Hong Kong scientists discover drug against flu virus

A team of scientists from Hong Kong University on Monday unveiled the groundbreaking discovery of a chemical compound that they say can prevent bird and swine flu viruses from replicating and entering human cells.

Hong Kong (dpa) May 31, 2010 -- Hong Kong scientists on Monday unveiled the groundbreaking discovery of a chemical compound that they say can kill bird and swine flu viruses.

The team from Hong Kong University identified a protein inside the virus which can be targeted by the compound, preventing the virus from replicating and entering human cells.

The discovery was hailed by the researchers as a "new weapon' in the fight against viruses such as H1N1 and H5N1.

The findings, published in the journal "Nature Biotechnology" on Monday, took four years to develop.

Yuen Kowk-yung, who led the research, said they had identified an important structural protein, called influenza nucleoprotein, which helps the virus replicate and attack human cells.

The team said protein is susceptible to a chemical compound called "nucleozin," which prevents it from functioning.

In laboratory tests on mice, the compound was found to be highly potent against the H5N1 bird flu virus.

The team is looking at developing the compound into a drug to treat the growing number of flu viruses which have developed resistance to anti-viral drugs such as Tamiflu and Relenza.

Hong Kong has been at the forefront of viral research since 1997 when it experienced the first modern instance of bird flu jumping the species barrier and infecting 18 humans, six of whom died.

The densely populated former British colony also suffered an outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome or SARS, that killed 299 people and infected around 1,800 in 2003.

Yuen said his team had originally worked on drugs to fight SARS, but switched its attention to flu viruses in 2006.

Copyright: dpa