Antioxidents and the H1N1 Influenza...

With H1N1 and other similar flu cases emerging everyday everyone is running to their doctors to get the flu vaccination and children have been giving the vaccination during school hours. The shortage of the vaccine for the H1N1 Influenza got a team of Alabama researchers thinking. The article explains that these researchers believe they have found an "Achilles Heel" for all types of the flu; including H1N1 Influenza. The team of researchers in Alabama believe that ANTIOXIDANTS- a plant-based food, will prevent the H1N1 from weakening our lungs. The H1N1 influenza damages our lungs through its "M2 protein" which, attacks the known as the epithelial cells that line the inner surface of our lungs. The M2 protein disrupts the epithelial cells' from removing liquid from inside our lungs, causing a high risk for pneumonia and other lung problems. These scientists conducted three different types of experiments with the M2 protein and the lung protein they damage.

The first experiment they injected frog eggs with the lung protein to measure its function. Next, they injected the frog eggs with both the M2 protein and the lung protein. Which, resulted in the decrease of the lung protein. Scientists then isolated the segment of the M2 protein that as responsible for the damage to the lung protein. Therefore, the protein can no longer damage the lungs. Since these scientists isolated the damaging segment of the protein they were able to re-inject the other proteins along with drugs that fight off oxidants. This also kept the M2 proteins from causing the lung damage. These scientists then replaced the frog eggs with human lungs and the results were still proving that antioxidants could prevent the M2 proteins from causing lung damage.

I found this article very interesting because my sister was recently infected with the H1N1 or flu virus she has been complaining about her lungs hurting. I explained to her about the M2 proteins attack the lungs and that antioxidants help fight and prevent lung damage.

Scientists Discover Influenza's Achilles Heel: Antioxidants. ScienceDaily. Retrieved October 30, 2009 http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091029125538.htm