Blocking Factor D Protein may reduce inflammatory reactions associated with Covid-19

Blocking Factor D Protein may reduce inflammatory reactions associated with Covid-19

Part of: GS Prelims and GS-III – Biotechnology

In news

• A new study by Johns Hopkins Medicine researchers suggests that blocking a human protein factor D may reduce the deadly inflammatory reactions that many patients have due to COVID-19.

Key takeaways

• Team focused on two proteins, factor H and factor D.
• These are known as “complement” proteins.
• They help the immune system clear pathogens from the body.
• The researchers discovered that Covid-19’s spike protein causes factor D to overstimulate the immune response, which in turn prevents factor H from mediating that response.
• When SARS-CoV-2 attacks the ACE2 receptors to proliferate and infect more cells in the human body, it also prevents Factor H from using the sugar molecule to bind with cells.
• The team found that by blocking factor D, they were able to stop the destructive chain of events triggered by SARS-CoV-2.