VolitionRX Limited (VNRX)

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I suspect the patent is about more than COVID...

Introduction
Neutrophils are the most abundant leukocytes in mammals and, as a first line of defense against microbes, they play crucial roles in innate immune responses. The homeostasis of neutrophils is maintained by balancing their short lifespan in the circulation with their regulated release from the bone marrow. Neutrophils have various types of granules, containing hundreds of proteins. These include bactericidal proteins, some of them with important effects on innate and adaptive immune responses, such as a-defensins, the cathelicidin human cationic antimicrobial protein of 18 kDa, and lactoferrin, among others. LL-37, a proteolytic product of human cationic antimicrobial protein of 18 kDa, has important chemotactic and immunostimulatory effects, as discussed below (1).

The mechanisms used by neutrophils to eliminate microbes include phagocytosis, generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), and the release of microbicidal molecules from granules (degranulation). In 2004, another distinct antimicrobial activity was described: neutrophils extrude a meshwork of chromatin fibers that are decorated with granule-derived antimicrobial peptides and enzymes such as neutrophil elastase (Fig. 1), cathepsin G, and myeloperoxidase (MPO) (2). These structures, called neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs), represent an important strategy to immobilize and kill invading microorganisms. The NET scaffold consists of chromatin fibers with a diameter of 15–17 nm; DNA and histones represent the major NET constituents (2). Mass spectrometry has identified various additional proteins associated with NETs, including components from various types of granules. Although conserved proteins are found in extracellular trap fractions, it is still unclear whether the peptide composition of these structures may vary depending on the specific stimulus that promotes NET formation (3, 4).

Cont..

https://www.jimmunol.org/content/189/6/2689.long