50 Drugs Identified against the Coronavirus
In an International collaboration, a team of hundred of scientists have graphed the proteins in coronavirus and have found 50 drugs to test against it. This might prove out to be an effective treatment against the threatening coronavirus pandemic. Many of the scientists around the world have tested drugs that attack the virus itself, but the San Francisco based Quantitative Biosciences Institute Coronavirus Group at University of California is trying an all new and unusual approach. The scientists are looking for drugs that shield the proteins in cells that the coronavirus depends on to thrive and reproduce.
Findings to be released Soon
Scientists at Pasteur Institute of Paris and Mount Sinai Hospital in New York have already begun to test the drugs in their labs. The group is preparing to release the findings at the end of the week. Currently, there is no any drug proven to be effective against the virus. The patients are being treated by giving treatment against fever, giving enough oxygen, and using ventilator to push air into the lungs. The immune system is also given time to fight against the infection. It will be a significant scientific achievement if the research effort succeeds.
The Fast-Moving Project
“I’m really impressed at the speed and scale at which they are moving,” said John Young, Global Head of Infectious diseases at Roche Pharma Research and Early Development. Nevan Krogan, Director of Quantitative Biosciences Institute, and his colleagues set about finding proteins in our cells that coronavirus uses to grow. Normally, such a project takes two years to complete, but this group completed it in mere two weeks. “You have 30 scientists on a zoom call- it’s the most exhausting, amazing thing,” Dr. Krogan said.
