Scientists are exploring the possibility that drugs that affect the immune system might one day serve as potent weapons to fight the flu, even the swine flu that's currently circulating around the globe.
The concept has worked with a group of lab mice that were treated with the rheumatoid arthritis drug abatacept (Orencia) after being given a lethal dose of influenza A virus, researchers report.
Although the results from this study are intriguing, much more work is warranted to ensure safety in humans infected with seasonal flu. However, the promise of the approach used in this study is that it maintains protective immunity against the virus while reducing disease pathology -- a very important point because overwhelming disease pathology is often a major contributing factor in flu-related deaths.
The concept has worked with a group of lab mice that were treated with the rheumatoid arthritis drug abatacept (Orencia) after being given a lethal dose of influenza A virus, researchers report.
Although the results from this study are intriguing, much more work is warranted to ensure safety in humans infected with seasonal flu. However, the promise of the approach used in this study is that it maintains protective immunity against the virus while reducing disease pathology -- a very important point because overwhelming disease pathology is often a major contributing factor in flu-related deaths.
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