March 28, 2024

COVID Breakthrough: New Potent Antiviral Against SARS-CoV-2, RSV and Other Respiratory RNA Viruses

In a study released online on December 2, 2021, in Science, scientists in the Institute for Biomedical Sciences at Georgia State University report a brand-new candidate ribonucleoside analog, 4- fluorouridine (4- FlU), that has potent antiviral activity versus SARS-CoV-2, RSV and other breathing RNA infections in cell culture, human organoids and various animal designs when administered orally once day-to-day.
” Mechanistically, we show that 4- FlU remains in a different class from molnupiravir that is presently considered for regulatory approval,” said Dr. Richard Plemper, Distinguished University Professor, director of the Center for Translational Antiviral Research at Georgia State and senior author of the research study. “4- FlU does not serve as a mutagen but induces termination of the viral polymerase, aborting duplication of the viral genome. There is an immediate need to expand the healing arsenal versus SARS-CoV-2 and 4- FlU has strong developmental promise as a companion drug.”
In the research study, 4- FlU was checked against different SARS-CoV-2 variations of issue in ferrets, which have emerged as a leading model for drug screening, and versus respiratory syncytial infection in mice. The scientists found that this drug potently blocked SARS-CoV-2 replication, including the gamma and delta variants in the ferret, and efficiently suppressed RSV problem in mouse lungs.
” We are thrilled that 4- FlU is the only orally offered antiviral candidate presently established against SARS-CoV-2 that is active when given daily,” stated Dr. Julien Sourimant, first author of the study and a scientist in Dr. Plempers laboratory in the Institute for Biomedical Sciences, “which must be a major property in making sure outpatient compliance.”
Recommendation: “4 ′- Fluorouridine is an oral antiviral that blocks breathing syncytial virus and SARS-CoV-2 duplication” by Julien Sourimant, Carolin M. Lieber, Megha Aggarwal, Robert M. Cox, Josef D. Wolf, Jeong-Joong Yoon, Mart Toots, Chengin Ye, Zachary Sticher, Alexander A. Kolykhalov, Luis Martinez-Sobrido, Gregory R. Bluemling, Michael G. Natchus, George R. Painter and Richard K. Plemper, 2 December 2021, Science.DOI: 10.1126/ science.abj5508.
This research study on 4- FlU emerged from a cooperation of the team at Georgia State University with scientists at Emory University and the Texas Biomedical Research Institute. The study was moneyed by public health service grants from the National Institutes of Health/National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases to Georgia State University.
Co-authors of the research study consist of J. Sourimant, C.M. Lieber, M. Aggarwal, R.M. Cox, J.D. Wolf, J.-J. Yeong, M. Toots and R.K. Plemper at Georgia State University; C. Ye and L. Martinez-Sobrido at Texas Biomedical Research Institute; and Z. Sticher, A.A. Kolykhalov, G.R. Bluemling, M.G. Natchus and G.R. Painter at Emory University.

Center for Translational Antiviral Research Reports Novel Drug Class with Activity Against SARS-CoV-2
The COVID-19 pandemic and renewal of infections by other respiratory RNA infections such as breathing syncytial virus (RSV) in children has actually caused an urgent requirement for the advancement of orally readily available broad-spectrum antiviral rehabs.