New images of the influenza A virus, whose strains cause the seasonal flu and the H1N1 "swine" flu, have revealed its Achilles' heel, researchers say, and the finding could lead to a targeted drug that can fight all strains of the virus.
The weakness stems from a basic structure in all flu viruses, called the M2 channel, which is key in helping the virus reproduce.

About four years ago, a tiny change occurred in this channel, the researchers said, making flu drugs such as amantadine and rimantadine ineffective. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention stopped recommending using the drugs to fight the flu.
"We think we can pin down the types of changes that could occur, and find drugs for all" strains of flu, said study researcher David Busath, a biophysicist at Brigham Young University in Utah.
The finding helps researchers understand why the virus isn't susceptible to the old influenza drugs anymore, Busath said.
With a drug developed to target this particular channel, "you could be safe tomorrow," Busath said.
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The flu virus is mutating and changing all the time, which is why there must be a new flu vaccine every year to accommodate the new mutations, he said. But every flu virus has an M2 channel, and it must work properly for the virus to infect a host.
"It turns out there's only a small handful of changes, in the heart of the channel, that still allow the virus to work well," Busath said. "And if it can't work, the virus can't reproduce. And we know all of the possible changes that allow it to work."
Previous images of influenza A didn't reveal the changes in the M2 channel, making it hard for scientists to develop a drug that could effectively target the structure.
Because the structures of the virus are so tiny, Busath and researchers from Florida State University used a technique called solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance — which is similar to an MRI, but used on atoms and molecules — to get a refined view of the flu's structure.
"We have some new theories to test for possible compounds that would work on the M2 [channel], and we're excited to try them out," Busath told MyHealthNewsDaily.
The imaging technique the researchers used could also be used to provide images of the proteins in plasma membranes in the nervous system, he said.


Scientists have used new images of the influenza virus to better learn it’s weaknesses and find out more about it. The Influenza virus is what causes the H1N1 and seasonal flu. The weakness is from the M2 channel which helps it reproduce. They discovered a change in it which leads them to try and predict future changes that may occur in the virus so they can create a drug to treat all strains.
I personally find this article informative and exciting. The possibility of treating all strains of influenza is a rather interesting concept considering how much of a scare it’s caused in the past. It would certainly be a revolutionary break through in the medical field. It would also decrease mortality rate especially for people with auto-immune diseases. I’m very thrilled to see how this breakthrough affects the medical field in the future.