What we are doing is something different, said Fontoura, explaining her research. We are actually stimulating our own response which is already there boost it to fight an infection.
The compound targets a specific protein called REDD-1, which is responsible for helping cells fight infection. The scientists discovered that when there is less REDD-1 protein in a cell, viruses like the flu can invade and corrupt the cell in a matter of hours. But when this compound is added, boosting the presence of the REDD-1 protein, the flu (no matter what strain) is held at bay. We tested different strains from less pathogenic strains to highly pathogenic strains, Fontoura said, and it worked.
