They confirm that drug used for another disease serves against hantavirus
This discovery comes at a critical moment, when a cruise with 150 passengers was hit with the virus
A group of Argentine scientists demonstrates that carrageenan, known for its effectiveness in the fight against SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-12), is also effective against the Epuyén strain of the Andes hantavirus. This discovery comes at a critical moment, since a cruise with affected passengers approaches the Spanish coasts, reviewed in Clarín.
Last year, the team's first findings were presented at the Congress of the Argentine Association of Respiratory Medicine. Subsequently, additional presentations will be made at the Argentine Congress of Virology.
The research was carried out at the National Hantavirus Reference Laboratory of INEI-ANLIS “Dr. Carlos G. Malbrán”, where the impact of carrageenan on respiratory epithelial cells infected by hantavirus.
Mechanism of action of carrageenan
Carrageenan acts as a sulfated polymer that, through electrostatic attraction, envelops the virus and blocks its ability to bind to host cells.
This prevents viral replication and could stop the development of hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, a disease with high fatality rate.
Implications in the current context
With the MV Hondius as a possible trial scenario, there is an expectation to validate the efficacy of carrageenan in an outbreak context, although protocols could limit this possibility.
The project titled “Role of burbot-carrageenan and sufactant proteins” has obtained a subsidy, but researchers are seeking new funds to continue their clinical trials, especially in high-incidence areas in Argentina.
It is notable, according to the media Clarín, that one of the scientists involved in this discovery is recognized for her previous contributions on the transmission of hantavir us from person to person, challenging established beliefs in the scientific community. Their work continues to gain relevance as advances in the understanding and treatment of hantavirus.
Possible side effects of carrageenan
Carrageenan is a polysaccharide derived from red algae that is studied as a possible antiviral treatment (including andes hantavirus), but is not yet approved as an official therapy nor is its long-term safety in humans well-defined.
Use of carrageenan against hantavirus
Potential side effects in humans
Being used as a food additive and in nasal antiviral spray formulations, the available experience suggests a relatively safe profile at usual doses, but with certain concerns:
Hantavirus-specific considerations
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