Seasonal flu is a respiratory and contagious viral infection which, as its name suggests, returns to France every year between November and April. Each year, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), the flu is responsible for approximately 5 million serious cases worldwide: in France, it causes 10,000 to 15,000 deaths per year.
This respiratory pathology (often trivialized!) is however particularly dangerous for pregnant women, people aged 65 and over, babies under 6 months, immunocompromised people or people suffering from chronic diseases, and people with obesity. .
If, at present, there are several ways to protect yourself against the flu (vaccination, for example), anti-influenza treatments are not 100% effective… hence the need to develop new therapeutic strategies. .
A natural molecule that blocks the multiplication of the flu virus
Exactly: in a new study published in the EMBO Journalresearchers from Inserm, the University and the University Hospital of Tours have explored a new avenue of treatment against the flu – succinate.
Succinate, kezako? In mice with the flu, the researchers observed that a metabolite (that is to say: a substance resulting from metabolism, the “energy machine” of the body) called “succinate” accumulated in the lungs. This phenomenon was later confirmed in humans.
By exposing cells of the pulmonary epithelium to succinate, the researchers discovered that this molecule had an antiviral action: it was capable of “blocking” the multiplication of the virus causing the flu. Scientists then tried to expose mice to the flu virus, then administer succinate intranasally: they found that these mice were better protected against infection and had a higher survival rate than mice. who did not receive any.
“All these data suggest the important role of succinate in the control of influenza infection, as well as its therapeutic interest, note the researchers. The perspective of our work is interesting because it potentially opens the way to the development of new antiviral treatments derived from succinate.“
Read also :
- Covid-19 or flu, how to tell the difference?
- Hence the interest of getting vaccinated against the seasonal flu…
- How to cure the flu with essential oils
