Why is it that there isn't a cure for...?!
Question: Why is it that there isn't a cure for....?
Medicine has come such a long way that it can cure allsorts Cancer etc..
but Doctors and Scientists a-like can't find a cure to stop the common cold.?Health Question & Answer
but Doctors and Scientists a-like can't find a cure to stop the common cold.?Health Question & Answer
Answers:
Primarily, because 'the' common cold is not caused by a single virus - there are, for example, hundreds of different serotypes of viruses in the rhinovirus group which cause colds. Additionally, other types of viruses - adenoviruses, enteroviruses, and HRSV cause the same symptoms.
When infected with a virus, the thing that causes you to get sick is your immune response to particular parts of the virus - generally, to 'proteins' that are found on the surface of the virus. Each of the serotypes/different viruses has different proteins on its surface. In very simple terms, when a vaccine to a virus is made, they take these surface proteins, make them 'inactive' to a degree, and then inject you with them. Your body then learns what the proteins are and next time it comes into contact with them, your immune system is all primed and ready to go, and is able to 'defeat' the virus so you don't get sick. Hence, the reason there is no vaccine - they would have to make a different vaccine to every different type of protein combination, which is just totally unrealistic. And so, we are stuck with the common cold.
The 'flu' is a little different: the flu viruses (primarily influenze a and b) have two proteins on their surface (designated 'H' and 'N'), and these are highly susceptible to genetic mutation. They alter slightly pretty much every flu season, so what worked as a vaccination one year what not work as a vaccine the next, hence the need for annual vaccinations!Health Question & Answer
When infected with a virus, the thing that causes you to get sick is your immune response to particular parts of the virus - generally, to 'proteins' that are found on the surface of the virus. Each of the serotypes/different viruses has different proteins on its surface. In very simple terms, when a vaccine to a virus is made, they take these surface proteins, make them 'inactive' to a degree, and then inject you with them. Your body then learns what the proteins are and next time it comes into contact with them, your immune system is all primed and ready to go, and is able to 'defeat' the virus so you don't get sick. Hence, the reason there is no vaccine - they would have to make a different vaccine to every different type of protein combination, which is just totally unrealistic. And so, we are stuck with the common cold.
The 'flu' is a little different: the flu viruses (primarily influenze a and b) have two proteins on their surface (designated 'H' and 'N'), and these are highly susceptible to genetic mutation. They alter slightly pretty much every flu season, so what worked as a vaccination one year what not work as a vaccine the next, hence the need for annual vaccinations!Health Question & Answer
Because its difficult to come up with an antidote/cure. A virus uses a host cell. It attack the nucleus, membranes and much more. Then the cell explodes. So its really not that simple. There are only medicines that can make the symptoms weaker.Health Question & Answer
because cold is a virus.. hello... no matter what a doc or a scientist does they will never be able to find a cure for the common cold.. because its a virus... besides its good to get cold once in a while. it builds up your immune system... like when kids eat dirt.. same formula...Health Question & Answer
Cancer hasn't been cured. The common cold doesn't really need a cure as it's gone in a few days. Not to mention the "common cold" changes constantly and a lot of people mistake allergies as a cold and so forth...Health Question & Answer
It is a virus and mutates itself on a whim.Health Question & Answer