Nikhil Prasad Fact checked by:Thailand Medical News Team Jun 16, 2025 3 weeks, 1 day, 8 hours, 6 minutes ago
Thailand Medical News: A groundbreaking new study from researchers in the Netherlands and Canada reveals that enhancing a natural cellular process known as autophagy may offer powerful protection against COVID-19, especially in the gut. The collaborative effort involved scientists from Amsterdam UMC at the University of Amsterdam, the Amsterdam Institute for Immunology & Infectious Diseases, the Amsterdam Gastroenterology Endocrinology and Metabolism center, the Tytgat Institute for Liver and Intestinal Research, and the University of British Columbia in Canada.
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Boosting Gut Immunity Could Be Key to Fighting COVID-19
While the world has largely turned its attention away from COVID-19, the virus continues to infect people worldwide and remains a risk—particularly through long-term symptoms known as post-COVID conditions. These symptoms often include gastrointestinal problems like chronic diarrhea, abdominal pain, and persistent gut inflammation. This
Thailand Medical News report uncovers a new strategy that may not only block the virus’s ability to infect intestinal cells but also help preserve the gut’s vital protective barrier.
Understanding the Gut’s Role in COVID-19
Although SARS-CoV-2 is mainly known as a respiratory virus, it can also invade the digestive system. That’s because the ACE2 receptor—used by the virus to enter cells—is abundant in the intestines. When the virus infects these cells, it causes inflammation and weakens the gut’s lining, allowing bacteria and toxins to leak into the bloodstream. This can fuel ongoing inflammation throughout the body and may help explain why some people struggle with long COVID.
What is Autophagy and Why Does It Matter
Autophagy is a natural process in which cells "clean up" their internal environment—removing damaged parts and recycling materials. This process is not only important for maintaining healthy cells but also plays a key role in defending against viruses. When functioning properly, autophagy can help degrade viral components and stop the spread of infections.
In this study, the researchers found that individuals who naturally have higher levels of autophagy in their intestinal cells—due to a specific genetic variation in the ATG16L1 gene—were more resistant to SARS-CoV-2 infection. In lab experiments using human intestinal organoids (miniature gut models), cells with this genetic trait showed significantly lower rates of viral infection and had better immune responses.
Drug That Enhances Autophagy Shows Promise
To explore whether autophagy could be enhanced artificially, the team tested a cancer drug called MK-2206, which is already in clinical trials for other diseases. They discovered that treating intestinal cells with MK-2206 significantly increased autophagy activity and strongly suppressed the virus’s ability to enter and replicate in gut tissue.
The effect was shown to de
pend on a protein called SNAP29, which is essential for completing the autophagy process. When this protein was blocked, the drug lost much of its antiviral effect—confirming that autophagy is central to how the treatment works.
Importantly, MK-2206 also helped maintain the structural integrity of intestinal tissue. Normally, SARS-CoV-2 infection leads to the breakdown of tight cell junctions in the gut lining. But when cells were pre-treated with the drug, this breakdown was largely prevented, reducing the likelihood of harmful substances leaking into the body.
Two Opposing Strategies Against COVID-19
The study also builds on earlier work by the same research group, which had shown that blocking a certain type of autophagy could also prevent SARS-CoV-2 infection in gut cells. This reveals an interesting dynamic: while some forms of autophagy are hijacked by the virus to promote infection, other forms can actually help the body fight back. By carefully targeting specific parts of the autophagy pathway, scientists may be able to create drugs that stop the virus while preserving—or even enhancing—the body’s defenses.
Promising New Direction for COVID-19 Treatment
The researchers emphasize that their findings could open up new strategies for preventing and treating long COVID. By using autophagy-enhancing drugs like MK-2206, it may be possible to not only reduce viral infection in the gut but also repair and strengthen the mucosal barrier that is often damaged in both acute and long-term COVID-19 cases.
The study also points toward personalized medicine approaches. People with certain genetic traits that naturally boost autophagy may be less likely to develop severe infections or long COVID, highlighting the need for genetic screening in the future.
In conclusion, this study suggests that enhancing autophagy in the intestines could be a powerful strategy to block COVID-19 from spreading in the gut and to protect against ongoing damage. This could be especially valuable for those suffering from long COVID, who often experience unresolved gastrointestinal symptoms. By restoring gut integrity and boosting immune defenses at a cellular level, autophagy-based therapies might become a vital part of future pandemic preparedness and treatment strategies.
The study findings were published in the peer reviewed journal: Autophagy Reports
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/27694127.2025.2514232
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Read Also:
https://www.thailandmedical.news/news/french-study-finds-that-sars-cov-2-preferentially-infects-intestinal-cells-causing-barrier-damage-and-potential-systemic-spread
https://www.thailandmedical.news/news/herbs-and-phytochemicals-randomized-clinical-trial-shows-that-aniseed-powder-can-be-used-to-treat-gastrointestinal-issues-in-covid-19-infections
https://www.thailandmedical.news/news/sars-cov-2-spike-protein-impairs-gastrointestinal-tract-and-affects-mucosal-barrier
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