Researchers at the University of Queensland and the University of Helsinki have found a possible new way to interfere with how several viruses reproduce. The idea began when UQ researcher Merja Joensuu noticed a cell process that viruses use to move from one cell to another.
The team focused on a human enzyme called N-myristoyltransferase 1, or NMT1. In cell-culture experiments, a drug that affects this pathway caused new virus particles to be assembled incorrectly.
In the experiments, infection levels fell by about half after one day and by up to 90 percent after two days for the viruses tested, including SARS-CoV-2 and respiratory syncytial virus. The researchers say the same approach may be worth studying for viruses such as Ebola and hantavirus.
This is an early research finding, not an approved treatment. The drug was being tested for cancer, and the researchers say further studies are needed to check whether it is safe and effective as an antiviral.
