Scientists at the University of Nottingham in the UK have discovered previously unknown antiviral properties in a known drug used against prostate cancer, useful for treating COVID-19. According to experts, in the future, this tool may become the most powerful in the fight against ARVI. This is reported in an article published in the journal Viruses, and the study is summarized in a press release on MedicalXpress.
According to the conclusions of specialists, the plant-derived substance tapigargin is highly effective against the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus, the common cold coronavirus, the influenza A virus and the human respiratory syncytial virus. In small doses, it helps to mobilize the innate immune response against the three main types of ARVI pathogens.
The key features of the drug include its stability against acidity characteristic of the stomach (thapsigargin can be taken orally), as well as the ability to block the multiplication of the virus for 48 hours. It does not induce drug resistance in pathogens and is several hundred times more effective than other antiviral drugs.
Thapsigargin, which was originally isolated from the Thapsia garganica plant, is known to inhibit the transfer of calcium from the cell to the network of tubules that unite muscle cells called the sarcoplasmic reticulum. This causes depletion of calcium reserves in the reticulum and the associated possible cell death, which has proven useful in the treatment of tumors.
