Low-dose naltrexone (LDN) has been identified as a potential treatment for Long COVID after a ground-breaking Griffith University study found it restored cellular function in human cells.
Long COVID affects millions of people worldwide with estimates suggesting more than 77 million people are impacted.
Lead author Professor Sonya Marshall-Gradisnik from Griffith's National Centre for Neuroimmunology and Emerging Diseases (NCNED) said the study provided hope for the millions suffering from Long COVID.
"Given the debilitating nature of Long COVID, there is an urgent need for effective treatments and low-dose naltrexone is a repurposed and safe drug which is typically used for opioid addiction," Professor Marshall-Gradisnik said.
Previous studies conducted by NCNED's team have shown TRPM3 ion channels, essential for transporting calcium into cells, were faulty in Long COVID patients.
First author PhD candidate Etianne Sasso said: "Faulty ion channels are similar to doors on a house which do not work correctly."
"This makes it difficult for cells to receive the calcium that is critical for all cells in our body to function.
"In this study, we looked at ion channels, these 'doors', and found treatment with low-dose naltrexone fixed these doors, allowing them to open and close properly.
"These ion channels play a critical role in cellular signalling, influencing immune response, pain regulation, and neurological function."
Professor Marshall-Gradisnik said: "The new findings suggest that in Long COVID patients, these channels are impaired, leading to immune dysfunction and persistent symptoms."
NCNED is conducting a clinical trial with LDN to assess symptoms, disability, and quality of life in Long COVID patients, and is currently recruiting patients.
For more information or to participate, contact NCNED at [email protected] or (07) 5678 9283.
The paper 'Low‐Dose Naltrexone Restored TRPM3 Ion Channel Function in Natural Killer Cells from Long COVID Patients' has been published in the scientific journal Frontiers in Molecular Biosciences.
