This shifting world never ceases to amaze me. When I went into the field of Science, a path that did not come naturally or totally suit my strengths, my parents would jokingly suggest that maybe I would find the cure for the common cold. In jest; veritas, but I already thought I knew that there was no way that would ever happen. Viruses can't be targeted; they change too much; they aren't really living organisms. They hide extremely well in our bodies so that we are not always able to find them and make antibodies against them. You can treat the symptoms of a virus. But you can't kill the virus.
It seems, however, that we have, yet again, been proven wrong. Oh Copernicus and Galileo!
Scientists working at MIT's Lincoln Laboratory have supposedly designed a broad-spectrum drug that may make viral infections a thing of the past. Most infectious diseases are caused by either bacteria or viruses. Most bacterial diseases can be treated using antibiotics, however, such a cure for viral infection has remained elusive.
"If you detect a pathogenic bacterium in the environment, there is probably an antibiotic that could be used to treat someone exposed to that, but I realized there are very few treatments out there for viruses," said Todd Rider, one of the scientists credited with discovering the new drug.
Double-stranded RNA Activated Caspase Oligomerizers (DRACO, for short) seems, at least in theory, to be able to destroy any virus. To date, viruses that have been treated include rhinovirus (our not-so-friendly cold-causing virus), H1N1, a stomach virus, a polio virus and dengue fever (transmitted by mosquitoes).
"In theory, it should work against all viruses," said Rider.
The nitty gritty of how this drug works is complex. It utilizes a protein that targets a type of double-stranded RNA that is produced only in cells that are infected by a virus. These protein then joins with another protein, causing the cell to die (apoptosis). The key is that only cells infected with a virus will have that double-stranded RNA, so the drug will only target infected cells.
Apparently, DRACO can also ward off drug resistance, which is often a problem when using antibiotics to treat bacterial infections, leading to superbacteria.
So far the only mice have been tested using DRACO. They were infected with the H1N1 influenza virus were cured by the drug without any toxic side effects. Hopefully, larger animals will be tested soon, with human clincial trials the end goal. It could take up to a decade before DRACO is availale on pharmacy shelves.
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