• Home
  • Health & Wellness
  • Disclaimer
    • Terms of Use
    • Privacy Policy
    • DMCA Notice
Podcast
  • Home
  • Health & Wellness
  • Disclaimer
    • Terms of Use
    • Privacy Policy
    • DMCA Notice
24/7 Health News
No Result
View All Result
Home Article

Does a new study really show that hydroxychloroquine might be effective against omicron?

January 12, 2022
in Article
0
Does a new study really show that hydroxychloroquine might be effective against omicron?
file 20220109 21

Stock Footage Inc/Shutterstock

Hydroxychloroquine, the anti-malaria drug controversially touted as a cure for COVID despite a lack of robust evidence, is creating renewed interest as a potential treatment for omicron.

The discussion has been sparked by a new study from the University of Glasgow, which is yet to be published in a scientific journal, that looks at how antibodies from vaccines block omicron from entering cells. The researchers conclude, as many others have, that antibodies (the proteins that neutralise the virus) against previous variants or induced by vaccines are less effective against omicron. What’s interesting, though, is that the study finds that omicron may have changed the way it enters cells.

SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID, is coated in a lipid bilayer (a thin membrane made of two layers) just like our cells. When the virus enters our cells, the bilayers fuse like oil droplets on the surface of water, termed “membrane fusion”.

Membrane fusion occurs after the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein has attached to the ACE2 receptor on the cell surface, but can happen in two different places (see diagram below). Membrane fusion can occur on the cell’s surface, or it can can occur after the SARS-CoV-2 virus has been engulfed in an endosome.

The two ways coronavirus enters your cells

How coronavirus fuses with a cell.
SARS-CoV-2 fusion can be activated by either or both of two pathways. Omicron may prefer the first way, via endosomes.
PLOS Pathogens, CC BY

An endosome occurs when the cell’s membrane folds back in on itself, creating a bubble of outside material inside the cell in order to take up nutrients. Normally the cell will then sort through the material and keep useful nutrients while discarding others. However, many viruses exploit endosomes as a way to enter cells.

This means that SARS-CoV-2 has two ways to enter cells: from the surface or via an endosome. The University of Glasgow study shows that omicron has picked up mutations that improve its ability to enter our cells via endosomes – and this is where hydroxychloroquine comes into play.

Hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) is a drug that accumulates in endosomes and decreases their acidity, which disrupts their function. Making endosomes less acidic reduces membrane fusion, thereby reducing SARS-CoV-2’s ability to enter cells. So HCQ could act as an antiviral.

This is possibly how HCQ acts as an anti-malarial and anti-inflammatory drug (although some researchers dispute this). It’s important to note that the new study does not test HCQ’s effect on omicron.

Hydroxychloroquine has had a difficult pandemic

HCQ has become notorious during the pandemic. The first study claiming HCQ is effective against COVID was criticised by science fraud expert Elisabeth Bik, who questioned the ethics, timelines for the trials, a lack of randomisation for patients and missing data.

Didier Raoult, the lead author of the work, then filed a criminal complaint against Bik for moral harassment, blackmail and extortion. During this, the French president, Emmanuel Macron, promoted HCQ – I assume in support of a fellow Frenchman, while use of the drug was also supported by Donald Trump, for reasons only clear to Donald Trump.

More bizarrely, a study published in the Lancet suggested that HCQ treatment actually increased fatalities, though this latter study has been accused of data fraud as well. Throughout all of this, other researchers have failed to find any positive benefits for HCQ, or strong indications for side-effects. HCQ has so far been an example of science at its worst.

But will hydroxychloroquine be effective against omicron? I struggle to see the benefits of treating omicron infections with HCQ. In the University of Glasgow study, the researchers show that omicron enters cells via endosomes more so than other variants, but they do not show that omicron is limited to using endosomes. It can still enter from the cell surface. Using HCQ to stop omicron entering via endosomes would therefore only marginally limit the virus from entering cells.

To show that HCQ is effective against omicron, scientists need to infect cells with omicron in the presence and absence of HCQ and shows a significant reduction in infectivity. If this shows that HCQ is effective against omicron, it would be sensible to test HCQ in a clinical trial.

However, unlike in March 2020 when HCQ was first suggested as a treatment, we have plenty of drugs to treat COVID including antivirals, such as molnupiravir and remdesivir, anti-inflammatories, such as dexamethasone, and antibody therapies.

The Conversation

Ben Krishna does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

ShareTweetSharePin
Previous Post

The COVID-19 pandemic has inspired new health habits for these 4 scholars – here’s what they put into practice and why

Next Post

Cover your face, wear a hat and stay hydrated to exercise safely through the winter

Next Post
Cover your face, wear a hat and stay hydrated to exercise safely through the winter

Cover your face, wear a hat and stay hydrated to exercise safely through the winter

Most Read

What causes stuttering? A speech pathology researcher explains the science and the misconceptions around this speech disorder

What causes stuttering? A speech pathology researcher explains the science and the misconceptions around this speech disorder

December 15, 2022
morning back pain

Morning Again Ache Trigger Is Not the Mattress

October 11, 2021
lower back pain relief exercises

5 decrease again ache aid workouts

October 11, 2021
3 years after legalization, we have shockingly little information about how it changed cannabis use and health harms

3 years after legalization, we have shockingly little information about how it changed cannabis use and health harms

October 15, 2021
Nasal vaccines promise to stop the COVID-19 virus before it gets to the lungs – an immunologist explains how they work

Nasal vaccines promise to stop the COVID-19 virus before it gets to the lungs – an immunologist explains how they work

December 14, 2022
bleeding in gum

When The Bleeding in gum Is Severe ?

October 11, 2021
Good Night Sleep

6 Causes of Good Evening Sleep

October 11, 2021

COVID vaccines: how one can pace up rollout in poorer international locations

October 5, 2021
Ten small changes you can make today to prevent weight gain

Ten small changes you can make today to prevent weight gain

October 12, 2021
Support and collaboration with health-care providers can help people make health decisions

Support and collaboration with health-care providers can help people make health decisions

December 16, 2021
Greece to make COVID vaccines mandatory for over-60s, but do vaccine mandates work?

Greece to make COVID vaccines mandatory for over-60s, but do vaccine mandates work?

December 1, 2021

Multiple sclerosis: the link with earlier infection just got stronger – new study

October 12, 2021
News of war can impact your mental health — here’s how to cope

Binge-eating disorder is more common than many realise, yet it’s rarely discussed – here’s what you need to know

December 2, 2022
Nurses’ attitudes toward COVID-19 vaccination for their children are highly influenced by partisanship, a new study finds

Nurses’ attitudes toward COVID-19 vaccination for their children are highly influenced by partisanship, a new study finds

December 2, 2022
Kick up your heels – ballroom dancing offers benefits to the aging brain and could help stave off dementia

Kick up your heels – ballroom dancing offers benefits to the aging brain and could help stave off dementia

January 3, 2023
How hot is too hot for the human body? Our lab found heat + humidity gets dangerous faster than many people realize

How hot is too hot for the human body? Our lab found heat + humidity gets dangerous faster than many people realize

July 6, 2022
The promise of repairing bones and tendons with human-made materials

The promise of repairing bones and tendons with human-made materials

January 4, 2022
As viral infections skyrocket, masks are still a tried-and-true way to help keep yourself and others safe

As viral infections skyrocket, masks are still a tried-and-true way to help keep yourself and others safe

December 14, 2022
How regulatory agencies, not the courts, are imposing COVID-19 vaccine mandates

How regulatory agencies, not the courts, are imposing COVID-19 vaccine mandates

October 24, 2021
Heart disease risk from saturated fats may depend on what foods they come from – new research

Heart disease risk from saturated fats may depend on what foods they come from – new research

November 29, 2021
Late night eating may cause greater weight gain – new research points to why

Late night eating may cause greater weight gain – new research points to why

October 12, 2022

10 Things I Learned During My Body Transformation

October 12, 2021

7 Health Benefits of Sweet Potatoes

October 12, 2021
Nobel prize: how chilli peppers helped researchers uncover how humans feel pain

Nobel prize: how chilli peppers helped researchers uncover how humans feel pain

October 12, 2021
How air filters can make COVID wards safer for patients and staff

How air filters can make COVID wards safer for patients and staff

December 1, 2021
GPs don’t give useful weight-loss advice – new study

GPs don’t give useful weight-loss advice – new study

December 16, 2022
Four ways to avoid gaining weight over the festive period – but also why you shouldn’t fret about it too much

Four ways to avoid gaining weight over the festive period – but also why you shouldn’t fret about it too much

December 22, 2022
Five ways to avoid pain and injury when starting a new exercise regime

Five ways to avoid pain and injury when starting a new exercise regime

December 30, 2022
Why suicide prevention support is crucial for people with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder

Why suicide prevention support is crucial for people with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder

September 28, 2022
Too hot to handle: Climate considerations for youth sport during the hottest years on record

Too hot to handle: Climate considerations for youth sport during the hottest years on record

July 19, 2022
  • Home
  • Health & Wellness
  • Disclaimer

© 2020 DAILY HEALTH NEWS

  • Home
  • Health & Wellness
  • Disclaimer
    • Terms of Use
    • Privacy Policy
    • DMCA Notice

© 2020 DAILY HEALTH NEWS