A protease inhibitor blocks a virus’s ability to replicate, thereby stopping a viral infection in its tracks. Drugs in this family have previously achieved remarkable success in reducing HIV AIDS infections. Now researchers at University of Alberta want to test one on humans that blocks the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus in cats. And they are confident it will work.
Why Should a Protease Inhibitor for Cats Work on Humans?
Humans are 99.9% genetically similar between each other. While chimpanzees share 96%, and mice 85% of the human genome. Abyssinian cats have a 90% overlap according to the Independent website. However, there is nothing mysterious about this coincidence. The reality is large blocks of our DNA do the same job across the animal kingdom.
This could be part of the explanation how viruses jump across mammal species. However, it is already part of the rationale for animal testing. Scientists believe there are overlaps between human and feline immune systems. The University of Alberta researchers are about to test this theory with a protease inhibitor that stops SARS-CoV-2 replicating in cats.
An Encouraging Track Record from Testing on Cats
Two months of testing have produced compelling results. That’s because they show the protease inhibitor effectively stops the SARS-CoV-2 virus (causing human COVID-19-) replicating in cats. This prevents the infection spreading and stops the disease.
The Alberta researchers would normally have waited for the outcome of human testing. But it has become policy to publish all findings concerning COVID-19 immediately, in order to obtain maximum benefits from them. University of Alberta biochemists first synthesized the inhibitor in 2003 during the SARS outbreak. Veterinary researchers later developed it further to cure fatal diseases in cats.
Human trials can begin immediately, because the animal research stage is already complete. The Canadian researchers say they are pursuing clinical trials for the drug as an antiviral for COVID-19, because of the strong data they gathered thus far.
Related
Four Scenarios for COVID-19 in the Future
AstraZeneca Two Antibody Trial Starting
Preview Image: Protease Inhibitors at Work
