An Israeli scientist carries out a diagnostic test for coronavirus in a lab. (Flash90)
Nederlands + English
Dit “kant-en-klaar” geneesmiddel tegen het Coronavirus, griep en andere virussen, ontwikkeld door onderzoekers van de Universiteit van Tel Aviv, zal u wellicht verrassen.
Door TPS – United For Israel
Veilige voedingssupplementen, ontwikkeld aan de Universiteit van Tel Aviv, kunnen helpen het lichaam te beschermen tegen het Coronavirus (COVID-19) en een reeks winterziekten.
De voedingssupplementen bestaan uit stoffen die voorkomen in fruit en groenten zoals cashew, pompoen, erwten en rode biet, en worden als veilig beschouwd.
De studie werd geleid door Prof. Ehud Gazit, Prof. Eran Bacharach, en Prof. Daniel Segal van de Shmunis School of Biomedicine and Cancer Research aan de Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, TAU, samen met Ph.D. studenten Topaz Kreiser en David Zaguri en andere onderzoekers.
Sinds het uitbreken van de pandemie voert de mensheid een “wapenwedloop” tegen de mutaties, varianten en omvangrijke besmetting van het virus, om de schade aan mensenlevens en de economie tot een minimum te beperken. De strijd tegen het virus berust hoofdzakelijk op vaccins op basis van RNA, naast verschillende antivirale geneesmiddelen.
Het Covid-virus verandert echter snel, zodat de behandelingen en vaccins, die gebaseerd zijn op het vertrouwd maken van het immuunsysteem met het virus, regelmatig moeten worden aangepast.
Hetzelfde geldt voor griepvirussen, een andere wijdverbreide oorzaak van ziekte en dood.
Prof. Gazit zei dat “om de snelle veranderingen van het virus aan te pakken, besloten we actieve vaccins te ontwikkelen die gemaakt zijn van veilige en gemakkelijk verkrijgbare voedingssupplementen die de virale belasting in het lichaam zouden verminderen en de besmetting zouden terugdringen. We weten al jaren dat voedingssupplementen die zink bevatten de immuniteit tegen ernstige, virale en chronische infecties en hun mogelijk ernstige gevolgen kunnen versterken”.
De onderzoekers stelden vast dat de consumptie van zink alleen een relatief laag en minder doeltreffend cellulair gehalte bereikt. Om het effect te versterken, combineerden zij zink met flavonoïden – polyfenolische verbindingen die in veel fruit en groenten voorkomen. Zij voegden ook koper toe – om een ionische onevenwichtigheid te voorkomen en de doeltreffendheid van de behandeling te verbeteren.
Prof. Segal legde uit dat “geavanceerde laboratoriumtests hebben aangetoond dat de nieuwe vaccins die we hebben ontwikkeld inderdaad de virale belasting verminderen. We vonden een daling van 50-95% in de genomische replicatie van verschillende groepen RNA-virussen, waaronder Covid-19, het griepvirus, en andere. Deze resultaten zijn veelbelovend en maken de ontwikkeling mogelijk van een oraal toegediende biologische behandeling.”
“Een dergelijk product zal veilig, natuurlijk en effectief zijn tegen verschillende soorten virussen, met inbegrip van nieuwe mutaties en varianten – duidelijk een belangrijke stap voorwaarts,” voegde hij eraan toe.
Niet nodig om te wachten op klinische proeven
Tot nu toe werden alle experimenten in vitro in het lab uitgevoerd, maar de onderzoekers zijn optimistisch over het praktische potentieel van de studie. Ze hopen een reeks klinische studies bij mensen te starten, die uiteindelijk zullen leiden tot een doeltreffende behandeling die voor iedereen toegankelijk is.
Aangezien is nagegaan of de supplementen veilig zijn voor gebruik, en in het licht van de wereldwijde pandemie, is besloten het product op de algemene markt te brengen voordat de resultaten van de klinische proeven bekend zijn.
Prof. Bacharach besloot met te zeggen dat “ons allen van jongs af aan wordt geleerd dat een goede geneeskunde ook een preventieve geneeskunde inhoudt. Het product dat wij hopen aan te bieden zal een breed scala van winterziekten bestrijken, waaronder Covid en griep. Wij geloven dat het product kan dienen als een aanvullende behandeling om het effect van bestaande antivirale vaccins en medicijnen te versterken.”
Ramot, TAU’s Technology Transfer Company, leidt vergevorderde onderhandelingen met een Amerikaans bedrijf om een vergunning te krijgen voor het op de markt brengen en distribueren van het product.
“We zien een groot potentieel voor een natuurlijk off-the-shelf product, beschikbaar voor iedereen, innovatief en veelbelovend, dat bescherming biedt tegen Covid-19, evenals andere virale infecties,” aldus Keren Primor, CEO van Ramot.
ENGLISH
This “off-the-shelf” medicine against Coronavirus, flu and other viruses, developed by researchers at Tel Aviv University, may surprise you.
By TPS – United For Israel
Safe dietary supplements developed at Tel Aviv University can help protect the body against the Coronavirus (COVID-19) and a range of winter illnesses.
The dietary supplements consist of substances found in fruits and vegetables such as cashew, pumpkin, peas, and beetroot, and are considered safe.
The study was led by Prof. Ehud Gazit, Prof. Eran Bacharach, and Prof. Daniel Segal of the Shmunis School of Biomedicine and Cancer Research at the Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, TAU, together with Ph.D. students Topaz Kreiser and David Zaguri and other researchers.
Since the outbreak of the pandemic, humanity has led an “arms race” against the virus’ mutations, variants, and extensive contagion, to minimize damage to human life and the economy. The battle against the virus relies mainly on RNA-based vaccines, alongside several anti-viral medications.
However, the Covid virus changes rapidly, and frequent updates are required to treatments and vaccines that are based on familiarizing the immune system with the virus.
The same is true for flu viruses, another widespread cause of illness and death.
Prof. Gazit said that “to address the rapid changes of the virus, we decided to develop active vaccines made of safe and easily obtainable dietary supplements that would reduce the viral load in the body and cut down contagion. We have known for years that food supplements containing zinc can enhance immunity to severe, viral, and chronic infections and their potentially grave consequences.”
The researchers found that the consumption of zinc alone achieves a relatively low and less effective cellular content. To enhance the effect, they combined zinc with flavonoids – polyphenolic compounds found in many fruits and vegetables. They also added copper – in order to prevent an ionic imbalance and improve the treatment’s effectiveness.
Prof. Segal explained that “advanced lab tests have shown that the new vaccines we developed did in fact reduce the viral load. We found a 50-95% decrease in the genomic replication of various groups of RNA viruses, including Covid-19, the flu virus, and others. These results are very promising, possibly enabling the development of an orally administered biological shelf treatment.”
“Such a product will be safe, natural, and effective against several types of viruses, including new mutations and variants – clearly an important step forward,” he added.
No Need to Wait for Clinical Trials
So far, all experiments were conducted in vitro in the lab, but the researchers are optimistic as to the study’s practical potential. They hope to launch a series of clinical trials in humans, ultimately leading to an effective treatment accessible to everyone.
Since the supplements are verified as safe for use, and in the light of the global pandemic, it was decided to promote the product to the general market before the results of the clinical trials.
Prof. Bacharach concluded by saying that “we are all taught from a young age that good medicine includes preventive medicine. The product which we hope to offer will cover a wide range of winter illnesses, including Covid and the flu. We believe that the product can serve as a supplementary treatment to enhance the effect of existing anti-viral vaccines and medications.”
Ramot, TAU’s Technology Transfer Company, is leading advanced negotiations with an American company to receive a permit for marketing and distributing the product.
“We see a great potential to a natural off-the-shelf product, available for everyone, innovative and promising, which provides protection against Covid-19, as well as other viral infections,” said Keren Primor, Ramot CEO.
This “off-the-shelf” medicine against Coronavirus, flu and other viruses, developed by researchers at Tel Aviv University, may surprise you.
Safe dietary supplements developed at Tel Aviv University can help protect the body against the Coronavirus (COVID-19) and a range of winter illnesses.
The dietary supplements consist of substances found in fruits and vegetables such as cashew, pumpkin, peas, and beetroot, and are considered safe.
The study was led by Prof. Ehud Gazit, Prof. Eran Bacharach, and Prof. Daniel Segal of the Shmunis School of Biomedicine and Cancer Research at the Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, TAU, together with Ph.D. students Topaz Kreiser and David Zaguri and other researchers.
Since the outbreak of the pandemic, humanity has led an “arms race” against the virus’ mutations, variants, and extensive contagion, to minimize damage to human life and the economy. The battle against the virus relies mainly on RNA-based vaccines, alongside several anti-viral medications.
However, the Covid virus changes rapidly, and frequent updates are required to treatments and vaccines that are based on familiarizing the immune system with the virus.
The same is true for flu viruses, another widespread cause of illness and death.
Prof. Gazit said that “to address the rapid changes of the virus, we decided to develop active vaccines made of safe and easily obtainable dietary supplements that would reduce the viral load in the body and cut down contagion. We have known for years that food supplements containing zinc can enhance immunity to severe, viral, and chronic infections and their potentially grave consequences.”
The researchers found that the consumption of zinc alone achieves a relatively low and less effective cellular content. To enhance the effect, they combined zinc with flavonoids – polyphenolic compounds found in many fruits and vegetables. They also added copper – in order to prevent an ionic imbalance and improve the treatment’s effectiveness.
Prof. Segal explained that “advanced lab tests have shown that the new vaccines we developed did in fact reduce the viral load. We found a 50-95% decrease in the genomic replication of various groups of RNA viruses, including Covid-19, the flu virus, and others. These results are very promising, possibly enabling the development of an orally administered biological shelf treatment.”
“Such a product will be safe, natural, and effective against several types of viruses, including new mutations and variants – clearly an important step forward,” he added.
No Need to Wait for Clinical Trials
So far, all experiments were conducted in vitro in the lab, but the researchers are optimistic as to the study’s practical potential. They hope to launch a series of clinical trials in humans, ultimately leading to an effective treatment accessible to everyone.
Since the supplements are verified as safe for use, and in the light of the global pandemic, it was decided to promote the product to the general market before the results of the clinical trials.
Prof. Bacharach concluded by saying that “we are all taught from a young age that good medicine includes preventive medicine. The product which we hope to offer will cover a wide range of winter illnesses, including Covid and the flu. We believe that the product can serve as a supplementary treatment to enhance the effect of existing anti-viral vaccines and medications.”
Ramot, TAU’s Technology Transfer Company, is leading advanced negotiations with an American company to receive a permit for marketing and distributing the product.
“We see a great potential to a natural off-the-shelf product, available for everyone, innovative and promising, which provides protection against Covid-19, as well as other viral infections,” said Keren Primor, Ramot CEO.
