Knowing immediately how contagious a person positive for the molecular swab for the SarsCoV2 virus is and understanding if those who are sick with Covid-19 risk having a serious course: the answers are possible thanks to two molecular spies discovered in Italy.
The discoveries, which pave the way for early diagnosis, are published in the Diagnostics and Scientific Reports journals and are due to the Covid 19 Task Force of the Ceinge-Advanced Biotechnology of Naples, funded by the Campania Region and coordinated by the geneticist Massimo Zollo.
Currently, the researchers note, early diagnosis of SarsCoV2 infection is not possible.
Even when a positive result is obtained from the molecular test, in fact, it is not possible to determine some characteristics, which would be very useful and important from an epidemiological point of view.
Information, they note, even more important if the person with the infection has been vaccinated and essential for establishing therapy.
The first discovery is published in the Diagnostics magazine by Ettore Capoluongo and Massimo Zollo, of the Federico II University of Naples and Ceinge principal investigator, with the support of the Coronet Lab of Ceinge.
The result paves the way for the first kit to measure viral load, i.e. the number of copies of the genetic material of the virus in one milliliter of biological material taken with the swab.
The molecular spies of the virus's ability to multiply are called sgN and sgE and are a kind of directors of the virus replication process.
Especially sgN is linked to a greater viral load and infectivity and according to Capoluongo, “it could also prove useful in vaccination strategies”.
The test capable of detecting it is ready and “covered by a patent”, says the CEO of Ceinge, Mariano Giustino.
“We have already initiated contacts - he adds - for the production of a kit for clinical applications”.
The second discovery, which allows us to predict whether the disease will have a serious course by analyzing a blood sample, is published in Scientific Reports by the Ceinge group led by Margherita Ruoppolo and Giuseppe Castaldo, of the Federico II University of Naples.
The spy in the blood is the family of molecules called ceramides.
They are exploited by the virus to replicate and the Ceinge team found that the level of their concentration reveals whether or not Covid-19 will take on a severe form.
"It is possible to think of being able to use these markers to evaluate the efficacy of the therapeutic treatment of coronavirus infection in patients suffering from a severe form," notes Ruoppolo.
"For the various clinical applications of this test - says Giustino - we have filed the idea and we are awaiting the definitive patent".
For the president of Ceinge, Pietro Forestieri, the two studies are "among the most interesting results obtained" by the Ceinge Task Force Covid-19 which "for months, thanks to regional funding, has been working on three fronts: genetics, diagnosis and therapy. We hope - he concludes - to be able to count on further funding to carry out further extremely promising research ".
