Brazilian viper poison could become a tool to fight COVID, according to study

SAO PAULO (Aug 30) (Reuters) – Brazilian researchers have discovered that a venom molecule of a snake type inhibited the reproduction of coronavirus in monkey cells, a possible first step towards a drug to fight virus that causes COVID-19.

A study published in the scientific journal Molecules this month found that the molecule produced by the jararacussu viper inhibited the virus’s ability to multiply in monkey cells by 75%.

“We were able to show that this component of snake venom was able to inhibit a very important protein in the virus,” said Rafael Guido, a professor at the University of Sao Paulo and author of the study.

The molecule is a peptide, or chain of amino acids, that can bind to a coronavirus enzyme called PLPro, which is vital for the reproduction of the virus, without injuring other cells.

Already known for its antibacterial qualities, the peptide can be synthesized in the lab, Guido said in an interview, making it unnecessary to catch or raise snakes.

“We are wary of people going out hunting jararacussu around Brazil, thinking it will save the world … That’s not it!” said Giuseppe Puorto, a herpetologist who runs the biological collection of the Butantan Institute in Sao Paulo. “It’s not the poison itself that will cure the coronavirus.”

The researchers will evaluate the efficiency of the different doses of the molecule and whether it is able to prevent the virus from entering the cells, according to a statement from the State University of Sao Paulo (Unesp), which also participated in research .

They hope to test the substance on human cells, but gave no chronology.

The jararacussu is one of the largest snakes in Brazil, measuring up to 2 meters long. It lives in the coastal Atlantic forest and is also found in Bolivia, Paraguay and Argentina.

Report by Leonardo Benassatto; Additional reports by Pedro Fonseca; Edited by Bill Berkrot

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