Neutralizing the SARS-CoV-2 sugar coat

Phys.org ^ | 10 Aug 2021 | Austrian Academy of Sciences

[blueplum]

Researchers have identified two sugar-binding proteins that impede the viral entry of circulating SARS-CoV-2 variants. The team, spearheaded by researchers at IMBA—Institute of Molecular Biotechnology of the Austrian Academy of Sciences—may have found the "Achilles' heel" of the virus, with potential for pan-variant therapeutic interventions. The findings are now published in the EMBO Journal.

...The importance of the S protein for the survival and spread of the virus dictates the presence of a camouflage mechanism. Hence, the virus uses so-called glycosylation as a cloaking mechanism to form a sugar coat at specific sites of the Spike protein in order to hide ...

...More good news: The team found that the two lectins bind to the N-glycan site N343 of the Spike protein. This specific site is so crucial to the Spike that it can never be lost in any infectious variant....

...And the story does not end here. To the team's excitement, the two lectins also decreased SARS-CoV-2 infectivity of human lung cells. For Josef Penninger and the whole team, these findings hold promise for ...

[Uncle Miltie]

Don’t Sugar Coat it for me Doc. Gimme the ugly truth.

[Blennos]

It’s difficult to become excited by potential new treatments for this virus when current, safe, proven treatments are being suppressed. Scientific research has been thoroughly corrupted by political and financial interests.

[WLusvardi]

Eat Chanterelle mushrooms - high in sugar binding lectins

[Meah]

So cool! Loved this article! Thank you.

[Flick Lives]

Researchers have identified two sugar-binding proteins that impede the viral entry of circulating SARS-CoV-2 variants.

I wonder if this is an indirect correlation to the fact that obesity is a major factor in those that succumb to Covid? Perhaps it's not the obesity per se, but consumption of excessive amounts of sugar creates a situation where available sugar-binding proteins, which might otherwise neutralize viruses, instead end up binding to ingested dietary sugars. The available sugar-binding proteins that might otherwise protect the person by neutralizing the virus are effectively "overwhelmed".