RESEARCHERS in Scotland are joining the quest for a remedy which has eluded medicine for centuries - a cure for the common cold.

A team at Napier University in Edinburgh is hoping to find a way to enhance the body's own immune system so colds can be shrugged off, instead of causing days of misery and potentially serious complications.

The work, which is being funded by the Chief Scientist Office, involves looking at protein molecules known as a peptides which white blood cells produce to fight off viruses.

It is hoped the study will lead to a new drug which will make peptides more effective at battling the common cold.

The first aim of the scientists is to prevent people with chronic health conditions, such as asthma, from becoming seriously ill from a rhinovirus infection - the predominant cause of colds.

Dr Peter Barlow, reader in immunology and infection at Napier and a lead researcher on the project, said: "Most people will shake off a cold in three or four days. There is a lot of healthcare burden associated with it - they take days off work, some might see a doctor.

"But, the common cold can also cause very serious complications in people with pre-existing disease." Pneumonia is one of the problems which can be triggered by a cold.

In a laboratory Dr Barlow and his team intend to compare how peptides work to battle rhinovirus in healthy lungs and in lungs already damaged because the patient has a longterm health problem.

They will then try to make the peptides more effective, potentially by changing their structure so they are better at fighting off the virus.

Dr Barlow said at the moment there is no drug or vaccine that can stop rhinovirus. "We urgently need to find new treatments for this infection as it is a real health risk for people with pre-existing lung conditions," he said.

"We also anticipate that, as a result of this project, we will move a step closer to finding an effective treatment for the common cold."

Dr Craig Stevens, a lecturer in biomedical science who is also working on the project, said: "While peptide-based treatments for this virus are still some way off, this is an exciting study with significant clinical impact. We anticipate this research will contribute to the development of new treatments."

The Chief Scientist Office, which advises the Scottish Government on research which can lead to improved healthcare, has awarded £203,940 to the study. Staff at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the United States are collaborating on the research.

The British Lung Foundation Scotland has welcomed the project. Dr James Cant, head of the charity, said: "The common cold is a nuisance for all of us, but for people with serious lung conditions what seems like a mild infection can be very dangerous. This research could help save lives. And if it stops those winter runny noses too, I'd call it a win-win!"

Research at Napier has already shown increasing peptides in someone with flu may protect them from some of the worst effects of the illness.

In a series of tests, the team found that LL-37 - one of the antimicrobial peptides switched on by the immune system - protected mice from severe infection with influenza.