Common anti-coagulant drug could treat emerging variants of SARS-CoV-2
QUT PhD researcher Zachariah Schuurs said the research team had identified a new binding site on the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein. Binding of the CoV-2 spike protein to heparan sulphate (HS) on cell surfaces is generally the first step in a cascade of interactions the virus needs to initiate an infection and enter the cell. Most research has focused on understanding how HS interacts on the receptor-binding domain (RBD) and furin cleavage site of the SARS-CoV-2 virus s spike protein, as these typically bind different types of drugs, vaccines and antibodies. We have identified a novel binding site on the N-terminal domain (NTD), a different area of the virus s spike that facilitates the binding of HS. This helps to better understand how the virus infects cells. The NTD is also a part of the spike protein that frequently mutates.
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Anti-coagulant drug could treat COVID-19’s emerging variants
Molecules from the same family as the anti-coagulant drug heparin may interfere with the ability of the COVID-19 virus’s spikes to bind to human cells. This could be used to treat people with severe effects of the virus and any emerging variants.
New targetable site on the COVID-19 spike protein discovered
Heparin-like molecules, a common anti-coagulant, could prevent the virus from infecting cells
Low vaccine coverage in many countries means more vaccine-resistant mutations likely to appear.
QUT PhD researcher Zachariah Schuurs said the research team had identified a new binding site on the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein.
The researchers analyzed data from fecal samples of six crew members from Russia, Europe, and China.
The crew lived in a completely sealed habitat in Moscow from June 2010 to November 2011 to simulate a manned mission to Mars, which international space agencies hope to make in the 2030s. Their confinement was the longest ever conducted with humans under controlled conditions.
The goal: to test the impact of living cut off from the world on physiological and psychological health. Previous studies have shown that, in the end, all six crew members emerged with major alterations in their body mass, muscle strength, and other indicators.
Feeling confinement in the gut mcgill.ca - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from mcgill.ca Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
A review published in the Computational and Structural Biotechnology Journal explores the current state of the art in skin microbiome manipulation and transplantation for potential therapies.