MK
here is the link to the research paper from the Chinese server that the South China Morning Post article is based on. Initially it will be in Chinese, but it follows in English too. The server ChinarVix is where new, and therefore non peer reviewed papers are released by scientists.
http://chinaxiv.org/abs/202002.00004 (please be aware that your IP address will be recorded when clicking {just like at is for every site you ever visit}. This site of course is closely monitored by the virus's big brother, but unless you havn't paid your taxes in China, I wouldn't be concerned).
Readers may recall last month that I posted a link to the US server where early research papers are released, and my purpose at the time was because of the infamous paper released from New Delhi that brought the world's attention to 'HIV insertions' in the nCoV, which were 'uncanny,' suggesting that the new virus was not completely natural.
I'm sure now that since the Chinese themselves are highlighting a HIV connection, the theories about a bio weapon will commence anew.
But for us interested in Biotron's work, any connection to HIV is interesting for non conspiratorial reasons. You'll find that this connection is somewhat indirect, by way of Furin, an enzyme that activates proteins, and in this case, are part of the virus fusion process at the S spike. You may recall that I mentioned a while back that due to the different ways in which this virus effects us, such as the asymptomatic dynamic, it is likely that the virus fuses in other ways other than the by way of the ACE2 receptor, like with SARS. This now seems the case. There are other papers being published that are confirming this.
For those not interested in the whole paper, here is the abstract:
I'm away for the long weekend, but hopefully find time to catch up on all the reading. One last thought. Those following this story may be curious about how this new information on S will be related to Biotron's compounds when they focus on E. One clue is this. Furin is generated in the Golgi, and this is the same region where the E protein is important in virion assembly.
The question begging then is, can Biotron's compounds inhibit Furin creation/release? This is what research by others will be focusing on, but at the S inter-phase where vaccines focus, whereas Biotron's E focus may be able to effect Furin more fundamentally. This of course is only one angle of possibilities. It is worth noting that the researchers I have read so far are referring to Furin as potential for vaccine and antiviral compounds.
At this stage I have no idea whether Biotron's compounds have any effect on Furin, but my guess is that they won't because the mode of action is at the ion channel gateway. It may also be the case that any Furin relationship is not necessary for antivirals to work. The Furin enzyme is just one new development in COVID-19, and probably not the last.
(20min delay)