DRACO or Double-Stranded RNA Activated Caspase Oligomerizer, by MIT biomedical engineer Todd Rider, seeks to offer a kind of blanket cure for virus infection - in theory. DRACO is now poised to transition from proof-of-concept testing onto testing with humans, if only sufficient funding could be collated.
Inverse cites Todd Rider in describing how DRACO is designed to work against virus and the work that remains for this cure. "In theory, one DRACO design should be effective against a very broad spectrum of viruses, and effective in a wide range of people," Todd Rider said.
DRACO is designed to combine the body's natural ability to detect double-stranded RNA from viruses and the body's natural ability to activate what are known as suicide cells. With these DRACO eliminates infected cells.
R & D magazine reports that DRACO was successful in treatment when tested against influenza and three types of hemorrhagic fever viruses in a living organism. DRACO also proved successful when glass tested against 15 viruses.
Among these viruses are common cold, H1N1 influenza strain, adenoviruses, a mouse polio virus, dengue fever, and stomach viruses. R & D reports that DRACO tested safely on mice and on cell types from different organs of animals and humans.
However, DRACO is struggling to move onto the stage of optimization that translate theory to actuality. Mostly funding limitation has been the biggest challenge for Todd Rider and DRACO.
According to Todd Rider, DRACO is sustained by enthusiastic support from crowdfunding initiated by online activists. Still, DRACO would need more of Todd Rider is to bring a viable presentation of data from experimentation to pharmaceutical companies.
Todd Rider told Inverse that he hoped to make DRACO available in pill form once it reaches marketability. DRACO first came to public attention 15 years ago.
