Si delinea una nuova prospettiva d'azione nella lotta contro il coronavirus. E ad aprirla è una piccola proteina, che si sta rivelando promettente per lo sviluppo di antivirali contro l'agente patogeno. È quanto attesta uno studio realizzato dall'Università di Ginevra in collaborazione con lo University College di Londra e l'ateneo di Barcellona. Per questa ricerca, inoltre, ha avuto un ruolo anche il Centro svizzero di calcolo scientifico di Lugano, dove in funzione dello studio è stato testato un modello teorico.
La proteina in questione, che si trova sulla superficie dei virus, è denominata Nsp1. Poteva apparire trascurabile, ma si è poi scoperto che ha in effetti "un ruolo molto importante nella infettività del Covid", afferma Francesco Luigi Gervasio, docente e specialista di biologia molecolare e strutturale presso l'ateneo ginevrino. Nsp1 presenta infatti una cavità insospettata a cui si possono agganciare dei frammenti di molecola e quindi, in futuro, anche un antivirale.
La proteina Nsp1 e il meccanismo d'azione individuato dalla ricerca
Più nel dettaglio, tale proteina viene generata dal virus per bloccare la risposta immunitaria. Quindi "rispondendo a questa proteina piccola ma 'cattiva'" si potrà "impedire che la risposta immunitaria venga bloccata", spiega l'esperto, evocando in questo senso un nuovo meccanismo d'azione.
Lo studio coordinato dal professor Gervasio proseguirà ora in larga misura nel Regno Unito, dove beneficerà di fondi destinati alla ricerca medica.
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