“Thapsigargin” Keeping a Hopeful Watch

So could you pronouce either?


Possible Future Antiviral Treatment for not only Covid-19 but all corona viruses, Influenza, and RSV.
It also is cuurently in human trials on cancer.

“The key features based on cell and animal studies, which make thapsigargin a promising antiviral are that it is:
• effective against viral infection when used before or during active infection
• able to prevent a virus from making new copies of itself in cells for at least 48 hours after a single 30-minute exposure.
• stable in acidic pH, as found in the stomach, and therefore can be taken orally, so could be administered without the need for injections or hospital admission.
• not sensitive to virus resistance.
• at least several hundred-fold more effective than current antiviral options.
• just as effective in blocking combined infection with coronavirus and influenza A virus as in single-virus infection.
• safe as an antiviral (a derivative of thapsigargin has been tested in prostate cancer).”

www.nottingham.ac.uk...

www.mdpi.com...





www.dailymail.co.uk...-b7375cd2a318350

Just posting a Hope

a reply to: SeekingDepth

Hmm, I wonder Why I haven’t heard of this until now? Thanks for sharing

Thank you for posting this!
Being a Clinical Aromatherapist it sent me off on a revision of safer plants high in Sesquiterpene Lactones.
Did you know lettuce and Chicory contain the highest level's of SL's but also the guaianolides which is also present in the Thapsia garganica L. The Thapsigarin is a guaianolide.

Interesting that Thaspigargin is used in cancer treatment, but also in the treatment of malaria....which then got me thinking about the other anti-malarial drugs being trialled/used in the treatment of Covid19. Other anti-malarial drugs utilise artemisinin. The plants that produce the highest levels of artemisinin are Wormwood (Mugwort family and poisonous just like Thapsia garganica L) and Nicotiana (Tobacco plants).

SL's are of particular interest to the pharmaceutical companies because SL's are the plants defence against organic or animal (insect) attacks. However it is the SL's that also contribute to plants communicating with each other and to attract friendly bacteria (to kill off invading parasites/microbes) and insects for pollination for example. This is known as allelopathy. Plants/trees will adapt/change their Sesquiterpene lactone combinations/levels depending on whether they need to protect, attract, or repel and defend.
As an Aromatherapist it then makes me wonder whether SL rich plants (and indeed any other EO) has been harvested when the plant/tree was in attract or defend mode.

Rainbows
Jane