Scientists from the University of Alberta in Canada found out that the substance GC376, which was used to treat coronavirus infection and viral peritonitis in cats, can slow down the reproduction of the SARS-CoV-2 virus in the human body.
An article about the study was published in the European Journal of Medicinal Chemistry. It was found that GC376 effectively suppresses 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 the Canadian Light Source (CLS) synchrotron radiation source. With its help, they studied the interaction of the drug molecule with the protease at the structural level.
Earlier, scientists told about a coronavirus strain that increases the lethal outcome twice. This is the “Iota” option, which increases the mortality rate for COVID-19 infection by 46-82%.
Thus, the scientists found out that the rate of transmission of the strain is 15-25% higher than that of the previously identified ones. At the same time, the “Iota” strain was detected in New York in November last year. The virus spread to all states of America and was subsequently registered in 27 countries around the world.
