Pilot study for the evaluation of safety profile of a potential inhibitor of SARS-CoV-2 endocytosis

Molecular insights to the anti-COVID-19 potential of α-, β- and γ-cyclodextrins

SARS-CoV-2 viral infection is regulated by the host cell receptors ACE2 and TMPRSS2, and therefore the effect of various natural and synthetic compounds on these receptors has recently been the subject of investigations. Cyclodextrins, naturally occurring polysaccharides derived from starch, are soluble in water and have a hydrophobic cavity at their center enabling them to accommodate small molecules and utilize them as carriers in the food, supplements, and pharmaceutical industries to improve the solubility, stability, and bioavailability of target compounds. In the current study, computational molecular simulations were used to investigate the ability of α-, β- and γ-Cyclodextrins on human cell surface receptors. Cell-based experimental approaches, including expression analyses at mRNA and protein levels and virus replication, were used to assess the effect on receptor expression and virus infection, respectively. We found that none of the three CDs could dock effectively to human cell surface receptor ACE2 and viral protease Mpro (essential for virus replication). On the other hand, α- and β-CD showed strong and stable interactions with TMPRSS2, and the expression of both ACE2 and TMPRSS2 was downregulated at the mRNA and protein levels in cyclodextrin (CD)-treated cells. A cell-based virus replication assay showed ∼20% inhibition by β- and γ-CD. Taken together, the study suggested that (i) downregulation of expression of host cell receptors may not be sufficient to inhibit virus infection (ii) activity of the receptors and virus protein Mpro may play a critical and clinically relevant role, and hence (iii) newly emerging anti-Covid-19 compounds warrant multimodal functional analyses.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.

Dietary supplements for the management of COVID-19 symptoms

SARS-CoV-2, the etiological agent of COVID-19, caused a pandemic in 2020, which is only recently slowing down. The symptoms of COVID-19 range from cough to fever and pneumonia and may persist beyond the active state of the infection, in a condition called post-COVID syndrome. The aim of this paper is to review the relationship between COVID-19 and nutrition and to discuss to most up-to-date dietary supplements proposed for COVID-19 treatment and prevention. Nutrition and nutritional dysregulations, such as obesity and malnutrition, are prominent risk factors for severe COVID-19. These factors exert anti-inflammatory and proinflammatory effects on the immune system, thus exacerbating or reducing the immunological response against the virus. As for the nutritional habits, the Western diet induces a chronic inflammatory state, whereas the Mediterranean diet exerts anti-inflammatory effects and has been proposed for ameliorating COVID-19 evolution and symptoms. Several vaccines have been researched and commercialized for COVID-19 prevention, whereas several drugs, although clinically tested, have not shown promising effects. To compensate for the lack of treatment, several supplements have been recommended for preventing or ameliorating COVID-19 symptoms. Thus, it is critical to review the dietary supplements proposed for COVID-19 treatment. Supplements containing α-cyclodextrin and hydroxytyrosol exhibited promising effects in several clinical trials and reduced the severity of the outcomes and the duration of the infection. Moreover, a supplement containing hydroxytyrosol, acetyl L-carnitine, and vitamins B, C, and D improved the symptoms of patients with post-COVID syndrome.

Modern vision of the Mediterranean diet

The Mediterranean diet is the most well-known and researched dietary pattern worldwide. It is characterized by the consumption of a wide variety of foods, such as extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO), legumes, cereals, nuts, fruits, vegetables, dairy products, fish, and wine. Many of these foods provide several phytonutrients, among which polyphenols and vitamins play an important role. Data from several studies have strongly established that nutrition is a key factor in promoting a healthy lifestyle and preventing many chronic diseases. In particular, a large number of studies have established the protective effects of the Mediterranean diet against several chronic diseases, among which are diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, cancer, aging disorders, and against overall mortality. Animal and human translational studies have revealed the biological mechanisms regulating the beneficial effects of the traditional Mediterranean diet. Indeed, several studies demonstrated that this nutritional pattern has lipid-lowering, anticancer, antimicrobial, and anti-oxidative effects. Moreover, the Mediterranean diet is considered environmentally sustainable. In this review, we describe the composition of the Mediterranean diet, assess its beneficial effects, and analyze their epigenomic, genomic, metagenomic, and transcriptomic aspects. In the future it will be important to continue exploring the molecular mechanisms through which the Mediterranean diet exerts its protective effects and to standardize its components and serving sizes to understand more precisely its effects on human health.

Cell and Animal Models for SARS-CoV-2 Research

During the last two years following the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic, development of potent antiviral drugs and vaccines has been a global health priority. In this context, the understanding of virus pathophysiology, the identification of associated therapeutic targets, and the screening of potential effective compounds have been indispensable advancements. It was therefore of primary importance to develop experimental models that recapitulate the aspects of the human disease in the best way possible. This article reviews the information concerning available SARS-CoV-2 preclinical models during that time, including cell-based approaches and animal models. We discuss their evolution, their advantages, and drawbacks, as well as their relevance to drug effectiveness evaluation.

COVID-19 vaccine candidates and vaccine development platforms available worldwide

The pandemic caused by the worldwide spread of the coronavirus, which first appeared in 2019, has been named coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19). More than 4.5 million deaths have been recorded due to the pandemic caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), according to the World Health Organization. COVID-19 Dashboard in September 2021. Apart from the wildtype, other variations have been successfully transmitted early in the outbreak although they were not discovered until March 2020. Modifications in the SARS-CoV-2 genetic material, such as mutation and recombination, have the ability to modify the viral life span, along with transitivity, cellular tropism, and symptom severity. Several processes are involved in introducing novel vaccines to the population, including vaccine manufacturing, preclinical studies, Food and Drug Administration permission or certification, processing, and marketing. COVID-19 vaccine candidates have been developed by a number of public and private groups employing a variety of strategies, such as RNA, DNA, protein, and viral vectored vaccines. This comprehensive review, which included the most subsequent evidence on unique features of SARS-CoV-2 and the associated morbidity and mortality, was carried out using a systematic search of recent online databases in order to generate useful knowledge about the COVID-19 updated versions and their consequences on the disease symptoms and vaccine development.

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The ongoing vaccine studies all over the world against the COVID-19 epidemic have been reviewed.

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The effects of different vaccine platforms and new variants on vaccine studies were discussed.

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The effect of vaccines on existing and novel variants was evaluated.

SARS-CoV-2 Disease through Viral Genomic and Receptor Implications: An Overview of Diagnostic and Immunology Breakthroughs

The SARS-CoV-2 (severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2), which is believed to have originated in China towards the end of November 2019, has now spread across the globe, causing a pandemic in 192 countries. The World Health Organization has called it the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. Rapid dissemination of the virus occurs mainly through the saliva (Flügge's droplets) and aerosol, together with nasal and lachrymal passages. The literature associated with the recent advancement in terms of rapid diagnostics and SARS-CoV-2 vaccines has thoroughly studied the role of ACE2 receptors and Furin, as well as viral agent access into the host cell and its significant persistence at the level of the oral mucosa, which represents the main access to the virus. The purpose of this review was to underline the processes of SARS-CoV-2 infection mechanisms and novel breakthroughs in diagnostics and vaccines. Different technologies, such as the RT-PCR molecular test and the antigenic test, have been developed to identify subjects affected by the SARS-CoV-2 in order to improve the tracking of infection geographical diffusion. Novel rapid and highly sensitive diagnostic tests has been proposed for the detection of SARS-CoV-2 to improve the screening capability of suspected contagions. The strengthening of the vaccination campaign represents the most effective means to combat the SARS-CoV-2 infection and prevent severe manifestations of the virus-different classes of vaccines have been developed for this purpose. Further attention on the novel SARS-CoV-2 variant is necessary in order to verify the protection efficacy and virulence reduction of the infective agent in the recent vaccine campaign.

SARS-CoV-2 Disease Adjuvant Therapies and Supplements Breakthrough for the Infection Prevention

The SARS-CoV-2 (severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2) is a high-risk viral agent involved in the recent pandemic stated worldwide by the World Health Organization. The infection is correlated to a severe systemic and respiratory disease in many cases, which is clinically treated with a multi-drug pharmacological approach. The purpose of this investigation was to evaluate through a literature overview the effect of adjuvant therapies and supplements for the SARS-CoV-2 infection. The research has analyzed the advantage of the EK1C4, by also assessing the studies on the resveratrol, vitamin D, and melatonin as adjuvant supplements for long hauler patients' prognosis. The evaluated substances reported important benefits for the improvement of the immune system and as a potential inhibitor molecules against SARS-CoV-2, highlighting the use of sartans as therapy. The adjuvant supplements seem to create an advantage for the healing of the long hauler patients affected by chronic symptoms of constant chest and heart pain, intestinal disorders, headache, difficulty concentrating, memory loss, and tachycardia.

A pilot study on the preventative potential of alpha-cyclodextrin and hydroxytyrosol against SARS-CoV-2 transmission

BACKGROUND AND AIM OF THE WORK

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is responsible for the current pandemics. This virus attacks the cells by binding to the transmembrane angiotensin I converting enzyme 2. In this study, we experimented a food supplement containing alpha-cyclodextrin and hydroxytyrosol for the improvement of the defenses against the SARS-CoV-2. Hydroxytyrosol has anti-viral properties and is able to reduce the serum lipids in mice. α-cyclodextrin has the ability to deplete sphingolipids and phospholipids from the cellular membranes. The aim of the present preliminary open non-controlled interventional study was to evaluate the efficacy of alpha-cyclodextrin and hydroxytyrosol in improving defenses against SARS-CoV-2.

METHODS

Fifty healthy volunteers at a higher risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection from Northern Cyprus and six positive individuals for SARS-CoV-2 were enrolled in this study. The in silico prediction was performed using D3DOCKING to evaluate the interactions of hydroxytyrosol and alpha-cyclodextrin with proteins involved in the SARS-CoV-2 endocytosis.

RESULTS

The 50 volunteers did not become positive in 15 days for SARS-CoV-2 after the administration of the compound for two weeks, despite they were at higher risk of infection than the general population. Interestingly, in the cohort of six positive patients, two patients were administered the spray and became negative after five days, despite the viral load was higher in the treated subjects than the untreated patients who became negative after ten days. In addition, we identified possible interactions among hydroxytyrosol and alpha-cyclodextrin with the protein Spike and the human proteins ACE2 and TMPRSS2.

CONCLUSIONS

We reported on the results of the possible role of alpha-cyclodextrin and hydroxytyrosol in improving defenses against SARS-CoV-2. The next step will be the administration of the compound to a larger cohort in a controlled study to confirm the reduction of the infection rate of SARS-CoV-2 in the treated subjects.