Insilico inquest reveals the efficacy of Cannabis in the treatment of post-Covid-19 related neurodegeneration

Abstract

Coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2), the causative agent of the Covid-19 pandemic has proved itself as the deadliest pathogen. A major portion of the population has become susceptible to this strain. Scientists are pushing their limits to formulate a vaccine against Covid-19 with the least side effects. Although the recent discoveries of vaccines have shown some relief from the covid infection rate, however, physical fatigue, mental abnormalities, inflammation and other multiple organ damages are arising as post-Covid symptoms. The long-term effects of these symptoms are massive. Patients with such symptoms are known as long-haulers and treatment strategy against this condition is still unknown. In this study, we tried to explore a strategy to deal with the post-Covid symptoms. We targeted three human proteins namely ACE2, Interleukin-6, Transmembrane serine protease and NRP1 which are already reported to be damaged via Covid-19 proteins and upregulated in the post-Covid stage. Our target plant in this study is Cannabis (popularly known as ‘Ganja’ in India). The molecular docking and simulation studies revealed that Cannabidiol (CBD) and Cannabivarin (CVN) obtained from Cannabis can bind to post-Covid symptoms related central nervous system (CNS) proteins and downregulate them which can be beneficial in post-covid symptoms treatment strategy. Thus we propose Cannabis as an important therapeutic plant against post-Covid symptoms.

Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma

Keywords:

• Covid19
• post-Covid symptoms
• Cannabis
• post-Covid neural degeneration
• docking and molecular simulation

Acknowledgements

The financial help provided by the Department of Agriculture, Govt. of West Bengal, for establishing the Biswa Bangla Genome Centre is acknowledged. We also thank Dr. Stéphane Abel of Centre d'Etudes de Saclay for assisting in molecular dynamics and simulation of some Covid related proteins.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Funding

This work is partially funded by the Department of Biotechnology, Govt. of West Bengal.