When certain cells in the body are infected by a virus, they send out a sort of "SOS" signal in the form of a protein that is called "interferon." This protein washes through the body and when it comes into contact with other cells, it causes a form of signal transduction to occur leading to the synthesis of an intracellular substance that moves into the nucleus and induces a gene. When that gene's mRNA is translated at the rough-ER, another protein is formed. It is called "translation inhibitory protein" or "TIP" for short. TIP complexes with preëxisting ribosomes. While these modified ribosomes are a bit slower than normal, they are much more finicky about which mRNA's they can read. They now take the time to check that the mRNA's have the correct caps at their beginnings. Thus only the cell's own mRNA's are translated and no foreign RNA's are translated. Hence the spread of viral diseases in the body is inhibited, and eventually cured.

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