Three million euros for research on Covid-19, to support 21 projects of high scientific quality by the Cariparo Foundation. Three PIs of the VIMM, professors Alimonti, Elvassore and Martinvalet, are among the winners of this grant and will carry on the studies on the Sars-CoV-2 virus thanks to the funding.

The proposed works, united by a high scientific quality, will investigate the factors that favor Coronavirus infection, the body's immune response, the role of hormones in the appearance phase. They will then investigate the spread of the virus and the study of new methods to fight the contagion and new proposals for therapies.

Alimonti will study the use of an antiandrogen therapy against Covid-19 infection, as he has identified that one of the proteins used by the Coronavirus to infect cells is the same enzyme involved in the development of prostate cancer.
Elvassore will investigate the replication of the virus in the gastrointestinal system, to understand the new perspectives of virus transmission. The goal is to test drugs aimed at treating the gastrointestinal tract, in order to study molecules capable of preventing viral infection.
Martinvalet will research on the characterization of the overproduction mechanism of pro-inflammatory (mechanisms that worsen inflammation) of the disease.

«With these 3 research projects, chosen by the scientific commission of our call - comments Professor Gilberto Muraro, president of the Cariparo Foundation - VIMM is once again confirmed as one of the scientific excellences of our territory. It is capable of distinguishing itself with its work not only nationally but also internationally and therefore we can only appreciate the way it operates and the results achieved ".