New Drug Prevents Flu-related Inflammation and Lung Damage
Published:18 Jun.2024 Source:St. Jude Children Research Hospital
Infection with the influenza virus leads to lung injury through inflammation over-activation that causes collateral damage to cells required for breathing. A team from St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, University of Houston, Tufts University School of Medicine and Fox Chase Cancer Center created a drug that can prevent flu-induced lung injury.
In a series of experiments, the drug UH15-38 protected against lethal influenza. Results showed that the drug protected mouse models from similar amounts of influenza that humans experience, even at low doses. Additionally, the team found that a high drug dose could fully protect against an infection with a substantial amount of virus, which would usually be deadly. The models were protected even if they received the dose days after infection, a difficult achievement for an influenza therapeutic.
Providers must administer modern antiviral drugs within the first few days of infection to be effective. This study suggests that UH15-38 may fill a currently unmet need, as patients with severe disease have often been infected for several days by the time they get to a doctor. The breakthrough results from understanding how influenza and the immune system interact to cause lung injury.