COVID-19 Infection Is Like Being Bitten by a Rattlesnake

New Chapter in COVID-19 Treatment: Enzyme Identical to Rattlesnake Venom Found in COVID-19

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[Asia Economy Senior Reporter Jinsoo Lee] A new study has found that being infected with COVID-19 is like being bitten by a venomous pit viper.

A joint research team from Stony Brook University in Long Island, New York, the University of Arizona in Tucson, Arizona, and Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, announced in a paper published online on the 24th (local time) in the biomedical journal 'Journal of Clinical Investigation' that they identified an enzyme called 'sPLA2-II' related to COVID-19. This enzyme ravages the human body much like the neurotoxin of a pit viper.

The researchers stated that focusing on sPLA2-II, which causes severe inflammation, could make treating COVID-19 patients easier.

sPLA2-II is similar to the active enzyme found in pit viper venom. This active enzyme, which is normally present at low concentrations in healthy individuals, has long been known to play a crucial role in preventing bacterial infections.

However, Floyd Chilton, a professor in the Department of Nutrition at the University of Arizona and co-author of the paper, said that when this enzyme is present in high concentrations in the human body, it can tear apart the membranes of organs.

Mauricio Del Poeta, Chair Professor at the Renaissance School of Medicine at Stony Brook University, commented on the study results, saying, "A treatment that can reduce the mortality rate from COVID-19 infection or even prevent death entirely could be developed," adding, "because sPLA2-II inhibitors already exist."

The research team led by Chair Professor Del Poeta collected and analyzed plasma samples from 127 COVID-19 patients hospitalized at Stony Brook University Hospital from January to July last year. From January to November of the same year, they also tested plasma samples from 154 COVID-19 patients at Stony Brook University Hospital and the Banner Medical Center at the University of Arizona in Tucson, Arizona.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.