Cooperation among viral variants helps hepatitis C survive immune system attacks

(Georgia Institute of Technology) Warring armies use a variety of tactics as they struggle to gain the upper hand. Among their tricks is to attack with a decoy force that occupies the defenders while an unseen force launches a separate attack that the defenders fail to notice. A study published earlier this month in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences suggests that the hepatitis C virus may employ similar tactics to distract the body's natural defenses.