Breakthrough discovery may lead to new drugs to fight bird flu, other epidemics

News-Medical.net ^ | Monday, 25-Aug-2008 | staff/unattributed

[Smokin' Joe]

Researchers at Rutgers University and The University of Texas at Austin have reported a discovery that could help scientists develop drugs to fight the much-feared bird flu and other virulent strains of influenza. The researchers have determined the three-dimensional structure of a site on an influenza A virus protein that binds to one of its human protein targets, thereby suppressing a person's natural defenses to the infection and paving the way for the virus to replicate efficiently. This so-called NS1 virus protein is shared by all influenza A viruses isolated from humans - including avian influenza, or bird flu, and the 1918 pandemic influenza virus.

A paper detailing this breakthrough discovery appears...

[Smokin' Joe]

Ping!

[RebelTex]

bttt

[grey_whiskers]

Sweet!

Thanks for posting, bookmarked.

[LucyT]

Thanks, SJ.

Ping.

[Myrddin]

That's progress. When I was in molecular biology classes in the mid-70's, the technique of choice for discovering geometry was purification, crystallization, then X ray crystallography to pick out the geometry. The crystallization part of the task could often take a year or two. My physical chemistry prof was one of the best in the business. The molecular modeling techniques that have grown up with increased computing horsepower have brought forth a shorter path to this information...assuming the models and input data are correct.