PLoS One：美开发新型鼻腔喷剂 两小时治愈感冒

日前，美国圣地亚哥州立大学在《公共科学图书馆—综合》（PLoS One）杂志上发布的研究报告显示，美国科学家已经研究出一种新型人工合成蛋白EP67，这种蛋白成为促进免疫系统对抗流感威胁的新型武器。使用这种蛋白制成的鼻腔喷剂可以迅速提升免疫力，在短短两小时内消减感冒病毒，激活人体的免疫系统。

该领域专家表示：EP67已经被主要应用于帮助人们激活免疫系统，而此前这一领域仍是空白。该研究正在继续深入，有可能对SARS以及H1N1也有帮助。在动物身上的实验已成功完成，包括适用于小白鼠和鸟类。实验中，工作人员先向其注射相关病毒，然后再向其注射EP67，观察其24小时内并没有感染疾病。其结果在其他动物上同样适用。

研究人员表示：流感病毒通常神秘而活跃，在人们出现感冒症状之前，通常不会对其有所防卫。而引入EP67后，人体将在24小时内发现病毒，免疫系统立即启动，病毒在人体出现感冒症状之前就被消灭。

因为蛋白质是与生俱来的免疫产物，不会限制在特定病原体上。所以EP67很可能将会应用于对抗更宽泛的病毒、细菌以及真菌病原体。

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0040303
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Innate Immune Induction and Influenza Protection Elicited by a Response-Selective Agonist of Human C5a

Sam D. Sanderson1, Marilyn L. Thoman2,3, Kornelia Kis3, Elizabeth L. Virts2,3, Edgar B. Herrera3, Stephanie Widmann4, Homero Sepulveda4, Joy A. Phillips2,3*

The anaphylatoxin C5a is an especially potent mediator of both local and systemic inflammation. However, C5a also plays an essential role in mucosal host defense against bacterial, viral, and fungal infection. We have developed a response-selective agonist of human C5a, termed EP67, which retains the immunoenhancing activity of C5a at the expense of its inflammatory, anaphylagenic properties. EP67 insufflation results in the rapid induction of pulmonary cytokines and chemokines. This is followed by an influx of innate immune effector cells, including neutrophils, NK cells, and dendritic cells. EP67 exhibits both prophylactic and therapeutic protection when tested in a murine model of influenza A infection. Mice treated with EP67 within a twenty-four hour window of non-lethal infection were significantly protected from influenza-induced weight loss. Furthermore, EP67 delivered twenty-four hours after lethal infection completely blocked influenza-induced mortality (0% vs. 100% survival). Since protection based on innate immune induction is not restricted to any specific pathogen, EP67 may well prove equally efficacious against a wide variety of possible viral, bacterial, and fungal pathogens. Such a strategy could be used to stop the worldwide spread of emergent respiratory diseases, including but not limited to novel strains of influenza.