Methyltransferase inhibitors for treatment of COVID19

Informations projet

MeTIC

N° de convention de subvention: 101069369

DOI

10.3030/101069369

Projet clôturé

Date de signature de la CE 25 Mai 2022

Date de début 1 Juin 2022

Date de fin 30 Novembre 2023

Financé au titre de

• European Research Council (ERC)

Coût total

Aucune donnée

Contribution de l’UE

€ 150 000,00

Coordonné par

TECHNISCHE UNIVERSITAET MUENCHEN
Germany

Periodic Reporting for period 1 - MeTIC (Methyltransferase inhibitors for treatment of COVID19)

Période du rapport: 2022-06-01 au 2023-11-30

Résumé du contexte et des objectifs généraux du projet

Recent pandemics and outbreaks, such as 2009 Influenza A, 2016 Zika, COVID-19 and 2022/3 Monkeypox, highlight the requirement for expansion of the clinical toolbox for monitoring and treating viral infectious diseases in addition to vaccines. Against this backdrop, our persistent inability to develop effective treatments for virus infections remains a glaring gap of clinical medicine. This deficiency not only hinders our ability to provide care to patients afflicted by viral diseases, but also exposes a critical vulnerability in our capacity to prepare and respond effectively to the existing and emerging viral threats.
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.

Travail effectué depuis le début du projet jusqu’à la fin de la période considérée dans le rapport et principaux résultats atteints jusqu’à présent

Project METIC evaluated viral methyltransferase inhibitors in state of the art in vivo and primary cell infection models, both in terms of efficacy as well as in terms of beneficial or detrimental collateral activities. We explored additional routes of administration and as proof of concept validated the efficacy of an alternative formulation in vitro. Due to ongoing patenting process, specifics of the performed work can not be made publically available at this time.

Progrès au-delà de l’état des connaissances et impact potentiel prévu (y compris l’impact socio-économique et les conséquences sociétales plus larges du projet jusqu’à présent)

Mechanistic investigations of antiviral strategies involving inhibition of viral methyltransferases undertaken as part of the project METIC allowed us to further their preclinical pursuit.