Periodic Reporting for period 1 - MeTIC (Methyltransferase inhibitors for treatment of COVID19)
Berichtszeitraum: 2022-06-01 bis 2023-11-30
Despite the remarkable diversity of viruses that cause human diseases, spanning 26 distinct evolutionary families, the host's innate immune responses exhibit a striking ability to mount effective antiviral defenses against each of them. It is particularly noteworthy that many of these act through modulation of cellular metabolic processes. However, our comprehension of the metabolic constraints governing virus infections remains exceedingly sparse. Specifically, we lack knowledge regarding the metabolites essential for facilitating virus replication and their potential depletion as a limiting factor.
Project METIC evaluated antiviral strategies centered on broad-spectrum inhibition of viral methyltransferases both in terms of technical feasibility as well as provided fundamental supporting evidence for intellectual property protection. These are collectively required to further the preclinical pursuit of these antivirals and facilitate their potential clinical exploration.