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    "story_id": "mp-2026-07-15-005",
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    "headline": "The Brain Gets the Viral Warning Before the Virus",
    "slug": "the-brain-gets-the-viral-warning-before-the-virus",
    "dek": "Mouse experiments traced an interferon-powered signal from a distant infection site to the blood-brain barrier within hours.",
    "summary": "Mouse experiments traced an interferon-powered signal from a distant infection site to the blood-brain barrier within hours.",
    "body_text": "Rockefeller University researchers found that viral RNA detected far from the brain can trigger an interferon signaling network at the blood-brain barrier. In mouse models, even virus-associated molecules introduced in a foot were enough to prime the barrier within hours, before a neuroinvasive virus could arrive. The response protected against West Nile virus and other causes of neuroinflammation in the experiments. The work maps an early-warning mechanism in animals; it does not establish a new human treatment.",
    "why_it_matters": "Mouse experiments traced an interferon-powered signal from a distant infection site to the blood-brain barrier within hours.",
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      "The work maps an early-warning mechanism in animals; it does not establish a new human treatment."
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    "tags": [
      "blood-brain barrier",
      "interferon",
      "West Nile virus",
      "immunity"
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      "title": "Rockefeller University via Newswise: The body has an early warning system",
      "publisher": "Rockefeller University via Newswise",
      "url": "https://www.newswise.com/articles/the-body-has-an-early-warning-system-that-helps-the-brain-prepare-for-a-viral-attack",
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      "published_at": "2026-07-14T19:25:00.000-04:00",
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  "cite_this_report": {
    "title": "The Brain Gets the Viral Warning Before the Virus",
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