OdishaPlus Bureau
The Chemistry of Corona drug developed by DRDO is said to be a big game changer. It is 2-Deoxy-D+Glucose (2-DG) which is likely to be marketed very soon. Dr. Anil Kumar Mishra the man behind this discovery is a researcher in DRDO.
The Man
He hails from Balia (UP), obtained his M.Sc. (Chemistry) from Gorakhpur University in 1984 and got a Ph.D. degree in 1988 from Banaras Hindu University. His research is mainly based on Molecular Biology and Organic synthesis. After doing the post-doctoral research, he has worked as a visiting Professor in different foreign universities in France, USA and Max Plank, Germany. He joined DRDO as senior Scientist in the year 1997.
The Drug
2-DG is a mimic of D-Glucose prepared by replacing -OH group at C2 by H-atom. Hence, the name 2-Deoxy-D-Glucose meaning removal of oxygen from 2nd carbon. Being mimic of D- Glucose, it gets easy passage into the cells where Corona virus is already present.
The Mechanism
Glucose breaks down into two three carbon compounds one of them being pyruvate anion (CH3COCOO-) with release of energy. It is a metabolic process called Glycolysis. It is this energy on which all living organism survive. Corona virus also survives on this energy. Unlike D-Glucose, 2-DG is unfit for glycolysis. No energy is evolved. The sustaining of life becomes difficult and as such Corona virus dies within a week in want of energy.
This drug also lowers the oxygen dependence of patients. 2 – DG is also antitumor/anticancer by the same mechanism. If it is able to destroy the killer Corona virus, precious lives will be saved. The science behind the 2DG drug for Covid-19 developed by DRDO: 10,000 doses of 2DG by DRDO is expected to be released shortly. Hopefully, Mass scale production is ramping up and will start soon at Hyderabad and likely at other centers
Cheat the Cheater
The principle of operation is simple: “Cheat the Cheater”! You know that any virus, once inside the body, makes its own copies by cheating our human cells and takes their protein to multiply itself! *The brilliant thought process by Indian scientists was simple! For every doubling of virus cell, it needs energy (glucose!).
So, the medicine is actually a “Pseudo” Glucose which the multiplying virus intakes but in reality, this glucose makes it neuter (unable to multiply!). Thus by the ‘Cheating the cheater’ formula once the rapid multiplication of the virus is halted, our own anti bodies can readily combat and overpower it within hours.
Simply Genius!