Two existing drugs prevent COVID-19 in human cells: Study
PTI, Aug 18, 2020, 1:37 PM IST
Boston: Two existing drugs inhibit SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, from infecting human cells in the lab, a study has found.
According to the study, published in the journal PNAS, both drugs, vacuolin-1, and apilimod, originally developed years ago, target a large enzyme called PIKfyve kinase.
“Before this study, little was known about this enzyme”s role in COVID-19 infection,” the researchers said.
“The work, which will need to be replicated in human trials, suggests a potential new target for COVID-19 therapies,” they said.
“Our findings show that targeting this kinase through a small-molecule antiviral against SARS-CoV-2 may be an effective strategy to lessen the progression or seriousness of COVID-19,” said study co-senior author Tomas Kirchhausen, a professor at the Harvard Medical School (HMS) in the US.
Kirchhausen said that he discovered vacuolin-1 16 years ago, while apilimod was developed by a company called LAM Therapeutics.
Kirchhausen performed cell biology studies with the SARS-CoV-2 virus in the lab of Sean Whelan, who had been part of the Center for Excellence team at HMS.
“Within a week, we knew apilimod worked extremely well in preventing SARS-CoV-2 infection in human cells in the lab,” said Kirchhausen, who initially published this discovery on the bioRxiv pre-print website in April 2020.
That pre-print also included a review of apilimod”s effectiveness against Ebola and SARS-CoV-2.
“We found that like apilimod, vacuolin-1 is a very strong inhibitor for viral infection in the lab,” said Kirchhausen.
The HMS researchers noted that an unrelated group has published a paper in the journal Nature, showing that, in a screen of 12,000 clinical-stage or FDA-approved small molecules, apilimod was one of the best drugs for inhibiting SARS-CoV-2 virus replication.
Udayavani is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel and stay updated with the latest news.
Top News
Related Articles More
BTS2024: If India can make rocket sensors, it can also make car sensors, says ISRO chief Somanath
World COPD Day: Know your lung function
SpaceX successfully launches ISRO’s 4,700 kg communication satellite from US
As AI and megaplatforms take over, the hyperlinks that built the web may face extinction
Plastic waste could double by 2050, researchers find, suggest policies to address issue
MUST WATCH
Latest Additions
Air pollution: SC flags Delhi govt’s failure to implement GRAP-4 curbs on entry of trucks
Drugs worth Rs 6 crore seized in Bengaluru, five arrested
Siddaramaiah urges Nirmala Sitharaman to address NABARD’s loan cuts to farmers
Satwik-Chirag enter semifinals, Lakshya loses to Antonsen in China Masters
BJP stages protest against Congress govt in Karnataka over Waqf properties row
Thanks for visiting Udayavani
You seem to have an Ad Blocker on.
To continue reading, please turn it off or whitelist Udayavani.