[Jerusalem Post] The COVID-19 virus has special protein "keys" on its surface that enable it to "unlock" Alveolar Type II cells in the lungs. These are the spikes that make the coronavirus’s "crown." Once in, these cells stop releasing a fatty substance (pulmonary surfactant) needed to keep healthy lungs from collapsing. This is why patients infected with the virus suffer lung failure and need to be intubated."We are so used to thinking of oxygen as a good thing, that we fail to realize it is a difficult gas to work with," NeuroRX CEO Prof. Jonathan Javitt told The Jerusalem Post. "Oxygen causes rust. In evolutionary terms, when the first life forms left the sea to begin life on land, they had to keep their lungs moist on the inside so that the gas they were breathing would not harm the delicate cells."
Javitt and his team of scientists have been able to synthesize Aviptadil, a man-made version of human Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide (VIP). This peptide is essential for the healthy operation of Type II cells. Its discovery is a complex and fascinating story involving Middle East politics, Jewish history and how drug companies work.
Prof. Javits interview found here.