The Furin-COVID-19 Connection Continues but Key Aspects are Missing From the Discussion

More validation is emerging for the furin protease (“furin”) hypothesis I posited in this blog: The Furin Protease Connection: From SARS CoV-2 and Anthrax, to Diabetes and Hypertension and that is now available as a pre-print publication here. Considering furin protease inhibitors Scientists are validating furin inhibition as a possible pathway to addressing COVID. And in this Medical News Today…

Furin

The Furin Protease Connection: From SARS CoV-2 and Anthrax, to Diabetes and Hypertension

Earlier this year, Coutard et al proposed that the SARS-CoV-2 spike glycoprotein (S) contains a furin cleavage complex (FCC) which was likely playing a role in the pathogenicity of this particular virus. Fast forward a few weeks, and some further connections can be made with relevance for how we might interpret risk and choose interventions…

SARS

A few additional treatment possibilities in COVID19 (SARS Cov-2) addressing furin-like cleavage and pyroptosis (caspacin-1 activation of inflammasome NLRP3)

The cytokine storm seen in SARS Cov1 and Cov2 might be due to chronic pyroptosis activation. However, known activators of NLRP3 in SARS-CoV differ from CoV2.  While SARS Cov1 and COVID19 are genetically very similar, the extraordinarily high rate of infectivity of COVID19 is unique. Prepublication research suggests the cause might be a unique furin-like cleavage site on the spike protein of Cov2 that was absent in Cov1.