Ponente
Descripción
SARS-CoV-2, the causative agent of COVID-19, has become a global pandemic with severe economic and health impacts. This novel coronavirus initiates viral infection by binding the RBD of surface protein to the cellular receptor ACE-2. Contacts occurring at this binding interface are essential for viral entry into the cell [1], therefore blocking this interaction has become a promising strategy for the treatment of COVID-19. Using a de novo design approach for the creation of a peptide database [2] and by a motif graft methodology [3], 31- and 32-residue miniproteins with potential affinity for RBD were created. The designed miniproteins showed promising binding energy values for RBD as potential inhibitors of the ACE-2/RBD complex interaction. Of the designs, 14 showed a higher binding energy to RBD than the native ACE-2/RBD complex. In addition, the database provided a library of scaffolds as a starting point for creating peptides that block protein-protein interactions. These results highlight the pharmacological potential of antiviral peptide-based therapies as a new alternative with advantages over existing neutralizing antibodies and small molecules.
