[ad_1]
The nation has virtually accepted the risk of catching a cold between November and February. This is an integral part of the British winter, such as pies and Boxing Day. However, this could change if the conclusions of an experimental American study are under study.
The cure for colds has long escaped medical specialists, mainly because of the complexity of the root cause: rhinoviruses. There are about 160 different types and they mutate so easily that it is impossible to neutralize them with specific drugs.
Rather than focusing on individual strains, a team of scientists from Stanford University and the University of California explored "host-directed therapy" – which essentially consists of making our bodies inhospitable to viruses – and published their results in the newspaper. Nature Microbiology.
Joe FoxGetty Images
Viruses spread by infecting our cells and controlling their contents. However, when the team "deactivated" a specific protein (called SETD3 methyltransferase) in mice and human lung cells with the help of gene editing, this process was blocked – the viruses were unable to replicate.
The editing of genes in a human cell lab is one thing, but testing the experience on real people is even more complicated. At the moment, there are no tests on humans, but the researchers are hoping to find a drug that temporarily inhibits the protein.
"We have identified a fantastic target that all enteroviruses and rhinoviruses need and depend on. Remove it and the virus really has no chance, "said Stanford Associate Professor Jan Carette at BBC. "It's a very good first step. The second step is to have a chemical that mimics this genetic deletion. I think development can go pretty fast. "
This looks promising. Soon, with a little luck, the cold will be a distant memory. Sorry virus – it's not you, it's me.
[ad_2]
Source link