WASHINGTON - The virus of acute coryza (common cold) can activates immune system genes present in the inner lining of the nose, including some natural antiviral that might have any therapeutic use in future, researchers reported.

Of particular interest is a gene that controls a natural antiviral called viperin, said David Proud of the University of Calgary in Alberta, who led the study.

Viperin, which was discovered in the late nineties, has involvement in other viral infections than common cold, Proud said. “This had never been examined during rhinovirus infections,” he said.

Researchers gathered 35 people, who accept to be a part of study and agreed to be infected with a common cold virus called human rhinovirus 16.

After sometime of induced infection, the researchers take some cells of the inner lining from inside the volunteers’ noses and examine gene expression, or activity, in the cells.

Every cell in the body carries all the genes, but certain genes become more or less active during various activities.

“I think that is the ideal approach to trying to treat these viral infections. If you can find out what are the body’s natural defenses, can you either boost them or supplement them?” Proud said.

“The findings are important because they provide us a blueprint for developing the ideal cold treatment: one that maintains the body’s natural antiviral response while normalizing the inflammatory response.”

“This was really the first study that looked at the entire human genome. We confirmed some of the things we knew, and we found an awful lot more that we weren’t aware of.” Researchers said.