Related Experiment Video

Updated: Nov 6, 2025

Quantitative Structure-Activity Relationship, Activity Prediction, and Molecular Dynamics of Non-nucleotide Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors
10:29

Quantitative Structure-Activity Relationship, Activity Prediction, and Molecular Dynamics of Non-nucleotide Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors

Published on: May 9, 2025

1.8K

Direct acting anti-hepatitis C combinations as potential COVID-19 protease inhibitors

Mahmoud Hamed1, Mahmoud El-Hasab2, Fotouh R Mansour1,3

  • 1Pharmaceutical Services Center, Faculty of Pharmacy, Tanta University, Tanta, 31111 Egypt.

Virusdisease
|May 5, 2021
PubMed

Insights

Drug repurposing offers a promising strategy for combating COVID-19. Anti-hepatitis C virus (HCV) drug combinations show potential as effective therapeutic regimens for coronavirus infections.

Area of Science:

  • Virology
  • Drug Discovery
  • Computational Chemistry

Background:

  • The COVID-19 pandemic presents a significant global health threat.
  • Over 130 million infections and 2.9 million deaths have been reported worldwide.
  • No definitive cure for COVID-19 currently exists.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To identify potential therapeutic agents for COVID-19 through drug repurposing.
  • To evaluate approved drugs as novel treatments for coronavirus infections.
  • To explore anti-HCV drug combinations as potential COVID-19 therapies.

Main Methods:

  • Virtual screening of over 3000 FDA-approved drugs against COVID-19 targets.
  • Further testing of top-ranked drug candidates using AutoDock Vina.
  • Analysis of drugs with similar chemical structures and mechanistic pathways.

Main Results:

  • Identified potential antiviral agents for COVID-19 from existing drug libraries.
  • Top-ranked compounds from virtual screening were further validated.
  • Anti-HCV drug combinations demonstrated efficacy in computational models.

Conclusions:

  • Drug repurposing is a viable and rapid approach for discovering COVID-19 treatments.
  • Anti-HCV drug combinations represent a promising therapeutic strategy for COVID-19.
  • Further clinical investigation of these repurposed drugs is warranted.
Keywords:
Anti-hepatitis C combinationsAutoDock VinaCOVID-19Coronavirus pandemicDirect acting antiviral agent

More Related Videos

Early Viral Entry Assays for the Identification and Evaluation of Antiviral Compounds09:29

Early Viral Entry Assays for the Identification and Evaluation of Antiviral Compounds

Published on: October 29, 2015

30.5K
Rapid Screening of HIV Reverse Transcriptase and Integrase Inhibitors05:46

Rapid Screening of HIV Reverse Transcriptase and Integrase Inhibitors

Published on: April 9, 2014

18.1K

Related Concept Videos

Subviral Agents01:29

Subviral Agents

Subviral agents are infectious entities that resemble viruses but lack one or more viral components, such as a capsid or essential replication machinery. These agents include viroids, prions, and satellites, each possessing distinct structural and functional characteristics that influence their mode of infection and replication.Viroids are the simplest subviral agents, consisting of circular, single-stranded RNA molecules without a protein coat. They exclusively infect plants, relying entirely...
267
Retrovirus Life Cycles01:10

Retrovirus Life Cycles

Retroviruses have a single-stranded RNA genome that undergoes a special form of replication. Once the retrovirus has entered the host cell, an enzyme called reverse transcriptase synthesizes double-stranded DNA from the retroviral RNA genome. This DNA copy of the genome is then integrated into the host’s genome inside the nucleus via an enzyme called integrase. Consequently, the retroviral genome is transcribed into RNA whenever the host’s genome is transcribed, allowing the...
48.1K
Pharmacokinetics: Drug–Food and Drug–Viral Interactions01:26

Pharmacokinetics: Drug–Food and Drug–Viral Interactions

A drug interaction occurs when the concurrent use of another drug, food, or an external substance alters the pharmacological activity of a drug. This interaction can modify the action of the original drug, affecting its effectiveness and safety.Drug–food interactions are significant as they impact drug absorption, metabolism, and excretion. For example, grapefruit juice is a well-known disruptor of drug metabolism. It inhibits the cytochrome P450 3A4 enzyme, crucial for the metabolism of...
48
Viruses with RNA Genomes01:29

Viruses with RNA Genomes

RNA viruses are categorized into positive-strand, negative-strand, or double-stranded groups based on their genomic structure and replication mechanisms. This classification dictates how they exploit host cellular machinery for protein synthesis and replication. Some RNA viruses also utilize reverse transcription as part of their life cycle, further diversifying their replication strategies.Positive-Strand RNA VirusesPositive-strand RNA viruses have genomes that function directly as messenger...
304