“BBC News video clip related to Dr Leo James’ discovery about how the body fights viruses.” More…
BBC News 24 : Hopes over ‘ending’ common cold
BBC Radio 4 Today
“Interview of Dr Leo James” More…
Virus breakthrough raises hope over ending common cold
“Scientists say they have made a landmark discovery which could pave the way for new drugs to beat illnesses like the common cold. Until now experts had thought that antibodies could only tackle viral infections by blocking or attacking viruses outside cells. But work done by the Medical Research Council shows antibodies can pass into cells and fight viruses from within. PNAS journal said the finding held promise for a new antiviral drugs. The Cambridge scientists stressed that it would take years of work and testing to find new therapies, and said that the pathway they had discovered would not work on all viruses.” More…
Tom Peck: Yet another triumph for the place they call ‘the Nobel Prize factory’
“The lab got its 14th Nobel award last year. It traces its roots back to the discovery of the DNA double helix. Revelations about man’s abilities to battle viruses are just the latest “Eureka” moments to occur inside Cambridge’s world-renowned Laboratory of Molecular Biology – which has been dubbed “the Nobel Prize factory”.” More…
A cure for the common cold may finally be achieved as a result of a remarkable discovery in a Cambridge laboratory
“In a dramatic breakthrough that could affect millions of lives, scientists have been able to show for the first time that the body’s immune defences can destroy the common cold virus after it has actually invaded the inner sanctum of a human cell, a feat that was believed until now to be impossible. The discovery opens the door to the development of a new class of antiviral drugs that work by enhancing this natural virus-killing machinery of the cell. Scientists believe the first clinical trials of new drugs based on the findings could begin within two to five years.” More…
Immune discovery opens up new line of attack against viruses
“The immune system has been found to target viruses inside cells, suggesting new strategies against infections including the common cold and winter vomiting bug. They are mankind’s greatest killer and rank among the hardest to treat of all diseases, claiming twice as many lives as cancer. But a discovery could give doctors a new weapon in the battle against viruses, including those that cause widespread illnesses such as the common cold and gastroenteritis. In a report published today, scientists revealed a previously unknown way that the immune system attacks infections, a finding that offers a new approach to treating diseases caused by viruses…” More…