Brazilian viper venom could become a tool in the fight against COVID, study finds

SAO PAULO, Aug. 30 (Reuters) – Brazilian researchers have found that a molecule in the venom of a type of snake inhibits the reproduction of the coronavirus in monkey cells, a possible first step towards a drug to fight the virus at the origin of COVID-19.

A study published in the scientific journal Molecules this month found that the molecule produced by the viper jararacussu inhibited the ability of the virus to multiply in monkey cells by 75%.

“We were able to show that this component of snake venom was able to inhibit a very important protein of the virus,” said Rafael Guido, professor at the University of Sao Paulo and author of the study.

The molecule is a peptide, or chain of amino acids, that can connect to a coronavirus enzyme called PLPro, which is vital for the virus to reproduce, without harming other cells.

Already known for its antibacterial qualities, the peptide can be synthesized in the lab, Guido said in an interview, making it unnecessary to capture or breed snakes.

“We are wary of people who go hunting jararacussu around Brazil, thinking they are going to save the world … That’s not it!” said Giuseppe Puorto, a herpetologist who heads the biological collection at the Butantan Institute in Sao Paulo. “It is not the venom itself that will cure the coronavirus.”

The researchers will then assess the effectiveness of different doses of the molecule and whether it is able to prevent the virus from entering cells in the first place, according to a statement from Sao Paulo State University (Unesp), who was also involved in the research.

They hope to test the substance in human cells but have given no deadline.

The jararacussu is one of the largest snakes in Brazil, measuring up to 6 feet (2 meters) long. It lives in the coastal Atlantic Forest and is also found in Bolivia, Paraguay, and Argentina.

Reporting by Leonardo Benassatto; Additional reporting by Pedro Fonseca; Editing by Bill Berkrot

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