Antioxidants May Block the Flu Virus' Toxic M2 Protein

Treatment of lung tissue with antioxidants prevents the flu virus' M2 protein from damaging lung epithelial cells, a situation that sets the stage for pneumonia and other infections.

Investigators at the University of Alabama (Birmingham, USA) employed advanced molecular biology techniques to study the interaction between human lung cells and viral M2 protein in a frog egg matrix.

They reported in the November 2009 issue of the FASEB Journal that a specific fragment of M2 was required to disrupt the lung epithelial cells' ability to transport liquids across their cell membranes. Molecules of M2 lacking this fragment did not damage the lung cells, while the fragment alone was sufficient to do so. In addition, the investigators found that addition of an antioxidant such as glutathione ester blocked the activity of the M2 fragment.

"The recent outbreak of H1N1 influenza and the rapid spread of this strain across the world highlights the need to better understand how this virus damages the lungs and to find new treatments," said senior author Dr. Sadis Matalon, professor of physiology, biophysics, and microbiology at the University of Alabama. "Additionally, our research shows that antioxidants may prove beneficial in the treatment of flu."

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