This computer-simulated model, developed by Purdue University researchers, shows the receptors of the common cold virus, rhinovirus 16, attach to the outer protein shell of the virus. Picovir, a drug that is the first to directly attack viruses that cause the common cold, faced scrutiny March 19, 2002 as U.S. advisers consider whether to urge approval for the experimental medicine. The new drug hits viruses responsible for more than half of the1 billion colds that afflict Americans each year. Over-the-counter remedies only mask symptoms such as coughing and a runny nose, but Picovir may shorten a colds duration. Photo by Dilip Paithankar/Purdue School of Chemical Engineering/Getty Images
A new study from Lund University in Sweden indicates that inherited viruses that are millions of years old play an important role in building up the complex networks that characterize the human brain. Researchers have long been aware that endogenous retroviruses constitute around five per cent of our DNA. For many years, they were considered junk DNA of no real use, a side-effect of our evolutionary journey.
this can lead to new, exciting studies on the diseases of the brain
