Compounds With Potential Anti-SARS-CoV-2 Activity Identified

Compounds that affect fatty acid metabolism and reactions that occur on cell membranes could be the potent inhibitors of SARS-CoV-2, found a new study. The findings were based on the research conducted by experts from the Institute for Biomedical Sciences at Georgia State University. SARS-CoV-2 relies on host cell membranes and specific fatty acid and lipid metabolism pathways to enter cells, establish specialized structures that help them multiply, and promote the assembly of new virus particles. VPS34 is one of the essential enzymes involved in biological pathways related to cell membranes.

Taking this in mind, the study team tested the efficacy of small molecule inhibitors that target fatty acid metabolism and VPS34 for anti-SARS-CoV-2 activity. They proved to be powerful inhibitors of SARS-CoV-2 replication. They also impaired SARS-CoV-2 replication in human airway epithelial cells by blocking fatty acid metabolism.

VPS34 seemed to inhibit an early step in the SARS-CoV-2 replication cycle. The authors opine that it could be the facilitator of membrane availability to form replication organelles during the SARS-CoV-2 growth cycle.

"The study clarifies the roles for VPS34 and fatty acid metabolism in SARS-CoV-2 replication and could help identify promising avenues for the development of novel countermeasures against SARS-CoV-2," said Dr. Christopher Basler, corresponding author of the study.

Besides this, the research could also serve as the basis for potentially repurposing and developing therapeutics targeting these pathways for the treatment of COVID-19.

The study was performed as a collaboration among university and industry scientists from Georgia State, Axion BioSystems Inc., and Synthego Corporation, a genome engineering company. The complete research article was published in the journal Cell Reports.

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Source-Medindia