BPoD has moved!

BPoD has recently changed our domain name - we can now be found at bpod.org.uk

Please update your bookmarks!

Now in our 13th year of bringing you beautiful imagery from biomedical science every day

Search the archive of over 4000 images

Pinpointing Persistent Pain

Marking cells infected with chikungunya to understand how the virus lingers causing pain

04 November 2019

Pinpointing Persistent Pain

Nobody likes a guest who overstays their welcome. Particularly one that wasn’t invited in the first place. Chikungunya is a virus spread spread by mosquitoes that causes fever and severe muscle and joint pain that can persist for months. The cause of this lingering is unclear as researchers have struggled to track the virus during this chronic phase of the illness. To catch it in action, a new study developed a ‘reporter virus’ that permanently marked cells infected by chikungunya (red in the mouse foot pictured 28 days after infection). This molecular tell-tale revealed viral material 112 days after initial infection, and was then used to test what effect a potential treatment has on the number of infected cells and their persistence. The new approach presents a useful tool to pick out cells that harbour traces of infection and cause long term problems, which will ultimately help restrict their impact.

Written by Anthony Lewis

Search The Archive

Submit An Image

Follow on Tumblr

Follow on Instagram

What is BPoD?

BPoD stands for Biomedical Picture of the Day. Managed by the MRC Laboratory of Medical Sciences until Jul 2023, it is now run independently by a dedicated team of scientists and writers. The website aims to engage everyone, young and old, in the wonders of biology, and its influence on medicine. The ever-growing archive of more than 4000 research images documents over a decade of progress. Explore the collection and see what you discover. Images are kindly provided for inclusion on this website through the generosity of scientists across the globe.

Read More

BPoD is also available in Catalan at www.bpod.cat with translations by the University of Valencia.