[Exclusive] First domestic development of candidate substance for 'mutagenicity blocking' treatment

<Anchor>

For the first time in Korea, an edible drug candidate that can catch corona mutations has been developed.

Although it is still in its infancy, it is expected that it will be effective in preventing viruses and prevent serious complications.

Cho Dong-chan, a medical reporter, reported exclusively.

<Reporter> This

is how the corona virus penetrates the cell.

There are many protrusions on the surface of the green fluorescent-colored round mass, which merge when they touch the cell.

A research team at Yonsei University College of Medicine discovered that human cells react in this process.

When a substance that inhibits human cell responses is administered, the cells do not respond even if the virus approaches.

The cell-to-virus binding rate, which was above 80%, was lowered to below 20% after administration of this treatment candidate.

Viruses that cannot bind to cells die.

In Wuhan, as well as alpha, beta, delta, and micron mutations, the effect was the same.

[Lee Min-koo/Professor, Department of Pharmacology, Yonsei University College of Medicine: Because it acts on human cells, it can still be effective even when a mutant strain is generated.]

After growing human nasal mucosa cells to resemble the human body, cell experiments were also conducted.

[Juri Shim / Researcher, Department of Pharmacology, Yonsei University College of Medicine: The situation is that the drug is put in the situation after it is implemented to match the human respiratory system.]

The treatment effect was better in the human nasal mucosa cell experiment, which is more accurate than the normal cell experiment, and it suppressed most of the virus.

It is also expected to be effective in preventing severe corona complications such as blood clots.

[Lee Min-koo / Professor, Department of Pharmacology, Yonsei University College of Medicine: When a phospholipid called post-phatidylserine goes out, a blood clot forms.

So, I tried to suppress it, but I found that the virus also enters the cell membrane using the same mechanism.]

The research team is conducting animal experiments, and it is expected that actual clinical trials will be conducted within one year.

(Video coverage: Park Hyun-chul, video editing: Lee Seung-yeol, CG: Ban So-hee, Kim Hong-sik, Kim Jeong-eun)

Enlarging an image

<Anchor>

Let's talk more about this with medical reporter Cho Dong-chan.

[Cho Dong-chan, medical reporter: Because it is a new method.

Corona virus can survive only by infiltrating human cells and then multiplying.

Existing treatments are methods that keep the virus away from human cells or inhibit the key substance of the virus's proliferation.

Conversely, the domestic candidate substance is a principle that keeps human cells away from viruses, so even if the virus changes, the effect will be maintained as long as the human cells do not change.

BA.2.75, which is said to have the strongest immune evasion ability, may not work with existing antibody treatments as well as oral treatments, but domestic candidates are likely to hear well.]

[Cho Dong-chan, medical reporter: Animal experiments are being conducted now.

The research team predicted that it would conduct a clinical trial within one year and launch it within two years.

It took less than two years for the current oral treatment to be used after the candidate was released.

This is because you can quickly get the medicine you need urgently.

In particular, since this experiment was supported by the Ministry of Health and Welfare and the Ministry of Science and Technology, cooperation from the government is expected.

However, since unexpected side effects may occur in animal and clinical trials, it seems to be necessary to watch the results calmly.

]

[Cho Dong-chan, medical reporter: The highest authority on coronavirus, US Director Anthony Fauci, said that the coronavirus will continue until he turns 105 in 24 years.

Due to the nature of the corona, which changes faster than the flu, a strategy is needed from the initial research on domestic and foreign candidates that can be used for multiple mutations rather than a treatment tailored to a specific mutation.

In the short term, attention should be paid to combination therapy, which is a combination of several corona treatments.

In the past, combination therapy was more effective for AIDS treatments, but I'm looking at related studies.

It seems that domestic research is also needed.]