Viruses Xu Ke's research group published a review on the research progress of broad-spectrum antiviral drugs

On April 28, 2022, Xu Ke's research group from the State Key Laboratory of Virology, Wuhan University published a paper entitled "A broad antiviral strategy: Inhibitors of human DHODH pave the way for host-targeting antivirals against emerging and re- A review of "emerging viruses", this paper systematically introduces host-targeted antiviral drugs as a general strategy for the treatment of new and re-emerging viral infections, including the new coronavirus, aiming at the current research and development hotspots of broad-spectrum antiviral drugs .

This paper especially emphasizes the multiple functions of the inhibitor of human dihydroorotate dehydrogenase (hDHODH, human Dihydroorotate Dehydrogenase), a key enzyme in the de novo pyrimidine synthesis pathway developed by the research group in antiviral, anti-inflammatory and immune activation.

According to different targets, antiviral drugs can be divided into direct-acting antivirals agent (DAA) and host-targeting antiviral (HTA)

Pyrimidine bases are an essential raw material for virus replication, and inhibitors of host-targeted pyrimidine synthesis have been the hotspot in the research of broad-spectrum antiviral drugs in recent years, and are also the most intensively studied host targets

Figure 1.

After the publication of the DHODH inhibitor anti-new coronavirus paper, it has been followed by researchers from many countries.

Figure 2.

Currently, with funding from the LifeArc Foundation, the anti-coronavirus effect of the old drug Leflunomide, which was jointly discovered by the research group and East China University of Science and Technology, is undergoing an international multi-center clinical trial in the UK, hoping to provide clinical treatment for the novel coronavirus pneumonia.

Paper link: https:// the corresponding author:

Xu Ke, PI of the State Key Laboratory of Virology of Wuhan University, professor of the School of Life Sciences of Wuhan University, winner of the National Science Fund for Outstanding Young Scholars, mainly engaged in the research on the pathogenic mechanism of respiratory viruses such as influenza virus and coronavirus, and developed new universal virus vaccines and Small molecule antiviral drug candidates; published more than 40 papers in Cell Research, Protein & Cell, Nature Communications, PNAS, etc.

The laboratory is looking for postdoctoral fellows and research assistants for a long time, see: http://klv.

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