Thapsigargin study, anti-viral

Thapsia garganica

Thapsigargin Is a Broad-Spectrum Inhibitor of Major Human Respiratory Viruses: Coronavirus, Respiratory Syncytial Virus and Influenza A Virus

Researchers from the University of Nottingham have discovered a novel antiviral property of a drug that could have major implications in how future epidemics / pandemics - including Covid-19 - are managed.

Powerful Antiviral Treatment for COVID-19 Discovered That Could Change How Epidemics Are Managed

Thapsigargin is non-competitive inhibitor of the sarco/endoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ ATPase (SERCA).[1] Structurally, thapsigargin is classified as a sesquiterpene lactone, and is extracted from a plant, Thapsia garganica.[2]

Interesting quote:

Quote: Since inhibition of SERCA is a mechanism of action that has been used to target solid tumors, thapsigargin has attracted research interest. A prodrug of thapsigargin, mipsagargin, is currently undergoing clinical trials for the treatment of glioblastoma.

'Death carrot' could hold the key to new cancer drugs, NS 2012

Quote:

... The task has been taken on by Samuel Denmeade, an oncologist at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore. He and his team spent 15 years engineering an analogue of thapsigargin, the active ingredient in the plant, to fight cancer cells exclusively. Thapsigargin typically works by passing through cell membranes and shutting down calcium pumps – essential for cell survival – on the inside of cells. Denmeade’s team modified the thapsigargin molecule by adding an extra peptide chain which prevents the toxin from entering cells. That is, until it encounters PSMA – an enzyme commonly found on the surface of many prostate cancer cells. PSMA cleaves the extra chain off the toxin, setting it free to do its devastating business. Precision killer While traditional chemotherapy drugs only target cells undergoing rapid growth, this new toxin is a generalist, destroying not just the cancer cells currently growing, but also those lying dormant as well as non-cancer cells recruited to help the tumour grow. ...