Flu: soon a new treatment?

The flu is a contagious viral infection that affects an average of 2 to 6 million French people each year. A disease that can be fatal in the most fragile, it is difficult to treat: the treatment mainly relieves flu symptoms. This is why it is important to get vaccinated.

In this context, where the development of anti-influenza therapies is more than ever a priority, researchers from Inserm, the University and the University Hospital of Tours have developed a new therapeutic approach against influenza: succinate. The results are published in the EMBO Journal.

The presence of succinate is higher in patients with influenza

Mustapha Si-Tahar, Inserm Research Director, and his colleagues at the Center for the Study of Respiratory Pathologies have attempted to better understand the host’s cellular and molecular responses to a viral infection.

Clearly, the team of scientists wondered if an influenza infection could cause a reprogramming of the metabolism of the target cells of the virus and if certain metabolites (substances resulting from metabolism) played a role in the immune response.

In mice with the flu, the researchers observed that a metabolite called “succinate” accumulated in the lungs. This reaction was later confirmed in humans.

By exposing cells of the pulmonary epithelium to succinate, the scientists then realized that this molecule had an antiviral action: it was capable of “blocking” the multiplication of the flu virus.

On mice exposed to the flu virus – and who received succinate intranasally – the team of researchers also found that they were protected against infection. They also had a better chance of surviving compared to mice that did not receive any.

However, further work needs to be done to test the potential of this compound.

The flu is a seasonal illness, which occurs between November and April. This year, the epidemic is playing extra time in certain regions. On Wednesday May 4, Public Health France provided an update on the circulation of the virus in France. If it notes a decline at the national level, the epidemic continues in several regions: Occitanie, Paca, in Corsica, New-Aquitaine, Bourgogne-Franche-Comté and Ile-de-France.

It is a respiratory infection that can cause serious complications in people at risk: pneumonia or aggravation of an already existing disease (diabetes, heart or respiratory failure, etc.).

After contamination by the virus, the disease declares itself within 48 hours on average. Some symptoms are easily identifiable. It’s about :

• a high fever (around 39°C);
• chills;
• intense fatigue;
• a feeling of depression with loss of appetite;
• muscle (ache) and joint pain;
• headaches;
• a dry, painful cough.

Also be careful not to confuse the flu with Covid-19. Certain symptoms, such as loss of taste and smell, are more reminiscent of the coronavirus.