- At the Institut Pasteur de Lille, Jean Dubuisson is piloting a study aimed at identifying molecules effective against the coronavirus.
- Research is focused on antiviral compounds with marketing authorization for the treatment of other pathologies.
- The researcher claims to have identified a dozen molecules which gave good results.
Anti-CoV is one of five development and testing projects for antiviral molecules to fight Covid-19. Within the Institut Pasteur de Lille, Doctor Jean Dubuisson, head of the “Molecular and cellular virology” team, is piloting a study aimed at identifying molecules effective against the coronavirus Sars-CoV-2. He explains the advances to 20 Minutes .
What is this study about?
We work with antiviral compounds, molecules, having had or having a marketing authorization for the treatment of pathologies other than respiratory viral infections. Thanks to a robotic system, we screen chemical libraries of these molecules to try to identify their effectiveness on Sars-CoV-2.
Concretely, how do these in vitro tests go?
They are done on respiratory cells taken from humans to represent the human respiratory system as much as possible. We put them in contact with the coronavirus and an antiviral molecule. The preparation is quite long because there are many parameters to respect for these tests to be reproducible.
What is the special interest?
These molecules having been put on the market, that avoids us to repeat all the phases of tests necessary for a new drug. For the moment, we have screened the chemistry library of Apteeus [a pharmaceutical research and development company] with which we collaborate. We still have to test approximately 1,500 molecules from other commercial libraries. In all, 2,800 molecules will have been screened.
With what results, for now?
All of these tests will be completed by the end of May. It is almost certain that we will find effective molecules against Covid-19. For the moment, we have identified ten that were giving good results. But to validate this research, it is necessary to go through tests on animals, because we are not immune to a side effect.
Is other research being done?
We had a research project on a vaccine, but it did not receive the necessary funding. However, our laboratories are also working on the identification of new molecules and the monitoring of patients. We are looking in particular at how the immune response sets up. We know that some animals are protected from re-infection. The blood serum of healed people can be a potential protection thanks to the antibodies produced. What we do not know is the duration of this protection. Mild coronaviruses cause a short duration of immunity. We start from this same hypothesis with the Sars-CoV-2, but that has not yet been verified.
How long have you been working on coronaviruses?
We started research in 2012 after the Mers epidemic. So we have a little experience but, before this crisis, we must admit that this research was not considered a priority.
What avenues remain to be explored?
The peculiarity of these viruses is that they are easily transmitted, so many can be infected. What we are trying to understand is why we react so differently to this disease. It can develop in two phases. The first phase is not very serious. Then after a week, the situation deteriorates very quickly with an inflammatory mechanism which becomes uncontrollable.
What is called the "cytokine storm"?
The cells of the immune system produce substances to defend the body. But instead of protecting it from infection, these substances work against it. Why do some patients, and not others, set up this far too strong inflammatory reaction? Research on the functioning of immunity is very important.
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