COVID THERAPEUTICS – Project I
During the past few months, we have all felt the repercussions of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. In the United States, alone, there are currently more than 5 million cases and, sadly, more than 150,000 deaths associated with the disease. Fortunately, scientists and pharmaceutical companies worldwide are working day and night to identify protective medications and create vaccines. We have all learned to navigate remote conferencing, order food online and socially distance while wearing masks. We at DEF are optimistic that there is light at the end of the tunnel. Thanks to the generosity of the DEF supporters, the research has been moving forward.
During this emergency, DEF researchers have been applying the personalized mitochondrial cybrid cell lines we use in our research on age-related macular degeneration to investigate the responses to currently used treatments for COVID-19. The question being asked is: Does age and/or ethnicity play a role in response to the medications?
Our preliminary findings show that cybrid cells with mitochondria from older individuals do not respond as well to the combination of hydroxychloroquine and azithromycin, which has been used to treat COVID symptoms. However, cybrids from younger patients responded positively, possibly indicating that younger patients might derive some benefit from this treatment. Moreover, the responses differ depending on the maternal racial/ethnic background that defines the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA). Additional studies are under way to gain more information about the responses to therapies and the course of the COVID-19 disease based on a person’s ethnicity. This is important, because some ethnic/racial populations appear to be more susceptible to the virus and respond poorly to treatments.
Future studies will also include Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) of mtDNA to correlate the role of mitochondria in susceptibility to severe COVID-19 disease with death in different ethnic/racial populations and age groups. We are very grateful for the generosity of DEF donors, who are supporting this work. We will keep you posted on the ongoing research.
COVID VACCINE – Project II
Stay tuned for our Thanksgiving print newsletter to learn about DEF-supported researcher Dr. Lbachir BenMohamed’s universal coronavirus vaccine, which is aimed at producing immunity to COVID-19 and future coronavirus infections, was just awarded a 5-year grant of over $3 million from the National Institutes of Health.
Join us and others in supporting this work. At this critical juncture, any financial help you are able to provide to our vital research efforts to stop the scourge of coronavirus is greatly needed and deeply appreciated. Click here to help support DEF: www.discoveryeye.org/you-can-help/donate/