‘Breakthrough’ in hunt for cure for common cold
RESEARCHERS today claimed a breakthrough in the search for a cure for the common cold.
They said they were closer to cracking the “Enigma code” of the virus — paving the way for a single drug to treat colds within a decade.
Professor Reidun Twarock, a mathematical biologist at the University of York, said: “The common cold infects more than two billion people annually, making it one of the most successful viral pathogens, so we are excited to make this crucial step forward.”
The research, funded by the Wellcome Trust and published in journal Nature Communications, looked at the workings of a “hidden code” within the genome of human parechovirus, a member of the picornavirus family that includes the common cold and polio.
The team of experts found that details of the decoding mechanism appear identical in all strains of the virus, so a single drug could treat them all, unlike vaccines which are only effective with certain strains of the virus.
Professor Peter Stockley, from the University of Leeds, said: “The coding works like the cogwheels in a Swiss watch. We now need a drug that has the same effect as pouring sand into the watch — every part of the viral mechanism could be disabled.
“We need to move away from a vaccine approach, which is what we have for flu and polio. Vaccines can result in the release of more virulent strains of the disease. Protecting against infection relies on continued worldwide vaccination, which is both very expensive and logistically difficult.” Professor Sarah Butcher from the University of Helsinki said: “This new research means treatment would be less likely to trigger drug resistance. This discovery could be a great leap forward in curing a host of conditions.”