Mapping vulnerabilities in the SARS-CoV-2 genome, made of RNA, reveals a path to fighting more than COVID-19
In a quest to develop new antiviral drugs for COVID-19 and other diseases, a collaboration led by scientists at The Wertheim UF Scripps Institute has identified a potential new drug against the virus that causes COVID-19.
In the process, the team devised a powerful new platform for finding medicines to fight many types of infectious diseases.
Writing in the Journal of the American Chemical Society in an article published online on Monday, oct. 6, 2025, the scientists said they began by seeking “druggable pockets” in the stable structures of viral genetic material. Like keyholes, these pockets offer promising spaces to intervene with a precise medication. The team then used systematic chemistry, computational and robotic drug discovery methods to find and perfect compounds able to function like the keys.
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