Conclusion from the Journal Article:
In conclusion, the present study provides the first evidence that the highly stable plant MIR2911 can directly target multiple viral genes of various IAVs and thus suppress viral infections. With its broad-spectrum, anti-viral activity against IAVs, MIR2911 and MIR2911-containing HS decoction may represent a new effective therapeutic strategy that can be used to subdue deadly IAV infections. It is important to note that since Fleming discovered penicillin nearly a century ago, antibiotics have been developed to target various bacterial infections and have saved the lives of millions of people. Unfortunately, no natural product that is effective against viral infection has been identified thus far. We suggest that as the first natural product to directly target IAVs, MIR2911 is the “virological penicillin” that serves as a novel therapeutic and preventive agent against not only influenza A but potentially also other types of viruses.