Despite the fact that official recommendations for fighting colds and other diseases contain indications of strengthening immunity, the University of Michigan staff warns: this is incorrect. They conducted experiments and found: rodents with reduced immunity to cold, in reality had less acute inflammation of the respiratory tract and bronchospasm after infection.

Scientists emphasize that an active immune response only increases internal inflammation. At the same time, its decrease, in turn, reduces the manifestation of infectious rhinoviruses. As it turned out, when the immune system is activated, the body starts to develop compounds provoking the appearance of symptoms of asthma - coughing and wheezing.

In the course of the experiment, researchers used rhinoviruses 1B-strains that reproduce in the lungs. Experts have introduced these viruses into the body of experimental animals, while changing the work of the MDA5 and TLR3 receptors. These receptors protect the immune system from viruses and other pathogens.

When they were turned off, there was a delay in the manifestation of a protective response to infection. This resulted in a slight increase in the concentration of the virus in the lungs, but the researchers recorded fewer inflammations in the respiratory tract, as well as bronchospasm. It turned out, the immune response only worsens the patient's condition.

News. Gradusnik. En.