Developed nanoparticles that completely infect the hepatitis C virus
Last reviewed: 23.04.2024
All iLive content is medically reviewed or fact checked to ensure as much factual accuracy as possible.
We have strict sourcing guidelines and only link to reputable media sites, academic research institutions and, whenever possible, medically peer reviewed studies. Note that the numbers in parentheses ([1], [2], etc.) are clickable links to these studies.
If you feel that any of our content is inaccurate, out-of-date, or otherwise questionable, please select it and press Ctrl + Enter.
Hepatitis C, a viral disease that successfully "masks" other types of diseases, is one of the most dangerous types of hepatitis that has killed quite a few human lives. And although studies aimed at combating hepatitis C have been going on for a long time, there is still no reliable and effective vaccine against this disease. Now, researchers from the University of Florida have developed and created nanoparticles that effectively destroy the hepatitis C virus in a hundred percent of cases.
The researchers created what they called nanozymes (nanozymes). The basis of these nanosimiles are nanoparticles of gold, the surface of which is covered with a layer of a composition containing biological agents of two types. Each of these biological agents is a protein-enzyme that performs each of its functions. The first enzyme is an active substance that attacks and destroys mRNA chains, through which the hepatitis virus exists and multiplies. The second enzyme is an enzyme-gunner, consisting of a short chain of DNA, which serves to detect a pathogenic organism and which gives the command to the action of the killer enzyme.
It should be noted that scientists have created anti-hepatitis C drugs that use such signs of pathogens, but, unfortunately, such drugs have successfully worked only in half of the experimental patients suffering from this type of infectious disease. The results of laboratory tests published by representatives of the University of Florida at the hearing of the American National Academy of Sciences showed that the new nanopreparation demonstrated 100% efficiency in test cell cultures and in rodents infected with the hepatitis C virus. However, during experiments with rodents, scientists did not observe no side effects of the new drug.
Of course, the development of such an effective means to combat a dangerous infectious disease is very important for modern medicine. But, despite successful tests using rodents, a new drug should be subjected to more thorough testing to make sure that it does not work accidentally against healthy parts of the human body.
[1], [2], [3], [4], [5], [6], [7], [8], [9], [10], [11], [12], [13], [14]