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The Dream Team: Scientists Find Drug Duo That May Cure COVID-19 Together
Medical Xpress ^ | JUNE 4, 2021

Posted on 06/05/2021 3:24:15 PM PDT by nickcarraway

COVID-19 continues to claim lives around the world and is infecting millions more. Although several vaccines have recently become available, making significant strides towards preventing COVID-19, what about the treatment of those who already have the infection? Vaccines aren't 100% effective, highlighting the need—now more than ever—for effective antiviral therapeutics. Moreover, some people can't receive vaccines due to health issues, and new variants of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, that can penetrate vaccine-conferred immunity, are being reported, indicating that we need to think beyond prevention.

Given this need, a team of researchers based in Japan, the US, and the UK launched a project to develop effective therapeutics. This team included several researchers based at Tokyo University of Science: Visiting Professor Koichi Watashi, Dr. Hirofumi Ohashi, Professor Shin Aoki, Professor Kouji Kuramochi, and Assistant Professor Tomohiro Tanaka. Their goal was clear and simple: finding a cure for COVID-19.

To achieve this goal, the researchers first established an experimental system for screening drugs that may help to control infections. This system used a type of cells called VeroE6/TMPRSS2 cells, which were manipulated to efficiently be infected with and produce SARS-CoV-2. "To determine whether a drug of interest could help combat infection by SARS-CoV-2, we simply had to expose VeroE6/TMPRSS2 cells to both the drug and SARS-CoV-2 and then observe whether the drug's presence served to hinder the virus's efforts to infect cells," explains Professor Watashi.

The researchers used this experimental system to screen a panel of drugs that are already approved for clinical use, including drugs like remdesivir and chloroquine that have already being approved or are being trialed as treatments for COVID-19. In an exciting outcome, the researchers found two drugs that provided effective SARS-CoV-2 suppression: cepharanthine, which is used to treat inflammation, and nelfinavir, which is approved for the treatment of HIV infection.

Cepharanthine inhibited the entry of the virus into cells by preventing the virus from binding to a protein on the cell membrane, which it uses as a gateway. In contrast, nelfinavir worked to prevent the virus from replicating inside the cell by inhibiting a protein that the virus relies on for replication. Given that these drugs have distinct antiviral mechanisms, using both of them together could be especially effective for patients, with computational models predicting that combined cepharanthine/nelfinavir therapy can hasten the clearance of SARS-CoV-2 from a patient's lungs by as few as 4.9 days.

So, does this mean we will be seeing these new drugs in COVID-19 treatment centers? Of course, the drug duo isn't ready to be rolled out into healthcare systems just yet. These findings justify further research into the clinical potential of cepharanthine/nelfinavir therapy, and only following this can we say for sure that it is useful and helpful.

Nevertheless, given the ongoing nature of the COVID-19 pandemic and the ever-increasing death toll, the development of cepharanthine/nelfinavir therapy may provide clinicians and patients with a much-needed new treatment option.


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Health/Medicine; Science
KEYWORDS: covid19; japan; pharmaceuticals
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1 posted on 06/05/2021 3:24:15 PM PDT by nickcarraway
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To: nickcarraway

Already an effective ‘drug duo’ : HCQ and Ivermectin.


2 posted on 06/05/2021 3:30:36 PM PDT by A strike (Barr to Gitmo, Roberts to Florence supermax, Fauxi to TerreHaute)
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To: nickcarraway

One silver lining of this Chicom bioweapon may well turn out to be that with the money and research poured into stopping COVID if and when a more dangerous virus shows up, effective vaccines and anti-virals should be available much faster.


3 posted on 06/05/2021 3:30:37 PM PDT by phoneman08 (qwiyrqweopigradfdzcm,.dadfjl,dz )
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To: nickcarraway

Remember this

The government; the medical industry ; the pharmaceutical industry - want you to be dependent on them

All of their solutions always require you to get help from them !

permission from them
a prescription from them
or something from them

You are in charge of your own health !!

you make decisions every day that are going to determine whether you’re a healthy person or not a healthy person

I’m gonna tell you right here and right now that the silver ion silver is the most affective antibiotic and antiviral for human beings on planet earth

Colloidal silver

The government the medical industry knows this - and silver is in tens of thousands of medical products

The secret is you can make your own silver , in a glass , in your own kitchen , using off-the-shelf materials that are commonly available

and you will never ever need a doctor or pharmacist or any drugs that you have to purchase from the industry. For fighting PATHOGENS

Now , if you break a bone , have severe pain , things like that - the medical industry is fabulous

But in terms of fighting illness created by pathogens in the environments there is nothing better than silver. And silver is FREE

The vaccine industry , on the other hand , is pure evil

Fortunately for those of us that I’ve been following them for decades and all the lives that they’ve ruined they’re really exposing themselves this time

Of course all the lemmings and sheep the Democrats are lining up for their Covid shot ; because they’re morons

Again let me get back to the main point

YOU ARE IN CHARGE OF YOUR OWN HEALTH.


4 posted on 06/05/2021 3:31:10 PM PDT by Truthoverpower (Arizona !!!! Now the TRUMP TRAIN is getting back on TRACK ! TRUTH! FREEDOM ! LIBERTY! )
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To: nickcarraway

My doctor is a little Italian from Calabria. He proscribes meatballs for everything. I’m not too healthy.


5 posted on 06/05/2021 3:31:46 PM PDT by Track9 (Dealing with democrats is like living without toilet paper. )
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To: nickcarraway

Inverse tin is working in India


6 posted on 06/05/2021 3:33:57 PM PDT by Nifster (I see puppy dogs in the clouds)
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To: nickcarraway

FTA:
“...the development of cepharanthine/nelfinavir therapy may provide...”

Twitter and Faceplant a whole new set of reasons to fact-check, suspend, or ban you.


7 posted on 06/05/2021 3:45:57 PM PDT by Oscar in Batangas (An Honors Graduate from the Don Rickles School of Personal Verbal Intercourse)
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To: Track9

Would you rather be healthy or happy?


8 posted on 06/05/2021 3:49:15 PM PDT by Hostage (Article V)
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To: phoneman08

There is a ton of research going specifically into coronaviruses. I’m sure China is disappointed their virus family of choice for bioweapons is slowly being rendered less of a threat.

These two drugs are an anti-inflammatory and a protease inhibitor. Both of these are seeing a lot of activity in big pharma, including some trials in progress. Ivermectin has also been shown to act as a protease inhibitor, and that might be the process that makes it a possibly effective treatment for coronaviruses.


9 posted on 06/05/2021 3:50:40 PM PDT by ETCM
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To: Nifster

Inverse tin? Did auto correct fix that for you?


10 posted on 06/05/2021 3:51:16 PM PDT by D Rider ( )
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To: Hostage

I relay on a bit of denial to answer that question. I did asked for a second opinion.


11 posted on 06/05/2021 3:52:56 PM PDT by Track9 (Dealing with democrats is like living without toilet paper. )
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To: ETCM

Don’t tell Tony or Cavuto.


12 posted on 06/05/2021 4:02:33 PM PDT by dandiegirl (BOBBY m)
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To: nickcarraway
...computational models predicting that combined cepharanthine/nelfinavir therapy can hasten the clearance of SARS-CoV-2 from a patient's lungs by as few as 4.9 days.

That must be intended to mean something. Does it mean that lungs are cleared in 4.9 days? Does it mean that the lungs are cleared 4.9 days sooner that a baseline number of days established by a control group?

Probably neither.

13 posted on 06/05/2021 4:03:25 PM PDT by TChad (')
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To: Nifster

You mean Ivermectin...I hope😆


14 posted on 06/05/2021 4:13:44 PM PDT by Eagles6 (Welcome to the Matrix circa 1984.)
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To: nickcarraway

The US didn’t organize a mass effort here to find workable thereputics.

Why?

Oh yeah, Fauci. The chicom mole.


15 posted on 06/05/2021 4:31:54 PM PDT by Basket_of_Deplorables (Convention Of States is our only hope now! Desantis 2024!!!)
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To: Basket_of_Deplorables

The RAT mole


16 posted on 06/05/2021 4:33:59 PM PDT by petitfour (APPEAL TO HEAVEN)
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To: nickcarraway

Computational models...


17 posted on 06/05/2021 4:43:17 PM PDT by jrestrepo (Now I am an insurgent. Starve the beast (any way possible) )
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To: phoneman08

Unfortunately that is the same ‘logic/reasoning’ for HerrDoktor FauxiGates gain of function promotion and funding.

“We have to create a more virulent, lethal virus in order to know how to fight it when it gets out.”


18 posted on 06/05/2021 4:45:34 PM PDT by A strike (Barr to Gitmo, Roberts to Florence supermax, Fauxi to TerreHaute)
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To: A strike

I suppose. But, considering the success the CCP had in upending this country, having the ability to defend against another attack is unwanted, but useful nonetheless. They’ll do it again when useful considering no retribution is in the cards.


19 posted on 06/05/2021 4:54:49 PM PDT by phoneman08 (qwiyrqweopigradfdzcm,.dadfjl,dz )
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To: nickcarraway

Lots of treatments in the pipeline these days. And with indications they can help with many other diseases.


20 posted on 06/05/2021 5:01:09 PM PDT by mrsmith (US MEDIA: " Every 'White' cop is a criminal! And all the 'non-white' criminals saints!")
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