of a cell’s energy and also participate in cellular signalling. At the mitochondria, DZIP3 tags and activates immune defence proteins. This process triggers the production of Type-I interferons, signalling proteins that help limit viral multiplication. Type-I interferons include interferon-alpha and interferon-beta, which act through cell-surface receptors to activate antiviral responses.
Viral RNA sensing and DZIP3
Viral RNA is genetic material used by many viruses to encode their proteins. Its detection inside a cell can initiate immune signalling. The study described DZIP3 as having a dual role: it acts as a sensor of viral RNA and as an activator of downstream immune proteins. The researchers demonstrated the DZIP3-mediated pathway against several disease-causing viruses, including SARS-CoV-2, chikungunya virus and Japanese encephalitis virus. SARS-CoV-2 causes COVID-19; chikungunya virus causes chikungunya; and Japanese encephalitis virus causes Japanese encephalitis.
Important Facts for Exams
- CCMB is a constituent laboratory of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), based in Hyderabad.
- Type-I interferons are part of innate immune signalling and include interferon-alpha and interferon-beta.
- SARS-CoV-2 is the virus that causes COVID-19, while Japanese encephalitis virus causes Japanese encephalitis.
- The Department of Biotechnology is part of the Government of India and funded the study.
Research publication and drug development
The study was published in The EMBO Journal and involved collaborators from national and international institutions. The research team is developing small-molecule drug candidates intended to target and boost DZIP3 activity as a potential approach to broad-spectrum antiviral therapies. The study was funded by the Department of Biotechnology, Government of India. DZIP3-mediated immune activation was examined against SARS-CoV-2, chikungunya virus and Japanese encephalitis virus.
