A global team of scientists has found a molecule that can essentially “squeeze” the COVID virus to death. But can we get it to work on humans?
It works like this: the peptide envelops the SARS-CoV-2 virus, surrounding the spike proteins that the pathogen uses to grab onto and infect our cells. Specifically, the chain of amino acids interferes with the phase of infection where a virus wiggles its way through the membranes of our cells.
It’s a particular problem with monoclonal antibodies, one of the oldest types of COVID therapy. There are several monoclonal formulations. But only one, bebtelovimab,against BA.5, the Omicron subvariant that’s currently dominant across much of the world. “The virus generally does not mutate as much in the region that is targeted by the peptide,” Brunger said. “This bodes well as a broadly applicable antiviral compound.” A drug designed around the new peptide should work equally well against current and future forms of COVID.The science behind the peptide discovery is sound, Ali Mokdad, a professor of health metrics sciences at the University of Washington Institute for Health who was not involved in the study, told The Daily Beast.
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