Researchers made a surprise discovery that could change how flu prevention is approached. An accidental lab finding revealed that flu strains use different strategies to penetrate human cells, according to SWNS.
Insights from Research
By focusing on the molecules viruses depend on, scientists found ways to stop their entry into new cells, effectively preventing replication. Dr. Emily Bruce from the University of Vermont highlighted this as a breakthrough for developing enhanced preventive medications.
She emphasized the importance of curiosity-driven research in paving the way for innovative treatments. Two primary flu strains, H1N1 and H3N2, often cause illness. However, current medical tests cannot differentiate between them, leading to identical treatments for both strains.
Need for Better Medications
Despite available vaccines and antivirals, Dr. Bruce pointed to a crucial need for improved medications to halt virus spread within the body. She noted that illness arises when a virus replicates and invades numerous cells.
“You don’t get sick when a virus is in one cell,” Dr. Bruce explained. “You get sick because a virus replicates itself and goes into many more cells.”
Research Findings
The study, published in The Journal of Virology, originally focused on tracing how viral RNA moves in cells to form new particles. Using H1N1 and H3N2 viruses from patients’ nasal passages in 2022, the research unexpectedly uncovered a pathway blocking the virus from entering lung cells.
Data showed that when a specific human protein, Rab11B, was missing, H3N2 viruses struggled to enter lung cells, while H1N1 viruses remained unaffected. Through reverse genetics, a new role of Rab11B in H3N2 entry was mapped, challenging the belief that flu viruses enter cells in the same manner.
“We had previously thought that all flu viruses used the same way to get into a cell, but we discovered that this is not true,” Dr. Bruce observed.
Next Steps
The study identified a critical cellular pathway, though conducted in isolated cells. Researchers acknowledged that more study is needed to assess the safety and effectiveness of blocking the protein in live systems.
Dr. Bruce’s team aims to examine if Rab11B-dependency is a general feature of H3N2 or just current strains.
Khloe Quill, a production assistant at Fox News Digital, is part of the lifestyle team covering topics like health and travel.