Update: Drug treatment options for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)

Chromone-embedded peptidomimetics and furopyrimidines as highly potent SARS-CoV-2 infection inhibitors: docking and MD simulation study

BACKGROUND

COVID-19 is a respiratory illness caused by SARS-CoV-2. Pharmaceutical companies aim to control virus spread through effective drugs. This study investigates chromone compound derivatives' ability to inhibit viral entry and prevent replication.

METHOD

This study investigated the inhibitory effect of chromone-embedded peptidomimetics and furopyrimidines on 7BZ5 from Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome CoV-2, Homo sapiens, and 6LU7 from Bat SARS-like CoV using molecular docking. The crystal structure of these proteins was obtained from the Protein Data Bank, and the inhibition site was determined using ligand binding interaction options. The 3D structure was protonated and energetically minimised using MOE software. Chromone derivatives were designed in three dimensions, and their energy was minimised using MOE 2019. The molecular drug-likeness was calculated using SwissADME, Lipinski and Benigni-Bossa's rule, and toxicity was calculated using Toxtree v3.1.0 software. Compounds with pharmacological properties were selected for molecular docking, and interactions were assessed using MOE 2019. MD simulations of Mpro-ch-p complexes were performed to evaluate root mean square fluctuations (RMSF) and measure protein stability.

RESULT

The pharmacokinetic tests revealed that chromone derivatives of the peptidomimetic family have acceptable pharmacokinetic activity in the human body. Some compounds, such as Ch-p1, Ch-p2, Ch-p6, Ch-p7, Ch-p12, and Ch-p13, have pronounced medicinal properties. Molecular docking revealed high affinity for binding to SARS-CoV-2 protease. Ch-p7 had the highest binding energy, likely due to its inhibitory property. A 10 ns molecular dynamics study confirmed the stability of the protein-ligand complex, resulting in minimal fluctuations in the system's backbone. The MM-GBSA analysis revealed free energies of binding of - 19.54 kcal/mol.

CONCLUSIONS

The study investigated the inhibition of viral replication using chromone derivatives, finding high inhibitory effects in the peptidomimetic family compared to other studies.

The Basic Reproduction Number and Delayed Action of T Cells for Patients Infected with SARS-CoV-2

COVID-19 has been prevalent for the last two years. The transmission capacity of SARS-CoV-2 differs under the influence of different epidemic prevention policies, making it difficult to measure the infectivity of the virus itself. In order to evaluate the infectivity of SARS-CoV-2 in patients with different diseases, we constructed a viral kinetic model by adding the effects of T cells and antibodies. To analyze and compare the delay time of T cell action in patients with different symptoms, we constructed a delay differential equation model. Through the first model, we found that the basic reproduction number of severe patients is greater than that of mild patients, and accordingly, we constructed classification criteria for severe and mild patients. Through the second model, we found that the delay time of T cell action in severe patients is much longer than that in mild patients, and accordingly, we present suggestions for the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of different patients.

Drug discovery to treat COVID-19 two years after its outbreak

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has had a significant impact on human health and economic development over the past two years. Therapeutics in combination with vaccines are critical measures to fight the pandemic. The three areas of drug development are blocking the entry of SARS-CoV-2 into cells, suppressing viral replication inside cells, and regulating the immune system, and important advances have recently been made in those areas. Increasing numbers of neutralizing antibodies and small molecules that show promise have been fully approved or authorized for emergency use, resulting in decreased mortality of patients with COVID-19. The use of therapeutics will have a great impact on formulating and revising public policies to control the pandemic. The pace of lifting of restrictions and economic recovery worldwide will also accelerate in the future. Here, the drugs or agents that have attracted considerable attention and that have led to remarkable progress in the fight against COVID-19 are reviewed.