Kathrin Weyer

Title : Engystol may reduce lung pathology in SARS-CoV-2 infected hamsters: A pilot study

Abstract:

Despite the introduction of vaccines and new anti-viral therapies, the COVID-19 pandemic, caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) continues to be a serious global public health crisis. The emergence of new viral variants that escape protection from vaccines is a continuing problem throughout the world and it is imperative to develop new therapeutics to treat the disease. Immunomodulatory drugs are an effective therapeutic approach to treat COVID-19 patients and reduce morbidity and mortality. Engystol (EGY-2) is a multicomponent drug made from natural ingredients that has anti-viral properties and shows beneficial immunomodulatory activity in upper respiratory tract infections^1–4.

In this pilot study, we used a low and a high dose of daily subcutaneous EGY-2 beginning 7 days prior to infection through to 3 days post-infection to measure the ability of EGY-2 in reducing disease severity in a SARS-CoV-2 hamster model.

This pilot study shows that EGY-2 (1,6 mL/kg), when given prophylactically, qualitatively reduces lung inflammation and its associated histopathology in SARS-CoV-2-infected Syrian hamsters. Interestingly, histopathological manifestations caused by progressive SARS-CoV-2 infection may predict COVID-19 severity better than individual measures such as viral load⁵. EGY-2 appeared not to affect body weight loss, blood cell parameters or viral load. Supported by previous studies, these results suggest that EGY-2 may have immunomodulatory effects that may reduce disease severity alone or as part of a combination therapy in COVID-19 patients.  Further investigations are needed.

Audience take away: 

• Presentation will encourage researchers on immunomodulatory strategies against COVID-19
• It underlines the importance of the histopathological manifestations caused by SARS-CoV-2 infection as they may be improved, although individual measures such as body weight loss, blood cell parameters or viral load appeared not being affected 
• It will introduce the multicomponent drug Engystol which consists of natural ingredients, and which may be beneficial in reducing disease severity when used alone or as part of a combination therapy in COVID-19 patients

Biography:

Dr. Kathrin Weyer studied Biology at the Ruhr University Bochum in Germany and graduated as MS in 2010. She then joined the Developmental and Cellular Biology Group headed by Prof. Dr. Jens Schwamborn at the Luxembourg Centre for Systems Biomedicine (LCSB), Luxembourg and received a PhD degree from the University of Luxembourg in 2015. After three years of a postdoctoral research associate at the same institution, she joined as a preclinical project manager at Heel GmbH in Germany where she conceptualizes, initiates, plans, implements and evaluates preclinical research projects on amongst others respiratory infections in cooperation with scientific partners.