Uni of Warwick study increases hope of existing drugs treating COVID
Researchers have been looking into how the virus hooks onto a human cell
A new study into coronavirus spike proteins could help scientists identify existing drugs which may be effective against the disease, it is claimed.
Researchers used computer modelling to simulate movements in the 287 protein structures for Covid-19 and saw the detailed movement of opening'' where the virus spike hooks onto a cell.
The research team suggests if a molecule can be found to block that process, pharmaceutical scientists will be able to propose existing drugs which could be effective against Covid-19.
Lead author Professor Rudolf Roemer from the Department of Physics at the University of Warwick, said: Knowing how this mechanism works is one way in which you can stop the virus, and in our study we are the first to see the detailed movement of opening.
Now that you know what the range of this movement is, you can figure out what can block it.''
Their paper, published in Scientific Reports, looks at how the team modelled the dynamics of the nearly 300 protein structures for Covid-19 identified at the time of the research.
Researchers said their method - recreating the protein structure and simulating how it would move - has been proven effective dealing with large proteins such as those found on the spikes of coronavirus.
The data will be made publicly accessible to allow others to investigate potential treatments.