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New Approach Could Stop the Common Cold

posted by CoolHand on Wednesday May 16 2018, @05:41PM   Printer-friendly
from the saving-tissues dept.

takyon writes:

Drug target for curing the common cold

UK scientists believe they may have found a way to combat the common cold.

Rather than attacking the virus itself, which comes in hundreds of versions, the treatment targets the human host. It blocks a key protein in the body's cells that cold viruses normally hijack to self-replicate and spread. This should stop any cold virus in its tracks if given early enough, lab studies suggest [DOI: 10.1038/s41557-018-0039-2] [DX]. Safety trials in people could start within two years.

The Imperial College London researchers are working on making a form of the drug that can be inhaled, to reduce the chance of side-effects. In the lab, it worked within minutes of being applied to human lung cells, targeting a human protein called NMT, Nature Chemistry journal reports.

Related: Vaccine Against the Common Cold may be Achievable

Original Submission

 
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  • (Score: 3, Insightful) by Azuma Hazuki on Wednesday May 16 2018, @08:12PM (2 children)

    by Azuma Hazuki (5086) on Wednesday May 16 2018, @08:12PM (#680501) Journal

    All indications are that he lost it ages ago and never had much of a clue WTF he was doing either...

    --
    I am "that girl" your mother warned you about...
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  • (Score: 2) by bob_super on Wednesday May 16 2018, @11:22PM (1 child)

    by bob_super (1357) on Wednesday May 16 2018, @11:22PM (#680549)

    If you created billions of, well, anything, wouldn't you occasionally throw in a few jokers to see what happens ?

    • (Score: 2) by Azuma Hazuki on Thursday May 17 2018, @03:48AM

      by Azuma Hazuki (5086) on Thursday May 17 2018, @03:48AM (#680616) Journal

      Not if the things I created were sentient, no.

      --
      I am "that girl" your mother warned you about...