New science breakthrough could be the end of the common cold

A BREAKTHROUGH looks to be the first step in finally creating a cure for the common cold, HIV and hepatitis C.

Generic photo to illustrate a head cold

THE days of runny noses, sore throats and blocked everything could soon be over. Yes, the common cold’s reign of terror on human beings may be coming to an end.

This is all thanks to a team of British scientists who are a step closer to curing the virus that causes the cold.

The breakthrough is a method that blocks the code which allows the cold virus to multiply. It’s being dubbed “the Enigma machine” after the World War II secret decipher, and could stop colds from developing in the body and passing on to other humans.

Talking to The Telegraph in the UK, professor Peter Stockley from the University of Leeds said that “we have shown that not only can we read these messages but we can jam them and stop the virus’ deployment.”

The rhinovirus which causes the common cold. The answer to its cure lies somewhere in there.

Sounding more like a computer code than a virus, Dr Roman Tuma from the University of Leeds also told The Telegraph that “We have understood for decades that the RNA carries the genetic messages that create viral proteins, but we didn’t know that, hidden within the stream of letters we use to denote the genetic information, is a second code governing virus assembly.

“It is like finding a secret message within an ordinary news report and then being able to crack the whole coding system behind it.”

It’s not just for the common cold, either. The discovery will help with certain types of viruses known as rhinoviruses, which includes the likes of norovirus, hepatitis C, HIV and of course the common cold.

The next step is to test the discovery on animal viruses before eventually releasing a drug for humans.