 | The map of SARS [newsphoto.com.cn] |
Researchers in Germany said on Tuesday they had found a weakness in the SARS virus and said a drug being tested against the common cold could be modified to battle the deadly illness.Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome has killed 580 people and infected more than 7,000 worldwide. Carried around the world by air travelers, it is caused by a never-before-seen strain of coronavirus. But this new virus has a weak point called a protease, the researchers report in this week's issue of the journal Science. A protease is key to the replication of the virus. If the virus cannot replicate, it cannot cause illness. "If you hit this target successfully you have hit the Achilles' heel of the virus," said Rolf Hilgenfeld of the University of Luebeck in Germany, who led the study. The researchers have been working with relatives of the SARS virus -- one that causes the common cold in people and another that causes diarrhea in pigs. The protease used by these two SARS cousins is very similar to that used by SARS, Hilgenfeld said. Hilgenfeld's lab has a drug that blocks the protease, but it is too toxic to use in people. But they found a similar drug being tested against a rhinovirus -- another cause of the common cold. "Therefore we conclude that a drug that was originated to target a rhinovirus might be a good starting point for the development of drugs against coronaviruses, including the SARS virus." (Agencies) | 德國的研究者5月13日聲稱，他們已經發現了非典病毒的弱點。并稱目前一種用于抗感冒的藥有可能成為被改造成為抵抗SARS這種致命病毒的良藥。 非典型性肺炎已經奪去了全世界580人的生命，另有7000人受到感染。非典病毒是由一種現今人類還沒有見過的一種冠狀病毒引起的，并通過空航這種途徑在全世界范圍內傳播開的。 但是研究者們在本周《科學》周刊中發表的報告中說，這種新型病毒有一個弱點，那就是蛋白酶。蛋白酶是阻止非典病毒變異的關鍵物質。如果病毒不能變異，也就不能夠誘發疾病了。  德國呂貝克醫科大學的羅爾夫·希爾根菲爾德是主持該項研究的科學家，他說："如果能夠成功攻克這個課題，我們也就找到了非典病毒的致命弱點。"
研究者已經對非典病毒的同類家族病毒進行了研究。其中一種是引起人類普通感冒的病毒，另一種是引起豬類痢疾的病毒。 羅爾夫·希爾根菲爾德說，上述兩種病毒中含有的蛋白酶同非典病毒中的非常相似。 羅爾夫·希爾根菲爾德的實驗室里有一種可以阻隔病毒中蛋白酶的藥物，但是這種藥物對人體毒性太大，因而不能用于人類。但是他們又發現了一種類似的用于對抗鼻病毒的藥物，這種病毒是誘發普通感冒的另一個原因。 羅爾夫·希爾根菲爾德說："因此，我們可以得出結論：由抗鼻病毒藥物研制出藥物有可能成為研發抗冠狀病毒（包括非典病毒）藥物的很好的開端。" （中國日報網站譯） Notes:
Achilles' heel :致命弱點
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Updated: 2003-05-15 01:00
