A painful lesson from the COVID-19 pandemic: the need for broad-spectrum, host-directed antivirals
Abstract While the COVID-19 pandemic has spurred intense research and collaborative discovery worldwide, the development of a safe, effective, and targeted antiviral from the ground up is time intensive. Therefore, most antiviral discovery efforts are focused on the re-purposing of clinical stage or...
| Main Authors: | , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
BMC
2020-10-01
|
| Series: | Journal of Translational Medicine |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12967-020-02476-9 |
| _version_ | 1831836899315023872 |
|---|---|
| author | Vipul C. Chitalia Ali H. Munawar |
| author_facet | Vipul C. Chitalia Ali H. Munawar |
| author_sort | Vipul C. Chitalia |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract While the COVID-19 pandemic has spurred intense research and collaborative discovery worldwide, the development of a safe, effective, and targeted antiviral from the ground up is time intensive. Therefore, most antiviral discovery efforts are focused on the re-purposing of clinical stage or approved drugs. While emerging data on drugs undergoing COVID-19 repurpose are intriguing, there is an undeniable need to develop broad-spectrum antivirals to prevent future viral pandemics of unknown origin. The ideal drug to curtail rapid viral spread would be a broad-acting agent with activity against a wide range of viruses. Such a drug would work by modulating host-proteins that are often shared by multiple virus families thereby enabling preemptive drug development and therefore rapid deployment at the onset of an outbreak. Targeting host-pathways and cellular proteins that are hijacked by viruses can potentially offer broad-spectrum targets for the development of future antiviral drugs. Such host-directed antivirals are also likely to offer a higher barrier to the development and selection of drug resistant mutations. Given that most approved antivirals do not target host-proteins, we reinforce the need for the development of such antivirals that can be used in pre- and post-exposure populations. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-23T05:06:30Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-5eb00bb6dfb5498c9924a802d35ea18c |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1479-5876 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-23T05:06:30Z |
| publishDate | 2020-10-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Translational Medicine |
| spelling | doaj.art-5eb00bb6dfb5498c9924a802d35ea18c2022-12-21T17:59:05ZengBMCJournal of Translational Medicine1479-58762020-10-011811610.1186/s12967-020-02476-9A painful lesson from the COVID-19 pandemic: the need for broad-spectrum, host-directed antiviralsVipul C. Chitalia0Ali H. Munawar1Boston University Medical CenterBisect Therapeutics, Inc.Abstract While the COVID-19 pandemic has spurred intense research and collaborative discovery worldwide, the development of a safe, effective, and targeted antiviral from the ground up is time intensive. Therefore, most antiviral discovery efforts are focused on the re-purposing of clinical stage or approved drugs. While emerging data on drugs undergoing COVID-19 repurpose are intriguing, there is an undeniable need to develop broad-spectrum antivirals to prevent future viral pandemics of unknown origin. The ideal drug to curtail rapid viral spread would be a broad-acting agent with activity against a wide range of viruses. Such a drug would work by modulating host-proteins that are often shared by multiple virus families thereby enabling preemptive drug development and therefore rapid deployment at the onset of an outbreak. Targeting host-pathways and cellular proteins that are hijacked by viruses can potentially offer broad-spectrum targets for the development of future antiviral drugs. Such host-directed antivirals are also likely to offer a higher barrier to the development and selection of drug resistant mutations. Given that most approved antivirals do not target host-proteins, we reinforce the need for the development of such antivirals that can be used in pre- and post-exposure populations.http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12967-020-02476-9COVID-19Broad-spectrum antiviralsMechanism of action (MOA)PandemicsDrug discovery and developmentSARS-CoV-2 |
| spellingShingle | Vipul C. Chitalia Ali H. Munawar A painful lesson from the COVID-19 pandemic: the need for broad-spectrum, host-directed antivirals Journal of Translational Medicine COVID-19 Broad-spectrum antivirals Mechanism of action (MOA) Pandemics Drug discovery and development SARS-CoV-2 |
| title | A painful lesson from the COVID-19 pandemic: the need for broad-spectrum, host-directed antivirals |
| title_full | A painful lesson from the COVID-19 pandemic: the need for broad-spectrum, host-directed antivirals |
| title_fullStr | A painful lesson from the COVID-19 pandemic: the need for broad-spectrum, host-directed antivirals |
| title_full_unstemmed | A painful lesson from the COVID-19 pandemic: the need for broad-spectrum, host-directed antivirals |
| title_short | A painful lesson from the COVID-19 pandemic: the need for broad-spectrum, host-directed antivirals |
| title_sort | painful lesson from the covid 19 pandemic the need for broad spectrum host directed antivirals |
| topic | COVID-19 Broad-spectrum antivirals Mechanism of action (MOA) Pandemics Drug discovery and development SARS-CoV-2 |
| url | http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12967-020-02476-9 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT vipulcchitalia apainfullessonfromthecovid19pandemictheneedforbroadspectrumhostdirectedantivirals AT alihmunawar apainfullessonfromthecovid19pandemictheneedforbroadspectrumhostdirectedantivirals AT vipulcchitalia painfullessonfromthecovid19pandemictheneedforbroadspectrumhostdirectedantivirals AT alihmunawar painfullessonfromthecovid19pandemictheneedforbroadspectrumhostdirectedantivirals |