Researchers have tested in the laboratory a molecule capable of fighting the common cold virus by preventing it from hijacking human cells, according to the researchers. results of a study published in the medical journal Nature Chemistry.
the common cold is caused by a family of viruses with hundreds of variants, making it almost impossible to immunize or vaccinate against all of them. Because viruses evolve rapidly, they can quickly develop resistance to drugs. For these reasons, most cold remedies rely on treating the symptoms of the infection – such as a runny nose, sore throat, and fever – rather than attacking the virus itself.
An effective treatment against all variants of the common cold
Researchers at Imperial College London in the UK have developed a new molecule that targets N-myristoyltransferase (NMT), a protein found in human cells. Viruses “hijack” NMT from human cells to build the protein “shell”, or capsid, that protects the virus genome. All strains of the virus need this same human protein to make new copies of themselves, so the molecule should work against all of them. In addition, the molecule also acts against viruses linked to the common cold virus, such as polio and foot-and-mouth disease viruses.
“A drug like this can be extremely beneficial if given early in the infection, and we are working on a version that could be inhaled, so that it quickly reaches the lungs,” the lead researcher explained. , Professor Ed Tate, Department of Chemistry, Imperial Oil.
The first laboratory tests with human cells showed the ability of the molecule to completely block several strains of the common cold virus.
“The common cold is an inconvenience for most of us, but it can cause serious complications in people with asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). A drug like this could be extremely beneficial if given early in the infection, and we are working to develop a version that could be inhaled, so that it quickly reaches the lungs. ” Prof. Ed Tate said. However, he says, “the way the drug works means that we have to be sure that it is used against the common cold virus, and not in similar conditions with different causes, in order to to minimize the risk of toxic side effects “.
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