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SARS breakthrough

SHANGHAI: Chinese scientists announced on Tuesday that an international research team had make a breakthrough in the search for a SARS cure by identifying the ``channel'' through which the virus enters the human body. The team had isolated the 3a protein that helped the entry and release of the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome-Associated Coronavirus. The protein functioned as an ion channel, which explained the highly pathogenic nature of the SARS virus, said team leader Sun Bing, a researcher with the Institute Pasteur of Shanghai under the Chinese Academy of Sciences. The discovery of 3a protein's function could lead to the development of new methods to treat the pandemic. The protein first helped the SARS virus enter uncontaminated, healthy cells and then helped release viruses reproduced inside the cells, Mr. Sun explained. The 3a protein was the first ion channel confirmed to promote the entry of the SARS virus, but whether it was the only channel for the virus release remained unknown, Mr. Sun said. — Xinhua

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