How a dangerous tick-borne virus sneaks into the brain

<h2>00:48 New insights into tick-borne encephalitis</h2><p>Researchers have identified a key protein that helps tick-borne encephalitis virus enter the brain. In rare cases an infection can lead to serious neurological symptoms, but little was known about how the virus interacts with human cells. Now, a team show that a protein found on the outside of cells plays an important role in infection. In mouse experiments, they show that blocking the ability of the virus to bind to this protein protected the mice from disease. Currently no treatments exist, but the team hopes that this research will ultimately lead to a viable drug for this disease.</p><br><p><em>Research Article:&nbsp;</em><a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-025-09500-2" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>Mittler et al.</em></a></p><p><br></p><h2>08:47 Research Highlights</h2><p>The squirming robot that speeds up the insertion of an emergency breathing tube — plus, the 10,000-year-old remains that coul...