Reporting in the online edition of the journal Nature Medicines, a research team, headed by LU Yang, a Chinese scholar working in the US, have found that two types of siRNA can reduce the number of SARS viruses in monkeys, in addition to its prevention functions.
Researchers used 5 control groups of monkeys in the comparative study. Each group is made up of 4 short tail apes. Two of the groups are allowed untreated. Of the rest three groups, one receives a siRNA treatment before becoming infected with the SARS viruses. One is allowed to receive the treatment and get infected by the viruses at the same time. The last group is administered with the treatment after being infected. All SARS viruses and siRNA matters are transmitted through nasal channels. As a result, all the infected monkeys show the affected symptoms. However, the monkeys treated with siRNA show greatly reduced damage to their lungs, with less temperature variations. The untreated monkeys show serious damages to lung cells. By contrast, the treated monkeys show lighter symptoms. A four-day treatment results show that the SARS viruses are reduced to only 25%. The monkeys who are treated before infected show slightest symptoms, least temperature variations, and smallest damages to their lungs. |
