The Translational Medicinal and Biological Chemistry Group at Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas Margarita Salas has recently published in the J. Med. Chem. a perspective that provides an overview of the main druggable targets of SARS-CoV-2 and the host from a structural point of view. This information can be very useful for searching or designing new drugs through a target-based approach. Moreover, therapeutic compounds with activity against SARS-CoV-2 and/or other coronaviruses have also been reported, which can act as models for a ligand-based approach. In addition, the role of innate immune response to coronavirus infection and the related therapeutic options are presented.
In principle, all virus enzymes and proteins involved in viral replication and the control of host cellular machineries are potentially druggable targets in the search for therapeutic options for SARS-CoV-2. In this context, a deep knowledge of the life cycle of SARS-CoV-2 is essential.
Given the urgency of the COVID-19 pandemic, the repurposing of approved drugs is the only alternative to find a timely effective treatment. In fact, drugs currently under clinical trials were initially approved for other indications. However, the past and present coronavirus outbreaks require our preparedness not only for the current situation but also for a future potential reemergence of novel coronaviruses. In this sense, is of utmost importance to design drugs acting as pan-coronavirus antivirals or through a multi-target approach to avoid lack of effectiveness by viral mutation escape.
This review is the result of an international collaboration among groups from the CIB Margarita Salas, INIA and the Universidad Autónoma Chile.
Reference: COVID-19: Drug targets and potential treatments. Carmen Gil, Tiziana Ginex, Inés Maestro, Vanesa Nozal, Lucia Barrado-Gil, Miguel A. Cuesta-Geijo, Jesús Urquiza, David Ramírez, Covadonga Alonso, Nuria E. Campillo, Ana Martínez (2020) J. Med. Chem. DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.0c00606