Researchers in Berlin have diagnosed that there is a protein in the human body that plays a crucial role in the entrance of coronavirus infection in our lung cells. It seems to be a great finding which can guide the researchers to invent the novel drug against this fatal disease. According to the researchers – the new coronavirus named SARS-CoV-2, which is spreading throughout the world is causing deadly coronavirus infection in respiratory system named COVID-19 among the people. Already the virus has lead to more than 3,000 deaths and has infected over 90,000 people.
According to the investigation which is published in the journal “Cell”, the number of people infected by this virus has been escalating since December 2019. All the syndromes that those infected people show are highly related to another disease, which took an epidemic form during 2002-2003. SARS coronavirus was the culprit that was responsible for Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome in those years.
It should be noted that there are still no drugs or vaccines have been invented to prevent us from the invasion of this virus. The researchers are observing how these viruses get into our cells, and how this entire process of their entrance can be cut off. They determined a cellular protein which is responsible for arresting their entrance in our lung cells.
A study co-author, named Stefan Pohlmann from German Primate Center said that their results exhibit that the SARS-CoV-2 needs protease TMPRSS2 to enter cells which is present in our body. This protease is now their target for the therapeutic intervention. They added that the drug – camostat mesilate can restrict TMPRSS2, which is approved in Japan to use to treat pancreatic inflammation. The researchers also found whether the drug can prevent the entrance of COVID-19.
Another co-author from the investigation, Markus Hoffman said that they isolated SARS-CoV-2 from an infected patient and used camostat mesilate and found that the drug can arrest the entry of the virus into lung.
