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March 20, 2020 A weapon capable of blocking the 'engine' of the sarscov2 virus has been found: it is called '13B' and is a molecule that binds and inhibits the protease enzyme used by the virus to replicate in infected cells. This is considered the main target to target the virus and its 3D structure, finally revealed thanks to the X-rays of the Bessy synchrotron in Berlin, will help develop new drugs, as indicated by the study published in 'Science' by an international group led by university of Luebeck, Germany.

Tested in a test tube on human lung cells affected by coronavirus, the 13B molecule immediately went into action. Tested on mice, it has proven to be non-toxic and can be administered by inhalation, depositing after 24 hours in the lungs, which are the organs most affected by the infection.

"Now our inhibitor must be transformed into a drug: to do this we will need the support of a pharmaceutical company, to have the resources to finance the clinical trial," says study coordinator Rolf Hilgenfeld, confident of being able to obtain the support of the consortium of companies and research bodies put together by the European Commission to deal with the emergency. "For sure - the expert specifies - it will take years before our inhibitor becomes an anti-coronavirus drug. If all goes well, the product will still be available for this epidemic".

The effort made so far with the 13B molecule is in any case an important proof of principle: now it becomes easier to design new drugs against Covid-19, because finally we know the 3D structure of its protease considered the main target to hit. To photograph it in high definition, the researchers used the powerful x-rays of the Bessy synchrotron in Berlin, immediately made available with special procedures as the health emergency progressed.