The symptoms of the common cold can be caused by the body’s response to a virus, rather than just the virus itself, according to a collaborative study by the University and consumer goods manufacturer Procter & Gamble.
In the study, scientists examined the body’s response to the rhinovirus infection, which is one of the main causes of the common cold, said Jay Tiesman, Procter & Gamble Genomics Group leader and author of the study.
“What was very interesting is that we found that the human body really responds to rhinoviruses in a way by overstimulating the immune system,” he said. “We found a number of pathways that were identified in response to rhinovirus infection that made us think that maybe that some of the systems that we’re seeing with the common cold are really the responses to the over-stimulation of the immune system.”
Identifying these systems and finding ways to temper the body’s response could help significantly in reducing symptoms of the common cold, he said.
“We’re hoping that we can use some of these pathways that we’ve identified and learn more about how the body responds to the rhinovirus infection and develop new therapeutic compounds that can ultimately go into our products,” Tiesman said.
For most people, Pediatrics Prof. Ronald Turner said, the rhinovirus is just responsible for a common cold. For individuals with asthma or other respiratory conditions, though, contraction of the rhinovirus can exacerbate their preexisting conditions, he added.
“Obviously the rhinovirus infection is a major problem in the world, and it affects a lot of people,” Tiesman said. “It’s not really normally a deadly disease but it’s associated with a lot of problems, like asthma. So hopefully by understanding this, we can impact not just the common cold but take it even further and have a bigger medical impact.”
The study will not necessarily result in the immediate development of new medical remedies, Turner said, noting that researching causes and symptoms of the common cold is part of an important and continuing body of research.
Tiesman, though, said there will be “efforts to take the information that we have now and develop new therapies for the cold and for related diseases.”
The study was conducted at the University and used University student volunteers as test subjects, Tiesman said.
“We don’t restrict our studies to college students, but the vast majority of our volunteers are [University] students,” he said.
Researchers completed a general survey of cell responses to the virus, Turner said, adding that “by doing this, you find out things that you wouldn’t expect.”
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