Document Type
Conference Paper/Presentation
Conference
Presented at the Annual Biomedical Research Conference for Minority Students (ABRCMS)
Publication Date
4-26-2022
Advisor(s)
Dr. John Thurmond; Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy
Disciplines
Chemicals and Drugs
Abstract
Since the novel SARS-CoV-2 was first identified in late 2019, numerous waves of the virus have hit communities around the world, affecting public health, mental
health, economies, and more. While public health guidelines are in place and vaccines are available, an oral antiviral is still needed. Vaccines and guidelines help
to prevent the contraction of the virus, however these measures are not 100% effective. An oral antiviral would inhibit the replication of the virus after
contraction, therefore complementing the current measures against the coronavirus. Further, oral antivirals are easier to distribute than vaccines, making
effective COVID-19 treatments available to more people. While the usual development of a drug takes several years, the timeline has been greatly condensed
during the pandemic to allow for a safe and effective therapy for COVID-19 to be discovered as soon as possible. To help accelerate this timeline, the COVID
Moonshot project was created by PostEra. COVID Moonshot openly provided X-ray examination of the SARS-CoV-2 Main Protease (Mpro) and starting fragments.
Scientists from around the world can use this information to develop molecules to submit for further analysis and possible synthesis. This research project aimed
to collaborate with the COVID Moonshot initiative to design potential antivirals against the SARS-CoV-2 Mpro, using fragment-based drug discovery to generate
poses from a starting fragment, ADME programs to analyze bioavailability, and synthesis.
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Recommended Citation
Johnson, H.
(2022).
Fragment-based drug discovery and synthesis of SARS-CoV-2 therapeutics.
Retrieved from: https://digitalcommons.imsa.edu/student_pr/102