The search for cures for corona gets a boost from discoveries about the Sars virus

Using Australia's National Drug Discovery Centre, researchers from the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute have identified ingredients that can block a central protein of the coronavirus, called PLpro. This protein, which is found in all corona viruses, is essential for the virus and allows it to enter human cells, reproduce in them and paralyze their anti-viral mechanism

By: Walter and Eliza Hall Institute, translation: Ziv Adaki

An extensive search and trials of drugs and quasi-drug compounds revealed that ingredients developed to fight Sars may also be effective against Corona.

Using Australia's National Drug Discovery Centre, researchers from the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute have identified ingredients that can block a central protein of the coronavirus, called PLpro. This protein, which is found in all corona viruses, is essential for the virus and allows it to enter human cells, reproduce in them and paralyze their anti-viral mechanism.

In a laboratory experiment, the compound, which was first developed as a possible treatment for SARS, prevented the growth of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, which causes corona.

The discovery, published in the journal The EMBO, Led by Prof. David Komander, Prof. Marc Pellegrini Lessene and Dr. Theresa Klemm.

in short

• Australian researchers have identified a possible molecular target for new corona treatments
• A chemical compound, which was originally intended to suppress SARS, was found to be promising for stopping the development of the corona virus (SARS-CoV-2
• The discoveries were made possible thanks to the capabilities of the Australian National Drug Discovery Center and ANSTO's Australian Synchrotron, and may support the development of new drugs for Corona

The goal: to locate a target protein

Corona viruses, including the viruses that cause the current epidemic and Sars, all contain a protein called PLpro, which allows the virus to enter a human cell and paralyze its antiviral defense.  

Prof. Commander says that this protein belongs to a family of proteins called "deubiquitinases", a family that his research group has been dealing with for the past 15 years in a variety of diseases.

"When we look at how SARS-CoV-2 functions, it is clear that the PLpro deubiquitinase protein is a key component of this virus - as in other corona viruses, including the SARS-CoV-1 virus, which causes SARS," he says.

We urgently established a program called VirDUB, to examine how the PLpro protein functions and what it looks like. These are important first steps towards the discovery of new drugs that may be possible treatments for Corona."

Using ANSTO's Australian Synchrotron, the research team quickly determined how this protein binds to human proteins – to zero in on a target that could block this binding with new drugs. 

Discovery of new drugs

The Australian National Drug Discovery Center was needed to enable a rapid search for drugs that could block the PLpro protein.

"We scanned thousands of drugs that are currently registered as well as thousands of quasi-pharmaceutical compounds, to see if they were effective in blocking the PLpro protein in the virus that causes Sars," says Prof. Commander. "While existing drugs were not effective in blocking the particular protein, we discovered that compounds developed in the last decade against the SARS disease can prevent the development of the current corona virus, SARS-CoV-2, in preclinical experiments in the laboratory." The next step, according to Prof. Commander, is to turn these compounds into drugs that can be used to treat corona patients.

"Now we have to develop the compounds for drugs and make sure they are safe for patients. Another very important matter, drugs that are able to stop the action of the PLpro protein may be useful not only for the treatment of the current corona disease but also for the treatment of other diseases caused by corona viruses, which may emerge in the future."

to the notice of the researchers

for the scientific article

More of the topic in Hayadan:

• Researchers from the Hebrew University and Mount Sinai Hospital in New York cracked the replication mechanism of the corona virus and found an existing drug that attacks it
• Britain and Switzerland have joined the consortium led by IBM to accelerate research to find a vaccine and a cure for the corona virus
• Do not expect a corona vaccine this year