October 26, 2021
dsDNA BREAKS ASSIST IN THE CYTOKINE STORM OF COVID-19: THE “RADIATION” EFFECT OF EXTREME HYDROXYL RADICAL GENERATION
A paper published Feb 1, 2021 hypothesizes that a cytokine storm is a natural response of the body to excessive dsDNA breaks. The authors attribute the cause of the excessive dsDNA breaks to cell-free chromatin (cfCh). I believe, to a certain extent, this is true.
However, I believe the Spike Protein’s interaction with ACE2, upregulating NOX2 combined with the Spike Protein’s mimicry of Hepcidin, creating extreme Iron Overload allows for a perfect “Fenton Reaction.” This creates an extraordinary amount of Hydroxyl Radical.
Given that the half-life of the Hydroxyl Radical is but TEN TO THE MINUS 9th POWER SECONDS, it has the ability to do tremendous damage, not only to DNA but to many other host tissues and processes. In fact, chemotherapy recipients can have cytokine storms post chemo due to the creation of Hydroxyl Radicals as a side effect of the therapy. It is the Hydroxyl radical that is the primary cause of damage in Radiation Poisoning, which so many medical examiners have likened COVID victims to.
The more surface area of hydrogen atoms of the DNA backbone that the Hydroxyl Radical has access to, the more DNA strand breaking it does. SARS-CoV-2 is very efficient at methylating and acetylating histones, allowing more of the DNA backbone to be exposed.
The Spike Protein is most likely the culprit as it interacts with DPP4 and causes hyperacetylation. This may tie into the de novo Diabetes and glucose issues being observed in COVID.
Therapeutics directed against acetylation and methylation may prevent/treat the COVID cytokine storm.
Referenced/Related Papers
Transient Dexamethasone Loading Induces Prolonged Hyperglycemia in Male Mice With Histone Acetylation in Dpp-4 Promoter
https://academic.oup.com/endo/article/162/12/bqab193/6364113
The epigenetic implication in coronavirus infection and therapy
https://clinicalepigeneticsjournal.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13148-020-00946-x
DNA strand breaking by the hydroxyl radical is governed by the accessible surface areas of the hydrogen atoms of the DNA backbone
https://www.pnas.org/content/95/17/9738/tab-figures-data
Cytokine Storm as a Cellular Response to dsDNA Breaks: A New Proposal
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/labs/pmc/articles/PMC7882731/
Elucidating of oxidative distress in COVID-19 and methods of its prevention
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S000927972100137X?via%3Dihub
Hydroxyl radical footprinting in vivo: mapping macromolecular structures with synchrotron radiation
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/labs/pmc/articles/PMC1458516/
Cytokine release syndrome after radiation therapy: case report and review of the literature
https://jitc.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s40425-017-0311-9
Increased serum catalytic iron may mediate tissue injury and death in patients with COVID-19