<p>Increased levels of a protein, which humans have inherited from Neanderthals, are associated with reduced disease severity in Covid-19 patients, according to a study that may lead to the development of new therapeutics against the novel coronavirus infection.</p>.<p>The research, published in the journal Nature Medicine on Friday, noted that the protein OAS1 is linked to less severe disease requiring ventilation and reduced mortality among Covid-19 patients, and may help develop potential therapies to treat those infected with the virus.</p>.<p>"Our analysis shows evidence that OAS1 has a protective effect against Covid-19 susceptibility and severity," explained Brent Richards, study senior author from Lady Davis Institute (LDI) in Canada.</p>.<p>"This is a very exciting development in the race to identify potential therapies to treat patients because there are already therapies in pre-clinical development that boost OAS1 and could be explored for their effect against SARS-CoV-2 infection," Richards said.</p>.<p>In the study, the scientists explored proteins detectable in the blood as a potential drug target against Covid-19.</p>.<p>However, the researchers said they faced several hurdles in determining which proteins play a causal role in disease progression, and which were influenced by Covid-19 itself or other confounding factors.</p>.<p><strong><a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/national/west/modi-govt-to-hold-review-meeting-with-8-states-uts-showing-rise-in-covid-19-cases-955991.html" target="_blank">Read | Modi govt to hold review meeting with 8 states, UTs showing rise in Covid-19 cases</a></strong></p>.<p>Applying latest technology for isolating and measuring hundreds of circulating proteins at once, along with genetic analyses, they found that increase in OAS1 levels was associated with reduced Covid-19 death or ventilation, hospitalisation, and susceptibility in up to 14,134 Covid-19 cases and 1.2 million controls.</p>.<p>When they measured levels of this protein in 504 patients with different Covid-19 outcomes, they found that its increased levels in post-infection patients were linked to protection against very severe Covid-19, hospitalisation, and susceptibility.</p>.<p>"The protective effect was particularly large such that we observed a 50 per cent decrease in the odds of very severe Covid-19 per standard deviation increase in OAS1 circulating levels," said Sirui Zhou, study co-author from LDI.</p>.<p>"Interestingly, for non-African peoples, this protective effect is likely inherited from a Neanderthal derived form of OAS1 called p46," Zhou added.</p>.<p>The scientists believe this form of OAS1 likely emerged in people of European ancestry through interbreeding with Neanderthals tens of thousands of years ago.</p>.<p>They said the protein is now detectable in more than thirty-percent of people of European descent.</p>.<p>According to the researchers, this form of the protein may have likely served as protection against earlier pandemics.</p>.<p>They call for further studies on medications that trigger increased OAS1 levels for their effect on Covid-19 outcomes.</p>
<p>Increased levels of a protein, which humans have inherited from Neanderthals, are associated with reduced disease severity in Covid-19 patients, according to a study that may lead to the development of new therapeutics against the novel coronavirus infection.</p>.<p>The research, published in the journal Nature Medicine on Friday, noted that the protein OAS1 is linked to less severe disease requiring ventilation and reduced mortality among Covid-19 patients, and may help develop potential therapies to treat those infected with the virus.</p>.<p>"Our analysis shows evidence that OAS1 has a protective effect against Covid-19 susceptibility and severity," explained Brent Richards, study senior author from Lady Davis Institute (LDI) in Canada.</p>.<p>"This is a very exciting development in the race to identify potential therapies to treat patients because there are already therapies in pre-clinical development that boost OAS1 and could be explored for their effect against SARS-CoV-2 infection," Richards said.</p>.<p>In the study, the scientists explored proteins detectable in the blood as a potential drug target against Covid-19.</p>.<p>However, the researchers said they faced several hurdles in determining which proteins play a causal role in disease progression, and which were influenced by Covid-19 itself or other confounding factors.</p>.<p><strong><a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/national/west/modi-govt-to-hold-review-meeting-with-8-states-uts-showing-rise-in-covid-19-cases-955991.html" target="_blank">Read | Modi govt to hold review meeting with 8 states, UTs showing rise in Covid-19 cases</a></strong></p>.<p>Applying latest technology for isolating and measuring hundreds of circulating proteins at once, along with genetic analyses, they found that increase in OAS1 levels was associated with reduced Covid-19 death or ventilation, hospitalisation, and susceptibility in up to 14,134 Covid-19 cases and 1.2 million controls.</p>.<p>When they measured levels of this protein in 504 patients with different Covid-19 outcomes, they found that its increased levels in post-infection patients were linked to protection against very severe Covid-19, hospitalisation, and susceptibility.</p>.<p>"The protective effect was particularly large such that we observed a 50 per cent decrease in the odds of very severe Covid-19 per standard deviation increase in OAS1 circulating levels," said Sirui Zhou, study co-author from LDI.</p>.<p>"Interestingly, for non-African peoples, this protective effect is likely inherited from a Neanderthal derived form of OAS1 called p46," Zhou added.</p>.<p>The scientists believe this form of OAS1 likely emerged in people of European ancestry through interbreeding with Neanderthals tens of thousands of years ago.</p>.<p>They said the protein is now detectable in more than thirty-percent of people of European descent.</p>.<p>According to the researchers, this form of the protein may have likely served as protection against earlier pandemics.</p>.<p>They call for further studies on medications that trigger increased OAS1 levels for their effect on Covid-19 outcomes.</p>