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World Community Grid Forums
Category: Completed Research
Forum: Influenza Antiviral Drug Search
Thread: Interesting news articles about the flu |
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Thread Status: Active Total posts in this thread: 81
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Former Member
Cruncher Joined: May 22, 2018 Post Count: 0 Status: Offline |
Flu is very much around, though here in Italy the medical profession refused to follow the pharma hype of the Mexican Flu, and sure enough nothing much happened here.
Whilst, research continues and scientists may have identified a super antibody to fight off flu of many a variation. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-14324901 Hope if it becomes available, they're not going to throw it around like penicillin against bacterial infections. Viruses learn too as we know from HIV. --//-- |
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sk..
Master Cruncher http://s17.rimg.info/ccb5d62bd3e856cc0d1df9b0ee2f7f6a.gif Joined: Mar 22, 2007 Post Count: 2324 Status: Offline Project Badges: 
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They said they hoped it would only be used for intensive care cases; pretty much in isolation and alongside tamiflu. But your concerns are very justifiable. If any flu type develops resistance to a super-antibody we could all be in trouble (Spanish-Flu, but with today's world wide transport system it could literally spread at the speed of sound). I don't see how the UK could produce a drug and control its use in other areas of the world, where new strains of super-virus tend to occur more often. The pressures from the drug companies and other countries would mean it will probably if not inevitably end up being mass produced as used world wide, and usually unnecessarily. Then there are the competing scientists, Patrick Wilson's group for example. They want a world wide flu immunization jab. I think the way this one plays out will be boom or bust; measles or malaria.
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Coleslaw
Veteran Cruncher USA Joined: Mar 29, 2007 Post Count: 1343 Status: Offline Project Badges: 
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I posted this over in the Chat area but figured it would fit here as well. http://news.cnet.com/8301-27083_3-20091738-24...ommon-cold-other-viruses/
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Former Member
Cruncher Joined: May 22, 2018 Post Count: 0 Status: Offline |
hmmm, something new in the evolutionary brewer, a type of H3N8 influenza A virus that has adapted to both birds and mammals: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-19055961
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Former Member
Cruncher Joined: May 22, 2018 Post Count: 0 Status: Offline |
A new treatment for flu: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-21531550
Excerpt: 'Broken key' A team of researchers from Canada, the UK and Australia developed a compound that binds to an enzyme on the surface of the flu virus called neuraminidase. This enzyme is responsible for severing the connection between the flu virus and human cell so it can move on and infect other cells. The new class of drugs - DFSAs - permanently bind to the enzyme, blocking its action and stopping it from spreading further, the journal Science reported. Currently available antivirals also work by attaching to this enzyme. But DFSAs do so in such a way that the flu virus cannot evolve to be resistant to the drug without rendering itself useless. |
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Former Member
Cruncher Joined: May 22, 2018 Post Count: 0 Status: Offline |
The same history repeats again and again and internationals organizations are just *not* learning... yet again, last week: "No worries, but we're monitoring". This week "Grave concern"... think there's billions worth in unused Mex flu hanging around, the other side of an out of control Pharma hype [How come those employed by them are also having seats in the WHO organizations?] In the news about H7N9: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-22364628 ... what you get if humans and animals live in too close proximity... bugs adapt... it's called evolution! To quote:
----------------------------------------So far nearly all cases have been traced back to contact with poultry. If the virus adapts to spread readily between people it will pose a much greater threat and scientists warn that the virus is mutating rapidly. edit: My emphasis in bold and it's *is*. [Edit 1 times, last edit by Former Member at May 2, 2013 2:10:56 PM] |
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littlepeaks
Veteran Cruncher USA Joined: Apr 28, 2007 Post Count: 748 Status: Offline Project Badges: 
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Haven't heard much about the flu lately -- so here's an article:
Predicting Seasonal Flu Changes Better Than Ever "We can identify the mutations that will occur in nature and make those viruses available at the time of vaccine (virus) candidate selection,” said virologist Yoshihiro Kawaoka, PhD. “The mapping identifies clusters of viruses featuring novel mutation which can effectively predict the molecular characteristics of the next seasonal virus.” Video on Virus Mutation |
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SekeRob
Master Cruncher Joined: Jan 7, 2013 Post Count: 2741 Status: Offline |
Could be perceived as another round of fear mongering, but nonetheless, this rumor of people with egg allergy and the flu vaccine base keeps coming back, this though a critical view on the vaccine generation itself:
https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/he...are-so-lousy-they-n818046 I'm booked to get my shot next Tuesday... not had flu for years and years, just the usual winter cold (maybe it's just a sign of suppressed flu (;> ) |
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littlepeaks
Veteran Cruncher USA Joined: Apr 28, 2007 Post Count: 748 Status: Offline Project Badges:
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"Severe influenza virus infection is characterized by a robust inflammatory response and profuse viral replication in the lungs. These viruses, such as the notorious avian flu, have a high rate of death and to date, there are no effective treatments. A research group led by National Institutes of Biomedical Innovation, Health, and Nutrition (NIBIOHN) and Osaka University found that a peptide commonly found in the nervous system, neuropeptide Y (NPY), was critically involved in the enhancement of pulmonary inflammation and viral replication in severe influenza virus infection. The group reported that, when produced by immune cells in the lungs, NPY might hold the key to exacerbating severe influenza."
See A Possible Key to Severe Flu |
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robertmiles
Senior Cruncher US Joined: Apr 16, 2008 Post Count: 443 Status: Offline Project Badges:
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'Universal' flu vaccine shows promise in early-stage trial
https://www.upi.com/Health_News/2020/12/08/Un...tage-trial/3211607381170/ |
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