Header Image

IIT Roorkee researchers invent three antiviral molecules to treat COVID-19

IIT Roorkee researchers invent three antiviral molecules to treat COVID-19

Last Updated Nov - 08 - 2022, 10:41 AM | Source : PTI

Through medication repurposing, computational, and antiviral experimental tests, the researchers discovered three such antiviral compounds.
IIT Roorkee researchers invent three antiviral molecules to treat COVID-19.
IIT Roorkee researchers invent three antiviral molecules to treat COVID-19.

Researchers from IIT-Roorkee have identified anti-viral compounds that can be used effectively to treat the Covid-19 infection. Through medication repurposing, computational, and antiviral experimental tests, the researchers discovered three such antiviral compounds. The Covid-19 pandemic spurred both computational and experimental studies all over the world to understand the structure and nature of SARS-COV-2 viral proteins and develop vaccines and cures for it, they said.

READ | Delhi Pollution Updates: Primary schools to reopen on Wednesday

These studies have resulted in the availability of a "protein data bank", which is a repository of structures of proteins and viruses. This data bank is used by researchers globally for drug discovery.

"Such research into the SARS-CoV-2 virus is critical not only to deal with the Covid-19 pandemic but also to prepare for any new variants and future pandemics as well. This research can provide valuable inputs to the scientific community to understand such viruses and develop vaccines," Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Roorkee Director KK Pant said.

READ | Kashi-Tamil Samagam: Dharmendra Pradhan states all languages is given importance in NEP 2020

The team focused on discovering molecules that acted on a specific part of the viral proteins called the nucleotide-binding pockets (NBP)," she said.

Pant said that as the name suggests, "the NBP binds to the nucleotides -- the building blocks of RNA and DNA -- and helps in the replication of the virus". "NBP-targeting drugs are known and used for viral diseases such as HIV, Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, and Herpes, among others," she said.

The research has been published in the reputed, peer-reviewed journal Virology. The team is executing protein structure-based drug-repurposing research on SARS-CoV2 molecules for clinical evaluation and eventual use as antiviral therapeutics.

READ | Warning for Ph.D students: UGC releases important notice against misleading ads

Shailly Tomar of the Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering at IIT-Roorkee said that "given the success of NBP-targeting antivirals in other diseases, we attempted to repurpose pharmacologically-active compounds that bind to the NBPs of six SARS-CoV-2 proteins".

Share :

Trending this week

CBSE 10th, 12th Result 2025: Results Likely Soon, DigiLocker Advises Students to Activate Their IDs

May - 07 - 2025

This is a major update for the 42 lakh students waiting for the CBSE board results. The notification from DigiLocker ... Read More

CUET UG Exam 2025: CUET UG Exam Postponed?

May - 06 - 2025

The CUET UG 2025 exam, which was scheduled to begin on May 8, is now likely to be delayed. So far, neither the admit card nor the complete exam sch... Read More