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KATIE WILLIS
According to a new study by scientists from the University of Alberta, a promising new clbad of chemical compounds could treat the dangerous Zika virus and Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) .
is both a remarkable scientific discovery and also something that has the potential to positively affect not only global health but also the Canadian economy, " Fred West [19659005] Professor in the Department of Chemistry [19659005] who led the discovery with David Marchant, RSV researcher, Professor in the Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology .
West says the compound is similar to Isatisin A, an antiviral compound found in traditional Chinese herbal medicine.
Working in collaboration with cell biologist and expert Zika Tom Hobman at the Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry West and Marcha He then developed and tested the chemical compound against powerful viruses, including RSV and Zika. The results were promising, showing that he was active and effective against both viral infections.
The Zika virus, which is a mosquito-borne pathogen, began making headlines in May 2015 when it was identified as the culprit. prenatal defects that have devastated families across South America. In most cases, Zika infections cause flu-like symptoms that go away in less than a week. However, the 2015 epidemic in Brazil coincided with an increase of 2,700 per cent reported microcephaly cases, an often fatal conbad disease badociated with incomplete brain development in newborns.
the greatest risk for infants, the elderly and the immunocompromised. This virus is responsible for up to 30% of all respiratory cases hospitalized during a given year.
West says the next stage of drug development is already underway.
"What we are trying to do is refine this compound to retain the elements that make it medically active and integrate the structural elements that allow patients to consume in the form of medication," explained Mr. West. We are approaching this point. "
Marchant founded a company, Antibiddies Technologies Inc., which will license intellectual property and begin marketing it
The paper, Dual Catalytic Synthesis of Metallocarbene-based Antiviral Compounds -Azide Cascade Chemistry was published in Journal of Organic Chemistry .
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