BREAKING NEWS! COVID-19 Herbs: Researchers Confirms That In Studies And Clinical Trials The Herb Honeysuckle Has Efficacy Against SARS-CoV-2

COVID-19 Herbs: In a breakthrough study and clinical trial by Chinese researchers from at Nanjing University, Wuhan Institute of Virology and Second Hospital of Nanjing along with support from Thailand Medical News, it has been found that Honeysuckle (we are not disclosing the particular strains at the moment) has efficacy against the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus.


 
The research findings are published in the journal: Cell Discovery. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41421-020-00197-3
 
The study lead by Professor Dr Chen-Yu Zhang from Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital Center of Molecular Diagnostic and Therapy found that absorbed miRNA MIR2911 in honeysuckle decoction (HD) can directly target SARS-CoV-2 genes and inhibit viral replication. Drinking of HD accelerate the negative conversion of COVID-19 patients.(Note : Thailand Medical News Has Now Formulated a Special Blend of Therapeutic teas that encompasses this herb strain along with 22 other herbs, all also researched with medical studies documented and published.  We are featuring each herb in each article starting with this.) https://www.thailandmedical.news/news/new-therapeutic-teas-
 
A miRNA and a microRNA which small non-coding RNA molecule found in plants, and even in certain animals and pathogens.
 
To date the search for clinically effective therapy for Covid-19 has not been successful to date. Many broad spectrum anti-viral agents have failed the test.
 
In past studies, Dr Zhang's group has demonstrated that a plant microRNA, MIR2911, which is enriched in HD, could directly target influenza A viruses (IAV) including H1N1, H5N1 and H7N9. Drinking of HD can prevent IAV infection and reduce H5N1-induced mice death.
 
The research team had also revealed that absorbed exogenous miRNAs (including MIR2911 in HD) can be packaged into exosomes, released to circulation, and then delivered into recipient cells as functional secreted miRNAs.
 
In this study, the study team reported that MIR2911 in HD can also suppress SARS-CoV-2 infection. The SARS-CoV-2 genome has up to 28 binding sites of MIR2911 which were confirmed by the classic luciferase assay.
 
The cellular-exosomal-MIR2911 at 13.2 pM concentration (cellular exosomes were collected from culture medium of HEK293T cells transfected with synthetic MIR2911 or control ncRNA) inhibited 93% virus replication, indicating that exosomal MIR2911 directly and sufficiently inhibits SARS-CoV-2 replication.
 
It was found that the MIR2911 concentration in HD was about 52.5 pM (10.5 pmol/200 ml/30 g dried honeysuckle). Serum levels of MIR2911 in heathy volunteers two hours after drinking 200 ml HD were about 0.67 pM. The antiviral function of exosomes with/without MIR2911 collected from the same donor before and after drinking HD were assessed. Exosomes containing MIR2911 (MIR2911 levels: nondetectable before drinking; 57.9 fM after drinking) significantly inhibited virus replication.
 
A detailed clinical study further confirmed the anti-viral effect of MIR2911 from HD.
 
COVID-19 patients who already received routine antiviral therapy were divided into two groups, one group received additionally MIR2911 in HD (10.5 pmol/200 ml/30 g dried honeysuckle/day, MIR2911+), the other group receive normal traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) mixture (sequenced to be free of MIR2911-).
 
It was found that the time taken to become SARS-CoV-2 PCR-negative (TTN) significantly favored patients treated with HD-MIR2911 (median 4.0 vs 12.0 days, HR 0.11, 95% CI 0.025-0.46, P=0.0028), indicating that MIR2911 in HD accelerates the negative conversion of infected patients.
 
-This research demonstrated that absorbed plant MIR2911 in honeysuckle decoction inhibits SARS-CoV-2 replication and accelerates the negative conversion of infected patients.
 
-It provides a safe and practicable and reliable therapeutic strategy to treat SARS-CoV-2 infection.
 
-This breakthrough study is the first time that exosomes with/without MIR2911 collected from the same donor before and after drinking HD were used to assess absorbed dietary miRNA function, further supporting that absorbed dietary miRNA plays the important role of cross-kingdom regulation in humans.
 
-The research data that MIR2911 (~60 fM) in exosomes significantly inhibits virus replication not only confirms the extra-high antiviral activity of MIR2911 (compared to that of remdesivir: 3.7 μM and Chloroquine: 10 μM) but also provides a novel and the most similar condition in vivo to assess the efficacy of potential drugs in vitro.
 
The study team says, "The focus of this study is to demonstrate that absorbed plant MIR2911 in honeysuckle decoction inhibits SARS-CoV-2 replication sufficiently.
 
The researchers said, “We have shown that synthetic MIR2911, cellular-exosomal MIR2911 and serum-exosomal MIR2911 directly inhibited SARS-CoV-2 S-protein expression and SARS-CoV-2 replication. More importantly, decreased HD-MIR2911 absorption resulted in non-inhibitory effect on replication, indicating that MIR2911in HD is necessary to suppress SARS-CoV-2.”
 
The team proposes that medical doctors and scientists from all over the world to carry out HD-MIR2911 clinic trails in order to help treating SARS-CoV-2 infection."
 
Earlier computational molecular docking studies showed that phytochemicals from Honeysuckle could have efficacy to inhibit the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7205718/
 
And it was also identified as a potential therapeutic candidate in earlier studies https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7098036/


 
Thailand Medical News has been working with researchers around the world for the last 5 months exploring a variety of herbs and we have finally identified 23 herbs in our unique therapeutic teas, every herb with proven functions to help with COVID-19 including some with immunomodulating properties, some with antiviral properties and also anti-inflammatory properties, analgesic and also antipyretic properties and are all proven safe with no toxicity or drug interactions or even will affect anyone with underlying conditions based on our proprietary processing and also formulations. https://www.thailandmedical.news/news/new-therapeutic-teas-
 
For more on COVID-19 Herbs, keep on logging to Thailand Medical News

UPDATES: Antiviral effects of honeysuckle decoction affected in SIDT1poly population (16 % of humans might not benefit from this herb) -11th September 2020
 
Dr Chen-Yu Zhang's research group has previously  identified SID1 transmembrane family member 1 (SIDT1) as a critical membrane protein mediating dietary miRNAs absorption, which is abolished in SIDT1 deficient mice. In the present study, they demonstrate a significant frequency of human population (16%) that carry a SIDT1 polymorphism with amino acid replacement (Val78Met). https://www.nature.com/articles/s41421-020-00206-5
 
Detailed functional analysis reveals that such polymorphism (SIDT1poly) undermines its low pH-dependent uptake of exogenous miRNAs in vitro compared to wildtype SIDT1 protein. Additionally, people with SIDT1poly have lower serum levels of exogenous miRNAs (~10%) compared to SIDT1wt group. Dynamic absorption of MIR2911 after oral administration of honeysuckle decoction also significantly declines in SIDT1poly population.
 
These study  findings suggest the critical role of SIDT1 in dietary miRNAs uptake in human. Furthermore, people with SIDT1poly have lower level of MIR2911 both in serum and isolated exosomes. The exosome from those polymorphic subjects show no effects on S-protein expression or virus replication. Notably, one out of six SARS-CoV-2 patients we observed who takes significantly longer time (17 days versus average 3.8 days) to become SARS-CoV-2 PCR-negative after MIR2911 antiviral therapy carries the exact polymorphism (SIDT1-Val78Met).
 
Though it needs larger number of human subjects to strengthen the conclusions, it clearly shows that MIR2911 is indispensable to the antiviral effect of honeysuckle decoction.
 
a.This study provides evidence that SIDT1 medias dietary miRNAs uptake in human, which further confirm its critical role in exogenous miRNAs absorption.
 
b.Combined with their previous finding, it is clearly showed that MIR2911 is both necessary and sufficient to the antiviral effects of honeysuckle decoction against SARS-CoV-2.

Interestingly the ethnic group that is likely to be affected with this SIDT1 polymorphism are black Africans, hence the herbal decoction might not be suitable for them.

Dr Liang Li, School of Life Sciences, Nanjing University, commented.
“We have demonstrated that absorbed MIR2911 in honeysuckle decoction necessarily and sufficiently inhibits SARS-CoV-2 replication in vitro and in human subjects. Therefore, we wish that people could discard prejudice to traditional medicine and perform clinic trail to help controlling COVID-19 pandemic. Basically, you reject MIR2911 in honeysuckle decoction, you reject life".