Common cold cure is a step closer

The Medical Research Council (MRC) described the work as a "landmark" in the search to improve the understanding of illnesses which, while in many cases not serious, cost the economy billions of pounds in lost work days.

It is hoped that the findings will allow for new types of drugs to be developed to tackle colds and also other viral infections such as norovirus - the winter vomiting bug.

Viruses are mankind's biggest killer, responsible for twice as many deaths each year as cancer, but they are among the hardest diseases to destroy, with new treatments proving elusive.

Scientists previously believed that antibodies, which fight disease in the body, could only reduce infection by attacking viruses outside cells and by blocking their entry into the cells.

But in the latest research experts from the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology in Cambridge discovered that the antibodies are able to battle viruses from within infected cells, remaining attached as they entered.

Once inside, the antibodies trigger a response which is led by a protein called TRIM21. This pulls the virus into a "disposal system" which is used by the cell to get rid of unwanted material.

The researchers said this process happened quickly, usually before most viruses had the chance to harm the cell. The MRC scientists also found that increasing the amount of TRIM21 in cells made this process even more effective.

This knowledge could be used to help create better antiviral drugs.

Lead researcher Dr Leo James said: "Doctors have plenty of antibiotics to fight bacterial infections but few antiviral drugs.

"Although these are early days, and we don't yet know whether all viruses are cleared by this mechanism, we are excited that our discoveries may open multiple avenues for developing new antiviral drugs."

Sir Greg Winter, deputy director of the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, said: "Antibodies are formidable molecular war machines; it now appears that they can continue to attack viruses within cells.

"This research is not only a leap in our understanding of how and where antibodies work, but more generally in our understanding of immunity and infection."

The researchers, writing in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, now hope to progress to finding treatments to use in clinical trials.Aberdeen-based virologist Hugh Pennington said the research sounded very interesting, with a detailed explanation of how the viruses behave.

But he said it could still be some time before a pill to treat viruses like the cold or the winter vomiting bug was ready to be used because there were many strains of virus which caused the illnesses.

"One of the reasons we have so many colds is that there are lots of different types," he said.

"You can go through life having two a year because each time you meet a new virus you get a cold."

Prof Pennington added: "This is a nice piece of work and it is giving us molecular details about something which has been more vague.

"As a breakthrough that is going to lead to immediate advances, it might be a route to go down to try to pep up the defences but it is going to need more research."

265m spent to ease symptoms

A CURE for the common cold has been a holy grail for medical researchers.

While in the majority of cases illness is short-lived, colds still lead to millions of people taking time off work and school as they recover.

Estimates of the cost to the economy vary, from around 3 billion to as much as 42bn.

Professor Ron Eccles, from Cardiff's Common Cold Centre, said there were at least 120,000 million colds a year suffered in the UK. Adults get between two and five a year and children seven to ten.

The common nature of the illness means there is also a multi-million pound industry in remedies to try to tackle the symptoms.

In the last year the British public spent around 265 million on cold and flu remedies. The market leader is Reckitt Benckiser which makes the Lemsip brand.

The second best-selling brand is Beechams, made by GlaxoSmithKline, followed by Benylin and own-label products made by Boots.