UK Scientists were able to come up with a conceptual foundation to work on a single drug to treat multiple strains of viruses. The said concept is patterned to antibiotics' properties of treating a wide spectrum of bacteria. With this, the possible future medical breakthrough is being dubbed as "antibiotics for viruses."
Antibiotics work by focusing on a common bacterial passageway found inside the pathogen so that it can treat diverse types of bacteria.
Viruses infect its hosts by penetrating into the cells and then reproduce itself. With this, the scientists thought that the common ground does not lie on the differences between the viruses, rather on the properties of the host's cell that make them more susceptible. Knowing what hinders the viruses to replicate may help scientists come up with a drug that can act upon on the said property.
Now, genome scientists have been able to determine the gene that is responsible for the increased or decreased vulnerability of humans against viruses. This gene named interferon induced transmembrane protein 3(IFITM3) may help explain why some people develop mild illnesses while others get severely affected.
Endosomes, which appear to be small bubbles, are the main transport media of viruses as it enter the cell. The IFITM3 gene was found to generate a type of protein on the outer lining of the endosome covering, which controls its behavior. This means that the protein attached to the membrane will be the one to determine whether the endosome will open to discharge the virus or remain closed to seal its contents inside.
Although the exact process with which the proteins attached to the surface of the endosomes act has not been clearly understood, the scientists were able to initially observe that it lessens the flexibility of the outer lining. With this, the virus cannot pierce through easily and thus remain inside the endosome. Subsequently, the virus will be transported to the disposal system within the cell, says Dr. Paul Kellam from the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute near Cambridge.
Through this finding, discovering broad-spectrum anti-viral genes may soon become a possibility as experts continue to understand the defensive mechanisms within the human body.
Dr. Kellam said that the new discovery may have two applications in the medical field. The first one is hastening and improving diagnosis as busy doctors and hospital staff may ask patients to undergo a blood test to detect the levels of IFITM3. Through this, clinicians will have a quick insight into who are likely to develop symptoms and those who are less susceptible. The second application is for drug manufacturers, so that they can develop medications that contain the protein generated by the IFITM3 to strengthen viral treatment.
