The Mexican scientist Mónica Olvera undertook the task of investigating the functioning of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, after unfortunately a relative of hers became seriously ill from the virus.

 

Scientist Olvera together with a team of specialists from Northwestern University investigated the virus, discovering a new method to weaken the infectivity of the “Coronavirus”. The team analyzed the differences between the SARS of 2003 and the current cause of the epidemic global Covid-19.

 

The research found a vulnerability in the spike protein of Sars-CoV-2, the spike protein is responsible for entry into host cells, Monica’s research seeks to reduce the infectious capacity of the protein by 90 %.

 

Monica indicates that “we are blocking the virus” the experiment has initially reduced the connection of the pathogen with human receptors by 30%.

 

“Before entering the virus (in the body), we can attack it so that it no longer has so much attraction energy that it is not capable of infecting. And if it enters, that the site is blocked, the scientist commented, It is another way of healing. These are not antibodies (referring to vaccines), which have the problem that they can make the virus resistant, he added.

 

In an average of three months, the scientist Olvera’s team plans to design a chemical compound that triples the effectiveness of blocking the spike protein. Once created, Monica believes that it could be administered through an aerosol, due to the advantages it offers.

 

“We want to create something that is not biological, that does not create resistance. Prevent the virus from finding other ways to get ahead, ”argues Olvera.

 

If the virus mutations had the same attraction groups, Olvera’s remedy would still work.

 

 The case of the Mexican scientist was a vision from other fields of science that helped to discover this vulnerability to the coronavirus.

 

The research entitled “Enhanced binding of SARS-CoV-2 spike protein to receptor by distal polybasic cleavage sites” was published in the scientific journal of the American Chemical Society (ASC, for its acronym in English).

 

Mónica Olvera de la Cruz has a degree in Physics from the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), she obtained a doctorate from the University of Cambridge in 1985, she specialized in the development of self-assembly models of heterogeneous molecules.

 

In 1986 he arrived at Northwestern University where he made the most recent finding, the weakness of the spike protein of the coronavirus.

 

Sources: bbc.com, eluniversal.com.mx