Not worse than antibodies
A protein successfully suppressing SARS-CoV-2 has been synthesized
Georgy Golovanov, Hi-tech+
With the help of computer modeling, scientists from the United States have created an effective and stable antiviral drug that blocks coronavirus infection at least as good as monoclonal antibodies, but more reliable and easy to manufacture. It prevents the virus from entering the cells of the body.
Coronaviruses got their name for the so-called crown or spikes dotting their surface. They attach them to human cells so that the virus can crack the shell and infect them. The appearance of drugs capable of disrupting the action of this mechanism would prevent the spread of infection.
Researchers from The University of Washington used the help of a computer to create new proteins that tightly connect with the proteins of the spiny process SARS-CoV-2 and prevent them from infecting cells, according to a press release Designed antiviral proteins inhibit SARS-CoV-2 in the lab.
This is about how synthetic proteins block the "spikes" of the coronavirus – VM.
Article by Cao et al. De novo design of picomolar SARS-CoV-2 miniprotein inhibitors published in the journal Science – VM.
Since January, the machine has issued over two million candidates for these proteins. More than 118,000 of them were created and tested in the laboratory.
The most effective antiviral candidate proved to be at least as good in tests as the well-known monoclonal antibodies to SASR-CoV-2, in addition, they are easier to produce, they are much more stable and, potentially, do not need to be stored at a low temperature.
"Our success in developing related antiviral proteins from scratch is further proof that computer–generated protein design can be used to create promising drugs," said senior researcher David Baker.
Scientists from The Scripps Institute analyzed data on antibodies against SARS-CoV-2, which were found in patients recovering from COVID-19 in recent months. It turned out that the most powerful antibodies, especially effectively neutralizing the virus, are encoded by a single gene called IGHV3-53. The most promising of the proteins, LCB1, is about six times more effective in terms of mass than these antibodies.
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