A KU Leuven study has made considerable progress in the search for Coronavirus medication by identifying a molecule that can fully slow down new viruses. Published in Nature, this research was carried out by Johan Neyts and the team of the Center for Drug Design and Discovery (CD3).
“We tested 350,000 molecules “blind” in the hope of identifying some that can slow down the multiplication of coronavirus.“Explains Professor Neyts. The identified molecule CIM-834 was optimized to become a strong viral inhibitor. The researchers discovered an unprecedented mechanism that prevents the assembly of viral particles and thus interrupted the formation of new viruses.
“The molecule has proven to be very effective in laboratory. We can really talk about a breakthrough“Said Neyts. Although several years are necessary before marketing a medication based on CIM-834, this discovery could also pave the way for inhibitors against other families of viruses.
“Our strategy shows that it is possible to identify “errors” that are still unknown in the process of virusion training“Add the virologist and emphasized the importance of a reserve of antiviral inhibitors in order to prevent high patients during the epidemics.
