Preventing spread of SARS coronavirus-2 in humans Infection researchers identify potential drug

barbara

Pioneer Founding member
Science Daily March 5, 2020 Source: Deutsches Primatenzentrum (DPZ)/German Primate Center
Summary: Infection biologists have investigated how the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 penetrates cells. They have identified a cellular enzyme that is essential for viral entry into lung cells: the protease TMPRSS2. A clinically proven drug known to be active against TMPRSS2 was found to block SARS-CoV-2 infection and might constitute a novel treatment option.



Virus illustration (stock image). | Credit: © solvod / stock.adobe.com


Virus illustration
Credit: © solvod / Adobe Stock
Several coronaviruses circulate worldwide and constantly infect humans, which normally caused only mild respiratory disease. Currently, however, we are witnessing a worldwide spread of a new coronavirus with more than 90,000 confirmed cases and over 3,000 deaths. The new virus has been named SARS coronavirus-2 and has been transmitted from animals to humans. It causes a respiratory disease called COVID-19 that may take a severe course. The SARS coronavirus-2 has been spreading since December 2019 and is closely related to the SARS coronavirus that caused the SARS pandemic in 2002/2003. No vaccines or drugs are currently available to combat these viruses.

Stopping virus spread
A team of scientists led by infection biologists from the German Primate Centre and including researchers from Charité, the University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover Foundation, the BG-Unfallklinik Murnau, the LMU Munich, the Robert Koch Institute and the German Center for Infection Research, wanted to find out how the new coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 enters host cells and how this process can be blocked. The researchers identified a cellular protein that is important for the entry of SARS-CoV-2 into lung cells.
"Our results show that SARS-CoV-2 requires the protease TMPRSS2, which is present in the human body, to enter cells," says Stefan Pöhlmann, head of the Infection Biology Unit at the German Primate Center. "This protease is a potential target for therapeutic intervention."
Promising drug
Since it is known that the drug camostat mesilate inhibits the protease TMPRSS2, the researchers have investigated whether it can also prevent infection with SARS-CoV-2. "We have tested SARS-CoV-2 isolated from a patient and found that camostat mesilate blocks entry of the virus into lung cells," says Markus Hoffmann, the lead author of the study. Camostat mesilate is a drug approved in Japan for use in pancreatic inflammation.
"Our results suggest that camostat mesilate might also protect against COVID-19," says Markus Hoffmann. "This should be investigated in clinical trials."





Story Source:

Materials provided by Deutsches Primatenzentrum (DPZ)/German Primate Center. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.


Related Multimedia:


Journal Reference:
  1. Markus Hoffmann, Hannah Kleine-Weber, Simon Schroeder, Nadine Krüger, Tanja Herrler, Sandra Erichsen, Tobias S. Schiergens, Georg Herrler, Nai-Huei Wu, Andreas Nitsche, Marcel A. Müller, Christian Drosten, Stefan Pöhlmann. SARS-CoV-2 Cell Entry Depends on ACE2 and TMPRSS2 and Is Blocked by a Clinically Proven Protease Inhibitor. Cell, 2020; DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2020.02.052
 

jgp

Member
Forbes had a great article on this on march 3. They tried this on coronavirus in petri dish and it killed it. The drug companies won't stand for losing billions on a approved drug.
 

barbara

Pioneer Founding member
I haven't heard of anything that they are using to try to treat those infected with Covid-19. This article was promising, but clinical trials won't be doing much good at the moment. I couldn't find the Forbes article. Do you have a link?
 

jgp

Member
Barb; sent ADC for Hydroxychlonoquine $18 for 30 pills. This seems to be the ticket for COPD patients.(techcrunch.com/2020/03/19/french-study-finds-anti-malarial-and-antibiotic-combo-could-reduce-covid-19-duration/)
 
Last edited:

jgp

Member
Barb; this might sound strange but I found another drug to research it is Actemra like hydroxychloroquine it is an anti-arthritic. It seems weird that arthritic drugs seem to be working.
 
Top