Doctors from Hong Kong have found in animal experiments that a cancer drug is effective against flu, SARS, MERS, ZIKA, and many other viruses. The active ingredient, however, could also have strong side effects.
A Coronavirus. The cancer drug AM580 could dry out such virus such as SARS – in the cell of a quasi””
A Team led by microbiologist Yuen Kwok-Yung has announced that the cancer drug AM580, apparently, can fight viruses. The medic told the AFP news Agency that the active ingredient in the mice experiment as a “highly potent” ‘ve been proven and be able to break “the life cycle of various viruses”. The researchers have made their discovery on 10. January in the journal Nature Communications published.
Some viruses, such as SARS and MERS are highly contagious. Early containment is therefore very important.
Effective against a variety of virus types
Accordingly, AM580 acts both against the most common flu strains H1N1, H5N1 and H7N9, as well as against far more dangerous virus. This includes the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) in the Middle East spread of MERS-corona virus, the mosquito borne ZIKA Virus, or the human Enterovirus 71, a causative agent of Hand-foot-mouth disease, also known as “false foot-and-mouth disease”.
Thus, the drug could be – if it will play in approved for once – an “important role in the early combat of epidemics,” said Yuen Kwok-yung.
Because viruses are very adaptable and quickly resistance can develop, try not doctors, to fight them directly, but to deprive you of your food.
For example, by being denied the viruses, certain fatty acids or lipids, which they need for reproduction. So, too, AM580 works.
More: bird flu – a never-ending story
Drug damages the cells
However, there is also a Problem: The lipids in the cells infected with the virus, and in which the propagation takes place. This, in turn, can lead to damage of the cell itself, and thus to further side effects.
After the treatment, you must regenerate the cells. “If not very carefully done, the risk of side effects is quite worrying,” warns the doctors.
In a next step, the researchers want to test the drug now in pigs and monkeys, before the first Tests can be carried out on human subjects. This is likely to come back for at least eight years.
More about viruses: Epstein-Barr Virus: the success of in search of vaccine
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Warning, it is contagious!Beautiful, but dangerous
Especially for small children and the elderly flu viruses are dangerous. With the naked eye you can’t see it. But you realize quickly when you are: fever, chills, body aches, headache and cough. The viruses consist of not much more than a protein shell and a small genome strand.
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Warning, it is contagious!No Banality
A possible flu pandemic makes the people afraid. Because they can be dangerous. In the case of the Spanish flu (1918-1920) killed more than 25 million people. Including many 20-Year to 40. Many died of pneumonia. Here, too, the flu, the H1N1 virus was to blame.
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Warning, it is contagious!What helps?
In the case of a virus, the doctor will fight the flu usually only the symptoms of: cough syrup and prescribe analgesics, antipyretic agents, or ensure that the Patient can sleep. For severe cases, however, there are antiviral drugs: they inhibit the replication of the Virus in the body.
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Warning, it is contagious!Tricky Vaccine Production
Against the flu can get vaccinated. However, the influenza virus changes by Mutation very quickly. Each year, therefore, developed a new vaccine under strictly sterile conditions. It consists of inactivated virus of the three strains of virus that are in the year, particularly common particles.
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Warning, it is contagious!Influenza virus from chicken embryos
Some vaccine manufacturers to multiply the influenza virus in fertilized chicken eggs. Because flu viruses also birds attacked the incubated hen’s egg is used as a primitive bird rate. One gets the virus for the vaccine from the developing chicken embryo. A hen’s egg is sufficient for a single Dose.
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Warning, it is contagious!Swine flu
Influenza viruses also infect pigs and cause them respiratory problems. Also, the Virus subtype H1N1. It infests many species of mammals, including humans. In 2009 there was a pandemic a swine flu virus.
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Warning, it is contagious!Panic – not only in Hong Kong
The swine flu spread in 2009 from Mexico and the United States to over 200 countries. Especially in South Asia, East Africa, and South America, many people sufferers. According to the world health organization, more than 18,000 people have died worldwide from the effects of the swine flu.
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Warning, it is contagious!Threat Of Bird Flu
Flu viruses can also infect birds. Veterinarians speak then of avian influenza, but this is only another word for bird flu. Basically, each Influenza A Virus strain bird can trigger the flu, he needs to adapt only to birds as a host. The best-known types of H5N1, H7N9 and H5N8. The types H5N1 and H7N9 can be transmitted under certain circumstances, to the people.
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Warning, it is contagious!And finally,
Hands the best prevention against the flu virus is to wash. First of all, you should not touch with unwashed fingers to the eyes and nose – so you can get that easily with pathogens.