On Mar. 8, 2020, an international team of investigators reported finding a protein produced by the human immune system that can potently inhibit several coronaviruses, including the one behind the current COVID-19 outbreak. The research reveals that the LY6E protein impairs the coronavirus’ ability to initiate infection, which could lead to treatments for the illness.

Strikingly, mice lacking Ly6e (the mouse version of the gene) were highly susceptible to a usually nonlethal mouse coronavirus, the researchers reported in bioRxiv, an online preprint server that posts articles prior to peer review.

The researchers conclude in their study that antiviral fusion inhibitors have been successfully implemented for HIV-1 and that a therapeutic approach mimicking the mechanism of action of LY6E could provide a first line of defense against novel coronavirus infections.