Protein key to fighting flu virus

RESEARCHERS FROM DURHAM University’s Centre for Bioactive Chemistry have been looking at approaches which could prevent the development in our bodies of one of the viruses which causes respiratory illnesses, as well as one third of forms of the common cold – and potentially the recently emerged swine flu.

Led by Dr John Sanderson and Dr Paul Yeo, researchers have been investigating ways to intercept the virus inside our bodies and to prevent its reproduction and development.

As part of their work, the team have helped to produce the first ever high-resolution, full-length structure of a protein from an enveloped virus called the ‘matrix protein’. Using this, they have been able to learn more about the final development stages of viruses and how it functions. In particular, they have been working to identify the vulnerable parts of the virus’ structure which could be targeted to prevent its spread.

Dr Yeo has described how these images “provide amazing insights into the micro-chemical world of our cells. We have an opportunity to use bioactive chemistry to develop the medical tools of the future”.

During this work, researchers have been looking closely at the point at which the virus assembles inside the body, and believe that by intercepting and attacking the virus at just the right time, the virus can be destroyed. It is on this basis that future drugs for combating these illnesses would be based.

When looking to develop medicines against viruses, one of the main problems facing scientists is the fact that viruses are constantly developing and mutating, and so can become immune to these drugs. The Durham University team also hope to be able to extend this work to look at other viruses including Hepatitis C and Measles.

Swine flu…

The past few weeks has seen the emergence and spread of the swine flu virus from Mexico around the world. The World Health Organisation has upgraded its status to Level 5, meaning that a global pandemic is underway. With cases occurring across Britain, including one confirmed case in Newcastle, the virus has shown that it has mutated to combine forms of the virus that affect not only pigs and birds, but humans as well. Dr Paul Yeo offered some of his expertise on the matter.

He stressed the difficulty in working with viruses to confirm suspected cases of swine flu and to develop a vaccine. He says that “some people are unrealistic about timescales” when expecting immediate solutions to the outbreak. At this point, it is impossible to know whether the attention being afforded to swine flu is unnecessary hype. Whilst bird flu was contained and did not begin spreading between humans, the fact that swine flu has made this development makes it potentially much more serious.

He described how “the pig has become the mixing pot of influenza viruses” and as such swine flu is now “a complex virus”. He added that “it’s not hype if people are dying in large numbers”, which has been the case in Mexico, where there are over one hundred suspected swine flu deaths.

With the Mexican government saying that the spread of the virus has peaked and is now in decline, it appears that a guardedly optimistic outlook can be taken for the time being. In Mexico, the move to temporarily shut down the economy, alongside the co-ordinated response from the WHO and international governments, has proven successful in slowing the spread of the virus.

However, a new wave of infections could still occur in autumn/winter this year.