Genetically modified mice with colds in the UK could develop new treatments

researchers at Imperial College Uka announced on February 3rd that they could transmit the cold virus to a special genetically modified mouseThis is the first time that non-primates have developed the common cold, and it is also a major breakthrough in the fight against the cold virus in half a century, laying a very important foundation for the development of new treatments and new drugs in the futureUnlike flu, colds are associated with rhinovirusesMost people have a cold, it will be a few days to healBut for people with respiratory problems, such as asthma, a common cold can be life-threateningWhen a babya colda child, it can lead to decreased immunity, which in turn can lead toof fataldiseases such as asthma, chronic bronchitis and emphysemaProfessor Sebastian Johnston, a virologist at Imperial College who led the study, said only humans and chimpanzees were known to catch coldsScientists lack the necessary experimental animals to understand the process of rhinovirus infection, which is one of the main reasons why humans are slow to treat coldsScientists have found that even if the rhinovirus can replicate itself in mouse cells, mice still can't catch a cold, which is mainly related to receptorsWithout associated receptors, the virus cannot enter the cellsThe virus's ability to infect mouse cells is related to a protein receptor called ICAM-1When scientists converted the mice's receptors into receptors similar to those of humans, the genetically modified mice were infected with rhinovirusWith the genetically modified mice, scientists can speed up the development of new drugs by understanding and mastering how animals catch colds It can also boost research of some deadly lung diseases such as asthma, chronic bronchitis and emphysema (Reporter He Yi)