BEIJING, April 10th (Xinhua) - A study published in Nature on the 10th indicated that a new candidate drug has been proven to alleviate lung damage caused by infection with influenza A virus in mice and improve their survival rate. This candidate drug is expected to alleviate a range of inflammatory symptoms and provide new insights into inflammatory disease pathways.
Influenza A virus causes up to 650,000 deaths worldwide annually. As a defense mechanism, the presence of influenza particles can activate the process of cell apoptosis, which intentionally eliminates specific cells to limit virus spread, achieved through the activation of the enzyme RIPK3. However, this enzyme can activate another closely related pathway during infection, which, when activated, leads to uncontrolled cell death (necroptosis) and exacerbates inflammation and lethality caused by the influenza virus. RIPK3 inhibitors have been a hot drug target, but a stable candidate drug that selectively blocks one pathway without blocking another has not been found until now.
A team including the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in the United States and the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research in Australia developed a drug called UH15-38. This is a potent RIPK3 inhibitor that can block necroptosis of cell lines without affecting the apoptosis signaling pathway. These mice fully recovered three weeks after infection. The study indicates that selective blockade of this pathway is beneficial in preventing excessive inflammation and lung damage associated with influenza virus infection.
It is worth noting that UH15-38 has been shown to be effective when used within 5 days after infection, indicating its positive effects in blocking inflammation even during the peak of virus replication.
The study results suggest that UH15-38 is expected to significantly prevent severe inflammation and diseases caused by influenza virus. Additionally, the successful selective inhibition of RIPK3 by UH15-38 demonstrates its potential in alleviating a range of inflammatory symptoms.
