Top News Assignment #3

Achoo Tamed? Study Decodes the Cold Virus

I read this article on Friday in the NY Times about how there is a possible cure for the “common cold” also known as the rhinovirus. According to Nicholas Wade, he states researchers said Thursday that they decoded the genomes of the 99 strains of the common cold virus and developed a catalog of its vulnerabilities. The cold fighting drug would not only heal the common cold but would also cure asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. “The new rhinovirus family tree would make it possible for the first time to identify which particular branch of the virus is most proactive to asthma,” said Dr.Fernando Martinez of the University of Arizona. This research is a big deal because the common cold is effecting millions of people right now, although its not a deadly virus, it is a an annoyance to peoples everyday lives. This would most definitely catch the eyes to those people who suffer from asthma especially a child’s parent.

Drug developers on the contrary think this drug would not be bought because the cold is a “minor nuisance” and people would not wont to pay for such an expensive drug. There are some people such as I that are tired of trying all these different medications and having them not work but make the illness worse. Two drugs such as Relenza and Tamiflu were supposed to alleviate flu symptoms but not cure it. They both ended up being commercial disappointments, said Carl Seidon, president of Seiden Pharmaceutical Strategies.

The problem with the family tree of the rhinovirus genomes is that they are changing all the time. However the research done with the decoding of the genome will help researches analyze the new family tree of the rhinovirus that are causing concerns. Right now there are no effective treatments but a discovery that could someday cure the cold virus.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/13/health/research/13cold.html?_r=1&scp=3&sq=nicholas%20wade&st=cse