COVID-19 has been raging around the world for nearly three years. The immune escape of SARS CoV-2 virus variants to vaccines has brought major challenges to all parts of the world. However, the current vaccine development speed is far less than the virus mutation speed, so it is necessary to develop other response methods to prevent the virus from spreading. Cost effective virus inhibitors may play a key role in controlling the epidemic.
Dr. Chen Jianping, the chief lecturer of the School of Traditional Chinese Medicine of the Hong Kong University School of Medicine, explained: "The research team has focused on the research of Spatholobus Suberectus Dunn for more than 20 years. As a potential preparation to prevent SARS CoV-2, its extract SSP can be used to fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. There are only a few preventive drugs in various parts of the world at present, and we hope that this Chinese medicine can be developed into a new virus prevention agent in the future." She added that no matter whether the dosage of SSP was high or low, the mouse model was not toxic, so the use of SSP was safe.
Dr. Liu Li, research assistant professor of the AIDS Research Institute of the Hong Kong University School of Medicine and the Department of Microbiology of the School of Clinical Medicine, also pointed out: "The research results prove that SSP may have extensive antiviral activity for different types of respiratory virus infections, which can prevent viruses from combining with cells. Since different GMP validation batches show consistent antiviral activity, we are confident in the clinical development of SSP."
This research reflects interdisciplinary cooperation, realizes the integration of traditional Chinese and western medicine, develops new medical examples, and solves major human diseases, especially COVID-19.
