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'Virus Sponge' Could Improve Flu Treatments, Diabetes Care, Vaccine Development
University of Maryland researchers have announced a new "virus sponge" that could aid in the treatment of, among other things, avian flu. The sponge woks similar to kidney dialysis, filtering the harmful virus from the blood. "The virus sponge is based on a technology called molecular imprinting. In molecular imprinting, researchers stamp a molecule's shape into a substance (in this case, a hydrogel--a sponge-like material). When the specific molecule filters through the hydrogel, it fits in the imprint hole and is trapped."
re: parent -- What arrogance and bred from ignorance no less!
Subtractive technology of targeted molecules from the blood has been around for a couple years now. And it works.
Removal of soluble TNF receptors crushes solid cancers.
Total viral load correlates directly to severity of disease. Removal of the viral load ameliorates the disease. This was seen in the original liver dialysis experiments in hepatitis patients. It is probably true also for HIV and very likely for avain flu.
This method creats a system that doesn't shed foreign protein back into the body and has different impact on the coagulation pathways. Very important regulatory-wise and we'll see how useful clinically when we get data.
This is another welcome development for those of us in this field.
Heh, It's a little like the upgrade cycle that software and hardware manufacturers are constantly foisting upon their users. Neat trick. The patent expires and the medicine no longer functions :-)
What?