Study shows role of cells' own RNA in antiviral defense

A new role has been uncovered for a cell's own RNA in fending off attacks by RNA viruses. Some of the cell's RNA molecules, researchers found, help regulate antiviral signaling. These signals are part of the intricate coordination of immune responses against virus invasion. With RNA increasingly seen as both a drug and a druggable target, the new findings open the potential for RNA-based therapeutics for combating both infection and autoimmunity.