The Achilles heel of the influenza virus

Researchers at Münster University suggest a new approach to active ingredients to fight influenza. Lead author Dr. Franziska Günl ( left ) and the head of the study, Dr. Linda Brunotte © Saskia Hinse Every year, the influenza season presents a challenge to hospitals. Despite having been vaccinated, older people and patients with health problems in particular run a heightened risk of falling prey to a severe bout of influenza. What is especially insidious about influenza viruses is their ability to mutate rapidly, which makes them increasingly resilient to medicines. For this reason, there is an urgent need for new active ingredients in order to be able to continue providing effective treatment for the illness in future. Researchers at the University of Münster have taken an important step in this direction which is described in a study published in the latest issue of the journal "Nature Communications". The team was able to provide evidence of 59 specific modifications to the polymerase of the influenza A virus, in other words the decisive enzyme responsible for the production of copies of the virus genome.