Recent reports have confirmed that a cure for the common cold may be near. A five-year research project conducted at Edinburgh Napier University has discovered possible treatments based on a molecule found in the immune system of humans and other mammals. More specifically, antimicrobial peptides found in humans and animals increase the body’s natural response to infection and have been the basis for which this research has be founded.
This revelation has been marked as a crucial step towards finding a cure for the common cold, a concept that has eluded scientists for years. The Chief Scientist Office and medical research charity, Tenovus Scotland, have funded the study—costing approximately £200,000. Associate professor of immunology at the university, Dr Peter Barlow, has commented: ‘This study represents a major step towards finding a treatment.’ While Dr Barlow states that the research is in its early stages, things are looking very promising.
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The next step for the team in Edinburgh will be to modify the peptide, bettering its ability to destroy all traces of the rhinovirus—the main casual agent of the common cold. This study may even be a gateway to curing or alleviating more serious lung conditions like asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
Researchers Filipa Henderson Sousa and Dr Victoria Casanova helped run the study, testing the affect of various peptides on rhinovirus infected lung cells. The results showed that the peptides successfully attacked the virus, leaving the possibility for treatments to be advanced on peptides found in nature.
‘[…] the development of effective therapies for human rhinovirus, the main casual agent of the common cold, and one of the most common causes of viral respiratory tract infections, is an urgent requirement.’ Dr Barlow suggested.
We will be keeping our eyes peeled to see how this new breakthrough takes off and improves this portion of medical research.
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