TWiV reviews a drug screen for inhibitors of syncytium formation, the fusing of cells caused by SARS-CoV-2, which reveals that the process is regulated by a calcium-activated ion channel and scramblase that is inhibited by the anti-parasite drug Niclosamide.
Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Alan Dove, Rich Condit, and Brianne Barker
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Links for this episode
- TMEM16 inhibitors block SARS-CoV-2 driven syncytium formation (Nature) 4:13
- Letters read on TWiV 742 52:24
- Timestamps by Jolene. Thanks!
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Brianne – COVID-19: a disaster five years in the making
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Rich – Racism Makes Me Question Everything. I Got the Vaccine Anyway
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Further positive results with niclosamide would of course be great, esp since it’s off-patent.
From its Wikipedia page, fascinating what all else it’s good for, incl: “Researchers have found that niclosamide is effective in killing invasive zebra mussels in cool waters.”