Free Republic

A drug that was approved by U.S. regulators more than 70 years ago may help protect against two major COVID-19 symptoms, according to a new study.Disulfiram, approved to treat alcoholism, protected rodents infected with COVID-19 from lung injury in the preclinical study done by researchers at Weill Cornell Medicine and Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory.Certain white blood cells called neutrophils form inside some people suffering from COVID-19, damaging the lungs. No drugs have yet been found to prevent this from happening, researchers said.Disulfiram, though, dramatically reduced the formation of neutrophil extracellular traps (NET), which cause fluid to accumulate in the lungs...

A team discovered disulfiram, an FDA-approved drug, prevents the immune system from producing toxic webs known as neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs). Many suspect NETs help drive the development of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) in patients with severe COVID-19 and other life-threatening lung injuries. Jose M. Adrover, postdoctoral fellow, explains that NETs are usually released during infections when immune cells, called neutrophils, confront a threat that is too large for the tiny cells to battle directly. To extend their reach, neutrophils spew a sticky web of DNA and toxins, which indiscriminately poisons pathogens and the body's own cells. "They will...

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A new pill that aims to keep alcoholics from drinking again after they have quit could hit the shelves by the end of this year after U.S. health officials approved the drug on Thursday. The drug, called Campral, may not work for people who are actively drinking when they start taking the pill or who are abusing other substances, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said in a statement. It was not clear how the pill worked, health officials said, but studies showed more patients who took the drug stayed away from drinking compared to those who...