"PNAS" new oral antiviral compound prevents SARS-CoV-2 from entering cells

Scientists at Washington University School of Medicine in St.

Interestingly, this compound targets a key human protein called transmembrane serine protease 2 (TMPRSS2), which is used by coronaviruses to enter and infect human cells

The research was published online on October 11 in the Proceedings of The National Academy of Sciences

Senior author, Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Dr.

This new drug compound can effectively block TMPRSS2 and another related protein, matripase, which exists on the surface of lungs and other cells

Janetka said: "The SARS-CoV-2 virus hijacks our own lung cell mechanism and activates its spike protein, which enables it to bind and invade lung cells

Studies of cells infected with SARS-CoV-2 grown in the laboratory found that MM3122 is more effective than remdesivir in protecting cells from virus damage

"Once the virus enters the cell, most viral infection inhibitors work by blocking the replication step," said co-author Dr.

Janetka added: "This compound is not only used for COVID-19

Janetka and his colleagues are currently working with researchers from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to test the effectiveness of MM3122 in the treatment and prevention of COVID-19 in animal models

Janetka collaborated with the University of Washington Office of Technology Management (OTM) to co-found a biotechnology startup called ProteXase Therapeutics, which has approved the technology to help develop a new drug to treat the coronavirus, including SARS- CoV-2, the original SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences

DOI

10.