Predicting the future of common cold is like predicting the weather. They change so much in so little time that it's hard to say what it'll become in a few years.
The common cold consists of many different strains of viruses, and is constantly mutating. This makes it unlikely that one can develop a vaccine or cure for it. However, thankfully, the common cold is not very dangerous, and our immume system should be able to handle it within a few days.
If we're to be optimistic, perhaps one day one scientist can create a vaccine that can adapt to the mustations of the common cold virus. To do so, the vaccine must be able to change it's form also, training the body to fight against all possible strains of the cold.
However, some scientists has made some headway to curing infections. They made some compounds called WIN compounds that will prevent the shell of the common cold virus from opening, thus, stopping the release of RNA that will infect our cells.
The researchers discovered that the WIN compounds are quite flexible, allowing them to wiggle their way into a small cavity, or pocket, in the protein. Once there, the viral shell becomes rigid.
©Common Cold Squad Last updated on: 25 March 2008