As per the news reports in October 2020, a new study, conducted by researchers from Johns Hopkins Medicine, and published in the journal Blood, states that blocking a human protein, known as factor D, may curtail the potentially deadly inflammatory reactions that many patients have to the novel coronavirus.
Spike proteins on the surface of SARS-CoV-2 are the means by which it attaches to cells, targeted for infection. These spikes grab hold of a molecule, called heparan sulfate, and uses the human protein ACE2 to enter the attacked cell.
In the study, the researchers used normal human blood serum and three subunits of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein in order to find out exactly how the virus hijacks the immune system. They found out that by blocking factor D the destructive chain of events, triggered by SARS-CoV-2 could be checked.
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Factor D is a protein which is encoded by the CFD gene. It is involved in the alternative complement pathway of the complement system, where it cleaves factor is a member of the trypsin family of peptides. The encoded protein is a component of the alternative complement pathway best known for its role in humoral suppression of infectious agents. It is also a serine protease that is secreted by adipocytes into the bloodstream. In the end, the encoded protein has a high level of expression in fat and suggests a role for adipose tissue in immune system biology. It stimulates glucose transport for triglyceride accumulation in fats cells and inhibits lipolysis.
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Courtesy: Indian Express