Introduction

The invention aims to provide antiviral compounds for the prevention and treatment of infections caused by a coronavirus, particularly by SARS-CoV-2. The invention shows that 27-hydroxycholesterol can activate the innate immune response and induce the response of cells and tissues. Formulated in a pharmaceutical composition, it significantly inhibits the infectivity of SARS-CoV-2 (100% at the highest doses).

Technical features

An oxysterol called 27-hydroxycholesterol (27OHC), a derivative of cholesterol obtained by oxidation, endogenous, that is, produced naturally by the human body, has been identified as an antiviral compound. In fact,  in vitro tests, 27OHC was administered after inoculating susceptible cells with SARS-CoV-2, simulating a viral infection treatment protocol. 27OHC was able to inhibit the replication of SARS-CoV-2 and other human coronavirus that causes the common cold (HCoV-OC43), without cytotoxicity, at concentrations in the micromolar range.

This study has been published on the journal Redox Biology and is available (https://doi.org/10.1016/j.redox.2020.101682).

Possible Applications

• Pharmaceutical sector;
• Respiratory diseases;
• Chronic inflammatory gastrointestinal diseases.

Advantages

• New treatment for SARS-CoV-2;
• Treatment active against other Coronaviruses;
• Physiological drug naturally present in the human organism.