Based on the antiviral roles of siRNAs, this could be another possible point of viral influence on cellular protein expression during infection and/or may serve as a point of inhibition of the antiviral response.90–93 Supporting these possibilities, the NiV M was recently identified as a binding partner of the Dicer1 protein, which plays a central role in the formation of microRNAs and siRNAs.43,94 A functional understanding of NiV-siRNA interactions and their importance during infection remains to be elucidated. This evidence concerns the gene DICER1 and infection.