A specific protein in SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, has been linked to heart tissue damage, according to University of Maryland researchers. They then employed the medication, known as 2DG, to undo the heart's toxic effects caused by that protein.
The oral medication 2DG was created by Dr Reddy's Laboratories in conjunction with DRDO. The SARS-CoV-2 virus needs the breakdown of glucose, or glycolysis, in order to produce energy. The medication stops the growth of the virus and hinders glycolysis.
According to the study, those who have COVID-19 infection have a markedly increased risk of experiencing heart failure, stroke, abnormal heart rhythms, blood clots, heart attacks, and inflammation of the heart muscle for at least a year after infection.
The toxic effects of the SARS-CoV-2 virus protein on the heart were then reversed by the scientists, who are from the University of Maryland in Baltimore, US.
"Our research shows that individual SARS-CoV-2 proteins can each do major damage to specific tissues in the body — similar to what has been found for other viruses like HIV and Zika," said senior author Zhe Han.
They published their findings in Nature Communications Biology after conducting research using fruit flies and mouse heart cells.
Despite the fact that vaccines and drugs to lessen the severity of COVID-19 disease were quickly created by researchers around the world, the study found that these treatments did not shield the heart or other organs from the harm that could be caused by even a mild infection.
"To treat patients in the long run, we must first understand the mechanism behind what is causing the disease. By identifying these processes of injury in each tissue, we can test drugs to see whether any can reverse this damage; those drugs that show promise can then be further tested in clinical research studies," Han said.
Fortunately, 2DG is inexpensive and frequently used in laboratory research, according to the researchers. Although the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has not approved 2DG to treat disease, the medication is currently undergoing clinical trials for the treatment of COVID-19 in India, according to the study.
