Researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) in Roorkee - working to develop a cure for Chikungunya - have discovered the anti-viral properties of the drug piperazine, and determined the mechanism to combat the disease. The findings have been published in the 'Antiviral Research' journal by the Elsevier group. Chikungunya is an infectious viral disease which is transmitted to humans by mosquitoes infected with the virus. The research talks about the potential of piperazine as a pharmacotherapeutic agent, and how binding these molecules to the hydrophobic pocket of capsid protein, present in the Chikungunya virus, offers a new perspective for therapeutic intervention, thereby inhibiting the spread of the virus.
Chikungunya is an infectious viral disease which is transmitted to humans by mosquitoes infected with the virus. The research talks about the potential of piperazine as a pharmacotherapeutic agent, and how binding these molecules to the hydrophobic pocket of capsid protein, present in the Chikungunya virus, offers a new perspective for therapeutic intervention, thereby inhibiting the spread of the virus.
Dr Shailly Tomar of the Biotechnology department at the institute said, "Chikungunya is gradually becoming a major public health concern, with many affected by it every year. There is no vaccine or antiviral drug available in the market for the cure of chikungunya currently. The treatment focused on relieving the symptoms associated with the virus infection. Developing a new antiviral drug molecule can take over a decade and that is the reason why we are looking at re-positioning existing, approved drugs and testing these to see if they might inhibit or kill pathogenic viruses."
"Our research has showed that piperazine, a drug existing in the market, is successful in curbing the spread and replication of the Chikungunya virus in a lab setting. We are currently testing the molecule on animals hope to take this to clinical trials soon," said Tomar.
Piperazine is a drug commonly used in deworming treatments against roundworm and pinworm.Using X-ray crystallographic technique, in combination with computational biology and fluorescence techniques, the researchers found that piperazine binds itself well with the hydrophobic pocket on the alphavirus capsid protein.This pocket is the key to the replication of the virus and its spread inside a host. This inhibition of this pocket prevents budding and spread of the virus and can help in treating the virus effectively using existing drugs.
Chikungunya is an infectious viral disease which is transmitted to humans by mosquitoes infected with the virus. The research talks about the potential of piperazine as a pharmacotherapeutic agent, and how binding these molecules to the hydrophobic pocket of capsid protein, present in the Chikungunya virus, offers a new perspective for therapeutic intervention, thereby inhibiting the spread of the virus.
Dr Shailly Tomar of the Biotechnology department at the institute said, "Chikungunya is gradually becoming a major public health concern, with many affected by it every year. There is no vaccine or antiviral drug available in the market for the cure of chikungunya currently. The treatment focused on relieving the symptoms associated with the virus infection. Developing a new antiviral drug molecule can take over a decade and that is the reason why we are looking at re-positioning existing, approved drugs and testing these to see if they might inhibit or kill pathogenic viruses."
"Our research has showed that piperazine, a drug existing in the market, is successful in curbing the spread and replication of the Chikungunya virus in a lab setting. We are currently testing the molecule on animals hope to take this to clinical trials soon," said Tomar.
Piperazine is a drug commonly used in deworming treatments against roundworm and pinworm.Using X-ray crystallographic technique, in combination with computational biology and fluorescence techniques, the researchers found that piperazine binds itself well with the hydrophobic pocket on the alphavirus capsid protein.This pocket is the key to the replication of the virus and its spread inside a host. This inhibition of this pocket prevents budding and spread of the virus and can help in treating the virus effectively using existing drugs.