Researchers successfully target 'Achilles' heel' of MERS virus

Researchers have successfully identified the molecule responsible for ending the activity of a crucial enzyme in Middle East Respiratory Syndrome or MERS virus.

According to Professor Andrew Mesecar at Purdue University, who led the research, the virus affects people differently and could lead to severe respiratory distress for some people. The finding could lead the way to better treatments for those infected.

The virus, which emerged in 2012, is in the international spotlight again as South Korea faces the largest MERS outbreak outside the Middle East. More than 2,800 people have been quarantined during the outbreak. The World Health Organisation reported 27 deaths and 172 confirmed cases in its most recent update. To date, 25 countries have reported cases, according to the WHO.

A kinetic model outlines the behavior of MERS 3C-like protease in the presence and absence of molecules to bind to a target site. A Purdue University-led team found that at low concentrations an inhibitor activated the protease, but at higher concentrations it successfully blocked the activity of this essential viral enzyme. Image Credit: Purdue University image/courtesy of Mesecar Research Laboratory.

The team also discovered a characteristic of the enzyme that is very different from other coronaviruses, the family of viruses to which MERS-CoV belongs, Mesecar said. The team next plans to study the interaction of the inhibitor with a complete virus inside a cell and investigate other potential inhibitor molecules. They captured the protease's atomic structure through this work, which provides the map to design potent new drugs to fight MERS, said Mesecar.

The results have been published in the Journal of Biological Chemistry.