New York: Scientists have identified compounds that obstruct the “landing gear” of a range of harmful viruses can successfully protect against infection by the virus that causes Covid-19
If the compound, called stapled lipopeptide, proves effective as a nasal spray in the trial, it could serve as the basis for a new drug modality to save or treat Covid-19, according to the team at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in the United States. said the United States.
Based on those findings, they introduced a human clinical trial on a stapled lipopeptide, made by chemically stabilizing a key coronavirus peptide.
Because such compounds are more cunning than a mechanism used by many viruses to enter and infect cells, stapled lipopeptides may also be effective against harmful and potentially fatal viruses such as RSV, Ebola and Nipah, according to the team, in a paper published in the journal Nature Communications. .
“While vaccines, monoclonal antibodies and small molecule drugs have all played a role in protecting others from life-threatening Covid-19 infection, there remains a critical gap in the healing arsenal,” said Dr. Loren Walensky, principal investigator at Dana. -Farber/Boston Children’s Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders.
“The constant evolution of the virus and the emergence of new variants have particularly reduced the effectiveness of immune-based approaches, requiring regular reformulation of vaccines. What has been lacking are agents that are fast-acting, easy to administer, and resistant to resistance. It can be used before or after exposure to the virus to prevent infection or decrease symptoms. Our study is an encouraging indication that stapled lipopeptides offer this potential,” Walensky added.
Unlike mRNA vaccines, which are a form of immune-based therapy that provides delayed protection and also requires periodic administration due to viral mutation and/or waning immunity, the stapled lipopeptides developed by Walensky’s lab act directly on SARS-CoV-2, the coronavirus responsible for Covid-19, interfering with its ability to infect healthy cells.
Because this technique does not use the immune formula as an intermediary, it is especially promising for other people with weakened immune formulas, either due to their disease or due to treatment with immunosuppressive agents, such as chemotherapy.
Walensky’s lab has been pioneering the progression and application of stapled peptides for approximately 20 years. These unique agents are composed of natural peptides (a series of amino acids in an explained series) whose bioactive design is chemically stabilized through an installed “base” and, in this case, also bonded to a lipid, which is thought to help concentrate the stapled peptide at the site of viral infection – the membrane surface of the healthy cell.
The new study shows that stapled lipopeptides are exceptionally stable, resistant to high temperatures and chemical conditions, an important characteristic for patience inside and outside the body.
The design method not only prevents the degradation of peptides in the delivery of the framework, but also addresses previous shipping and storage issues, such as the blood chain needed for Covid-19 vaccines.
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