What is working now: Covid-19

Thread Reader ^ | 3/14/2020 | David Sinclair, PhD AO

[TECTopcat]

David Sinclair, PhD AO @davidasinclair

Since my Harvard lab closed yesterday, I've been reading and interpreting this week's published papers on #COVID19. What follows is a thread of information, my interpretation, links to sources & predictions. Let's start with what you need to know... #coronavirus #COVIDー19

Treatments that seem to work are chloroquine (a cheap malarial drug), Gilliad's remdesivir with interferon-beta (in clinical trials from COV-19), plasma from recovered patients, and a steroid (methylprednisilone). Doctors in US are now using remdesivir off-label...

SARS-CoV2 attacks pneumocytes in lung, intestine, heart & cells lining blood vessels. In lung, CoV2 prevents cells from making biological detergents to keep lung passages open. Acute respiratory distress follows. O2 levels fall..but there's may be a dangerous underlying process.. ..new work out of China yesterday says COVID-19 might also involve abnormal blood production. CoV genes 1 & 8 are predicted to interfere with heme, the red compound in blood, by kicking out the iron. Would explain why chloroquine seems effective as a treatment #CoronaVirusUpdate

Chloroquine is predicted to prevent orf1ab, ORF3a and ORF10 from attacking heme (red in red blood cells) and inhibit the binding of ORF8 to heme. Although 99% of the virus is seemingly stable, what's disturbing is ORF 1 and 8 are mutating the fastest...

..Positions nt28144 in ORF 8 and nt8782 in ORF1 are evolving. Samples out of China show they'd mutated 30.53% (29/95) and 29.47% (28/95), respectively. I'm currently figuring out why these are the ones mutating and how that would change the situation...

It may explain why diabetics and elderly are more susceptible. Blood sugar levels usually increase as we get older, increasing the amount of glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) (I've tweeted about this before). The authors suggest these people would be more susceptible to because... ...the virus could more easily disrupt the heme in red blood cells. If so, the virus is very smart: it destroys the lung so patients can't take up oxygen AND reduces the body's ability to carry oxygen. (For this & other reasons, you should eat healthily the next 2 years)...

These ideas are testable. COVID-19 should correlate with HbA1c levels (seems true). Patients should have abnormalities in heme/porphyrin & they might have higher levels of free iron in tissues & blood. I will update with more info as it comes in. Stay safe. Below are links... Blood, HbA1c, and chloroquine COVID-19 Disease: ORF8 and Surface Glycoprotein Inhibit Heme Metabolism by Binding to Porphyrin COVID-19 Disease: ORF8 and Surface Glycoprotein Inhibit Heme Metabolism by Binding to Porphyrin https://tinyurl.com/w28et45

CoV2 mutations tinyurl.com/secncmf Symptoms tinyurl.com/ubncbgn Susceptibility/Risk tinyurl.com/vexo5vl Fatality tinyurl.com/sb8qpza Therapies tinyurl.com/vrm7f5j Remdesivir

[roadcat]

Think - geez all this time, $, and effort put into me and all I do is stay home.

We're home bodies also. My wife prefers it that way. She's been fighting this for 25 years now. Not currently in treatment, last chemo was over a year ago, and recent checkups are clear. We have friends and relatives that have had their share of medical issues, so she's able to relate to them. One friend has had issues since her twenties, now in her late fifties and recently went through a kidney transplant. Worse for the friend, as she is taking anti-rejection drugs and must be diligent to avoid infection from others. Whole lot of hurt in life, and you can't feel alone (although I can understand when my wife says "why me?"). Plus she knows her family needs her (grandchildren chat almost daily with her).

[icclearly]

“Makes me think about how my AML leukemia actually changed my DNA. It translocated the (4,12) chromosome .”

As a fellow blood cancer patient (Mantle Cell Lymphoma) who also has genetic mutations associated with my disease (not the same, though), I’m not sure cancer changed the chromosomes or was caused by them. I actually believe it is the latter.

In any event, you and I both are in the high risk with heavily comprimised immune systems. I have IVIG treatments to offset that about every 60 days. It has kept me flu and cold free for many years.

Good luck!

[icclearly]

From someone who tracks and admires David Sinclair, thank you for posting this! There is a world of good information in his article. I recently purchased his book, Lifespan, Why We Age and Don’t Have To. http://bit.ly/2r0silo. I have followed his lifestyle prescription for many years. I only recently discovered it has been scientifically proven when I discovered his book. If you are interested, here is a YouTube video where he discusses his theory — http://bit.ly/2OVFvEb.

This has sure worked for me and apparently from his discussion for the mice, too :-).

IC Clearly

[HollyB]

Those IVIG treatments are fantastic, aren’t they? I was getting them for a while since my IGG hovered around/under 400. But, then my kidney numbers got bad. So, I had to stop.

I’m glad you’re able to receive them. With all the news about social distancing and germs - just as myself - you’re probably saying ‘this is what I do everyday!’ These habits a deeply ingrained. Stay healthy. Prayers & blessings.

[icclearly]

“I’m glad you’re able to receive them. With all the news about social distancing and germs - just as myself - you’re probably saying ‘this is what I do everyday!’ These habits a deeply ingrained. Stay healthy. Prayers & blessings.”

Hi Holly,

You are 100% correct — every single day :-).

By the way, you might check with your nephrologist, but IVIG, to the best of my knowlodge, does not cause kidney problems (depending on the manufacturer and proper administration/infusion). Proper infusion is key, though. My IgG stays in the 700 range.

I go to MD Anderson and my doc there fully supports the treatment as does my neph doctor. My version of lymphoma actually showed up in my kidneys six years ago and knocked them completely out (very rare). I was on dialysis for three years but came off after three years (with no transplant). I still have a low GFR but am not on dialysis and have been getting IVIG for almost six years.

We would be toast if we got this disease. For all practical purposes, our immune system is a big fat zero.

God bless you as well! He keeps us going with a little help from modern medicine. For us, “there is nothing new under the sun.” :-).

IC Clearly