The answer lies in our cells.

In recent months, there has been no topic of greater interest to researchers and scientists in the medical field than the structure, function and mode of action of SARS-CoV-2 - the trigger of the global COVID-19 pandemic. A team from the German Centre for Infection Research (DZIF) at the Charité University Hospital in Berlin and the University of Bonn has been working intensively on the replication of the virus in cells. Their report in the journal Nature Communications offers new insights and conclusions.

The scientists were particularly interested in how SARS-CoV-2 manages to reprogramme our body's own cells in its favour - and thus how the replication of the virus in cells can be contained. Several compounds have been shown to be effective, including the polyamine spermidine. It is found in wheat germ, soya, mushrooms and ripened cheese, and is also available as a food supplement. When spermidine was added to SARS-CoV-2 infected cells, they produced 85 per cent fewer infectious virus particles.

DZIF researcher Dr Müller, who was involved in the study, said: "These clear effects of spermidine (...) are of course encouraging on the one hand, because fewer side effects are to be expected with endogenous substances. However, we worked with pure substances that are not suitable for medical use in this form". A result that gives hope - but needs to be further verified.

A summary of the full results of the study can be found at https://www.charite.de/service/pressemitteilung/artikel/detail/bandwurmmittel_gegen_sars_cov_2/

*Gassen NC et al. SARS-CoV-2-mediated dysregulation of metabolism and autophagy uncovers host-targeting antivirals. Nat Commun (2021), doi: 10.1038/s41467-021-24007-w