Australian scientists FINALLY solve the COVID-19 puzzle; discover lung protein that can kill the virus

Researchers in Australia have made a groundbreaking discovery that could shed light on why some people become seriously ill with COVID-19 while others never show symptoms. The team, led by Professor Greg Neely of the University of Sydney’s Charles Perkins Centre, in collaboration with Dr Lipin Loo and Matthew Waller, have discovered a protein in the lungs that sticks to the COVID-19 virus, immobilizing it in a way that is similar to velcro. The findings, published in the journal PLOS Biology, could have implications for the development of drugs that can block viral infections and suppress lung fibrosis, which can be caused by COVID-19.

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How did scientists find theLRRC15 protein?

The researchers used human cells in tissue culture and the genetic engineering tool, CRISPR, to search the entire human genome for proteins that can bind to the SARS-CoV-2 virus. The process allowed them to find a new receptor protein called LRRC15, which appears to be part of a new immune barrier that helps protect against serious COVID-19 infections.

DidLRRC15 protein protect patients from dying?

While patients who died from COVID-19 produced LRRC15, the researchers believe that not enough of the protein was produced to be protective, or that it was produced too late to help. A separate study from London found that blood samples with LRRC15 were lower in patients with severe COVID compared to patients with mild COVID, supporting the theory that higher levels of LRRC15 would result in less severe disease.

Important discovery for developing medicine

LRRC15 is also expressed in fibroblast cells, which control lung fibrosis, and the discovery could have implications for long COVID. Currently, there are no good treatments for lung fibrosis, but Neely believes that the discovery of LRRC15 could change this. “We can now use this new receptor to design broad-acting drugs that can block viral infection or even suppress lung fibrosis,” Neely said.

The discovery is a powerful example of what can happen when teams work together in Australia, according to Professor Stuart Turville, a virologist with the Kirby Institute at the University of New South Wales. The research adds to our understanding of innate immunity, which is the hard-wired response humans have when a virus appears. Understanding these pathways is important as they enable us to put the brakes on a virus, so other parts of the immune system can respond.

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