Researchers from the University of Louisville have developed a synthetic DNA drug piece called 'aptamer' that binds a protein called nucleolin found on the surface of cells. It is currently used as an experimental drug for cancer patients to prevent the disease from seizing control of the nucleolin and replicating itself.
Researchers claim that it could be used to prevent the novel coronavirus from spreading throughout the body the same way it freezes tumor growth in cancer patients. The team is currently asking for a fast-track FDA approval to begin clinical trials on humans.
The aptamer
The aptamer was identified by a team led by the University of Louisville's Dr. Paula Bates, a professor of medicine at the institution. Bates said that she had been testing the drug in cells but hopes to soon begin clinical trials in humans.
She plans to work at the University Louisville's Regional Biocontainment Laboratory, one of only 12 regional and two national biocontainment labs in the United States. The lab contains Biosafety Level 3 facilities that protect researchers from being exposed to the pathogens they are working with.
According to Bates, the formulation of drugs usually take a lot of time. However, since the drug had already been tested in cancer patients, they are hoping to cut off a significant amount of time to speed up the process. She says she hopes her team would be granted US Food and Drug Administration approval quickly to begin trials.
Because a vaccine could take between 12 and 18 months before arriving on the market, Bates says treatments such as the aptamer could help slow the virus' spread.
She presents that people could get the treatment early to halt the virus from spreading into their bodies and preventing serious illness. However, she claims that people who are already severely sick with the virus could still take it as well.
Also Read: Trying to "Flatten the Curve" Could be The Worst Way to Fight COVID-19 Pandemic: Study
The Role of Aptamers in Coronavirus
Viral infections can cause severe diseases for both humans and animals. Precise and early detection of viruses is often crucial for clinical diagnosis and therapy. Aptamers are mostly single-stranded nucleotide sequences that are artificially incorporated by an in vitro technology known as the Systematic Evolution of Ligands by Exponential Enrichment.
Just like antibodies, aptamers bind specifically to their targets. However, compared with antibody, aptamers are easy to synthesize and modify and can attach to a broad range of targets. In this manner, aptamers are promising for detecting viruses and treating viral infections.
Antibody-based detection methods and drugs are widely used in clinics. However, their popularity is burdened by high cost, antibody instability, and the limitation of target types.
On the other hand, an aptamer-based assay for virus detection has shown to improve the drawbacks of the methods mentioned. It has proven to be of great potential and a feasible tool in virus detection and cure due to its properties.
Its easy incorporation and screening, stability in various environmental conditions, and capability of adapting unique tertiary structures show that it could be a promising option.
The aptamer-based analysis also recognizes target molecules with high similarity and specificity. It can be chemically modified at defined positions and stably linked to solid surfaces. Lastly, it can be produced and obtained in large quantities and at a low cost.
In such a way, aptamers have been considered as potentially useful diagnostic agents and are promising for detecting viruses and treating viral infections, such as the SARS CoV.
