Australians Destroy Coronavirus With Roundworm Treatment

Australians destroy coronavirus with roundworm treatment

The drug ivermectin, which disrupts the transmission of nerve impulses in nematodes, has reduced the concentration of the pathogen COVID-19 in cell cultures by 99.8%.

Photo: pixabay.com

A team of scientists from the Royal Hospital in Melbourne (Australia) and the Institute for the Study of Infections and Immunity. Peter Doherty discovered that the cheap antiparasitic drug ivermectin, synthesized back in 1984, is capable of destroying the SARS-CoV-2 virus in vitro - in a test tube. Research article published in the journal Antiviral Research.

Ivermectin was created by William Campbell on the basis of a chemical modification of avermectins - the metabolic products of Streptomyces bacteria. The new drug inhibited the neurotransmitter synapses in helminths, leading to paralysis and subsequent death of the parasites. Over the past decades, on its basis, drugs have been developed against the three main parasitic diseases in the world: strongyloidosis, elephantiasis and onchocerciasis, and Campbell himself received the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 2015.

Earlier, a number of studies have already shown that in laboratory conditions ivermectin is an effective broad-spectrum antiviral drug, so Australian experts decided to test its effect on SARS-CoV-2. Scientists infected a culture of African green monkey kidney epithelium cells with coronavirus, and two hours later they added an ivermectin solution there. It turned out that ivermectin inside Petri dishes reduces the viral RNA concentration by almost 5000 times (99.8%) in 48 hours.

The mechanism of action of the drug is not yet fully understood. The researchers suggest that such a powerful effect is provided by inhibiting the import of viral proteins into the cell nucleus using special complexes of importin proteins IMPα / β1. In the cytoplasm of the cell, these proteins bind to the transported (cargo) protein of the coronavirus, after which IMPα / β1 transports it through the pores into the cell nucleus, where SARS-CoV-2 "takes over control" and turns off its antiviral activity.

Ivermectin prevents the formation of a complex complex of three proteins: the coronavirus cargo protein and two importins - alpha and beta 1. As a result, the viral protein cannot penetrate the nucleus, and the cell remains capable of resisting the occupation of the virus for a long time, inhibiting the replication of its RNA as much as possible.

The work of Australians has attracted the attention of scientists around the world. For example, a professor of biochemistry at the University of Maryland, Catherine Seeley-Radtke, noted that “the results are promising. Ivermectin has previously shown its effectiveness against other viruses, but the data obtained can only be considered preliminary."

The problem is that very high concentrations of ivermectin are achieved in a test tube, which are difficult to ensure without severe side effects in the human body, therefore the authors of the study emphasize that no one should run to pharmacies and self-medicate until comprehensive preclinical and clinical trials are carried out. …

In Russia and the world, the coronavirus pandemic, which has already killed many people. Remember simple safety rules and stay healthy

If you go to a pharmacy and a store, take precautions

Wash your hands correctly and use an antiseptic

If you sneeze and cough, do it right, as shown in the infographic.

If you are sick, wear a mask

If someone gets sick in your home, follow these rules.

And be sure to observe the self-isolation regime