Anti-cancer drugs will help in the fight against influenza
Last reviewed: 23.04.2024
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According to the World Health Organization, the severe form of influenza annually undermines from three to five million people, 500,000 of whom die from the infection itself or from complications caused by it.
Researchers from the Institute of Molecular Medicine in Finland (FIMM), along with a group of other scientists, have developed a new screening method that can be used to develop new drugs for the treatment of influenza viruses. The results of their research appeared in the online journal Biological Chemistry.
Scientists were able to identify new effective tools in the fight against influenza. To protect the body from viral infections, according to scientists, can be drugs Obatoklaks and gemcitabine, used in the fight against cancer, as well as saliphenylchalamide.
Experts warn that one should not underestimate the danger that a flu carries with it, because an untreated viral infection can lead to serious complications and even death.
To treat influenza viruses, many drugs have been developed. However, the influenza virus has one property that is beneficial to it, but it is extremely harmful for us - the ability to evolve rapidly.
The influenza virus is prone to accidental mutations, so the proteins haemagglutinin (HA) and neuraminidase (NA) are constantly updated. Thus, antiviral drugs simply stop functioning, because their components are "trained" for the old strain, so they recognize the mutated species worse than those that do not mutate.
After a while, the mutated strain of the virus becomes in place of the unmutated, which simply dies out. It turns out that most drugs are fighting the flu on a cyclic system and the battle between the virus and medicines continues for decades.
Finnish scientists suggest that the results of these studies will form the basis for the development of new-generation drugs.
"All these drugs (Obtoklax, gemcitabine, and saliphenylchalamide) are means for fighting cancer, they destroy cancer cells and prevent their reproduction. However, in order to achieve an antiviral effect, a small concentration is necessary, "says Denis Kainov, co-author of the study. "In order for these drugs to be used in the treatment of influenza infections, their further study is needed."
Research scientists are an example of the fact that the properties of medicines already known to medicine can not be studied to the end and therefore their potential is not fully disclosed. A medicine used to treat a particular disease can be useful in the fight against another ailment.
Scientists conclude that pharmacists should not only develop new drugs, but also study existing ones.
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