To prevent severe complications of the flu, you need to rein in the immune system
The Japanese have disarmed the flu
Its peculiarity lies in the fact that it treats not the cause, but the effects. In other words, it does exactly what it should not have done. But in this case, it is a blessing, because it blocks the lethal effects of the flu, namely, suppresses the hyperreaction of the immune system, relieves lung damage, saves the patient's life and gives doctors time to cope with the virus, that is, exactly what they sometimes sorely lack.
So far, we are not talking about human flu, but about mouse flu. Scientists injected experimental mice with a lethal dose of the flu virus, and then treated them with this drug. As a result, all the mice survived.
The drug was created in Japan as a medicine against sepsis and as such passed all the necessary clinical trials, and although it did not bring harm to patients, it turned out to be not very effective protection against sepsis. His new hypostasis was not discovered by chance. The Japanese drug is a synthetic inhibitor of the TLR4 receptor protein on the surface of cells of the immune system, that is, it blocks the action of this protein. And I must say that it is with the help of this protein that the hyperactive immune system causes a deadly complication of the flu – pneumonia. The Maryland team, led by Dr. Stephanie Vogel, knew by then that genetically modified mice lacking this protein had demonstrated particular resistance to the influenza virus. Therefore, it was logical to ask whether blocking the TLR4 protein would also make a person resistant to flu complications?
Testing of the drug on mice turned out to be successful. Scientists have tested it on other rodents – North American cotton rats, and with the same result. If it is proved that the drug works just as successfully on a person, the first anti-influenza drug that is not directed against viruses will appear.
This is his advantage. After all, no matter how effective an antiviral drug is, influenza viruses eventually become immune to it. The new drug does not kill them, but only disarms them, and regardless of the strain, and it is impossible to develop resistance to it.
Another advantage of the drug was found out by researchers: it remains effective even if injected into the body on the sixth day after infection. Antiviral drugs work well only during the first two days.
Hyperreaction of the immune system, which doctors call a "cytokine storm", is an infrequent complication of the usual flu, but, as you know, there are strains of the virus that are extremely dangerous in this regard. These include the notorious bird flu and swine flu. "In order to fight an infectious agent," Vogel explains, "the body needs some inflammation, however, if this inflammation gets out of control, the body begins to kill itself."
Scientists believe that the new drug would also be effective against the new H7N9 avian influenza virus, now rampant in China. To date, more than 120 cases are known, of which 27 have died. The famous Tamiflu seems to be coping well with the disease so far. However, if the new virus spreads further and if a mutation occurs in it that allows it to be transmitted from person to person, then a pandemic option is not excluded. It will take months to create a vaccine against the H7N9 virus. To wait out this time without fatal consequences, a medicine that relieves them would be very useful.
Portal "Eternal youth" http://vechnayamolodost.ru08.05.2013