Nitric oxide a new treatment option for COVID-19
Researchers at Uppsala University have noted that an effective way of treating the coronavirus that caused the 2003 SARS epidemic also works on the SARS-CoV-2 virus. The substance is nitric oxide (NO), a compound that has antiviral properties and is produced by the body itself.The study is published in the journal Redox Biology.
"To our knowledge, nitric oxide is the only substance shown so far to have a direct effect on SARS-CoV-2," says Åke Lundkvist, a professor at Uppsala University, who led the study.
Since there is still no effective cure for COVID-19, the main emphasis in the treatments tested has been on relieving symptoms. This can shorten hospital stays and reduce mortality. To date, however, it has not been possible to prove that any of these treatments has affected the actual virus behind the infection.
Nitric oxide (NO) is a compound produced naturally in the body. Its functions include acting like a hormone in controlling various organs. It regulates, for example, tension in the blood vessels and blood flow between and within organs. In acute lung failure, NO can be administered as inhaled gas, in low concentrations, to boost the blood-oxygen saturation level. During the SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome) coronavirus epidemic of 2003, this therapy was tried out with success. One key reason for the successful results was that inflammation in the patients' lungs decreased. This property of nitric oxide - the protection it affords against infections, by being both antibacterial and antiviral - is the very one that now interests the researchers.
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