Exposure to common cold virus can help fight Covid 19

Exposure to common cold virus can help fight Covid 19

Subject : Science & tech

Context : In a new study, published in the the Journal of Experimental Medicine, researchers from Yale University found that the common respiratory virus jump-starts the activity of interferon-stimulated genes.

Concept :

• These are molecules in the immune system whose early response can halt replication of the SARS-CoV-2 virus within airway tissues infected with the cold.
• One way to trigger these defences is by treating patients with interferons, an immune system protein which is also available as a drug.

Interferons

• Interferons are a family of naturally-occurring proteins that are made and secreted by cells of the immune system (for example, white blood cells, natural killer cells, fibroblasts, and epithelial cells).
• Three classes of interferons have been identified : Alpha , Beta & Gamma
• Each class has many effects, though their effects overlap. Commercially available interferons are human interferons manufactured using recombinant DNA technology.
• The mechanism of action of interferon is complex and is not well understood. Interferons modulate the response of the immune system to viruses, bacteria, cancer, and other foreign substances that invade the body.
• Interferons do not directly kill viral or cancerous cells; they boost the immune system response and reduce the growth of cancer cells by regulating the action of several genes that control the secretion of numerous cellular proteins that affect growth.