Doping With Erythropoietin against COVID-19
Erythropoietin is a hormone that encourages the formation of red blood cells (erythrocytes). Many of the Epo was known by the Doping scandals in the Sport. Now, Researchers report that the drugs could also help in the fight against serious COVID-19-course of a disease.
In the fight against the Coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 induced disease COVID-19 of gradients, especially in severe disease and against other diseases drugs developed set. Also, the doping agent Epo could be possibly used.
Possible protection against neurological consequences of late
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Erythropoietin is actually a drug against anemia. However, according to researchers at the Max-Planck-Institute for experimental medicine in Göttingen, in the Public eye and as a doping agent known Epo could be COVID-19 effective.
As stated in a recent communication, could weaken the growth factor of severe course of disease and patients and to protect patients before neurological late, when the SARS-CoV-2 Virus attacks the brain.
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After the first of the case studies indicate a positive effect of Epo, plan the researchers a randomized clinical trial to investigate the effects of Epo treatment in COVID-19-Affected in a systematic way.
Evidence for a protective role
According to the figures available at the end of March was admitted a Patient with severe COVID-19 symptoms in an Iranian hospital. Because he had also bad blood, the Doctors prescribed the hematopoietic growth factor is Epo. Seven days after the start of treatment, the Patient was able to leave the hospital again.
A further indication of a protective role of Epo in COVID-19 according to the Max-Planck-society (MPG) from South America. There is severe disease in higher altitude regions, are less common than in the lowlands, possibly, because people in altitudes of more Epo to form more red blood cells and thus better to oxygen deficiency, are adjusted.
Could be contributed to so have Epo, the quick healing of the Iranian patients and also the explanation for the differences in the frequency of the disease in South America be?
Milder disease progression due to Epo?
Hannelore Ehrenreich considers this to be possible. The scientist at the Max-Planck-Institute for experimental medicine researched for over thirty years, the effect of the body’s own growth factor and the suspected gradients, a connection between the administration of Epo and mild disease.
“For example, we have observed that dialysis patients Covid-19 survive remarkably well – and this is exactly what patients receive in the course of their dialysis regularly erythropoietin,” explained Ehrenreich.
As it says in the message, Epo is secreted as a natural reaction to lack of oxygen. The molecule stimulates the formation of red blood cells and improves the supply of oxygen to the brain and muscles.
This effect also athletes make use of the artificially-produced Epo as a doping agent to take. Epo acts not only has a stimulating effect on the blood cells, but also on many other tissues.
Improved breathing with lack of oxygen
Ehrenreich and her colleagues have now combined the to effect of Epo, already present studies. Their results were published in the journal “Molecular Medicine”.
The experts say Tests on animals suggest that Epo acts on areas in the brain stem and spinal cord that control breathing. As a consequence, breathing with lack of oxygen improves. In addition, it has anti-inflammatory effects on immune cells and could thus mitigate the often excessive immune response in COVID-19-patients and in-patients. Furthermore, Epo might protect from neurological symptoms and late consequences of the disease such as headache, dizziness, loss of taste and Smell, as well as seizures.
The protective effects of Epo have been shown according to the MPG, both on animals as well as in a variety of studies in humans with various diseases of the brain. Pharmaceutical companies have only limited interest in financing further studies on approved agents, such as erythropoietin, for which the patent protection has expired.
“Covid-19 can have serious consequences for the health that we need to respond to every note on a protective effect of Epo. Finally, there is currently neither a vaccine nor a drug. We prepare, therefore, just a study on humans, we are the effect of Epo in Covid-19, a so-called proof-of-concept study,“ says Ehrenreich to examine.
In this clinical study, seriously ill COVID-19, to get Affected in addition to Epo. The scientists want to investigate whether the growth factor may mitigate the severity of a disease. (ad)