Combining antiviral drugs and antibody therapy could treat seasonal flu - Video
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Overview
Researchers at McMaster University have found a class of well-known antiviral drugs could be part of a one-two punch to treat seasonal influenza and prevent a flu pandemic when used in combination with antibody therapies.
Antiviral drugs such as Tamiflu have been prescribed for decades to treat flu symptoms in people at risk for serious complications.
Researchers found when these medications were used with antibody therapy, the combination was more effective than either approach alone: the antibodies were significantly more efficient at killing infected cells and the drugs were more potent.
The findings, published in the journal Cell Reports Medicine, could inform new approaches to protecting high-risk groups, including the elderly and children during an emerging influenza pandemic, the researchers say.
The team has studied broadly neutralizing antibodies-which fend off a wide range of respiratory viruses-for over 10 years. They are examining how these antibodies could be tapped to protect against all strains of flu, in their urgent pursuit of a universal flu vaccine.
"Antibody therapies were used to treat COVID-19, and in theory they could be used to treat flu as a new therapeutic approach," says Matthew Miller, a lead author of the study.
For the study, which was conducted on mice, researchers combined antibodies with antiviral drugs. They found the drugs improved the virus-fighting properties of the antibodies, which work by binding to the surface of an infected cell then triggering our immune system to kill the cell before the virus can spread.
Researchers also report using a combination therapy may extend the life of current antiviral drugs because viruses are less likely to become resistant to such drugs when delivered in conjunction with an antibody therapy.
Reference:
Ali Zhang,Matthew Miller et. al,Broadly-neutralizing antibodies that bind to influenza hemagglutinin stalk domain enhance effectiveness of neuraminidase inhibitors via Fc-mediated effector functions, Cell Reports Medicine,10.1016/j.xcrm.2022.100718,16-Aug-2022
Speakers
Isra Zaman
B.Sc Life Sciences, M.Sc Biotechnology, B.Ed
Isra Zaman is a Life Science graduate from Daulat Ram College, Delhi University, and a postgraduate in Biotechnology from Amity University. She has a flair for writing, and her roles at Medicaldialogues include that of a Sr. content writer and a medical correspondent. Her news pieces cover recent discoveries and updates from the health and medicine sector. She can be reached at editorial@medicaldialogues.in.
Dr Kamal Kant Kohli-MBBS, DTCD- a chest specialist with more than 30 years of practice and a flair for writing clinical articles, Dr Kamal Kant Kohli joined Medical Dialogues as a Chief Editor of Medical News. Besides writing articles, as an editor, he proofreads and verifies all the medical content published on Medical Dialogues including those coming from journals, studies,medical conferences,guidelines etc. Email: drkohli@medicaldialogues.in. Contact no. 011-43720751