A master’s and Ph.D. graduate of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Jean-Jacques Degroof is an experienced educator and venture investor, who supports innovative biomedical projects at MIT.
Currently, a team of chemists at MIT is developing a potential treatment for COVID-19. The drug candidate could block coronaviruses from entering human cells by mimicking cellular protein.
Research has shown that coronaviruses such as SARS-CoV-2, the virus causing COVID-19, have protein spikes on their viral envelopes which they use to bind with a receptor on human cells called angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2). This receptor acts as the virus’ entry point into cells. It is how it invades the lungs.
The drug being developed MIT will use a peptide, a short protein fragment, to mimic ACE2 receptors. When coronaviruses bind to the peptide, they are potentially disarmed, preventing them from harming lung cells. The researchers are now using peptide synthesis technology to generate 23-amino acid peptides and sending them to the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai for testing in human cells and animal models.
Currently, a team of chemists at MIT is developing a potential treatment for COVID-19. The drug candidate could block coronaviruses from entering human cells by mimicking cellular protein.
Research has shown that coronaviruses such as SARS-CoV-2, the virus causing COVID-19, have protein spikes on their viral envelopes which they use to bind with a receptor on human cells called angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2). This receptor acts as the virus’ entry point into cells. It is how it invades the lungs.
The drug being developed MIT will use a peptide, a short protein fragment, to mimic ACE2 receptors. When coronaviruses bind to the peptide, they are potentially disarmed, preventing them from harming lung cells. The researchers are now using peptide synthesis technology to generate 23-amino acid peptides and sending them to the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai for testing in human cells and animal models.
