Hank,
Thank you for your comments on the abstract. You raise some valid points.
Research indicates that rhinoviruses are responsible for about 70% of colds. Theoretically, Zicam is effective on any virus that attaches to, and gains entry though, nasal ICAM-1. While research to date has focused on rhinoviruses, other viruses may also attach to ICAM-1. Even if they don't, I would be happy if Zicam was only effective against 70% of colds. I note that the mechanism of action is theoretical because it hasn't been proven through a clinical study. It has been demonstrated through "desktop research and analysis" by researchers worldwide. For example, I provided links to the Purdue University study earlier, and further research conducted at the Common Cold Centre, Cardiff UK, came to the same conclusion. cf.ac.uk The clinical studies currently underway will address this issue by infecting subjects with a known virus serotype.
I think the challenge is from a marketing and public education perspective. Let's assume that Zicam isn't effective against some colds because the virus that causes them enters differently than rhinoviruses. If a person uses Zicam and it doesn't work, they might conclude that it isn't effective at all, whereas it might have been effective if their cold was caused by a different virus.
Since Zicam was specifically designed to inhibit rhinovirus absorption, we can also assume that the treatment is worthless against other viruses which can cause cold symptoms.
I don't think it matters which virus infected the subjects because they had cold symptoms and reported the results of using the gel. This doesn't invalidate the results, but does make it unclear precisely which viruses Zicam is effective on. Zicam wasn't designed to inhibit rhinovirus absorption. It was designed to interfere with any virus that infects the body through nasal ICAM-1. Therefore, I respectfully disagree with your comment. You can't conclude that it is worthless against other viruses, but it would be fair to say that you don't know which other viruses it is effective against.
Sincerest thanks for your feedback.
Dan |
