Virologists identify potential COVID-19 treatment

Date:
August 3, 2020
Source:
Kansas State University
Summary:
New research reveals how small molecule protease inhibitors show
potency against human coronaviruses.



FULL STORY ========================================================================== Yunjeong Kim and Kyeong-Ok "KC" Chang, virologists in the College of
Veterinary Medicine at Kansas State University, have published a study
showing a possible therapeutic treatment for COVID-19.


========================================================================== Pathogenic coronaviruses are a major threat to global public health,
as shown by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus, or SARS-CoV;
Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus, known as MERS-CoV; and
the newly emerged SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19 infection.

The study, "3C-like protease inhibitors block coronavirus replication in
vitro and improve survival in MERS-CoV-infected mice," appears in the
Aug. 3 issue of the medical journal Science Translational Medicine. It
reveals how small molecule protease inhibitors show potency against human coronaviruses. These coronavirus 3C-like proteases, known as 3CLpro, are
strong therapeutic targets because they play vital roles in coronavirus replication.

"Vaccine developments and treatments are the biggest targets in
COVID-19 research, and treatment is really key," said Chang, professor
of diagnostic medicine and pathobiology. "This paper describes protease inhibitors targeting coronavirus 3CLpro, which is a well-known therapeutic target." The study demonstrates that this series of optimized coronavirus 3CLpro inhibitors blocked replication of the human coronaviruses MERS-CoV
and SARS- CoV-2 in cultured cells and in a mouse model for MERS. These
findings suggest that this series of compounds should be investigated
further as a potential therapeutic for human coronavirus infection.

Chang and Kim have been using National Institutes of Health
grants to develop antiviral drugs to treat MERS and human norovirus
infections. Their work extends to other human viruses such as rhinoviruses
and SARS-CoV-2.

"The work that this group of collaborators has been doing on antivirals
and inhibitors for SARS and MERS at K-State for a number of years has
been vital to their ability to quickly pivot to emphasize research on SARS-CoV-2 virus and therapeutics," said Peter K. Dorhout, vice president
for research at K-State.

Co-collaborators on the research include teams lead by Bill Groutas at
Wichita State University, Stanley Perlman at the University of Iowa and
Scott Lovell at the University of Kansas.

"Drs. Groutas, Perlman and Lovell brought decades of experience to
our research team," Chang said. "We would not have been able to come
this far without important collaborations with our colleagues at other institutions." "Getting things published right now is very important
for the scientific community," Kim said. "I think we are adding valuable information to the antiviral field." The new compounds in the publication
are exclusively licensed and being developed by Cocrystal Pharma for
COVID-19. K-State Innovations Partners handles commercial technology
licensing for the university.


========================================================================== Story Source: Materials provided by Kansas_State_University. Note:
Content may be edited for style and length.


========================================================================== Journal Reference:
1. Athri D. Rathnayake, Jian Zheng, Yunjeong Kim, Krishani Dinali
Perera,
Samantha Mackin, David K Meyerholz, Maithri M. Kashipathy, Kevin P.

Battaile, Scott Lovell, Stanley Perlman, William C. Groutas,
Kyeong-Ok Chang. 3C-like protease inhibitors block coronavirus
replication in vitro and improve survival in MERS-CoV-infected
mice. Science Translational Medicine, August 3, 2020; DOI:
10.1126/scitranslmed.abc5332 ==========================================================================

Link to news story: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/08/200803145622.htm

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