Corona’s cure may be … a snake!!

Corona’s cure may be … a snake!!

Brazilian researchers have discovered that a molecule in the venom of a type of snake prevents the replication of the emerging coronavirus in monkey cells, which is a possible initial step to find a drug that combats the virus.

Reuters reported that the scientific journal Molecules this month published a study that found that the molecule in the venom of the "garacuso" snake inhibits the ability of the virus to multiply in monkey cells by 75%.

The molecule is a chain of amino acids that can contact an enzyme from the coronavirus called PLPro, which is vital for virus replication, without harming other cells.

"We were able to show that this component of snake venom was able to inhibit a very important protein in the virus," said study author Rafael Guido, a professor at the University of São Paulo. He explained that the molecule is known for its antibacterial properties and can be synthesized in laboratories, making snakes unnecessary.

According to the University of São Paulo, researchers will then evaluate the efficiency of different doses of the molecule and whether it is able to prevent the virus from entering cells in the first place. The researchers hope to test the substance on human cells, but they did not give a timetable.

“We are concerned about people going out to hunt garracoso all over Brazil, thinking they will save the world,” said Giuseppe Porto, an agricultural herpetologist who directs the biological group for the Butantan Institute in São Paulo. “It is not the poison itself that will cure the virus.”

It is reported that the "Garacuso" is one of the largest snakes in Brazil, reaching a length of 6 feet (2 meters), and is also found in Bolivia, Paraguay and Argentina.

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