regional medical center: Fighting Flu Virus Using Powerful New Approach

Senin, 28 Mei 2012

Fighting Flu Virus Using Powerful New Approach

Fighting Flu Virus Using Powerful New Approach

Main Category: Flu / Cold / SARS
Also Included In: Immune System / Vaccines;Â Â Genetics
Article Date: 28 May 2012 - 1:00 PDT

email to a friend Â

printer friendly Â

opinions Â <!--

rate article
Patient / Public: not yet rated

Healthcare Prof: 5 stars

5 (1 votes)

An international research team has manufactured a new protein that can combat deadly flu epidemics.

The paper, featured on the cover of the current issue of Nature Biotechnology, demonstrates ways to use manufactured genes as antivirals, which disable key functions of the flu virus, said Tim Whitehead, assistant professor of chemical engineering and materials science at Michigan State University.

"Our most potent design has proven effective on the vulnerable sites on many pandemic influenza viruses, including several H1N1 (Spanish flu, Swine flu) and H5N1 (Avian flu) subtypes," said Whitehead, the paper's co-lead author. "These new therapeutics are urgently needed, so we were especially pleased to see that it neutralizes H1N1 viruses with potency."

From its earlier research, the team used computer-aided design to engineer proteins that targeted vulnerable sites on the highly adaptable virus. From there, researchers optimized their designer proteins by comprehensively mapping the mutations that gave the proteins a strong advantage when attacking the viruses' targeted areas.

The team improved their proteins through a process called "DNA deep sequencing." This allowed Whitehead and his colleagues to simultaneously sequence millions of variants of their manufactured proteins, identify and keep the beneficial mutations and optimize the proteins' performance.

"By taking only the best mutations, we can reprogram our proteins to burrow into viruses at key locations and render them harmless," he said. "Our work demonstrates a new approach to construct therapeutic proteins, which we hope will spur development of new protein drugs by the biopharmaceutical industry."

This research also laid the groundwork for future treatments of all flu viruses as well as other diseases such as smallpox, Whitehead added.

Additional

References

Citations

Please use one of the following formats to cite this article in your essay, paper or report:

MLA

APA

Please note: If no author information is provided, the source is cited instead.

Add Your Opinion On This Article

'Fighting Flu Virus Using Powerful New Approach'

Please note that we publish your name, but we do not publish your email address. It is only used to let you know when your message is published. We do not use it for any other purpose. Please see our privacy policy for more information.

If you write about specific medications or operations, please do not name health care professionals by name.

All opinions are moderated before being included (to stop spam)

Contact Our News Editors

For any corrections of factual information, or to contact the editors please use our feedback form.

Please send any medical news or health news press releases to:

Note: Any medical information published on this website is not intended as a substitute for informed medical advice and you should not take any action before consulting with a health care professional. For more information, please read our terms and conditions.

regional medical center

Senin, 28 Mei 2012

Fighting Flu Virus Using Powerful New Approach

Add Your Opinion On This Article

Tidak ada komentar:

Posting Komentar