Research Team Finds Promising COVID-19 Drugs in Record Time
A joint research team from KAIST and Institut Pasteur Korea has made significant strides in the fight against COVID-19. They've identified repurposed drugs that inhibit SARS-CoV-2 replication, with some showing activity in human lung cells.
The team's strategy involved drug repurposing, a practical approach for swift antiviral drug development, particularly during global pandemics. They screened 6,218 drugs and identified 38 potential repurposed drugs for COVID-19 treatment.
Using a platform technology they developed, the team rapidly identified novel compounds. They employed virtual screening and cell-based assays, reducing false positives through pre-docking filtering based on shape similarity and post-docking filtering based on interaction similarity. This approach led to a high hit rate of 18.4%, resulting in the discovery of seven compounds that inhibited SARS-CoV-2 replication in Vero cells, with three showing activity in human lung cells (Calu-3). Among the identified drugs were Niclosamide and Ciclesonide.
The team's strategy not only aided in developing therapeutic medications for COVID-19 but also demonstrated its potential for rapid response to new infectious diseases and variants. Further preclinical trials are planned to optimize drug concentrations and address toxicity issues.
The research team's innovative strategy has brought us several steps closer to effective COVID-19 treatments. Their findings highlight the potential of drug repurposing and advanced screening techniques in combating infectious diseases swiftly and efficiently.
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