Interferon-Alpha: A Promising Treatment for SARS Outbreaks

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Discussion Overview

The discussion centers around the potential use of interferon-alpha as a treatment for severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), particularly in light of its effects observed in infected monkeys. Participants explore the implications of this treatment, the timing of research efforts, and the current status of SARS outbreaks.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Debate/contested
  • Conceptual clarification

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants note that interferon-alpha has shown promise in easing symptoms of SARS in monkeys and may reduce their infectiousness.
  • One participant expresses skepticism about the need for treatment, suggesting that SARS is no longer a concern.
  • Another participant highlights the importance of researching existing drugs for their potential effectiveness against SARS, emphasizing the difficulty of treating the disease.
  • A participant critiques the timing of the research, suggesting that it is too late to be useful given the past impact of SARS outbreaks.
  • One participant mentions the need for interesting articles for a biology class, indicating a personal interest in the topic.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express differing views on the relevance of SARS as a current threat and the timing of research into treatments, indicating that multiple competing perspectives remain without consensus.

Contextual Notes

Some assumptions about the current status of SARS and the urgency of treatment options are not fully explored, leaving uncertainty about the disease's prevalence and the implications of the proposed treatment.

Monique
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http://www.nature.com/nsu/040216/040216-23.html

A drug used to treat hepatitis C may prove useful against severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS). The drug, called interferon-alpha, eases symptoms in infected monkeys, and may make them less infectious too. [..] The drug is already commercially available and has no serious side effects. The next step is to test it against SARS if another outbreak occurs, says Osterhaus, who works at the Erasmus Medical Centre, Rotterdam, the Netherlands.
 
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heh, no need. sars is gone.
 
You think so?
 
Originally posted by Monique
You think so?


lol even not all gone, you dun need to worry about it.

whitehorsemen of yours is not in china nor in vietname, so dun worry about it.
 
What an attitude. The point is that SARS is hard to treat and a researcher was smart enough to test drugs already in existence for their activity against SARS.
 
Originally posted by Monique
What an attitude. The point is that SARS is hard to treat and a researcher was smart enough to test drugs already in existence for their activity against SARS.

yes very smart.

and you are very smart too. Get on AIM please, I want to talk to you.
 
It took them long enough. During the outbreak, deaths and panic took over waiting for a cure.

After the disease leaves, and people have already died and others forgot about the disease, they find it cure.

PERFECT TIMING!

It's like inventing a deadly bomb AFTER the war.

Thanks for the article though. I'm suppose to find an article to write about every week for my biology class. One that interests me.
 
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