Innovative ways to fight SARS-CoV-2

Published on 01/07/2021

With the approval of several COVID-19 vaccines and drugs in recent months, hope is growing that the current pandemic will end soon.

K. Rustler, T. Bruckdorfer

Chimica Oggi2021; 39(4): 18-20

Abstract: With the approval of several COVID-19 vaccines and drugs in recent months, hope is growing that the current pandemic will end soon. However, the rise of new SARS-CoV-2 variants and the possibility of future viral pandemics means that the development of novel therapies cannot stop. Promising therapeutic approaches include repurposing the cancer drug Imatinib and herpes antivirals Penciclovir and Aciclovir, as well as the modification of arginine residues in SARS-CoV-2 proteins using methylglyoxal. Another therapeutic approach that researchers are actively investigating involves inhibitors of the main SARS-CoV-2 protease, Mpro. To facilitate the discovery of effective Mpro inhibitors, we describe two sensitive and convenient assays for rapid screening of drug candidates.