Viral protein fragments may unlock mystery behind serious COVID-19 outcomes

[Social Media]

 

Important discovery relevant to Long Covid: Fragments of #SARSCoV2 virus can reassemble into "zombie" complexes (XenoAMP-dsDNA) and induce a major and sustained immune response, affecting healthy, uninfected cells, not seen with common cold coronaviruses.

 

There are many lingering mysteries from the COVID-19 pandemic. For instance, why does SARS-CoV-2, the virus behind the disease, cause severe symptoms in some patients, while many other coronaviruses don’t? And what causes strange symptoms to persist even after the infection has been cleared from a person’s system?  

 

The world may now have the beginning of answers. In a study published today in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, a UCLA-led multidisciplinary research team explores one way that COVID-19 turns the immune system — which is crucial for keeping people alive — against the body itself, with potentially deadly results.  

 

Using an artificial intelligence system they developed, the study authors scanned the entire collection of proteins produced by SARS-CoV-2 and then performed an exhaustive series of validation experiments. The scientists found that certain viral protein fragments, generated after the SARS-CoV-2 virus is broken down into pieces, can mimic a key component of the body’s machinery for amplifying immune signals. Their discoveries suggest that some of the most serious COVID-19 outcomes can result from these fragments overstimulating the immune system, thereby causing rampant inflammation in widely different contexts such as cytokine storms and lethal blood coagulation. 

 

06.02.24

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[retarius]

I studied protein folding and binding to substrates as part of my PhD research. I still find it fascinating. Sadly in those days the tools to study it were not available and protein chemistry was in its infancy with amino acid analysers just having become available. What a difference 50 years makes.

[thaicurious]

On 2/5/2024 at 4:42 PM, Social Media said:

COVID-19 turns the immune system — which is crucial for keeping people alive — against the body itself, with potentially deadly results.  

 

So, essentially an autoimmune disease. AIDS without the sex. Maskless people freely snorting airborne HIV. Send in the clowns telling everyone don't vax, don't put that vaccine in your body, because you don't want to interfere with COVID turning your immune system against you, um, I mean, you don't want to disrupt your natural immunity.

 

Thus I'll continue to boost per evidence-based recommendations and to mask-up in public indoor spaces at least until I see efficacy numbers against transmission or, better yet, infection, given next gen mucosal aka intranasal vaccines. Some of the new ones are showing promise of stopping transmission at least in early animal studies. The USA might finally have a nasal vax going to the FDA for consideration by end of 2024.

[flyingtlger]

Great to hear a story in which AI is being used to help mankind instead of being used for nefarious purposes...