One of the reasons viruses are near impossible to combat is the fact that not only do they vary in many ways but they mutate often. Deadly viruses such as HIV are able to resist so much of what is thrown at them because of their mutating abilities. Despite the mercurial nature of viruses a group of researchers from UCLA and other universities may have found an effective way to combat them.
The compound the researchers have discovered is a rhodanine derivative that the researchers have dubbed LJ001. It is classified as a “small molecule broad spectrum antiviral”, meaning that it fights viruses by attacking them through a common feature that viruses share. LJ001 works by binding to both cellular and viral membranes and inactivating them. However LJ001 is not harmful because of the natural regenerative qualities of metabolically active cells which are able to repair the damage unlike the virus cell. Therefore the compound is able to attack viruses without serious damage to the rest of an organisms’ cells. Researchers have seen the effectiveness of LJ001 on various virus strains however the exact mechanism if viral membrane inactivation is still unknown
One of the reasons for excitement over LJ001 is the fact that the FDA has approved few broad spectrum antivvirals, and the ones that have generally less effective and very costly. Studies have shown that LJ001 has the potential to be effective against a wide range of viruses HIV-1, influenza A, filoviruses, poxviruses, arenaviruses, bunyaviruses, paramyxoviruses and flaviviruses. These viruses are the cause of some of world’s deadliest diseases such as, Nipah virus encephalitis, Ebola, hemorrhagic fever and Rift Valley fever. Since it is a broad spectrum antiviral, LJ001 may even have the properties to be effective against viruses that have yet to be discovered.
Rivero, Enrique. "Researchers find 'broad spectrum' antiviral that fights multitude of viruses."www.eurekalert.org. 01/02/2010. Eurekalert, Web. 2 Feb 2010.
-Jukie & Cyrus
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