Descripción del proyecto
Desarrollo de un fármaco universal para combatir la coinfección vírica en el sistema nervioso
El zika, el dengue, el chikungunya, el VIH y el sarampión se cobran miles de vidas cada año. Estas infecciones víricas del sistema nervioso central causan deterioro neurológico. Los virus del Zika, dengue y chikungunya se transmiten principalmente por mosquitos del género «Aedes». El virus del Zika puede atravesar la barrera hematoplacentaria y, seguidamente, la barrera hematoencefálica en desarrollo del feto, lo que provoca microcefalia y trastornos neurológicos en los neonatos. Las estrategias actuales de desarrollo de fármacos pasan totalmente por alto la realidad de la coinfección de estos virus. El proyecto financiado con fondos europeos NOVIRUSES2BRAIN identificará y seleccionará candidatos a fármacos universales que atraviesen las barreras hematoplacentaria y hematoencefálica para actuar de manera específica contra estos virus, incluso durante el embarazo. Este proyecto tiene un alcance internacional e incluye a expertos en química médica, bioquímica, virología y desarrollo de fármacos. El objetivo de NOVIRUSES2BRAIN es crear un fármaco que elimine simultáneamente todas las especies víricas del encéfalo.
Objetivo
Viruses that infect the brain and other parts of the central nervous system are a worldwide threat of terrible dimensions. Viruses such as Zika, Dengue, Chikungunya, HIV or measles, for instance, and more recently the Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) are responsible for thousands of victims severely impaired at neurological level each year in the world. One of the most recent large scale threats in this domain was a Zika virus outbreak in South America. Zika virus, like Dengue virus or Chikungunya virus, is spread mainly by mosquitos of the genus Aedes. While Dengue and Chikungunya viruses, as many others, might causes diseases with severe neurological disorders, Zika virus is much more dreadful in this regard. When a pregnant woman is infected, the virus is able to translocate the blood-placental barrier and then the developing blood-brain barrier of the foetus, causing microcephaly and serious neurological disorders to newly born babies.
Although co-infections with Aedes-borne viruses, such as the above mentioned Zika, Dengue and Chikungunya viruses, are likely because several viral species coexist in the same vector, the classical drug development strategies completely overlook this striking reality. Moreover, additional co-infections with HIV, SARS-CoV-2 and measles virus, using other routes of infection, are also possible. A drug able to target a very large spectrum of viral species is urgently needed.
Importantly, this drug must be able to traverse the blood-brain barrier and reach the viruses accumulated in the brain.
NOVIRUSES2BRAIN is a project that aims at finding and selecting drug leads that are both efficacious and able to translocate the blood-placental and blood-brain barriers so that Zika, Dengue, Chikungunya and other viruses, such as the recently discovered SARS-CoV-2 can be targeted across barriers, including during pregnancy. The project gathers the expertise of medicinal chemists, biochemists, drug development specialists and virologists to create drug leads able to clear all viral species from brain simultaneously.
Ámbito científico
- medical and health sciencesbasic medicinepharmacology and pharmacydrug discovery
- natural sciencesbiological sciencesmicrobiologyvirology
- medical and health scienceshealth sciencesinfectious diseasesRNA virusesHIV
- medical and health scienceshealth sciencesinfectious diseasesRNA virusescoronaviruses
- medical and health sciencesbasic medicineneurology
Palabras clave
Programa(s)
Convocatoria de propuestas
Consulte otros proyectos de esta convocatoriaConvocatoria de subcontratación
H2020-FETOPEN-2018-2019-2020-01
Régimen de financiación
RIA - Research and Innovation actionCoordinador
1649 028 Lisboa
Portugal