SCIENCEglobal
'Spiderman' cells trap viral genomes in their web
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Updated 3 hours ago
First seen March 17, 2026 21:29:39Stay on top of this story
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Quick Summary
Scientists have discovered a defensive method of cells that resembles Spiderman shooting his web to ensnare enemies. These cells defend our bodies from the early stages of viral infection by synthesizing a sticky "web" to trap viral genomes. The paper is published on the bioRxiv preprint server and shows a novel way in which our cells deploy this superhero technique to counter the processes that begin within minutes of a virus infecting a cell.