researchers at the University of Frankfurt studied in the laboratory, such as the new Coronavirus body transformed cells for its purposes. They also found possible starting points for therapies. As the University announced, is preparing an American company on the basis of the Frankfurt results an active ingredient for a clinical trial. With a further substance a canadian company to begin clinical Tests.
Sascha Zoske
sheet-makers in the Rhein-Main-Zeitung.
F. A. Z.
The researchers Sandra Ciesek, Christian Münch and Jindrich Cinatl used for their Work on viruses, which they had obtained from swabs of two infected returnees from Wuhan. They grew the pathogen in the laboratory on human intestinal cells. In order to detect how the Virus alters the host cell, they used a special Form of mass spectrometry. Thus, the quantity and the production rate of thousands of proteins in the cell determine.
The Virus, the protein production
stimulates showed How, leads to the infection of the body cell drives the production of our own proteins in favor of viral proteins is strongly decreased. In this respect, the Sars-Coronavirus 2 differs apparently from other viruses. Instead, the pathogen stimulates the production of proteins in total. Therefore, attempt in the laboratory, the virus replication with protein synthesis inhibitors brakes.
24 hours after infection, the protein distribution in the cell is altered significantly: The metabolism of Cholesterol is reduced, the production of carbohydrates, and RNA for protein production to be ramped up. With substances which inhibit these processes, were able to stop the researchers from the multiplication of the virus in the cell cultures. Similarly, a substance that hinders the production of new building blocks for the Virus genetic material was.
drug Ribavirin, shows in the laboratory effect
To the Connections that have been successfully tested, is one of 2-Deoxy-D-glucose, a substance that intervenes in the metabolism of carbohydrates. A similar active ingredient, the American company Moleculin Biotech prepares according to their own data for clinical studies. The genome synthesis of Virus with Ribavirin to interfere. This active ingredient is already used for the treatment of viral diseases, including Hepatitis C. The canadian company Bausch Health Americas tested according to the Goethe-University with 50 test persons, whether the agent also helps against Covid-19.
Jindrich Cinatl from the Institute for Medical Virology, sees in the use of substances that are components of already-approved drugs, “is a Chance for the fight against the Virus. Such active substances are already well characterized, and we know, as they are well tolerated by patients.“
