A team of scientists at the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) Bhopal has in a review identified the biomolecular relationships between Covid-19, aging, and diabetes. The review, published in the journal Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry, presented that existing drugs used to treat diabetes, obesity, and aging can potentially be used to treat Covid-19. Similar naturally existing biomolecules were also explored in combination for the Covid treatment.
“There are classes of compounds such as polyphenols found in plant-based food, curcumin (found in turmeric), and resveratrol (found in grapes), have been shown to not only slow down the aging process, but also possess anti-viral properties,” said Dr. Amjad Husain, Principal Scientist, and CEO of Innovation and Incubation Center for Entrepreneurship (IICE), IISER Bhopal, in a statement. Some other polyphenols that the researchers have identified as being useful for both Covid-19 treatment and comorbidity conditions such as diabetes and aging may include catechins (present in green tea, cocoa, and berries), procyanidins (found in apples, cinnamon, and grape skin), and theaflavin (found in black tea).
The researchers also present evidence of some existing potential anti-aging drugs such as Rapamycin that can be explored for the Covid-19 treatment because of the common biochemical pathways associated with these diseases.
Another such example is the drug Metformin, which is usually used to control blood sugar. The review showed that at the molecular level, there are intersecting pathways that are common to diabetes, aging, and Covid-19. All three conditions are associated with oxidative stress and low- ering of the immune response and complications arising from them lead to the onset of numerous other diseases such as cardiovascular disorders, eye diseases, neuropathy (nerve diseases), and nephropathy (kidney problems).
The researchers believe that an ideal therapeutic candidate for Covid-19 should be able to target the pathways that are common to diabetes, aging, and the SARS-CoV-2 infection. Further, computational studies showed that lipids present in cell membranes play an important role in coronavirus infectivity. Natural compounds such as polyphenols may affect the binding of the virus to host receptors and the molecular interactions re- quired for virus replication and release, thereby stopping the infection in its early stages, the team explained.
