A new combination of drugs, including a compound present in chocolate, can treat several influenza strains, including bird and swine flu, a new study has found.
The drug combination of chocolate ingredient theobromine, and the lesser-known compound arainosine, can be a potential gamechanger in treating flu, even outperforming the most widely used anti-influenza medication Tamiflu, according to the study published in the journal PNAS.
The combination therapy works by targeting a key weakness in the influenza virus, a microscopic channel the virus uses to replicate and spread.
Blocking this gate could effectively cut off the virus’s ability to survive, scientists say.
Researchers found that the treatment dramatically outperformed Oseltamivir (Tamiflu) even against drug-resistant strains of the virus in both cell cultures and animal trials.
They identified this new drug combination by scanning a library of repurposed compounds originally developed for other diseases.
“We’re not just offering a better flu drug, we’re introducing a new way to target viruses—one that may help us prepare for future pandemics,” said study co-author Isaiah Arkin.
Influenza outbreaks challenge global public health systems every year due to unpredictable mutations undergone by the virus that counter vaccines and existing drugs.
Some strains of the virus even break out into pandemics, such as the 2009 swine flu which led to over 284,000 deaths.
Seasonal flu viruses also inflict deeper costs to poultry industries while also sparking global fears of cross-species transmission to humans.
For instance, just one recent bird flu outbreak in the US led to the loss of 40 million birds and billions in economic damage.
However, current flu treatments, like Tamiflu, are losing ground as the virus adapts.
This is because most drugs currently in use target a viral protein that mutates frequently, rendering treatments less effective over time.
Instead of this protein, the latest study targetted the flu virus’ M2 ion channel, which plays a key role in its replication.
Researchers also found that the drug duo’s potential for eliciting resistance from the virus is “significantly smaller”.
“Using a combined approach, a synergistic combination of arainosine and theobromine is shown to be particularly potent against swine flu, avian flu,” scientists wrote.
“In conclusion, the outcome of this study represents a new potential treatment option for influenza alongside an approach that is sufficiently general and readily applicable to other viral targets,” they wrote.
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