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Druggable targets from coronaviruses for designing new antiviral drugs

Leandro Rocha Silva1, Paulo Fernando da Silva Santos-Júnior2, Júlia de Andrade Brandão3

  • 1Chemistry and Biotechnology Institute, Federal University of Alagoas, Campus A.C. Simões, Lourival Melo Mota Avenue, Maceió 57072-970, Brazil; Laboratory of Organic and Medicinal Synthesis, Federal University of Alagoas, Campus Arapiraca, Manoel Severino Barbosa Avenue, Arapiraca 57309-005, Brazil.

Bioorganic & Medicinal Chemistry
|October 2, 2020
PubMed

Insights

Coronaviruses like SARS, MERS, and COVID-19 cause severe respiratory illness. This review compiles potential antiviral agents targeting coronavirus structures, aiding in the design of new therapeutics.

Area of Science:

  • Medicinal Chemistry
  • Virology
  • Drug Discovery

Background:

  • Coronaviruses (CoVs), including SARS-CoV, MERS-CoV, and COVID-19, have caused significant global health crises.
  • These viruses are responsible for severe respiratory infections and high mortality rates worldwide.
  • The emergence of novel CoVs underscores the urgent need for effective antiviral therapies.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To provide a comprehensive review of potential antiviral agents against Coronaviridae.
  • To focus on agents targeting key viral macromolecular structures.
  • To offer a medicinal chemistry perspective to guide the development of new antiviral drugs.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of existing research on CoV antiviral agents.
  • Analysis of potential drug targets within CoV structures (e.g., spike proteins, proteases).
  • Compilation and categorization of compounds with demonstrated or potential antiviral activity.

Main Results:

  • Identification of various classes of antiviral compounds with activity against CoVs.
  • Highlighting specific viral targets amenable to therapeutic intervention.
  • Discussion of structure-activity relationships for promising antiviral candidates.

Conclusions:

  • There is a critical need for novel antiviral agents to combat CoV infections.
  • Targeting specific viral macromolecular structures offers a viable strategy for drug design.
  • This review provides valuable insights for medicinal chemists developing next-generation antiviral therapies against Coronaviridae.
Keywords:
MERS-CoVMedicinal chemistryMolecular modelingSARS-CoVSARS-CoV-2

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