SEATTLE, Sept. 28 (UPI) -- U.S. scientists say increased host immune and cell death response may have contributed to the symptoms experienced during the 1918 influenza pandemic.
University of Washington School of Medicine researchers used a mouse model to reach their finding, which they say might prove to be a useful starting point for developing novel antiviral therapies and prognostic indicators.
The influenza pandemic of 1918 caused 40 million to 50 million deaths worldwide. Those infected commonly suffered severe lung damage and hemorrhage as the virus destroyed the lining of their airways. But the role played by the hosts' immune system has been unclear.
John Kash and colleagues show a reconstructed version of the 1918 influenza virus causes an increased and accelerated activation of host immune response genes, as well as severe lung damage in mice.
The researchers say animals infected with a virus containing all eight genes from the pandemic virus showed increased activity in signaling pathways related to inflammation and cell death.
The research is detailed online at the journal Nature's Web site and will be published in print at a later date.
