Your Immune System Makes Its Own Antiviral Drug − and It’s Likely One of the Most Ancient

Are antiviral drugs a 20th-century invention or something our bodies have been doing all along? According to recent research from Neil Marsh, U-M professor of chemistry and biological chemistry, your immune system can synthesize its own antiviral molecules in response to viral infections. In an article for The Conversation, Marsh explores how antivirals work, the role of the protein viperin and ancient antivirals, his team’s findings, and more.