Cure for common cold on cards after medical breakthrough

[TriWooOx]

Quote:For the first time, scientists have found that antibodies can operate even after a virus enters healthy cells – rather than just by preventing the virus from invading.

The breakthrough could spawn new generation of antiviral drugs that fight infections by bolstering the body's own defences.

Experts said pills or powders could be on the market within a decade, sparing tens of millions of people from viruses such as the common cold and the winter vomiting virus.

The study, which is reported in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, found that antibodies can enter cells at the same time as the virus invades, triggering of reactions which allows a protein called TRIM21 to eject the bug.

Dr Leo James, the lead author of the study at Cambridge University, said: “Doctors have plenty of antibiotics to fight bacterial infections but few anti-viral drugs.

“Although these are early days, and we don’t yet know whether all viruses are cleared by this mechanism we are excited that our discoveries may open multiple avenues for developing new drugs.”

For those who do not want to wait 10 years for a cure, a separate study in the US found yesterday that taking regular exercise can cut the chance of catching a cold by half and can also reduce the severity of symptoms.

American researchers at Appalachian State University found that bouts of exercise cause a temporary rise in immune system cells circulating around the body.

After studying 1,000 adults aged up to 85, whose respiratory health was tracked for 12 weeks during the autumn and winter of 2008, they concluded that bouts of exercise spark a temporary rise in immune system cells circulating around the body.

While these levels fall back within a few hours, each exercise session "may improve immunosurveillance against pathogens that reduce overall upper respiratory tract infection incidence and symptomatology", they concluded.

The study also backed up previous findings that eating a lot of fruit and not being stressed reduced the frequency of colds.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/health...rough.html