Cold Severity Tied to Immune Response

New laboratory experiments have revealed that the varied severity of rhinovirus infections is determined by the activation of distinct immune programs within nasal tissue. Researchers utilized "noses-in-a-dish" models, essentially miniature human nasal passages grown in a lab, to study cellular responses to infection.

These findings, published recently in Cell Press Blue, highlight that how severely a rhinovirus affects an individual can depend on the specific immune pathways triggered. This research is a significant step toward developing targeted antiviral therapies for the common cold.

Scientists employed single-cell RNA sequencing on nasal epithelial cells to understand their interaction with rhinoviruses. When interferon signaling was suppressed, the cells showed a more pronounced and prolonged immune response, resembling severe infection outcomes seen in vulnerable patients.

This detailed cellular-level understanding could inform the development of treatments. For instance, an experimental antiviral drug, rupintrivir, showed promise in subduing overactive immune responses in lab models, suggesting potential use in vulnerable groups. However, targeting viral proteins directly might offer more precision than broadly inhibiting immune responses.