Researchers have developed molecular traps using nanoparticles to target the Covid virus. According to researchers, these nanoparticles bind the SARS CoV2 and prevent it from attacking the cells in the body during an infection.
Researchers Develop Molecular Traps To Target The Covid Virus
In this way, the white blood cells in the body do not get affected during infection, and they can fight back to retain their immune levels. During an infection, the macrophages recognize and kill the virus as a first-line defense mechanism of the body.
They also produce cytokines in large quantities during infection, and this can affect various organs while fighting the virus. Due to this overreaction of the immune system, the body develops inflammation in different organs leading to Covid complications.
The researchers worked on a unique strategy of using liposome molecules to carry the drugs into the tissues. Nanoparticles were used for this purpose to deliver the medication to the target area in the body.
It was observed that the covid virus binds well to these nanoparticles, and the immune system cells get spared from the attack. In this way, the inflammation in the body gets reduced to a large extent during an infection.
Researchers said that the nanoparticles worked effectively to counter inflammation caused by the virus. By countering the virus before it attacks the immune system, the macrophage response is limited to a large extent in the body.
This, in turn, reduces the chances of inflammation in the body. Researchers are hopeful that the treatment method can even be extended to treating inflammation in the heart and other regions of the body.
The advantage of using such innovative methods to target the Covid virus is that it can effectively prevent infection in many cases. Not only that but it can also be used as a treatment option in case of an infection.
In this way, the infection can be limited in the early stages itself without making way for complications. It is generally observed that treating the infection in the early stages reduces the need for hospital admission to a large extent.
Several antiviral pills developed to treat Covid patients also work similarly, and they need to be used in the early stages of infection. Doctors suggest using such medication as soon as symptoms are visible. In this way, it can prevent serious outcomes in hospitalized patients.
Some antiviral pills are given emergency use authorization, and they are available to treat Covid symptoms. Doctors usually prescribe such medication to patients after considering their overall health condition. As of now, not many pills are available to treat the virus, and further development is needed in this regard.
The regular vaccines and other treatment options available for Covid infection mainly focus on the spike protein of the virus. Most medications work by binding themselves to the spike protein to become ineffective once they enter the body.
In this way, the virus is kept busy with other particles, and the spike protein can no longer bind itself to the immune cells in the body. Even though this method works well to some extent, the problem arises when the virus mutates and changes its spike protein.
Due to this situation, several vaccines and medications become ineffective over time. On the other hand, when the whole molecular structure of the virus is attacked, the medication remains more effective as the virus is not likely to change its entire molecular structure within a short duration of time.
However, when it comes to mutations, it can happen even within a week in many cases. Considering the approach, antiviral pills remain more effective against different variants when compared to other medications.
