Tests with different molecules.
Imagine a world where the flu would no longer be a threat, researchers at Scripps Research and Albert Einstein College of Medicine are working on precisely that, developing a super-effective molecule that can prevent the influenza A virus from entering our body.
Scientists have discovered drug-like molecules that can block any mutation of the virus in the first stage of infection, creating a true biological force field for long-term immunity, currently our main defense against the flu is the vaccine which does not guarantee total protection and needs to be constantly updated due to virus mutations, in addition, the immune response when fighting the disease can be problematic, especially for immunocompromised or elderly people.
The new approach
The researchers' new approach involves a drug-like inhibitor that attacks a protein on the surface of influenza A viruses, preventing them from establishing themselves in respiratory cells. This discovery builds on previous research that identified a molecule called F0045(S) capable of inhibiting the AH1N1 influenza virus, although to a limited extent.
Using the chemical structure of F0045(S) the scientists created new molecules that bind firmly to the virus, with SuFEx click chemistry, an innovative technique, the scientists adjusted the structure of the compound and created a library of molecules, two of them 4( r) and 6(r) showed significantly better bonding properties.
