Researchers Discover Possible Treatment to Stop Coronavirus Replication

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – A group of scientists may have discovered the way to prevent the novel coronavirus from replicating. According to a study conducted by Goethe University and the Frankfurt University Hospital, there is a way to paralyze the path traveled by the virus to infect human cells.

When individuals have their cells infected by Covid-19, the disease is able to retrace the paths where the cells travel and, thereby, spread the virus even further throughout the body. Thus, the human body learns how to deal with the virus and withstand its presence.

Phosphate groups are typically responsible for controlling protein activity. When there is a change in a protein, it affects the next one and the change signal is ultimately conveyed in a domino effect. The goal is to send the signal to the cell nucleus, where genes can be activated or deactivated – in this case the virus genes.

With the research, the scientists were able to determine which signal paths were relevant to prevent the virus from replicating. The GFR (Growth Factor Receiver) was one of the identified pathways.

In addition, researchers also discovered which pathways could be inhibited by anti-cancer compounds – among them sorafenib, lonafarnib, and omipalisib. Christian Münch, a scientist who helped in the research, commented that the analyzed substances managed to completely halt the replication of SARS-CoV-2.

Although the research has just begun, researchers believe that clinical trials could soon begin,  depending on the availability of clinics and hospitals. Jindrich Cinatl, a researcher from Frankfurt, said human trials are required to prove the theory. “Drugs that have already been approved have a huge advantage in terms of development, so it would be possible, based on our findings and a few more experiments, to begin clinical trials very soon,” Cinatl said.

Source: Exame