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Viral Treatment
Name: Immanuel
Status: Educator
Grade: 9-12
Location: MA
Country: United States
Date: January 2007
Question:
What is the treatment for viral infection, since
antibiotics do not have any effect on viruses?
Replies:
Until recently, there were no other treatments for viral infection but
simply letting your own immune system do its job. Viruses are obligate
intracellular parasites, which means that they can't function outside a
living cell. Viruses are basically just a piece of nucleic acid (either DNA
or RNA) wrapped in protein. Their only "purpose" is to get inside a cell,
make more of itself and get to another cell. They don't have any genes for
metabolism and they aren't cellular. Antibiotics are substances made by one
living thing against another living thing.
For example, penicillin attacks
a certain chemical in the cell walls of bacteria. Since viruses don't have
cell walls, penicillin would not be effective against them. There are some
new drugs being tried against viruses however. In order for a virus to be
able to attack one of your cells, it has to be able to "dock" on the surface
of the cell first to gain entry. Many of the new drugs are specifically
designed to "lock the doors" to the cell by blocking the surface receptors
that viruses need for entry. One of the consequences of the Human Genome
Project has been what is called "rational drug design", where drug companies
can use known genetic sequences of viruses, etc. to design ways to knock out
a function.
vanhoeck
There are about 15 antiviral drugs most of which are for AIDS therapy.
There are also a couple for treating Herpes virus infection, but for most
viral infections there is no therapy. Do a search on Wikipedia for antiviral
drugs and you will find a list of them.
Ron Baker, Ph.D.
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Update: June 2012
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