Researchers find T cells target dengue virus at the skin infection site

A team of researchers working in Singapore has found that human T cells actually target dengue viral infections in the skin, which is the normal infection site. In their paper published in the journal Science Translational Medicine, the team describes how they found that T cells in patients were able to recognize the dengue virus and also expressed a marker that caused them to move to the skin. Dengue (fever) is a mosquito borne tropical disease that strikes approximately 100 million people every year. It is characterized by fever, muscle and joint pain and headaches along with a skin rash. People stricken typically survive unless the disease develops into hemorrhagic fever. Though scientists have been working to find a cure for the disease for thousands of years, thus far, they have not found much success. Treatment typically focuses on relieving symptoms. In this new effort, the researchers focused on what T cellsin...