Over the last few years, the SARS-CoV-2 virus, responsible for COVID-19, has undergone significant changes, evolving from the original wild-type strains to the highly transmissible Omicron variant.
Higher Education PressNov 6 2024 Omicron has been particularly concerning due to its ability to evade immune protection from vaccines and monoclonal antibodies developed against earlier strains. A critical player in the virus's life cycle is the main protease , also known as NSP5 or 3CL protease, which plays a crucial role in the cleavage and maturation of SARS -CoV-2 proteins within the host cells. This makes Mpro a key target for antiviral drug development.
However, the effectiveness of these drugs against different Mpro variants is not fully understood. In a recent study published in the Quantitative Biology journal, research groups led by Nan Li and Xuefei Li at the Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology at the Chinese Academy of Sciences examined how well these drugs work against SARS-CoV-2 variants and other coronaviruses.
The research team also looked at six specific locations in the Mpro protein that frequently develop mutations. By analyzing global data from the GISAID database, they found a yearly increase in mutations at these sites . After purifying the Mpro mutant protein in E. coli BL21, the researchers assessed the fold change in inhibitory activity of the four inhibitors against the wild-type and mutant Mpro.
Efficacy SARS SARS-Cov-2 Antibodies Antiviral Drug Coronavirus Covid-19 Omicron Protein Research Virus
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