In the study, the patients, who were in multiple hospitals across Italy and Spain, had a 71 per cent reduced risk of dying compared to patients who had not taken the drug. “This is one of the first Covid-19 treatments to go from computer to clinic and laboratory. The team grew miniature human organs in the lab, called organoids, to investigate how exactly the drug may combat Covid-19. When infected with the Covid-19 virus, called SARS-CoV-2, the body releases different types of inflammatory molecules, called chemokines and cytokines. The study showed a particular cytokine, called an interferon, increases the number of receptors, or docking points, for the virus.

Source: Hindustan Times November 16, 2020 13:05 UTC