Turkish, Chinese scientists to develop COVID-19 drug

KOCAELI, Turkey

A Turkish university has partnered with Chinese scientists to produce a drug for the treatment of COVID-19.

Turkey’s Kocaeli University will undertake the project in partnership with the Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, and Shanghai Jiao Tong University.

Turkish scientists will produce the antibody part of a proteolysis-targeting chimera (PROTAC) in the university's labs.

Aynur Karadenizli, a lecturer in the Department of Medical Microbiology at Kocaeli University, told Anadolu Agency that they want to carry out all production processes in Turkey.

They will try to create a target protein to create a PROTAC-linked antibody, she said.

Once the protein is created, it will be tested on lab mice.

The project will enable "immortal cells" which produce antibodies to multiply, she said.

"We will replicate reactions that take place in the human body on cells in a lab environment."

She said the pace of the pandemic will slow down with vaccination, but still there will be coronavirus patients.

"We do not have a specific drug for this virus. We have hope thanks to this project which will span two years."

*Writing by Seda Sevencan in Ankara