Proteomics studies have helped identify potential drugs against SARS-CoV-2

researchers at the University of California have been studying proteins used by SARS-CoV-2 virus to bind to lung proteins and have identified a variety of drugs that could be useful for treating COVID-19 patients. Many of these drugs have been approved by the FDA to treat other diseases, the team said. They have published their paper on the BioRxiv preprint server.Shortly after the SARS-CoV-2 virus was found to infect humans, scientists sequenced its genome. The new study involves analyzing sequence data from which researchers identified 29 genes in viruses that produce proteins that interact with human proteins. Next, the team invited a team of chemists to participate in their work to help them find small molecules that could be used to target host proteins they found. This leads to a range of drugs that may be useful for treating PATIENT-19 patients. The team is currently testing the drugs on their list with infected cells to find drugs that prevent viral proteins from interacting with human proteins. They point out that they finish the work in a few weeks, which usually takes months. By working with hundreds of scientists in 21 laboratories around the world, they have made faster progress.The UC team isn't the only one studying proteomics, using proteomics as a way to identify drugs that might help COVID-19. A team from Frankfurt University Hospital and Goethe University used isopressurized markers to study changes in protein expression and quantity after infection, which they believe could guide the study of treatments. Another team at IsoPlexis has been working with researchers at the Institute of Systems Biology to study the immune response of people recovering from COVID-19 infections, especially the way proteins are blocked from interacting. In addition, a joint team from Virginia Medical School and Hodder College has been studying the possibility of using proteins as a way to develop virus testing methods.
(Bio Valley
)