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  1. Ethical Science News

  2. Mar 30, 2020

Proteomic Analysis of Novel Coronavirus Interactions With Human Proteins Identifies 69 Potential Antiviral Drugs

Study in a Sentence: Researchers used affinity-purification mass spectrometry (AP-MS) to identify interactions between SARS-CoV-2 proteins and human proteins, which yielded 66 druggable proteins that are targeted by 69 existing FDA-approved drugs, drugs in clinical trials, and/or preclinical compounds. 

Healthy for Humans: This proteomic analysis presents drugs and compounds that may perturb the way SARS-CoV-2 interacts with human cells. By testing these compounds in human cells for disruptions in SARS-CoV-2 activity, researchers can get a glimpse of their therapeutic value in preventing COVID-19.

Redefining Research: With no antiviral drugs or vaccines currently available for the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, there is a need for clues about the molecular mechanisms and substrates of its infection in human cells. Using a combination of a systematic proteomic analysis and a chemoinformatic drug search, researchers were able to identify both biological processes affected by SARS-CoV2 infection and potential therapeutic compounds. 

References

Gordon DE, Jang GM, Bouhaddou M, Xu J, Obernier K, O’meara MJ, et al. A SARS-CoV-2-human protein-protein interaction map reveals drug targets and potential drug-repurposing. bioRxiv. 2020. https://doi.org/10.1101/2020.03.22.002386.

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