The IMIM (Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute), Hospital del Mar, the University of Texas, and University of California-Davis have reportedly introduced a clinical study to monitor the usefulness of food supplements to prevent the adverse side effects of the novel coronavirus.
For the record, the study aims at analyzing if bovine-derived immunoglobulins that have showcased animal models to control inflammation caused due to infection, can help in controlling the harmful side effects of the disease along with post-COVID syndrome.
Seemingly, the first batch of volunteers taking part in the open-label clinical study to evaluate the efficacy of EnteraGam, a Nutritional Intervention that comprises of Bovine Plasma-based Immunoglobulin CoNcentrate of the clinical study in people affected with coronavirus, are being given two doses of the supplement, daily.
According to Dr. Robert Güerri, the Head of the clinical study, Section Head of the Infectious Disease Services at the Hospital del Mar, and a Member of the Infectious Pathology and Antimicrobial Research team at IMIM-Hospital del Mar, the treatment aims at removing the adverse side effects of the COVID-19 virus from one of its main reservoirs in the body, which is the gut.
Güerri added that the presence of the lethal virus in the gut is primarily because the tissues here express a large number of its receptors, which is the ACE2 enzyme, that the virus uses to enter the human body cells and reproduce.
Notably, EnteraGam- a food supplement manufactured by an American firm- EnteraHealth is based on a bovine serum which is the milk from cows. This is highly rich in immunoglobulins, which are the antibodies used by the immune system to identify harmful bacteria and viruses.
Additionally, the product is freeze-dried, permitting the immunoglobulins to achieve their original form once they reach the stomach. This will help them carry out their task to identify the viral proteins and alter the immune system to their presence.
It is worth mentioning that, the patients are expected to consume the supplement twice a day for two weeks, orally, along with a two-week-follow-up period. Moreover, the study will analyze nearly 420 patients, of which 280 will be given EnteraGam.