A Lab Study Shows A Peptide To Prove Effective Against COVID-19

Researchers from Rush University Medical Center have developed a new method of inhibiting the symptoms of COVID-19 symptoms. The study showed the small peptide when introduced nasally to offer positive effects in the mice. This peptidewas found to be effective in protecting the lungs, lowering fever, improving heart function, and also in reversing cytokine storm. At the time of cytokine storm, there is an infection that activates the immune system to fill the bloodstream with inflammatory proteins. As per the researcher, the peptide showed success in preventing the inhibition of progression of the disease. The latest study published in the Journal of Neuroimmune Pharmacology could be the new technique in preventing SARS-CoV-2 infection such that the cardiac and breathing issues in the COVID-19 patients are completely averted.

According to researcher Kalipada Pahan, the fundamental aim is to understand the mechanism practiced by SARS-CoV-2 in order to help develop effective therapies for COVID-19. It has been observed that many of the COVID-19 patients in the ICU experiencecytokine storm that has a negative impact on the heart, heart, and other organs. For treating this, anti-inflammatory therapies including steroids are used but these treatments are found to trigger immunosuppression. As the SARS-CoV-2 was found to attach toangiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) for getting entry into the cells, the researchers developed ahexapeptide that issimilar tothe ACE2-interacting domain of SARS-CoV-2 (AIDS) for preventing the binding of the virus to the ACE2.

The newly designed AIDS peptide was found to inhibitcytokinesgenerated by SARS-CoV-2 spike protein and not by other inflammatory stimuli; therebyconfirming that AIDS peptide would avoid causing immunosuppression. On being administered through the nose, the researchers found the AIDS peptide reduces fever to protect lungs, improve heart function, and advance locomotor activities. Even though, there are vaccines being developed there are chances COVID-19 could turn seasonal and cause deaths every year. It is thus necessary that a specific medicine be developed to reduceSARS-CoV-2-related inflammatory events and also protect the heart and lungs for the management of COVID-19 in the post-vaccine era.