Descripción del proyecto
Un programa de descubrimiento de fármacos contra la COVID-19
La pandemia de COVID-19 ha puesto de manifiesto la carencia de vacunas y fármacos para hacer frente a esta emergencia sanitaria. Un grupo de científicos del proyecto financiado con fondos europeos SCORE había trabajado anteriormente para comprender e inhibir la replicación de coronavirus, y descubrió funciones víricas fundamentales y desarrolló herramientas adecuadas para cribar e identificar candidatos a fármacos. El proyecto se basará en estos conocimientos especializados para establecer un novedoso enfoque de descubrimiento de inhibidores activos contra las cepas de SARS-CoV-2 en evolución. Los investigadores probarán antivíricos ya aprobados y diseñarán otros nuevos dirigidos contra la entrada del virus en la célula, contra la replicación del ARN y contra la función proteica. Está previsto que los resultados preliminares estén disponibles en un plazo de seis a nueve meses y, en ese momento, los compuestos seleccionados pasarán a la fase de desarrollo.
Objetivo
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.
Ámbito científico
Palabras clave
Programa(s)
Convocatoria de propuestas
H2020-SC1-PHE-CORONAVIRUS-2020
Consulte otros proyectos de esta convocatoriaRégimen de financiación
RIA - Research and Innovation actionCoordinador
2333 ZA Leiden
Países Bajos