Science and Technology Daily, Beijing, November 17 (Reporter Zhang Mengran) Scientists at the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom have used synthetic biology to create artificial enzymes that are programmed to target the genetic code of the new coronavirus and destroy the virus. This method can be used to develop new A generation of antiviral drugs.
The study published in the journal Nature Communications on the 16th reported how the research team successfully "killed" live new coronaviruses using this technology.
A 2014 study found that the artificial genetic material XNA - a synthetic chemical alternative to RNA and DNA not found in nature - could be used to create the world's first fully artificial enzyme, XNAzyme.
XNAzyme has been carefully designed to be more stable and efficient in cells.
These artificial enzymes cut long, complex RNA molecules so precisely that if the target sequence differs by just one nucleotide, they will recognize not to cut it.
This means they can be programmed to attack mutated RNAs associated with cancer or other diseases, leaving normal RNA molecules undisturbed.
In short, XNAzymes are molecular scissors that recognize specific sequences in RNA and then chop them up.
While these artificial enzymes can be programmed to recognize specific RNA sequences, the catalytic core of the XNAzyme, the machinery that operates the "scissors," remains unchanged.
Scientists know that the new coronavirus has the ability to evolve and change its genetic code, which is the source of its new variants, against which vaccines are less effective.
In order to solve this problem, the researchers not only targeted the region with low mutation frequency in the viral RNA, but also designed three XNAzymes to self-assemble into "nanostructures" that cut different parts of the viral genome.
The new study targeted multiple sequences, so for the virus to evade treatment, it would have to mutate at several sites at once.
In principle, many XNAzymes can also be combined to create "cocktails".
And even if there are new variants that can bypass the "cocktail," because the catalytic core is already there, new enzymes can be made quickly to stay ahead.
The next step for the research team is to create more specific and powerful XNAzymes, allowing them to stay longer in the body and act as more effective catalysts in smaller doses.
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You can think of the XNAzyme as a pair of scissors whose overall design remains the same, but which can constantly change the blade or handle depending on the material to be cut.
It also means that scientists will need to create new XNAzymes in far less time than it usually takes to develop antiviral drugs.
At the same time, XNAzyme can also be used as a new crown drug, such as protecting people who have been exposed to the new crown virus from infection, or directly treating the infected person to remove the virus from their body. patients, this approach may be especially important.