c19early.org
COVID-19 Treatment Clinical Evidence
COVID-19 involves the interplay of 500+ viral and host proteins and factors, providing many therapeutic targets.
c19early analyzes 6,000+ studies for 220+ treatments—over 17 million hours of research.
Only three high-profit early treatments are approved in the US.
In reality, many treatments reduce risk,
with 26 low-cost treatments approved across 163 countries.
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Naso/
oropharyngeal treatment Effective Treatment directly to the primary source of initial infection. -
Healthy lifestyles Protective Exercise, sunlight, a healthy diet, and good sleep all reduce risk.
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Immune support Effective Vitamins A, C, D, and zinc show reduced risk, as with other viruses.
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Thermotherapy Effective Methods for increasing internal body temperature, enhancing immune system function.
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Systemic agents Effective Many systemic agents reduce risk, and may be required when infection progresses.
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High-profit systemic agents Conditional Effective, but with greater access and cost barriers.
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Monoclonal antibodies Limited Utility Effective but rarely used—high cost, variant dependence, IV/SC admin.
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Acetaminophen Harmful Increased risk of severe outcomes and mortality.
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Remdesivir Harmful Increased mortality with longer followup. Increased kidney and liver injury, cardiac disorders.
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Functional nucleic acids as potent therapeutics against SARS-CoV-2 infection,
Cell Reports Physical Science,
doi:10.1016/j.xcrp.2023.101249
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Computationally Guided Design and Experimental Validation of ssDNA Aptamers Targeting the SARS-CoV-2 Spike Protein,
Biomolecules,
doi:10.3390/biom16101476
Aptamer development has traditionally relied on iterative, labor-intensive experimental approaches. Recent advances in bioinformatics and computational power now enable the rational in silico design of high-affinity nucleic acid ligands, drastically reducing time and cost. Here, we present an integrated computational pipeline for designing ssDNA aptamers targeting the receptor-binding domain (RBD) of the SARS-CoV-2 Spike (S) protein. A library of 4000 randomly generated 20-nucleotide sequences with defined base ratios (C:G:A:T = 3:3:2:2) was screened based on secondary structure and free energy. The 100 most stable sequences (ΔG ≤ −4.1 kcal/mol) were modeled in three dimensions, yielding 1000 conformations. The 100 structures with the lowest potential energies (≤−78,051.7 kcal/mol) were selected for molecular docking with the RBD in the closed, open, and transitional states. Two aptamers—model-2-seq_2714 (seq_2714) and model-5-seq_1397 (seq_1397)—were selected for experimental assessment based on their favorable predicted docking scores against the RBD. Western blot and dot blot assays showed detectable recognition of the recombinant RBD by both aptamers under the experimental conditions tested. Exploratory testing in a limited number of clinical and environmental samples further showed that detectable signals could be obtained in selected complex matrices. These findings provide an initial proof-of-principle assessment of a computational-first strategy for prioritizing candidate aptamers for subsequent experimental testing.