Posted on 07/27/2020 4:33:02 PM PDT by absalom01
Could a simple drug that has been on the market for decades be used to treat COVID-19? A research team led by Hebrew University of Jerusalem (HU)'s Professor Yaakov Nahmias says that early research looks promising; their findings appear in this week's Cell Press Sneak Peak.
Over the last three months, Nahmias and Dr. Benjamin tenOever at New York's Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai have focused on the ways in which the SARS-CoV-2 changes patients' lungs in order to reproduce itself. Their major finding? This virus prevents the routine burning of carbohydrates. As a result, large amounts of fat accumulate inside lung cells, a condition the virus needs in order to reproduce. This new understanding of SARS CoV-2 may help explain why patients with high blood sugar and cholesterol levels are often at a particularly high risk to develop COVID-19.
Viruses are parasites that lack the ability to replicate on their own, so they take control of our cells to help accomplish that task. "By understanding how the SARS-CoV-2 controls our metabolism, we can wrestle back control from the virus and deprive it from the very resources it needs to survive," Nahmias explained.
With this information in hand, Nahmias and tenOever began to screen FDA-approved medications that interfere with the virus' ability to reproduce. In lab studies, the cholesterol-lowering drug Fenofibrate (Tricor) showed extremely promising results. By allowing lung cells to burn more fat, fenofibrate breaks the virus' grip on these cells, and prevents SARS CoV-2's ability to reproduce. In fact, within only five days of treatment, the virus almost completely disappeared.
"With second-wave infections spiking in countries across the globe, these findings couldn't come at a better time," said Nahmias, and global cooperation may provide the cure. "The collaboration between the Nahmias and tenOever labs demonstrates the power of adopting a multi-disciplinary approach to study SARS-CoV-2 and that our findings could truly make a significant different in reducing the global burden of COVID-19," tenOever added.
While there are many international efforts currently underway to develop a coronavirus vaccine, studies suggest that vaccines may only protect patients for a few months. Therefore, blocking the virus' ability to function, rather than neutralizing its ability to strike in the first place, may be the key to turning the tables on COVID-19. "If our findings are borne out by clinical studies, this course of treatment could potentially downgrade COVID-19's severity into nothing worse than a common cold," Nahmias concluded.
Wonder how the classes differ in mechanisms in that one would help and one not in regards to this virus?
Pretty early on there was a finding that people on Keto diets where less susceptible to Covid. That would gel with the info presented here.
Ah, thank God. I was thinking it was going to be more complicated than that.
I have been taking fenofibrate for the last three years and haven’t had an upper respiratory infection of any kind in that time frame. I knew I hadn’t been sick; this is very interesting information.
I have been taking fenofibrate for the last three years and haven’t had an upper respiratory infection of any kind in that time frame. I knew I hadn’t been sick; this is very interesting information.
“There is already an early treatment. It is called HCQ.”
I’m on it, as a preventative. 1 x 200mg per week. Low dose. Talked my PA into it.
My cholesterol regimen includes a daily dose of fenofibrate. Yay!
Not almost. They definitely dont want to have any cure/vaccine before the elections.
Politicians, actors, entertainers and millionaires seem to have no problem obtaining hcq for preventative treatment. The Proles on the other hand, good luck!
How dare you offer a cheap, effective and safe treatment when there are hundreds of billions of dollars to be made on vaccines! /s
“Would Lipitor work also?”
What about Crestor? Or the generic Rosuvastatin?
The funding for that vaccine was dropped after the outbreak was fully contained and never reached epidemic levels.
Though in hindsight...had it be completed, it may have been easier and faster to come up with a vaccine for the current virus.
You got that right. Maybe they will get lucky this time, but I'd rather they quit dissing hydroxychloroquine + zinc and other effective treatments.
The mechanism to burn fat only activates once insulin levels in the blood are low, which requires low blood sugar.
If there is any degree of insulin resistance, carbohydrates cannot be burned and therefore insulin levels remain higher, and for a longer period of time.
In fact, high insulin also signals the conversion of carbohydrates into fatty acids to be stored in adipose tissue.
The body is then placed in the horrible position of being loaded with carbohydrates and storing higher and higher amounts of fats, yet the patient is starving.
The virus is basically pushing borderline Type 2 diabetes into full blown cases.
The plain and obvious answer is to place all patients on a no carb/low protein diet (protein can be converted into glucose) until the virus resolves. But doctors have no ability to think about measures other than drugs, so we’re off to the races.
Google “Dr. Jason Fung” for all kinds of interesting facts about obesity, diabetes and carbs.
After experimenting on myself with diet, supplements, and exercise, and losing 30 lbs. of fat in 11 weeks, I’m writing a book about how to exploit these and other mechanisms to boost metabolism, lose weight, stay mentally sharp, and live a longer, healthier life. From the research I’ve done, the biggest factor by far is cutting out sugars, simple starches, and processed foods.
COVID-19 is the name of the disease and SARS-CoV-2 is the name of the virus.
I'd rather just call it the Chicom Wuhan virus.
Very informative video by brave doctors.
https://www.facebook.com/Breitbart/videos/1376146442759558/
Low carb is best ping!
These occasions are where carbs are being unnaturally stored in lung tissue as fat globules. They cant be fully used by the body, yet the victim is still pumping them into their mouth.
It seems very likely that a low carb diet would fix this in the same way as the drug.
The liver converts both protein and fat into glucose.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.