London, Dec 5 Scientists from the University of Cambridge (United Kingdom) have identified a medicine used until now for liver ailments that can prevent SARS-Cov-2 infection and protect against future variants of the virus, according to a study published Monday in the journal Nature. .
Ursodeoxycholic acid, used to treat or prevent various bile conditions, regulates the ACE2 receptor, which facilitates entry of the SARS-CoV-2 virus into cells and may reduce infection, according to tests on animal and human organoids and tissues.
Modulating viral receptors could “complement vaccination” and be suitable for treating covid in certain vulnerable groups, the scientific journal noted.
Since the substance regulates human cells, instead of targeting the virus, its administration may help protect the body from variants that may emerge in the future, the researchers note in a statement from their university.
“Vaccines protect us by boosting our immune system, so that it can recognize the virus and eliminate it, or at least weaken it,” described the study’s lead author, Fotios Sampaziotis.
“But vaccines do not work for everyone, for example, in patients with weakened immune systems, and not everyone has access to them. In addition, the virus can mutate into new vaccine-resistant variants,” the scientist warned. .
Sampaziotis and his team have investigated “alternative ways” to protect themselves from SARS-CoV-2 and have found “a way to close the door on the virus, preventing it from entering cells and protecting against infection,” he described. EFE
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