Comment · Thu, March 19, 2020 · Natrium Health & Nootropics Depot
You might not want to be taking EGCG now that coronavirus is afoot
Original post in this thread
redditinface · 14 points
Emphasis on might. But Dr. Fauci lays out his concern about ACE inhibitors and coronavirus in his coronavirus update today, and EGCG is an ACE inhibitor.
But I want to emphasize that the jury is still out on this, and that several cardiology associations do not think the current evidence supports any action at this time.
What they were answering
ar-jan · 3 points
What do you think about the suggestion that reducing ACE2 specifically might also backfire? Thread from a molecular biologist:
> Based on this, it seems logical to try to block or reduce ACE2 expression to prevent viral cell infection. However, this might backfire. ACE2 is part of the delicate, balanced renin-angiotensin system (RAS), together with ACE. 3/
> https://ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25019157
(src: https://twitter.com/p70S6K/status/1240232738151698432)
u/MisterYouAreSoDumb · Natrium Health & Nootropics Depot
I would agree. I would avoid things that up-regulate ACE2, but I would also not try to take things to specifically down-regulate it. It's a balance. I don't want people to think I am suggesting taking things to down-regulate ACE2. I am just saying I am personally being cautious about things I know that up-regulate it. If you look at the data behind SARS-CoV-2 and ACE2, you will see it is complex.
https://www.drugtargetreview.com/news/56895/scientists-demonstrate-how-covid-19-infects-human-cells/
Scientists exploring how coronaviruses like COVID-19 infect human cells have shown that the SARS-CoV-2 spike (S) glycoprotein binds to the cell membrane protein angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) to enter human cells.
COVID-19 has been shown to bind to ACE2 via the S protein on its surface. During infection, the S protein is cleaved into subunits, S1 and S2. S1 contains the receptor binding domain (RBD) which allows coronaviruses to directly bind to the peptidase domain (PD) of ACE2. S2 then likely plays a role in membrane fusion.
Chinese researchers have now used cryogenic electron microscopy (cryo-EM) to study the structure of the ACE2 when it is bound to one of its typical ligands, the amino acid transporter B0AT1 and also how the COVID-19 RBD may bind to the ACE2-B0AT1 complex. These structures have previously not been identified and could aid in producing antivirals or a vaccine that can block coronavirus infection by targeting ACE2.
So they are targeting the S1 receptor binding domain of the ACE2 enzyme for a ligand. They are NOT trying to down-regulate ACE2 altogether. What researchers are doing to find a treatment is much more targeted at preventing the virus from binding to the specific site on ACE2.