In discovering a molecule that could be included in a nasal spray preventing COVID-19 and providing early treatment when administered immediately after infection, scientists have moved forward with a new study published in Nature.
The research, led by researchers at Cornell University in New York, used experimental animals that had been modified with human receptors for coronavirus on their cell surfaces, found that the molecule N-0385 inhibited the entry of the virus into the cells. The University's research found that the molecule protected the mice from infection before exposure and was an effective treatment when administered up to 12 hours after exposure.
It should be noted that the molecule was developed jointly with the University of Sherbrooke, in Quebec, Canada.
The newly discovered therapy promises not only to prevent the disease but even reduce the severity and mortality from COVID-19, with just a few doses per day.
"'One advantage is that it works in the early stage of infection, even when someone has already contracted the virus," said Hector Aguilar-Carreno, associate professor of virology and author of the study.
Regarding the study, the treatment was tested in mice exposed to the first strain identified in the US in 2020, as well as the Delta strain, but however it has not yet been tested in the Omicron variant, although the researchers remain optimistic of the effectiveness of the treatment there as well.
Specifically, the researchers injected the small molecule intranasally into the mice before, during and after infection. They monitored the mice's weight - since weight loss signals infection - while taking several measurements such as temperature and mortality, and analyzed the mice's tissues to better understand the mice's response to the molecule. The result was that the mice did not lose weight, did not lose their lives and even 12 hours after infection the effectiveness of the treatment was observed.
"Treatment with N-0385 is simple and less expensive to mass produce than other types of anti-COVID-19 treatments, such as monoclonal antibodies," concluded Professor Aguilar-Carreno
The next stage of the research requires human trials.
Source: ygeiamou.gr
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