Combination of two widely used substances can speed recovery from COVID-19 infection as it inhibits coronavirus replication by up to 99%, according to a recent US study.
Two active ingredients contained in many widely used pharmaceuticals when combined may inhibit the action of SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus.
This is supported by a team of researchers from the University of Florida, according to a related article published in Pathogens.
Researchers led by David A. Ostrov, a professor of immunology at the American University College of Medicine, discovered that when diphenhydramine, a commonly used antihistamine for allergic symptoms, combined with lactoferrin- a commonly used supplement for the treatment of stomach and intestinal ulcers- prevents the virus from entering human cells.
Specialists carried out experiments on monkey cells and human lung cells.
“We found out why some drugs are effective against SARS-COV-2 virus that causes COVID-19 infection. Then we found an antiviral combination that could be effective, economical and have a long history of safety,” explained Dr. Ostrov.
Individually, the two active substances inhibited the reproduction of SARS-CoV-2 by about 30%, while in combination they reduced the reproduction of the virus by 99%.
The findings, according to Dr. Ostrov, are a first step in developing a combination therapy that could be used to speed recovery from COVID-19. It also raises the prospect of further study through an academic-corporate collaboration for clinical trials in people focused on COVID-19 prevention.
While a study on the effectiveness of the two aforementioned substances for the prevention of COVID-19 is already underway in animal models.
The researcher, meanwhile, emphasized that “although the findings are encouraging, do not self-medicate with either diphenhydramine or lactoferrin as a prevention or treatment for COVID-19. The type of lactoferrin we used in the study differs slightly from the type that is usually available for widespread use.”
Source: MDPI
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