Ukrainian scientists discovered substances that can prevent acute pneumonia with covid-19

Ukrainian scientists have discovered substances that can affect the pathogenetic chains of coronavirus disease and prevent acute pneumonia.

This was announced by the Institute of Molecular Biology and Genetics (IMBG) of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine on Facebook, Rubryka reports.

IMBG scientists are engaged in this research together with the Oleksandr Bohomolets Institute of Physiology. Scientists say that although research is still ongoing, their preliminary results are optimistic.

According to scientists, the selected compounds are promising for developing drugs that will save from the most dangerous consequence of COVID-19, acute respiratory distress syndrome (inflammatory lung disease).

How does it work?

Selected compounds affect the enzyme of blood cells, neutrophilic granulocytes. So they block the development of the inflammatory process.

The researchers explain that this granulocyte enzyme is called protein kinase C beta. It is key to the operation of neutrophilic extracellular traps that are able to trap and retain microbes.

When an infection enters our body, granulocytes explode, releasing their nucleus, i.e. DNA, into the extracellular space. Neutrophil traps are networks "woven" from the DNA of dead blood cells.

However, under the action of coronavirus granulocytes are prone to "mass suicide." That is, neutrophilic extracellular traps that are supposed to protect the body are formed so much that they lead to its self-destruction.

For almost a year and a half, scientists have selected several compounds that can inhibit the ability of granulocytes to form uncontrolled neutrophilic extracellular traps.

The researchers performed computer simulations to find compounds with the desired biological activity and synthesized the predicted compounds.

Eventually, from testing on isolated leukocytes, the scientists moved on to a series of experiments on living organisms.