Broad-Spectrum Antivirals of Coronaviruses Replication

Dear Colleagues,

In light of the emergence of SARS-CoV-2 and, consequently, the COVID-19 pandemic, the scientific world has been unified and relentless in its fight against the disease. This has been illustrated by the unprecedented speed at which vaccinations have been developed and approved. Prophylaxis alone, however, does not spell the end of a pandemic. Now, more than ever, it is imperative that we continue our remarkable progress by developing safe, accessible, and cost-effective methods for treating SARS-CoV-2 infections. Sadly, the countless lives lost to the disease have underlined the glaring lack of tried-and-true treatment options easily available today. Biologics, such as specific commercial antibody cocktails, are largely efficacious, but their accessibility is severely restricted by their costs of production.

The main stages of the SARS-CoV-2 lifecycle comprise the S-protein docking to host receptors, viral entry, gene translation/replication, virion packaging, and shedding. These stages are mirrored and mechanistically conserved in other highly virulent coronaviruses such as SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV. Each of these stages can be therapeutically targeted, and by building upon the already existing knowledge of coronaviruses, drugs can be developed and/or repurposed for the treatment of SARS-CoV-2 and other coronaviruses alike, past, present, or future.

In this Special Issue, we invite researchers around the globe to submit their work on broad-spectrum coronavirus inhibitors. These may comprise directly acting antivirals (S-protein blockers, viral polymerase/protease inhibitors, etc.) or drugs targeting host proteins and pathways relevant to the viral lifecycle. Naturally, such drugs’ effects could extend beyond mildly and highly virulent coronaviruses into other virus families, lending them further value. All manner of work on these topics is welcomed, from proof-of-principle studies to clinical trial data, as well as expert reviews on the topic.

Dr. Albrecht von Brunn
Guest Editor

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