Superdrug takes out common cold, other viruses

Source: cnet


Scientists at MIT say they've developed a promising new drug that appears to not only be able to attack the common cold, but just about any other virus as well.

The drug goes by the name DRACO (Double-stranded RNA Activated Caspase Oligomerizer--uh, I'll stick with the acronym) and is made using the defense mechanism of living cells. The drug reportedly attacks cells that have been infected with a virus, without harming healthy cells. DRACO attaches itself to virus-tainted cells and contains a protein that initiates a process by which the infected cells kill themselves. If DRACO encounters a healthy cell along the way, it simply waves hello and leaves it alone.

The idea of a one-size-fits-all approach to creating antiviral drugs has the potential for huge implications. Until now, drugmakers have had to design a new drug to fight each individual virus strain, and because viruses like to be sneaky and mutate often, it's been an ongoing battle to keep up with them.

"We have created DRACOs and shown that they are nontoxic in 11 mammalian cell types and effective against 15 different viruses, including dengue flavivirus, Amapari and Tacaribe arenaviruses, Guama bunyavirus, and H1N1 influenza," wrote the team from MIT's Lincoln Laboratory in their research published in the journal PLoS One. "We have also demonstrated that DRACOs can rescue mice challenged with H1N1 influenza."



Read more: http://news.cnet.com/8301-27083_3-20091738-247/superdrug-takes-out-common-cold-other-viruses/#ixzz1UqoGsJJI

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I know, but it wont be on the market for ten years


time to build and stock a shelter

It should be called something like immortalus or liveforeveresta. You know something catch and easily made into a tv commercial.

nt

:shrug:

It's worse than we thought...the viruses have evolved brains with republican properties!

as the viruses are probably actually smarter than a republican.

And more than a few what looked to be promising renewables... this will be bought up, shut down, and never to be heard from again.

it on the market and imo its better that they catch them before they are allowed to be sold to the general public rather than after.

got ammo?

If he shrivels up screaming and all his heart implements explode out of his chest, then we have a possible explanation for the entire diseased Bush administration.

Then we should try it on Bush himself. It'd be better than a trial.

science-fiction shit kids.

or something like that, and not PlosOne.

Not that there's anything wrong with PlosOne. But major discoveries don't usually end up there.

I wonder what this drug does that's not good? If it's only minor things, this would be a miracle drug, for sure.

I always remind myself that the benefits of any drug are a side effect. Drugs have many side effects. You may take aspirin because of one of it's side effects of helping ease a headache, but aspirin has other side effects, some of which are not good (ulcers, for example). Another side effect is helping with blood thinning, hence the rec to take a baby aspirin a day to protect against stroke and/or heart trouble.

No drug does only one thing. Any drug does a number of things, even though you may take it for only one of those things.

So it will be with this drug, too.

Therefore, expect it to never be available.

But as I say, no two drugs are the same. EAch and every drug produces an array of effects, each one slightly different from the other.

There are a number of female hormones on the market, for example. They treat the same thing. But each has a slightly different array of effects. One protects the heart better, one is weaker, one is stronger, one protects against cancer better, etc., etc. Which one you are prescribed depends on your physical health, your medical history, and your family's medical history.

Watch the patent apps fly.

How long before some Big Pharma corporation snaps up the patent rights to this, and decides not to allow cheaper generic versions?

1 Million! dollars