(Finance) – The lactoferrinthrough interaction with the spike glycoprotein of the SARS Cov-2 virus, generates antiviral activity leading to the reduction of negativization times and the early reappearance of the sense of smell and taste of patients with Covid-19. This was demonstrated by an inter-university study, published in Frontiers in Pharmacology and in the Journal of Environmental and public Health, coordinated by Elena Campione, associate professor at the UOSD of Dermatology at the Tor Vergata Polyclinic.
The research was supported by the Third Pillar Foundation – International and strongly desired by its president Emmanuele FM Emanuele.
Professor Emanuele says he is “pleased to have supported this important research project, which is part of the group of initiatives promoted in the last two years by the Foundation for the fight against the Covid-19 emergency”.
“Our commitment in the health sector – he says – represents an essential moral duty towards the community and has always seen us at the forefront, on the territory, in the delicate sectors of health and scientific research, as evidenced in particular, among others. many initiatives promoted, the Hospice for terminally ill and ALS patients and the Emanuele Village for Alzheimer’s patients, both totally free and which have not ceased to operate even during the health emergency, and most recently the Center being established CUORE, for the treatment and diagnosis of cardiovascular diseases, in collaboration with the Gemelli Hospital “.
The research, fruit of work of an inter-university group of researchers from the Roman universities of Tor Vergata and La Sapienza, was presented today at the Angelica Library in Rome. They collaborated with it Luca Bianchi, Terenzio Cosio and Caterina Lannabelonging to the UOSD of Dermatology of the Tor Vergata Polyclinic in Rome, together with Daniela Piera Valentiengaged in research on lactoferrin since the 1970s and already a member of the International Committee for the studies on lactoferrin, together with Luigi Rosaof the Department of Public Health and Infectious Diseases of the La Sapienza University, Mattia Falconi, Federico Iacovelli and Alice Romeo of the Department of Structural Bioinformatics, Department of Mathematical, Physical and Natural Sciences of the Tor Vergata University.
“The spike protein generates an elevated state of inflammation in the cell and lactoferrin, by binding to the spike protein, counteracts the binding of the virus, and is able to inhibit the infection2, explain Daniela Piera Valenti and Luigi Rosa.
“Even structural bioinformatics studies – says Mattia Falconi – have shown that the interaction energy between lactoferrin and the spike protein exists and is consistent, that lactoferrin behaves almost like a small antibody, able to interact directly with the virus”.
“We evaluated the symptoms and the average time of negativization in patients – underlines Elena Campione – and we had very promising preliminary results. Speed in the reacquisition of taste and smell, reduction of negativization times and almost disappearance of long covid symptoms” .
The project, coordinated by Ettore Squillaci, in addition to the part of the research envisaged both an awareness campaign, through the free diffusion of lactoferrin in exempt patients at some selected Roman pharmacies.