Bye, Bye, Viri!

No Gravatar

Drs. Rider, Zook, Boettcher, Wick, Pancoast, and Zusman took my breath away today (11 August 2011).  These MIT researchers may have developed a “broad-spectrum” anti-viral and published the results in PLoSOne.  That’s right- it  kills many different kind of viri.  Just like penicillin was able to do against bacteria.

How does it work?  It induces suicide in the cells that have been invaded by a virus.  Since that cell is dead, the virus has nowhere to go.

You recall that when a virus finds a cell, it injects its nucleic acids into the cell.  At that point, the cell is a total drone, performing the tasks the virus wants- which is to produce copious quantities of double-stranded RNA (dsRNA), which is observable and defines the “infected” cell.   Once there are plenty of copies, the cell explodes affording even more viri to infect other cells.

Assuming the cell were healthy enough to withstand this viral attack, the cellular proteins attach to dsRNA that prevents this cascade of destruction.  Dr. Rider’s group combined this protein with another protein to induce cellular suicide.  One end of this DRACO (Double-stranded RNA activated capsase oligomerizer) binds to the dsRNA, the other end initiates apoptosis (cellular suicide).  The bound viral particle precludes its availability to attack other cells.

This is very different than our conventional therapy against viri.  Up to this point, a vaccine is developed that is specific to a specific virus.  This is why we need to produce new formulations for flu vaccines every year.  This patented process works against a wide variety (broad-spectrum) of viri.

Right now, these results have only proven themselves in the laboratory with human and animal cells.  The viri- the common cold (really!), H1N1 Infuenza, and various strains of polio, intestinal viri, hemorrhagic fever, and dengue fever.  (They have determined the therapy was safe for 11 different mammalian cell types and successfully used the processes against H1N1 in live mice.)

I can hardly wait…

 

Share this:
Share this page via Email Share this page via Stumble Upon Share this page via Digg this Share this page via Facebook Share this page via Twitter
Share

8 thoughts on “Bye, Bye, Viri!”

  1. Wow! We’ve all heard that old adage that goes something like… if we can fly to the moon why can’t we come up with a cure for the common cold? Sounds like we are so close! I only hope it is proven safe. Thanks for the hopeful post! ~ Suerae
    Suerae Stein recently posted..Fear Factor Vacation Part 2

    1. Suerae:
      They spent a fair amount of time showing safety. Now, we have to see how it works in humans, how to dispense it, and how long it can be preserved.
      Glad you found this of interest. I know it got my attention right away!
      Roy

  2. But if a cold is confusion in the mind we don’t need a vaccine – just chicken soup, peace and lots of quiet.
    As for flu that is confusion in our soul so chicken soup, peace and restful breathing
    Roberta recently posted..The Choices we make

Comments are closed.