3CL Protease Inhibitors: What are they and how do they help fight infections?

The year 2020 was the beginning of a devasting year for global health. The SARS-Cov-2 virus, the virus that causes COVID-19 and a broad spectrum of coronaviruses, infected hundreds of millions of people in the US and around the world. Studies have shown that 3CL protease inhibitors help to stop the virus lifecycle and fight infections. So, what are 3CL protease inhibitors and how do they work?

How Do Viruses Infect our Bodies?

Simply put, viruses including the SARS-Cov-2 infect our bodies by attaching to our healthy cells to hijack our cell’s own mechanisms and make copies of itself. The hijacked cells then release the newly made virus to infect more of our cells.

How do 3CL Protease Inhibitors impact Long Covid?

Proteases are essentially proteins that are used to break down certain chemical structures of protein in our bodies. On their own, proteases aren’t harmful. The process can help with digestion or with the breakdown of proteins involved in swelling and pain.

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