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Research on SARS-CoV-2, the virus responsible for Covid-19, is proceeding day by day. It has now been established that the virus has at least two entry points to make the virus carrier sick.
Last January, when Covid-19 hit the planet, doctors got lost: no one really knew how to contain the disease, how to avoid the devastation of the virus, how to reduce the severity of infections. It is in the face of this lack of knowledge that governments have had to decide to confine populations.
Almost a year later, we are starting to see more clearly. Science magazine reports that the virus would in fact have two solutions to spread in our body, and not just one. Globally, SARS-CoV-2 uses the “spike” protein to infect us. This allows the virus to attach itself to our cells. The challenge for researchers is to understand how this protein allows the virus to break through the defenses of our cells. Researchers at the University of Bristol may have made an important discovery in this area.
A new receiver
They confirmed that the virus’ Spike protein only binds to the ACE2 receptor, as we knew so far. This is present in the kidneys and lungs, which explains why these organs are regularly affected in patients (it is also present in the testes, which can cause fertility problems). These researchers also found that a second receptor provides a gateway for the virus: neuropilin-1.
This discovery opens the door to new treatments, which could be based on the specificities of neuropilin-1. Researchers are planning to use synthetic antibodies to prevent interaction between the virus protein and this receptor. In any case, the development of a new drug based on this research will still take time. Meanwhile, barrier gestures and the reduction of social contacts remain essential to prevent the spread of the epidemic.
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