Nikhil Prasad Fact checked by:Thailand Medical News Team Sep 22, 2025 5 months, 1 day, 20 hours, 28 minutes ago
Medical News: Scientists Uncover Natural Defense Against SARS-CoV-2
A team of international researchers has identified a powerful natural human protein called guanylate-binding protein 1 (GBP1) that can block the replication of SARS-CoV-2, the virus behind COVID-19. The discovery could open doors to new treatments that do not rely solely on vaccines or traditional antiviral drugs, which face issues like waning protection and the rise of resistant strains. The scientists behind this
Medical News report are from the University of Melbourne, the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity in Australia, University College London in the UK, and Osaka University in Japan.
Human Protein Discovery Offers New Hope Against COVID-19 Variants
GBP1 Shuts Down the Virus in Lab Tests
The researchers tested 14 different immune proteins known as interferon-stimulated genes (ISGs). They discovered that when human cells were engineered to produce more GBP1, the virus was unable to replicate effectively. GBP1 blocked not only the original Wuhan strain but also dangerous variants such as Alpha, Beta, Delta, and Omicron BA.1 and BA.2. Importantly, GBP1 worked differently from its relatives GBP2 and GBP5. While those proteins disrupt the virus by interfering with its spike protein, GBP1 did not use this approach. Instead, it stopped the virus by lowering the production of key viral proteins, even though the virus was still able to copy its genetic material. This meant that the virus could not fully form new infectious particles.
Knocking Out GBP1 Makes Infections Worse
The team went further by switching off the GBP1 gene inside human lung and airway cells. Without GBP1, SARS-CoV-2 spread much more aggressively, proving that the protein plays a natural protective role in our immune defense. GBP1’s protective effect depended on its GTPase activity, a type of energy-driven function inside the cell. Mutating this activity removed its ability to stop the virus.
Differences Between Humans and Mice
Interestingly, mouse versions of GBP proteins did not show the same antiviral power in animal models. Even when scientists deleted a cluster of GBP genes in mice, there was little difference in viral load compared to normal animals. This shows that some immune defenses are unique to humans and highlights why results in mouse studies cannot always be applied directly to people.
What This Means for Future COVID19 Treatments
The findings provide a new angle in the fight against COVID-19. By targeting natural proteins like GBP1, researchers may be able to develop therapies that boost the body’s own defenses instead of only relying on external drugs or vaccines. This could be especially valuable as the virus continues to evolve and escape many existing protections. Future research will focus on understanding the exact steps GBP1 uses to halt SARS-CoV-2 protein production and whether drugs can be designed to enhance its action.
The study findings were published in the peer reviewed Journal of Virology
.
https://journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/jvi.00823-25
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