Protein linked to reduced severity of coronavirus

TORONTO:Researchers have discovered that increased levels of the protein OAS1 are associated with reduced mortality and less severe disease requiring ventilation among patients with Covid-19.

The study, published in the journal Nature Medicine, indicates that using drugs that boost OAS1 levels could be explored to tr y to improve these outcomes. "Our analysis shows evidence that OAS1 has a protective effect against Covid19 susceptibility and severity," said researcher Brent Richards from the McGill University in Montreal, Canada.

"This is a ver y exciting development in the race to identify potential therapies to treat patients because there are already therapies in pre-clinical development that boost OAS1 and could be explored for their effect against SARS-CoV-2 infection," Richards added.

For the study, the team explored proteins detectable in peripheral blood as a potential target. —IANS