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Progress Toward Antiviral Treatments for COVID-19

September 15, 2020 sarah Jonas Antiviral, Biophysics, Coronavirus, COVID-19, Drug Treatment, Inhibitors, Physics, Protease, Protein, University Of Maryland, Virus

COVID-19 is caused by the virus SARS-CoV-2, which is structurally similar to the viruses that cause SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV. In The Journal of Chemical Physics, scientists report molecular-level investigations of these viruses, providing a possible pathway to antiviral drugs to fight the diseases. They looked at a viral protein that plays a role in the virus’s ability to replicate and in defeating the host’s immune system, making it an attractive target for potential drug treatments.

Research Results

Coronavirus Drug for Cats Has Potential Use for COVID-19 Virus in Humans

August 4, 2020 sarah Jonas American Crystallographic Association, coronavirus treatment, Coronaviruses, COVID-19, Crystallography, Physics, Protease

Researchers at the University of Alberta say a protease in SARS-CoV-2 can be targeted with a drug that is also used to treat feline infectious peritonitis, a fatal infection in cats caused by a coronavirus. The drugs, dipeptide-based protein inhibitors, could be used to slow or stop replication of the COVID-19 virus in humans. During the 70th annual meeting of the American Crystallographic Association, Joanne Lemieux will outline how the drugs are strong candidates for the treatment of human coronavirus infections.

Research Results

Pioneering method reveals dynamic structure in HIV

July 16, 2020 sarah Jonas cell, Electron Microscopy, HIV, Lattice, Microscopy, Particles, Protease, Virus

The method reveals that the lattice, which forms the major structural component of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), is dynamic. The discovery of a diffusing lattice made from Gag and GagPol proteins, long considered to be completely static, opens up potential new therapies. The method can be applied to biomedical structure.

Research Results

X-rays size up protein structure at the ‘heart’ of COVID-19 virus

June 25, 2020 sarah Jonas COVID-19, High Flux Isotope Reactor, Neutrons, novel coronavirus, Protease, SARS-CoV-2, Spallation Neutron Source, Summit supercomputer, Supercomputing and high-performance computing, X-rays

Researchers have performed the first room temperature X-ray measurements on the SARS-CoV-2 main protease—the enzyme that enables the virus to reproduce. It marks an important first step in the ultimate goal of building a comprehensive 3D model of the enzymatic protein that will be used to advance supercomputing simulations aimed at finding drug inhibitors to block the virus’s replication mechanism and help end the COVID-19 pandemic.

Research Results

Targeting SARS-CoV-2 Enzyme with Inhibitors

June 9, 2020 sarah Jonas Biophysics, Chaos, Complex Systems, Coronavirus, COVID-19, Enzyme, Inhibitors, Physics, Protease, Protease Inhibitor, Protein, SARS-CoV-2

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to spread, many researchers are studying epidemiological models to predict its propagation. However, a mathematician and expert in complex systems decided to focus on finding targets within SARS-CoV-2 for new drugs to attack. In the journal Chaos, he discusses the dramatic increase in the sensitivity of the main protease of SARS-CoV-2 to small disturbances, which made him suspect there is a role for inhibitors to play in killing the virus.

Research Results

While Promoting Diseases Like Cancer, These Enzymes Also Cannibalize Each Other

January 20, 2020January 21, 2020 sarah Jonas 0 Comments atheroscleroisis, autodigestion, Breast Cancer, Breast Cancer Metastasis, Cancer, Cannibalization, Cathepsin, cathepsin K, cathepsin L, cathepsin S, cathepsins, Distracting, Protease, Protease Inhibitor, Protease Inhibitor Drugs, Sickle Cell Anemia, Sickle Cell Anemia Research, Sickle Cell Disease, Systems Biology

In diseases like cancer, atherosclerosis, and sickle cell anemia, cathepsins promote their propagation. Drug trials to inhibit these enzymes have failed due to baffling side effects. Now a new study examines cathepsins in systems to remove some of the bafflement.