Chickenpox study could lead to new tests

Researchers were able to pinpoint which proteins in the virus triggered a reaction in the body's immune system and discovered that certain patients respond to different proteins. Researchers say these results may help create a test that offers improved sensitivity and earlier detection of infection compared with conventional tests. The research, a collaboration with Arizona State University and the Ludwig-Maximilians University of Munich, was supported by EaStCHEM and published in Molecular Biosystems. This study has allowed us to look in great detail at the virus which causes chickenpox and we now know enough to design a better blood test than those currently available. This could help protect people for whom the infection represents a serious risk, such as pregnant women and elderly people with weak immune systems.