Diamond Light Source: contributions to SARS-CoV-2 biology and therapeutics

DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2020.11.041

Authors: Martin A. Walsh (Diamond Light Source; Research Complex at Harwell) , Jonathan M. Grimes (Diamond Light Source; The Wellcome Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford) , David I. Stuart (Diamond Light Source; he Wellcome Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford; Instruct-ERIC)
Co-authored by industrial partner: No

Type: Journal Paper
Journal: Biochemical And Biophysical Research Communications

State: Published (Approved)
Published: November 2020

Abstract: The impact of COVID-19 on public health and the global economy has led to an unprecedented research response, with a major emphasis on the development of safe vaccines and drugs. However, effective, safe treatments typically take over a decade to develop and there are still no clinically approved therapies to treat highly pathogenic coronaviruses. Repurposing of known drugs can speed up development and this strategy, along with the use of biologicals (notably monoclonal antibody therapy) and vaccine development programmes remain the principal routes to dealing with the immediate impact of COVID-19. Nevertheless, the development of broadly-effective highly potent antivirals should be a major longer term goal. Structural biology has been applied with enormous effect, with key proteins structurally characterised only weeks after the SARS-CoV-2 sequence was released. Open-access to advanced infrastructure for structural biology techniques at synchrotrons and high-end cryo-EM and NMR centres has brought these technologies centre-stage in drug discovery. We summarise the role of Diamond Light Source in responses to the pandemic and note the impact of the immediate release of results in fuelling an open-science approach to early-stage drug discovery.

Journal Keywords: SARS-CoV-2; COVID-19; Crystallography; Structural biology; Fragment based drug discovery; Cryo-electron microscopy; Drug repurposing; Structure-based drug design; Antibody structure

Diamond Keywords: COVID-19; Viruses

Subject Areas: Biology and Bio-materials, Chemistry, Medicine


Technical Areas:

Added On: 24/11/2020 09:29

Documents:
1-s2.0-S0006291X20320854-main.pdf

Discipline Tags:

Vaccines Pathogens Infectious Diseases Health & Wellbeing Biochemistry Chemistry Structural biology Drug Discovery Life Sciences & Biotech

Technical Tags: