A research conducted on fruit flies and mice revealed that a medication created by the Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO) may be able to repair the heart damage brought on by a protein in the SARS-CoV-2 virus.
According to the researchers from the University of Maryland, Baltimore, US, identified how a specific protein in SARSCoV-2, the virus responsible for Covid-19, damages heart tissue. The harmful effects of that protein on the heart were then reversed using the medication known as 2DG.
Developed by Dr Reddy’s Laboratories in collaboration with DRDO, 2DG is an oral drug. The SARS-CoV-2 virus depends upon glycolysis or breakdown of glucose for energy.
The drug hinders the process of glycolysis and prevents the growth of the virus. The study stated that for at least a year following infection, patients with Covid have a much increased chance of experiencing heart muscle inflammation, irregular heart rhythms, blood clots, stroke, heart attacks, and heart failure compared to those who have not been exposed to the virus.
The scientists, who are from the University of Maryland, then used a drug to reverse the toxic effects of the SARS-CoV-2 virus protein on the heart. As per the study, the 2DG has not been approved by the US food and drug administration to treat the disease, it’s currently in clinical trials for treatment of Covid in India.
