A protein produced by the human immune system can strongly inhibit corona viruses, including SARS-CoV2, the pathogen causing Covid-19, say Swiss researchers.
This content was published on
2 minutes
swissinfo.ch/sm
Português
pt
Descoberta científica suíça pode ajudar no combate à Covid-19
A study by an international team, including the Institute of Virology (IVI) at the University of Bern and the Swiss Federal Food Safety and Veterinary Office, shows that a protein produced by the immune system prevents the novel corona virus from fusing with host cells. The so-called LY6E protein prevents corona viruses from triggering an infection.
This finding by researchers from Switzerland, Germany and the US raises hopes for new therapies.
“We wanted to find out which factors prevent corona viruses from spreading from animals to humans,” said the IVI’s Volker Thiel in a statement released on Tuesday. “Now we have succeeded in finding the needle in the haystack, so to speak.”
Researchers had previously discovered that the LY6E protein increases the infectivity of influenza viruses that cause flu. What is new is the discovery that LY6E has the opposite effect on corona viruses in that it prevents infection.
This was successfully demonstrated in an animal model. The researchers note that the mouse corona virus used in the experiment differs significantly from the pathogen causing the current Covid-19 pandemic, causing hepatitis rather than respiratory diseases. Still, it’s a valuable finding, they say.
“Our study provides new insights into how important these antiviral genes are for the control of viral infection and for an adequate immune response against the virus,” said Thiel.
Switzerland could produce up to 5Mt of emissions annually by 2050
This content was published on
Two to five megatonnes of CO2 equivalents per year: this is the amount of greenhouse gas emissions that Switzerland is still expected to produce annually in 2050, a new study shows.
US tariffs putting 100,000 jobs at risk in Switzerland
This content was published on
US tariffs of 39% on Swiss imports will directly affect 100,000 jobs, mainly in the watchmaking, machinery, metals, and food industries, economiesuisse warns.
This content was published on
Switzerland has released CHF4 million (nearly $5 million) to help Sudan, which has been severely affected by famine and cholera.
Switzerland rejects new Israeli settlements in Palestinian territory
This content was published on
Switzerland says it rejects the announced construction of thousands of housing units in the Israeli-occupied Palestinian West Bank.
Larry Finck and André Hoffmann named interim co-chairs of WEF board
This content was published on
The WEF also revealed an investigation commissioned by the board has cleared its founder Klaus Schwab and his wife of accusations made by anonymous whistleblowers.
Vice-president of German parliament in favour of Switzerland joining EU
This content was published on
The vice-president of the Bundestag says his country should support closer ties between Switzerland and the European Union given the customs conflict with the United States.
Lindt & Sprüngli reportedly considering shifting Easter bunny production to US
This content was published on
Swiss chocolate manufacturer Lindt & Sprüngli could relocate the production of its gold-wrapped Easter bunnies to the US in order to circumvent the import tariffs imposed by the Trump administration.
Swiss petition launched against curbing 30km/h speed limit
This content was published on
The Traffic Club of Switzerland (TCS) has submitted a petition to the Federal Chancellery, challenging the 30km/h speed limit on local roads.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.