F. Robson, Khadija Shahed Khan, Thi Khanh Le, Clément Paris, Sinem Demirbag, Peter Barfuss, P. Rocchi, Wai-Lung Ng
Molecular Cell, 2020
Summary The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) that is wreaking havoc on global public health and economies has heightened awareness about the lack of effective antiviral treatments for human coronaviruses (CoVs). Many current antivirals, notably nucleoside analogues (NA), exert their effect by incorporation into viral genomes and subsequent disruption of viral replication and fidelity. The development of anti-CoV drugs has long been hindered by the capacity of CoVs to proofread and remove mismatched nucleotides during genome replication and transcription. Here, we review the molecular basis of the CoV proofreading complex and evaluate its potential as a drug target. We also consider existing nucleoside analogues and novel genomic techniques as potential anti-CoV therapeutics that could be used individually or in combination to target the proofreading mechanism.
Cited by 79 publications.
Field of study: Biology