The Glycobiology of Hydroxychloroquine

Larry A. Law

We have received multiple messages from people wanting us to look at the drug hydroxycholorquine. I've written about it in a previous blog, but today the scientific evidence shows how hydroxycholorquine (HCQ) works and I am fascinated with its tie to glycobiology. If you have followed our non-profit organization for any length of time or if you have read my book, you know glycobiology is something we teach extensively on. Drugs are the only protocol that can claim to treat, cure, and mitigate disease and HCQ is exceptional because it does all three. How it fights against viruses (including the coronaviruses) is what this article will focus on. One thing is clear, there is no need to wait for a vaccine or live in fear, because HCQ can do the job. There are 5 ways it does this within the cell. 

1. HCQ reduces the level of acidity within the cell and makes it more alkaline. This change in pH affects the cell membrane and the cell membrane is what is covered with sugars. It's called the glycocalyx. The proteins that are tipped with sugars (glycans/glyco or glycoproteins) act as cell receptors/antennas facilitating and controlling what enters and/or leaves the cell. The coronavirus has these glycoprotein antennas seeking to attach or bind to our human cell receptors.

The COVID-19 virus has an antenna called the spike (S) glycoprotein which seeks to bind to the human cell receptor (called an ACE2 receptor). The S glycoprotein consists of 1,255 amino acids and a vast number of glycans (sugars). We know that the virus has 66 glycosylation sites (places where glycans are added to amino acids) and a minimum of 10 different glycan combinations capable of occupying those sites. With all these combinations it becomes clear how difficult it is to build a vaccine to counter those 660 variations on just one viral glycoprotein. It is virtually impossible to do it effectively. So, to summarize this first point, the reduction in acidity hinders the ability of these two glycoproteins to connect. If the virus cannot connect, then it cannot infect the cell. Score: HCQ 1; coronavirus zero.

2. The alkaline environment that HCQ creates within the cell also affects the ability of the virus to reproduce (replicate itself). The virus has an enzyme called RNA dependent RNA polymerase or RdRp for short. This enzyme is what allows the virus to make copies of itself. HCQ lowers the acidity level of the cell, and this lowers the ability of this enzyme to act. So, viral replication stalls or slows down dramatically giving more time for the immune system to attack and destroy it. Score: HCQ 2; coronavirus 0.

3. Inside the cell the assembly of the virus is stalled. Viruses cannot replicate by themselves. They need the cell's internal machinary to reproduce their RNA and create new viruses. These new viruses get birthed from the kidnapped cell and go out to infect other cells. Viral particles of RNA are created in separate areas of the cell and then brought together for final assembly in the Golgi Apparatus (GA) and Endoplasmic Reticulum (ER). The GA and ER cannot work correctly in the akaline environment caused by HCQ and this is why the assembly production of the virus is halted.

Another interesting point to remember is this: if a person gets the Covid-19 virus and is treated with HCQ, and then later happens to go in for a medical appointment where they administer a PCR test for COVID-19, they could test positive for the virus.  This is not something to worry about because the RNA particles are in their cells; however, they are attenuated or, in other words, they are dead, inactivated pieces of viral particles which are not harmful. The virus cannot replicate at that point. Score: HCQ 3; coronavirus 0.

4. HCQ acts as a zinc ionophore (carrier) and the zinc interrupts the ability of the virus to replicate. The zinc ion has 2 positive charges. The cell membrane has no charge and so the zinc ion cannot cross through the barrier by itself. HCQ is used by the cell and becomes embedded within the cell membrane as a ionophore. This carrier can capture a zinc ion floating by outside the cell. The carrier then encapsulates the zinc ion allowing it to keep its charge, while HCQ carries it from outside the cell to the inside where it is released. The positively charged zinc ion then interacts with the virus's RdRp enzyme, independent of HCQ, and alters it so it cannot do its job. In this way, replication of the virus ceases because of the disruption of this important viral metabolic pathway. Score: HCQ 4; coronavirus 0.

5. Lastly, HCQ alters the glycosylation of the ACE2 receptor which diminishes the ability of the virus to attach to the cell. This is a good thing! If the virus cannot attach to a healthy cell, then it can't infect it. There are nearly a million receptors on every cell. The ACE2 (Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme 2) receptor is a series of amino acids and glycans (sugars) built within the GA and ER of human cells. When assembled, the ACE2 is carried to and installed on the glycocalyx (the outer membrane of every cell). However, HCQ interferes with the glycosylation of the last sugar molecule (glucose) at the end of this receptor's creation process. So, these ACE2 receptors are missing that one sugar molecule. Such a small difference wouldn't seem like much, but it is enough to affect the binding ability of the S glycoprotein on the virus. The affinity of binding is not strong enough to allow the virus to adhere to the cell. In other words, the virus slips off the binding site. If there is no adhesion, then there is no coronavirus infection. Score: HCQ 5; coronavirus 0. 

In 2005, researchers knew what HCQ could do against coronaviruses. Coronaviruses are not new. COVID-19 is the 7th virus in the coronavirus family. There has been a concerted effort to keep the facts about HCQ away from the public. Pharmaceutical companies like Gilead, doctors like Dr. Fauci, and the World Health Organization all have a financial incentive to keep this information from the U.S. public. Billions of dollars are riding on the new coronavirus vaccine.  Fraudulent medical studies have been published in reputable medical journals to discourage investigation and validation of HCQ's dramatic effect on this disease. Two weeks after publication this summer, The Lancet and The New England Journal of Medicine were forced to retract their peer-reviewed, published scientific studies because independent investigators discovered the truth. The original article consisted of false, fabricated data. It was obviously corrupt science with a political agenda. HCQ continues to be dismissed and smeared by the pharmaceutical/medical community. Just last week, the State of Ohio Pharmacy Board banned the use of HCQ to treat this coronavirus. Fortunately, the Republican Governor intervened and forced them to back down. Unfortunately, many other states still ban and limit its use.

There is another great question to ask if you know that HCQ was used as an anti-malarial drug. India is a country with 1.4 billion people who have suffered from malaria for decades. They have used HCQ to treat it. Throughout the worldwide pandemic, India has only had 34 deaths per 1 million people. By comparison, the U.S. has 170 deaths per million people. Do you think their use of HCQ has anything to do with that? What could HCQ do against other viruses like the flu, the common cold, etc.? They are all caused by a virus similar to coronavirus. But, if we follow the money, promoting vaccines is where people are getting rich. While HCQ has been approved by the FDA as a drug for over 65 years, keeping it out of the public light and restricting its use ensures more money in the pockets of those who have the most to lose if their vaccines don't get mandated for everyone. 

Studies prove that HCQ is one of the safest drugs on the market. It is protective against diabetes, stroke, and heart disease. There is a reason pharmaceuticals don't want you to know about this inexpensive drug which is no longer under patent. As an off-label drug, it is made by at least 12 different companies. I wish you could watch the 2.5 hour presentation by doctors on the frontline fighting to get the truth out. All you had to do was click here but, of course, social media has terminated your access to it. Advertising dollars spent by pharmaceutical companies line the pockets of social media and news organizations, so your health is not their top concern. Here is a link to a great summary on what has happened to HCQ. You can also listen to this short interview with Glenn Beck and Dr. Simone Gold. Dr. Gold is the founder of America's Frontline Doctors and explains exactly why HCQ has been villanized. Click here to access the website for America's Frontline Doctors and their presentation in front of the U.S. Supreme Court.