What to Do About Flu: Dual Mechanism Immunotherapy

     Despite a pandemic occurring from the Coronaviridae family, the Orthomyxoviridae family has made its often frightening presence known for generations. Seasonal flu epidemics lead to as high as 650,000 global deaths yearly. Many scientists believe a future pandemic is looming, which makes the need for effective treatments all the more crucial.

    A study was conducted combining zanamivir, a neuraminidase inhibitor, with dinitrophenyl, a highly immunogenic hapten which targets the surface of viruses and virus infected cells. The formidable duo was shown to inhibit virus release and stimulate the immune system to get rid of viral particles in the body and virus infected cells similarly. Researchers tested the administration on mice and it showed great success in eradicating infections from both Influenza A strains and Influenza B strains.

    If we look to successful therapeutics with regards to viruses, it is widely known that often times “cocktails” or multidrug combinations have more success than single therapies. Given this, it is reaffirming to see that the combination drug for flu shows increased potency. Another key part of this trial is that the drug works best only early on in the infectious process—later in the course of advanced disease and high viral load, the drug loses its effectiveness. This study reaffirms that providing dual drugs early on in the course of infection can be critical to tempering the increase in viral load. Another interesting fact is that the “Herald Wave” predictive necessity of researchers when making the influenza vaccine is unnecessary with this treatment, as it is believed to target all types of strains of influenza viruses. The drug is also effective intranasally, which might remove barriers of patients needing to go to the hospital in order to get treatment. Overall, the prospects of this treatment are promising and as a global community we could learn something from the drugs- from the power of entities working together to stop a collective problem.

-Sammy

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-020-19386-5