In addition, the research team designed a new protein called TAT-P1 as a gene carrier, which can not only introduce DIG3 into the cells to inhibit virus growth, but also directly inhibit the viral replication by inhibiting the acidification of cell endosomes and exert a dual antiviral effect.
HKU researchers found that injecting DIG3/TAT-P1 into the respiratory tract of mice one to two days before or 6 hours after the infection of laboratory mice with H1N1 human influenza virus or H7N7 avian influenza virus can effectively increase the survival rate of mice. Inhibit the growth of the virus in the lungs of mice. This shows that DIG3/TAT-P1 can effectively prevent and treat flu.
Professor Yuan Guoyong, a professor at the Department of Microbiology, Hong Kong University Medical College, said at the press conference that the researchers used virus genes and proteins to treat the flu. They used a complex protein to bring some viral genes into the cells and interfered with the replication of viruses throughout the cell. process.
Yuan Guoyong believes that the results of this study provide important new methods and scientific basis for the future treatment of influenza and other viral infections.
The research results have been published in the latest issue of the world-renowned multi-disciplinary journal Nature Communications.