Projektbeschreibung
Wirkstoffforschung im Kampf gegen COVID-19
Die COVID-19-Pandemie hat das eklatante Fehlen von Impf- und Wirkstoffen zur Bewältigung dieses gesundheitlichen Notstands verdeutlicht. Das EU-finanzierte Projekt SCORE hatte in vorherigen Forschungen zur Replikation von Coronaviren und deren Hemmung bereits wichtige virale Funktionen enthüllt sowie geeignete Instrumente für das Screening und mögliche Wirkstoffe identifiziert. Aufbauend auf diesem Fachwissen arbeitet das Projekt nun an einem hochmodernen Ansatz zur Wirkstoffforschung nach Inhibitoren, die aktiv gegen sich verändernde SARS-CoV-2-Stämme wirken. Hierfür sollen zugelassene Virostatika getestet und neue Inhibitoren gegen den Viruseintritt in die Zelle, die RNA-Replikation und die Proteinfunktion entwickelt werden. Wenn in sechs bis neun Monaten erste Ergebnisse vorliegen, wie erwartet wird, sollen geeignete Verbindungen weiterentwickelt werden.
Ziel
Coronavirus 2019-nCoV has become a worldwide public health emergency, and the lack of vaccines and drugs to immediately address this outbreak is painfully clear. Even if the epidemic can be stopped, the virus may return in the same or a modified form. More than vaccines and therapeutic antibodies, antiviral drugs can target highly conserved viral functions and have the broad-spectrum activity that is critical to combat current and future outbreaks.
Since the 2003 SARS outbreak, as leading academic coronavirus researchers, we have collaborated to understand and inhibit coronavirus replication. We defined viral key functions, developed tools for inhibitor screening, and identified/engineered drug candidates. Until 2015, our collaborative efforts were supported by the FP7 SILVER project, but they have been continued until this very day. As European coronavirus experts, we now propose the SCORE project, supported by a leading pharmaceutical company. Virologists, biochemists, structural biologists, and medicinal chemists will collaborate in a state-of-the-art drug discovery/design program that targets 2019-nCoV. Our vast SARS-CoV-derived expertise and unique toolbox will be a major asset to achieve immediate impact.
We will target the virus using 5 independent approaches: (i) using of (combinations of) FDA-approved drugs, (ii) targeting viral RNA synthesis, (iii) inhibiting coronavirus proteases, (iv) blocking virus entry, (v) discovery and development of new antivirals. This program will be supplemented with 2019-nCoV toolbox and animal model development. We aim to deliver proof-of-concept for selected compounds within 6-9 months, after which they will be offered for further use/development. This will contribute to short-term solutions for the on-going crisis and also pave the way for mid/long-term success in developing inhibitors that will be active against (evolving) 2019-nCoV strains, other SARS-like coronaviruses, and potentially (beta)coronaviruses at large.
Wissenschaftliches Gebiet
Schlüsselbegriffe
Programm/Programme
Thema/Themen
Aufforderung zur Vorschlagseinreichung
H2020-SC1-PHE-CORONAVIRUS-2020
Andere Projekte für diesen Aufruf anzeigenFinanzierungsplan
RIA - Research and Innovation actionKoordinator
2333 ZA Leiden
Niederlande