Influenza future or investigational therapies
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Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]
Overview
Influenza, commonly known as flu, is an infectious disease of birds and mammals caused by RNA viruses of the biological family Orthomyxoviridae (the influenza viruses). In humans, common symptoms of influenza infection are fever, sore throat, muscle pains, severe headache, coughing, weakness and general discomfort
Research on influenza includes studies on molecular virology, how the virus produces disease (pathogenesis), host immune responses, viral genomics, and how the virus spreads (epidemiology). These studies help in developing influenza countermeasures; for example, a better understanding of the body's immune response helps vaccine development, and a detailed picture of how influenza invades cells aids the development of antiviral drugs. One important basic research program is the Influenza Genome Sequencing Project, which is creating a library of influenza sequences; this library should help clarify which factors make one strain more lethal than another, which genes most affect immunogenicity, and how the virus evolves over time.[1]
Research into new vaccines is particularly important: as current vaccines are slow and expensive to produce and must be reformulated every year. The sequencing of the influenza genome and recombinant DNA technology may accelerate the generation of new vaccine strains by allowing scientists to substitute new antigens into a previously-developed vaccine strain.[2] New technologies are also being developed to grow virus in cell culture; which promises higher yields, less cost, better quality and surge capacity.[3] The U.S. government has purchased from Sanofi Pasteur and Chiron Corporation several million doses of vaccine meant to be used in case of an influenza pandemic of H5N1 avian influenza and is conducting clinical trials with these vaccines.[4] The UK government is also stockpiling millions of antiviral drugs(tamiflu, oseltamivir, zanimivir) to give to its citizens in the event of an outbreak, the UK Health Protection Agency has also gathered a limited amount of HPAI H5N1 vaccines for experimental purposes.
References
- ↑ Influenza A Virus Genome Project at The Institute of Genomic Research. Accessed 19 Oct 06
- ↑ Subbarao K, Katz J. "Influenza vaccines generated by reverse genetics". Curr Top Microbiol Immunol. 283: 313–42. PMID 15298174.
- ↑ Bardiya N, Bae J (2005). "Influenza vaccines: recent advances in production technologies". Appl Microbiol Biotechnol. 67 (3): 299–305. PMID 15660212.
- ↑ New York Times article ""Doubt Cast on Stockpile of a Vaccine for Bird Flu"" by Denise Grady. Published: March 30, 2006. Accessed 19 Oct 06