A recent study by virologists at Kansas State University demonstrates success in the post-infection treatment of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19.
Researchers from the College of Veterinary Medicine, Yunjeong Kim and Kyeong-Ok “KC” Chang, published the study in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. They found that animal models infected with SARS-CoV-2 and treated with a deuterate protease inhibitor had significantly increased survival and decreased lungs. viral load.
The results suggest that it may be a post-infection treatment with protease inhibitors that are essential for viral replication. effective treatment against SARS-CoV-2. These protease inhibitors are a class of antiviral drugs that prevent viral replication by selectively binding to viral proteases and blocking the activation of proteins necessary for the production of infectious viral particles.
“We developed the GC376 protease inhibitor to treat a deadly coronavirus infection in cats, which is now in commercial development as a new drug for animal research,” said Kim, an associate professor of diagnostic medicine and pathobiology. “After COVID-19 emerged, many research groups reported that this inhibitor is also effective against the coronavirus that causes COVID-19, and many are currently pursuing the development of protease inhibitors as a treatment.”
Kim and Chang modified GC376 using a tool called deuteration to test its effectiveness against SARS-CoV-2.
“Treatment of SARS-CoV-2-infected mice with GC376 deuterate significantly improved survival, viral replication in the lungs and weight loss, which demonstrates the effectiveness of the antiviral compound, “said Chang, a professor of diagnostic medicine and pathobiology.” The results suggest that deuterated GC376 has potential for further development, and this method of deuteration can be used in other antiviral compounds. to generate potent inhibitors “.
Virologists continue to develop enhanced inhibitors through various methods. Deuterated GC376 is currently being evaluated for further potential development.
Chamandi S. Dampalla et al, Postinfection treatment with a protease inhibitor increases the survival of mice with a lethal SARS-CoV-2 infection, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (2021). DOI: 10.1073 / pnas.2101555118
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Citation: Virologists Post New Findings on SARS-CoV-2 Treatment Option (2021, July 2) Retrieved July 2, 2021 at https://medicalxpress.com/news/2021-07-virologists-publish -sars-cov-treatment-option. html
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