Researches at the University of Idaho pivot their work to finding a drug for Covid-19

A group of researches are working towards a drug to protect human cells from COVID-19.

WORKS TO CONTAINCOVID-19...RESEARCHERS ATTHE UNIVERSITY OFIDAHO... ARE DOINGTHEIR PART.OUR LYNSEYAMUNDSON SHARESTHEIR INITIATIVE... TODEVELOP A NEWDRUG.THE CORONAVIRUS ISSHAPED LIKE A BALLCOVERED INSPIKES...THESESPIKES HELP IT GAINENTRY INTO HUMANCELLS AND THAT'SHOW IT SPREADS SOQUICKLY.

BUTINSTEAD OFCREATING A DRUGTHAT ATTACKS THEVIRUS THERESEARCHERS AREDOING THEOPPOSITE."OUR IDEA IS TOBASICALLY PROVIDETHIS SHIELD TO THEHUMAN CELLS SOTHAT THE VIRUSCANNOT ATTACH."DR PATEL SAYSFINDING THE RIGHTDRUG IS LIKE HAVINGA MILLION DIFFERENTKEYS AND TRYING TOUNLOCK ONE LOCK.BUT...BUT INSTEADOF TESTING EVERYPOTENTIAL OPTION INA LAB...THEY AREUSING COMPUTERSTO QUICKLY IDENTIFYPOTENTIAL LEADS."WE WOULD TAKETHE MOSTCONFIDENT HITS, WEWOULD GO INTO THELAB.

WE THEN TAKECULTURED HUMANCELLS AND WE ADDTHESE POTENTIALLEAD COMPOUNDSTO THE CULTUREDCELLS AND THEN SEEIF THESECOMPOUNDSPROTECTED AGAINSTCORONAVIRUS."ONCE IT PASSES LABTESTING IT WILL BESENT OUT TOCLINICAL TESTING.AND ALTHOUGHTHEIR WORK IS STILLIN THE EARLYSTAGES...THEGROUNDWORK HASALREADY BEEN LAIDFROM THEIRPREVIOUS WORKWITH OTHERVIRUSES."IT'S AN APPROACHTHAT WE VALIDATEDWITH OUR WORKWITH EBOLA VIRUSESPREVIOUSLY.

AND SOWE HOPE NOW TOAPPLY IT TO THECORONAVIRUSPANDEMIC AND COMEUP WITH SOMEADDITIONALTHERAPEUTICS."VIRUSES CANRAPIDLY EVOLVEWHICH IS WHY THETEAM IS FOCUSINGON SHIELDINGHUMAN CELLS FROMCOVID-19 INSTEAD OFATTACKING THEVIRUS.

DR PATELSAYS IT WILL BEMORE EFFECTIVE.THE TEAM IS HOPINGTO HAVE THEPRELIMINARY TESTSDONE WITHIN A YEAR."THE FIRST THINGTHAT WE DO ASHUMAN BEINGS ISTHINK ABOUT HOWWE CAN USE THETOOLS THAT WE HAVEDEVELOPED ASSCIENTISTS TO HELP."THE TEAM SAYS IFTHEY ARE ABLE TOFIND A DRUG THATBLOCKS COVID-19 ITWILL ALSO BE ABLETO HELP PROTECT USFROM OTHERCORONAVIRUSESTHAT CAUSE MILD TOSEVERERESPIRATORYINFECTIONS.

LYNSEYAMUNDSON...IDAHONEWS 6.SAINT L