Infectious disease

Cell culture and mouse studies suggest inhibiting GRK2 could help treat influenza A infection. In a human alveolar basal epithelium cell line infected with human or avian strains of influenza A, an siRNA targeting GRK2 decreased viral replication compared with a scrambled siRNA. In primary human bronchial epithelial cells differentiated into pseudostratified human airway epithelium and infected with one of four human influenza A strains, Paxil paroxetine, which inhibits GRK2, decreased viral replication. In a mouse model of influenza A infection, Paxil decreased viral replication in the upper and lower respiratory tracts. Next steps could include identifying and testing selective GRK2 inhibitors in animal models of influenza A infection...