Researchers identify natural products that can fight the virus that causes a pandemic

Researchers at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography and the School of Pharmaceutical Sciences at the University of California, San Diego analyze the genomic and life history characteristics of the three classes of viruses that have caused endemic and global epidemics in the past to identify natural products. Did. Naturally produced compounds — can prevent their spread.

In the reviews displayed in Journal of Natural Products, Marine chemist Mitchell Christy, Yoshinori Uekusa, William Gerwick, and immunologist Lena Gerwick explain the basic biology of three families of RNA viruses and how they infect human cells. I will. These viruses use RNA instead of DNA to store genetic information. This is a property that helps the virus evolve rapidly. The team then describes the natural products that have been shown to be capable of inhibiting them and highlights possible therapeutic strategies.

“We wanted to assess the viruses responsible for these deadly outbreaks and identify their weaknesses,” said lead author Christie. “We consider their similarities and uncover potential strategies to target their replication and spread. Natural products are inhibitors that can be used as the basis for new drug development campaigns targeting these viruses. It turns out to be a valuable source of

The research team is from Scripps Oceanography’s Center for Marine Biotechnology and Biomedical Sciences (CMBB) and is about its potential effectiveness as an antibiotic, anti-cancer therapy, and other medically beneficial product in the marine environment. Collect and analyze the compounds found. The drug, known as marizomib, entered the final stages of clinical trials in early 2020 as a potential treatment for brain tumors. The drug is derived from the genus of marine bacteria that CMBB researchers first collected from seafloor sediments in 1990.

Researchers funded by the National Institutes of Health and the University of California, San Diego Prime Minister’s Office give an overview of the viral structure of the Coronaviridae, Flaviviridae, and Filoviridae families. Among these families are the viruses that caused the outbreaks of COVID-19, dengue fever, West Nile encephalitis, Zika fever, Ebola fever, and Marburg fever. The team then identifies compounds produced by marine and terrestrial organisms that have demonstrated some activity against these viruses. These compounds are thought to have a molecular structure that prevents the virus from invading and replicating healthy human cells and is a potential candidate for functioning as a virus inhibitor. According to the researchers, the purpose of this review was to improve the process of drug development in the event of a new pandemic and to accelerate the control of disease epidemics in the face of new threats.

“It’s just common sense that when a future pandemic occurs, we need to have the infrastructure needed to develop treatments faster,” the review concludes. “One such recommendation is to create and maintain an international compound library using substances with antiviral, antibacterial, or anthelmintic activity.”

To achieve that goal, researchers recognize that international consensus needs to be reached to address intellectual property issues, researchers’ rights and responsibilities, and other complex issues. I will.

In addition, although the development of vaccines for SARS-CoV-2 infections has made remarkable progress, it is useful for managing COVID-19 infections in unvaccinated individuals and when the effectiveness of the vaccine declines over time. There is also a great need for effective antiviral drugs. The researcher said. Several candidate antiviral molecules, such as remdesivir, ropinavir-ritonavir, hydroxychloroquine, and type I interferon therapy, have been investigated for use in clinics, but all large trials have limited or no effect. Effective antiviral drugs still need discovery and development.

Reissued in favor of Scripps. Illustration: Jennifer Matthews / Scripps Institution of Oceanography