First author Dr. Lucy Liu, a Ph.D. graduate in neuroscience from the Bellen lab, discovered in 2015 that a number of genes involved in neurodegeneration promote damage to neurons and glia by inducing high levels of free radicals (oxidative stress) and accumulation of lipid droplets in glia. (sciencedaily.com)
Fixed cells were stained with Oil Red O, resulting in red staining of lipid droplets in the cells. (clontech.com)
Thus, interrupting HCV's interaction with lipid droplets could prevent the virus from replicating and causing liver damage. (gladstone.org)