Osteoporosis Drug May Help Kill Flu Viruses

Pamidronate, an old osteoporosis drug, may be effective in killing a range of influenza viruses, including ones that are very dangerous to people, according to scientists in Hong Kong. Unlike antiviral drugs that target and mute flu viruses, pamidronate boosts a certain class of human immune cells, known as gamma-delta T cells, and sets them off on a killing spree to exterminate host cells that are infected with flu viruses.

In the study, the scientists used specially bred mice that had their own immune systems removed and substituted with a complete set of the human immune system. The mice were separated into three groups and infected separately with the pandemic H1N1 swine flu virus, H5N1 and H9N2 bird flu viruses. Within each of the groups, mice that were treated with the drug recovered very quickly, while those that were not given any treatment died within a few days. The drug did not work on the mice that did not have gamma-delta T cells to begin with, which means that the drug only boosts the numbers of these T cells, but does not create them. The study was reported on in the Journal of Experimental Medicine.