Stable target

German scientists have found the Achilles heel of SARS-CoV-2

Svetlana Maslova, Hi-tech+

German researchers have identified specific areas of the SARS-CoV-2 genome that almost never undergo mutations, so they are ideal targets for treatment. Therapeutic molecules targeting these conservative sites have also already been identified.

A team from the Johann Wolfgang Goethe University of Frankfurt identified 15 short segments of the SARS-CoV-2 genome, which may be its Achilles heel. It turned out that these parts of the genome that perform important regulatory functions are similar in different coronaviruses and very rarely undergo mutations. Scientists came to such conclusions after analyzing these segments throughout 2020.

Staja Sreeramulu et al. Exploring the druggability of conserved RNA regulatory elements in the SARS-CoV-2 genome is published in the journal Angewandte Chemie – VM.

Until now, scientists have mainly focused on blocking viral proteins to stop the replication of SARS-CoV-2. Meanwhile, an attack on the viral genome can also block the replication of the virus, since in an infected cell, viral RNA accounts for up to two-thirds of all RNA.

They then identified 69 small molecules that bound to 13 of these 15 RNA segments. At the same time, three of them were connected exclusively with one of the segments. This means that SARS-CoV-2 RNAs may be a potential target for new drugs.

"Due to the large number of SARS-CoV-2 mutations, the conservative RNA segments identified by us are the most promising for the development of effective target inhibitors," explained the author of the work Harald Schwalbe.

Now the team is already engaged in testing potential therapeutic candidates.

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