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A new study reveals how the viral toxin produced by the SARS-CoV-2 virus contributes to severe COVID-19 infection. This study shows how some of the SARS-CoV-2 ‘spike’ proteins contribute to what is known as vascular leakage by damaging the cell barriers lining blood vessels in body organs such as the lungs. By examining the effects of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein on human lung cells and blood vessel cells, as well as on mouse lungs, the research team identified the molecular pathways that enable the spike protein to disrupt critical internal barriers in the body.

Researchers at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute have created a powerful drug that can effectively neutralize the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus, including the Omicron variant and all other tested variants. Scientists have developed a drug that potently neutralizes SARS-CoV-2, the COVID-19 coronavirus, and is equally effective against the Omicron variant and every other tested variant. The SARS-CoV-2 virus is covered with projections called spike proteins that enable the virus to infect cells.

Despite significant advances in the prevention and treatment of COVID-19, the efficacy of current vaccines, antivirals and monoclonal antibodies remains variable and is challenged by the continuing emergence of resistant viral variants. Furthermore, treatment with the FXR inhibitor ursodeoxycholic acid correlated with reduced ACE2 expression and improved COVID-19 outcomes in humans. Subscribe to Nature+ All prices are NET prices.

As a long-term goal, he would also like to use liver organoids for cell based therapies for patients with liver failure. In a next step, the scientists infected organoids of liver, lung or intestine with SARS-CoV-2 viruses, which they had obtained from nasal swabs of infected patients. Mice and hamsters given the drug also showed significantly fewer ACE-2 receptors in their nasal, lung, liver and intestinal epithelial cells. “We were thus able to show that the drug was indeed effective in preventing infection,” says Ludovic Vallier.

A new antiviral drug received emergency approval in Japan and will enter global Phase 3 clinical trials. Given as an injection, monoclonal antibodies attach to the virus and prevent it from entering cells. As PrEP, treatment differs from monoclonal antibodies given to patients infected with the virus. Several other potential antiviral treatments are currently in development.

Scientists at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute have developed a drug that potently neutralizes SARS-CoV-2, the COVID-19 coronavirus, and is equally effective against the Omicron variant and every other tested variant. Their experiments showed that ACE2 decoys have potent activity against the COVID-19 virus because they trigger an irreversible change in the structure of the virus - they “pop” the top off the viral spike protein so it can’t bind to the cell-surface ACE2 receptor and infect cells.

Researchers of the University of Bristol-led study, published in Science Advances today, say their findings could lead to the development of a pan-coronavirus treatment to defeat all coronaviruses—from the 2002 SARS-CoV outbreak to Omicron, the current variant of SARS-CoV-2, as well as dangerous variants that may emerge in future. Their results showed that SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV also had the pocket, and could bind the ligand, linoleic acid, by a virtually identical mechanism.

New research from Jefferson sheds light on this by showing that exposure to e-cigarette vapor increases levels of the coronavirus receptor in the lungs of male mice, particularly when nicotine is present in the vapor. “It’s been shown that cigarette smokers have higher levels of ACE-2 in their lungs and that smoking is a known risk factor for developing lung disease and infection,” says Pawan Sharma, PhD and co-senior author of the study.