Objective The last two years, profoundly marked by the COVID-19 sanitary crisis, have demonstrated the difficulties to answer adequately to the emergence of novel pathogenic viruses. Today, no broad-spectrum antiviral exists similar to antibiotics targeting bacteria. Repositioning of existing molecules had limited success despite intense initial hopes. Vaccines have played a major role in fighting the pandemic and limiting the impact of the virus, however it remains insufficient to end the pandemic, due to many factors including their worldwide uneven accessibility, their intrinsic efficiency towards different variants and the complex socio-political context related to mass vaccination. There is therefore an urgent need of novel approaches to design molecules targeting viruses and in particular SARS-CoV-2. To answer this challenge, we propose a novel strategy derived from fundamental research on small interfering RNA (siRNA). This project derives from the ERC Starting Grant PARAMIR, in which novel structural biology approaches are proposed to understand the mechanism of recognition of a similar class of RNA involved in numerous diseases, especially cancer. Our approach combines the latest advances in SARS-CoV-2 virology and structural biology to propose efficient and specific molecules active towards a broad range of SARS-CoV-2 current and future variants. If successful the project will lead to a class of siRNA, with optimized specificity and stability, validated in vitro and ex-vivo in a reconstituted human airway epithelial model, and ready for testing towards pre-clinical and clinical stage. Finally, the strategy proposed here will be on a longer term applicable to multiple other pathogenic viruses. Fields of science natural sciencesbiological sciencesmicrobiologyvirologymedical and health scienceshealth sciencespublic healthepidemiologypandemicsmedical and health scienceshealth sciencesinfectious diseasesRNA virusescoronavirusesmedical and health sciencesbasic medicinepharmacology and pharmacypharmaceutical drugsvaccinesnatural sciencesbiological sciencesmolecular biologystructural biology Programme(s) HORIZON.1.1 - European Research Council (ERC) Main Programme Topic(s) ERC-2022-POC2 - ERC PROOF OF CONCEPT GRANTS2 Call for proposal ERC-2022-POC2 See other projects for this call Funding Scheme HORIZON-AG-LS - HORIZON Lump Sum Grant Coordinator CENTRE NATIONAL DE LA RECHERCHE SCIENTIFIQUE CNRS Net EU contribution € 150 000,00 Address Rue michel ange 3 75794 Paris France See on map Region Ile-de-France Ile-de-France Paris Activity type Research Organisations Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Website Opens in new window Participation in EU R&I programmes Opens in new window HORIZON collaboration network Opens in new window EU contribution No data
