A promising COVID-19 treatment inhaled as a therapeutic gas appears to have helped all moderate-to-serious cases of COVID-19 involved in a clinical study quickly recover from the disease.
Developed by Israeli scientists at the Ichilov Medical Center in Tel Aviv, the gas, or substance, called "EXO-CD24," is being hailed by scientists as a "huge breakthrough" in COVID-19 therapeutics.
The gas delivers a protein known as CD24 to the lungs. Exosomes in the drug help rebalance the immune system and prevent it from overreacting to SARS-CoV-2 (severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2), the virus that causes COVID-19.
CD-24 is located on the surface of cells and performs an important role in regulating the immune system. Basically, it helps calm down the immune system and curbs the development of a "cytokine storm."
This catastrophic immune problem called a cytokine storm had been tagged as the culprit behind some deaths from the disease. In a cytokine storm, the body starts to attack its own cells and tissues rather than just fighting off a virus such as SARS-CoV-2.
Exosomes are minute carrier sacs that transport materials between cells. Described as messengers of both health and disease, exosomes transfer exosome-associated RNA to recipient cells, where they influence protein machinery.
Prof. Nadir Arber originally designed EXO-CD24. The preparation is inhaled as a gas once every five days.
Arber said EXO-CD24 is directed straight to the heart of the cytokine storm - the lungs. This means that unlike other formulas that selectively restrain a certain cytokine or operate widely but cause many serious side effects, "EXO-CD24 is administered locally, works broadly and without side effects."
"Even if the vaccines do their job, and even if there aren't any new mutations, one way or another, the coronavirus will be staying with us," said Arber.
"That's why we developed this special medication. It's been about half a year from the time the idea was hatched to the first human trials (being) conducted."
The phase one study saw EXO-CD24 given to 30 patients infected by SARS-CoV-2, whose conditions ranged from moderate to severe. All of these patients recovered from the disease.
The study revealed 29 of the patients were discharged from the hospital over the next three to five days. One patient took slightly longer to recover.
"The results of the phase one trials are excellent, and all give us confidence in the method Arber has been researching in his lab for many years." said Dr. Roni Gamzu, director of the Ichilov Medical Center, according to The Times of Israel.
The medicine will now move on to Phase 2 and Phase 3 clinical trials. Hospital officials, however, are already hailing EXO-CD24 as a possible game-changer in fighting serious COVID-19 illnesses.
