Scientist Wants to Cure the Common Cold

"People have looked piecemeal at this thing before, looking at perhaps one thing here and one thing there. But with the advent of this super, new gene chip technology that lets us look at the gene assessment from every gene, we were able to do a really comprehensive look," said Proud.

"We really understand much more about how the virus might be triggering all these effects, and that I think that gives us a road map."

A recently discovered antiviral protein called viperin plays a natural role in our body's fight against the common cold, said Proud. Strengthening these types of proteins could lead to new ways in the future of treating the underlying cause of colds.

The study was done in collaboration with scientists at the University of Virginia and the Procter & Gamble Company.

"Advances in our understanding of the biology of the common cold may eventually lead to improvements in treatment or methods for prevention of colds," said Ron Turner of the University of Virginia, one of the study's authors, in a statement.