[Scientists have made a significant breakthrough in understanding why some people suffer severely from the common cold while others experience little more than mild sneezing.
According to a foreign news agency, new research has revealed that the key difference lies in the nose’s inner lining and its ability to mount an immediate defensive response that can stop the virus at a very early stage.
The study found that cells in the nasal lining act as the body’s first line of defence against the rhinovirus. If these cells trigger an antiviral response as soon as the virus enters, the illness can be contained before it worsens.
Researchers explained that this early defence is led by proteins known as interferons, which activate not only infected cells but also nearby healthy cells to fight the virus. If this response is delayed, the virus spreads rapidly, leading to inflammation, excessive mucus production and breathing difficulties.
Scientists at Yale School of Medicine developed a laboratory model resembling the human nasal lining using stem cells from the nose. The model included mucus-producing cells and hair-like ciliated cells. When researchers blocked the virus-detecting sensors, the rhinovirus spread quickly, infecting cells and completely destroying some samples.
The study’s lead author, Dr Bao Wang, said that a rapid interferon response is highly effective in controlling the rhinovirus, even in the absence of other immune cells.
Senior researcher Dr Ellen Foxman said the findings show that whether a virus causes illness — and how severe it becomes — depends largely on the body’s response, rather than the virus itself.
