The University of Oulu in Finland, in collaboration with the University of Kansas and McDaniel College in the United States, has developed a compound that effectively inhibits the replication of the virus behind COVID-19.
The study unveils a potential breakthrough in combating COVID-19 and potentially other coronavirus infections, said the University of Oulu in a press release published on Wednesday.
The compound named MDOLL-0229 targets a specific part of SARS-CoV-2’s protein, which allows the virus to evade the cell’s defense mechanisms and multiply in human cells.
Lari Lehtio, the main author of the research article and professor of protein and structural biology at the University of Oulu, has been doing pioneering work with his colleagues in protein research for 13 years.
In the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, the research team led by Lehtio began to develop compounds that inhibit the activity of the virus.
The study shows that the newly developed compound has the potential to protect against COVID-19 and other emerging coronaviruses.
However, the development of the actual medicine may still take years, as further development and clinical trials are time-consuming, said the university in the press release.
The study was recently published in the Journal of Medicinal Chemistry.
