Scientists from the University of Alberta in Canada have found that GC376, which has been used to treat coronavirus infection and viral peritonitis in cats, can inhibit the multiplication of the SARS-CoV-2 virus in the human body.
The research article was published in the European Journal of Medicinal Chemistry. It was found that GC376 effectively inhibits the Mpro protease. This is an enzyme of the SARS-CoV-2 virus that breaks down the protein chains of the pathogen. It is necessary for its reproduction.
To find viral inhibitors, specialists used a Canadian Light Source (CLS) synchrotron radiation source. With its help, they studied the interaction of a drug molecule with a protease at the structural level.
Earlier, scientists talked about a two-fold increase in the lethal outcome of a strain of coronavirus. This is the “Iota” variant, which increases the case fatality rate by 46-82% when infected with COVID-19.
Thus, the scientists found that the transmission rate of the strain is 15-25% higher than that of previously identified ones. At the same time, the Iota strain was identified in New York in November last year. The virus spread to all states of America and was subsequently reported in 27 countries around the world.
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