Researchers believe an experimental anti-cancer drug derived from a poisonous plant could stop Covid-19.
Scholars at the University of Nottingham say thapsigargine should be effective against the coronavirus behind the pandemic and others that cause common colds.
The drug, derived from the “deadly carrot” thapsia plant, deadly to cattle and sheep, found in the western Mediterranean, is being tested for prostate cancer.
But researchers who tried the treatment on animals have found that it could stop the infection with the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus, which causes Covid.
Researchers believe an experimental cancer drug thapsigargine derived from the “deadly carrot” thapsia plant (pictured) could stop Covid-19
The trials also found that the drug, which humans will be able to take as a pill if it is shown to work, is effective against coronaviruses that cause the common cold, as well as respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and grip.
Researchers believe the drug’s effectiveness against several respiratory viruses could make it particularly useful in the coronavirus pandemic.
Instead of specifically targeting the coronavirus, the antiviral could be used to inhibit the development of a number of viruses that trigger similar symptoms.
What is the “deadly carrot” thapsia plant and how has it been used in medicine?
The “deadly carrot” thapsia garganica in bloom
Thapsia garganica is a flowering plant found on the western Mediterranean coasts.
The plant has long been used in traditional medicine, even as an analgesic in Algeria.
But it gained its common name, the deadly carrot, from its toxicity to sheep and cattle in ancient Greece.
Thapsigargine is a chemical compound isolated from the plant, which has been used in cancer research.
Johns Hopkins University oncologist Samuel Denmeade spent 15 years crafting the plant compound.
In cancer research, the drug was found to be effective passing through cell membranes and turning off calcium pumps.
Tests have shown that it is safe in humans with much higher dose levels than those required for antivral use.
To induce an antiviral state, a much lower dose of the drug is needed.
This broad applicability may also make the drug effective against future “disease X” pandemics, according to the researchers.
Professor Kin-Chow Chang, one of the lead researchers, admitted that “it is clear that more evidence is needed”; there is no evidence that they work in humans.
But he said “the findings strongly indicate that thapsigargine and its derivatives are promising antiviral treatments for covid and influenza.”
The antiviral has been shown to be effective in blocking symptoms when used before or during active infection in petri dish tests and in mice.
It costs around £ 76 ($ 104) per 1 mg for use in experimental research today, but its cost would be drastically reduced if it went into full production. Influenza antivirals may require between 200 and 800 mg per dose.
The compost could be easily manufactured in bulk in laboratories, instead of being harvested directly from the plant, and stored without the requirements of deep freezing.
Antivirals for coronavirus have not yet been approved and only a handful of drugs have been shown to reduce the risk of death in critically ill patients.
Influenza-licensed antivirals target a portion of the virus to stop or slow down its ability to make copies of itself within infected cells.
But thapsigargine works by triggering a series of host cellular responses rather than targeting the virus itself.
In other words, the drug makes cells better able to fight virus invasion through the natural capacity of the immune system.
These responses interrupt the virus’s cycle of reproduction at several sites at the same time, preventing the virus from reproducing and catching itself.
This makes the drug especially valuable against new strains, because mutations in part of the reproductive cycle of the virus should not reduce its effectiveness.
Laboratory tests performed on the cells showed that the drug prevented a virus from making new copies of itself in as little as 30 minutes, and did not wear out for two days.
Professor Chang said: “While we are still in the early stages of research on this antiviral and its impact on how viruses such as Covid-19 can be treated, these findings are hugely significant.
The current pandemic highlights the need for antiviral drugs to treat active infections, as well as vaccines, to prevent infection.
Given that future pandemics are likely to be of animal origin, where animal-to-human (zoonotic) and reverse-zoonotic (human-to-animal) spread, a new generation of antivirals, such as thapsigargine, could play a role. a key role in the control and treatment of important viral infections in both humans and animals ”.
The study was a collaborative project of the University of Nottingham (pictured), the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA), China Agricultural University and the Pirbright Institute.
Professor Mark Woolhouse last week suggested that another pandemic-causing “X disease” could be just around the corner, and that is “when, not if.”
The infectious disease epidemiologist at the University of Edinburgh said the pandemic flu is the first on the list of outbreaks to worry about, but added that there are a number of other viruses that need to be considered. account.
Woolhouse revealed that he and other colleagues got the World Health Organization to add Disease X to the list of priority diseases four years ago.
He said: “We thought the next emerging pandemic could be a virus we don’t even know about; frankly, we thought it was the most likely scenario.”