Cell science breakthrough could beat common cold

Cell science breakthrough could beat common cold

www.channel4.com

New research suggests the immune system can fight viruses from within healthy cells. Science Correspondent Tom Clarke says the discovery is a "real game-changer" in the fight against the common cold.

New scientific research has unearthed evidence that the human immune system can still fight viruses even when they have already entered a healthy cell.

British scientists based in Cambridge say they have identified a previously unknown mechanism that antibodies use to fight against the virus.

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I think i've heard this before...although I can't find the article I read a couple of years ago, it too claimed to have found a 'cure' to the common cold. It didn't get much media attention back then, so I suppose this won't get too much attention this time round...

Up until now scientists thought antibodies could only attack viruses outside a cell by blocking its entry to the cell and thus reducing any possible infection.

The scientists found that if the amount of the protein TRIM21 is increased, the disposal system in the cell works more efficiently and this, they hope, can help in the development of new antiviral drugs.

However, Dr James warned it will take years before these new drugs are made and it may not work on all viruses.

I still find it remarkable that medical science can fight cancer and cure very complex diseases, but when it come to the 'common cold', we are told there is no cure!

People still are dying from the 'common cold', take a look at these statistics of recent death tolls:

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/88b7d29be4cd.jpg[/atsimg]

This is still good news though... in light of this weekends 'Events'. Looking at these statistics...can someone please inform me why there are so many deaths in Japan from the 'common cold'?

www.channel4.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

Originally posted by UnderstandingWisdom

I still find it remarkable that medical science can fight cancer and cure very complex diseases, but when it come to the 'common cold', we are told there is no cure!

People still are dying from the 'common cold', take a look at these statistics of recent death tolls:

This is still good news though... in light of this weekends 'Events'. Looking at these statistics...can someone please inform me why there are so many deaths in Japan from the 'common cold'?

If I have it right, the term Common Cold doesnt mean a single form of virus, the common cold is caused or is a set of symptoms for a huge range of fairly minor viruses the human body and many other animals have to deal with... they all get lumped under the term 'Common Cold' since more or less they all have the same symptoms and arent as far as most people are concerned dangerous, you get the sniffles your body fights the infection, excretes the toxic byproducts of fighting the virus out your nose and lungs etc and once its all gone and your immune system has worked out how to fight that virus thats it... until the next one comes along to challenge you.

At least thats how I understand it from what i learned in highschool.

As for deaths its hardly all that many... Any viral infection can kill someone incapable of fighting it off, which usually means someone who is of old age where it can end up as pneumonia often than not, which will kill a person of advanced age... and Japan has a HUGE population of elderly compared to other countries. As for Egypt... thats a bit of a surprise to me, you'd think the environment would make it less of an issue, unless their deaths are newborns from poor medical hygiene or poor living standards?, maybe even something missing in their diet that makes them susceptible to the viruses in the Common Cold category.

What id like to know is what natural diet or herbal avenue could you take to elevate your own levels of that specific protein, there must be some natural way of increasing it... why it always has to be some sort of drug that needs to be made to fix problems (yes i know its all about money)... Also is their possibly some modern environmental issue that may have reduced the production of this protein in modern humans causing our inner cells defense system to run poorly compared to what it could or should be running at .

Neat all the same, apart from the 'lets make a new wonder drug' approach.

reply to post by BigfootNZ

Thankyou BigfootNZ for taking the time to reply to my question. What I know on the 'Common Cold' is that it is forever mutating...meaning we can only treat the symptoms and not the actual virus. Symptoms are treated with antipyretics, anti-histamines, pain killers, decongestants and cough preparations. Antibiotics are not effective in treating the common cold but they may be necessary if the cold is complicated with a bacterial infection.

Originally posted by BigfootNZ
Japan has a HUGE population of elderly compared to other countries.

Hmm didn't know that...thanks for this piece of information. Because of a large eldery population it now makes sense that the death toll for the common cold is high in Japan.

Originally posted by BigfootNZ
Egypt... thats a bit of a surprise to me, you'd think the environment would make it less of an issue, unless their deaths are newborns from poor medical hygiene or poor living standards?

You see Egypt wasn't so much as a surprise to me at all...there is a large percent of people in Eygpt that live below the poverty line, which goes hand in hand with both poor medical hygine and poor living standards...I'll have a quick look about to see if I can back up this claim.

Living standards in Egypt are low by international standards, and have declined consistently since 1990. According to United Nations figures, some 20 to 30 percent of the population live below the poverty line.

Source: Egypt - Poverty and Wealth

Thats nearly 1 in 3 people in Egypt live below the poverty line by international standards. Even I didn't know it was that high...it's come as a bit of a shock

Originally posted by BigfootNZ
What id like to know is what natural diet or herbal avenue could you take...

I've had a little dig about for you on natural remedies and came up with 10 natural/home remedies for the common cold.

1. Home made cough syrup:
You can also try this very simple and effective homemade cough syrup made from onion juice, lemon juice and honey. Mix 1-2 teaspoon of onion juice with 1-2 teaspoon of lemon juice. Pour little amount of water and allow it to boil, later add 1-2 teaspoon of honey into it. Keep this cough syrup aside for 5-6 hours and give a teaspoon of it to the patient at least two times in a day

2. Lemon:
Lemon is the most important among the many home remedies for common cold. .Vitamin C-rich lemon juice increases body resistance and reduces the duration of the illness. One lemon should be diluted in a glass of warm water, and a teaspoon of honey should be added to it. This should be taken once or twice daily.

3. Vitamin C:
Regular intake of vitamin C-75 mg for adults and 35 mg for children-will prevent the common cold. Large doses of this vitamin will relieve the symptoms and shorten its duration. It is wise is to swallow one 500mg tablet of vitamin C at the appearance of the first sign of the cold and continue the treatment by taking one500 mg tablets daily

4. Ginger and ginger tea:
Ginger is another excellent remedy for colds and coughs. ginger should be cut into small pieces and boiled in a cup of water. It should then be strained and half a teaspoon of sugar added to it. This decoction should be drunk when hot. Ginger tea, prepared by adding a few pieces of ginger into boiled water before adding the tea leaves, is also an effective remedy for colds and for fevers resulting from cold. It may be taken twice daily.

5. Lady's Fingers:
Lady's fingers are highly valuable in treating irritation of the throat and a persistent dry cough. This vegetable is rich in mucilage and acts as a drug to allay irritation, swelling, and pain. Lady’ fingers should be cut into pieces, and boiled down in water to make a decoction. The steam issuing from this decoction may also be inhaled once or twice a day to relieve throat irritation and a dry cough.

6. Tamarind and Pepper:
Tamarind-pepper rasam is also considered an effective home remedy for cold . Dilute 50 mg tamarind in 250 ml of water. Boil the diluted tamarind water for a few minutes with a teaspoon of hot clarified butter and half a teaspoon of black pepper powder. This steaming hot rasam has a flushing effect, and should be taken three times a day.

7. Bitter Gourd Roots:
The roots of the bitter gourd plant are used to cure a cold. A teaspoon of the root paste, mixed with an equal quantity of honey given once every night for a month acts as an excellent medicine for colds.

8. Home Remedies for Stuffy Nose:
Prepare a solution using 4 drops of Lavender Essential Oil and Pine Essential Oil, 3 drops of Peppermint Essential Oil and 7 drops of Eucalyptus Essential Oil. Inhale vapors of this solution by putting it on a cotton ball or an aromatherapy diffuser.

9. Home Remedies for dry cough:
a. Take a tea spoon of honey and sprinkle 2-3 drops of ginger with the honey. After taking this do not have water for almost30-60 minutes.

b. Half a lemon chopped roughly, one large clove garlic chopped, one teaspoon honey half cup boiling water.Drink as hot as can stand it, try to swallow some pieces of garlic .

c. Mix 1/4 tsp turmeric powder with 1/4 cup of warm milk and drink 3 times a day

d. Eat a piece of 1-2 ounce of high quality dark chocolate will help.

10. Home remedies for sore throat and homemade cough syrup:
In case of sore throat a clove or two cardamoms can be chewed. Gargling with warm salty water two to three times a day is also beneficial.

Onion is very effective in the treatment of cough. The juice extracted from onion helps in loosening the cough, and clears chest-congestion. Take 1-2 teaspoon of onion juice and add 1-2 teaspoon of honey into it. Keep this mixture aside for 5-6 hours, and then give a teaspoon of it to the patient at least two times in a day.

Source: Home remedies for cough and cold