COVID-19 fattens up our body’s cells to fuel its viral takeover

Compounds that cut off the flow of fatty fuel stop the virus from replicating in the lab, OHSU researchers find

By Tom Rickey, PNNL June 28, 2022 Portland, Oregon

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Illustration of a SARS-CoV-2 viral particle entering a cell. The particle pierces through a cell’s membrane, made of two layers of lipids. A PNNL-OHSU team has shown how lipids are key to the ability of the virus to replicate. (Illustration by Michael Perkins/Pacific Northwest National Laboratory)

Fikadu Tafesse, Ph.D.

“We have an interesting observation, but we have a lot more to learn about the mechanisms of this disease," said Fikadu Tafesse, Ph.D. (OHSU)

Jennifer Kyle, Ph.D.

Jennifer Kyle, Ph.D., an expert at measuring lipids, works in a PNNL laboratory in Richland, Washington. (Photo by Andrea Starr | Pacific Northwest National Laboratory)