Recent scientific studies showed that the human rhinovirus (HRV) is not the determining cause of sneezes, runny noses and other cold-related symptoms. In fact, the virus triggers an immune response throughout the body, which causes these reactions. After HRV sets in, it starts rewriting some genes that regulate the production of specific proteins that play crucial roles in pro-inflammatory and antiviral responses.
 

Viperin, an anti-inflammatory protein, was noticed to have dropped considerably in some cells, which means that HRV has a method of shutting down the production of this protein. Afterwards, it can replicate freely inside that cell. On the bright side, scientists now know that increased dosages of viperin delivered to cold patients could effectively fight the viral infection, which brings new hopes for researchers looking for a method of counteracting the fast-mutating disease.
 

HRV also plays an important role in the onset of more severe nose and throat conditions, such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The damage the virus does in those cases is far greater and can even pose a threat to the patient's life. Currently, asthma can be treated with very few therapies, most of which take a very long time to work. Some medications need to be taken throughout the course of a patient's life, in order to avoid chocking, suffocation or death.
 

"Overall these data provide new insights into the host response to HRV infection and identify several novel candidate genes that require further study to clarify their role in disease pathogenesis. This may identify proinflammatory, or host defense pathways that could be targeted for drug development, not only as treatments for colds but also for viral exacerbations of asthma and COPD," said University of Calgary professor of physiology and biophysics David Proud, PhD, leader of the current study.