A new antiviral drug was highly effective in treating influenza infection in animals and human respiratory tract tissues by inducing mutations in genetic material, the journal Science Translational Medicine points out today.
The study, by the Institute of Biomedical Sciences at Georgia State University, showed that the drug blocks RNA polymerase, an enzyme that plays a central role in the replication of the influenza virus genome.
According to Richard Plemper, lead author of the research, the new product could be an innovative advance in influenza therapy because if enough mutations occur, the genome becomes non-functional and the virus cannot replicate.
The compound is available orally, is broad-spectrum against all influenza virus strains tested, and most importantly establishes a high barrier against viral escape from inhibition,' the scientist said.
The drug was tested on ferrets, the most informative animal model for human influenza disease, against several strains that include seasonal and pandemic viruses, such as the swine-origin influenza virus responsible for a 2009 pandemic.
The researchers found that the antiviral compound efficiently inhibited the replication of all of these strains and that the burden of the virus decreased rapidly after treatment.
They found that the duration of fever was significantly shorter in treated ferrets than in control animals that did not receive the drug.
Mart Toots, another of the participating experts, believes that 'the next generation of flu antiviral drugs should not only be effective and safe, but should also address the problem of resistance.
Influenza, caused by a contagious respiratory virus, is characterized by fever, cough, headache, muscle and joint pain, severe malaise, sore throat and sometimes gastrointestinal symptoms.
Patients in higher risk groups, such as older adults and people with compromised immune systems, often require hospitalization.
(With information from Prensa Latina)
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