治疗普通感冒的新方法

Sneezing, coughing, and sniffing. Welcome to winter and the common cold virus, a cure for which has eluded for years. But now a major breakthrough by scientists in Cambridge University brings that cure a step closer, as they've discovered a new way to help body's fight tough viruses.

Before we always thought of the antibodies which protects us from viruses only work outside cells. And once a virus has infected the cell, there is nothing your immune system can do, all it can do is killing infected cell. But what we discovered now is that actually antibodies are able to work inside the cell, where they triggers system of immunity that allows the cells to get rid of the viruses that already affecting them.

And this is how it works. As the virus enters the cell it draws antibody shown here in yellow with it, inside a protein called TRIM21 recognizes the antibody as a foreign body and latches on to it. The TRIM21 protein that attracts powerful antiviral agents which degrades the virus, saving the cell. So by designing medicines to boost that protein, we could have a cure for the common cold.

Every year almost all of us catch a cold, millions of us end up at the doctors' because of it, so any cure would be very welcome. But this new research could be revolutionary if it helps us to combat viruses in general.

Twice as many people die from viral illness than they do from cancer, even in this DNA age. So if we can understand what happens with the common cold, then use it as a model to try to beat and overcome other viruses that are more deadly, things like shingles, small pox and chicken pox, then you know, it's a really exciting prospect.

This is a historic discovery, the lab results are very encouraging, but it will be at least two to five years before any clinical trials can begin for any future treatments.

Sally Biddulph, by TV News.