Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- The Institute of Chemical Biology and Fundamental Medicine of the SB RAS and the Institute of Scientific and Technical Cooperation and Application of the city of Linyi (Shandong province, Southeast China) intend to conduct research and jointly develop universal antiviral drugs. This is reported by the publication of the SB RAS "Science in Siberia".

“The Chinese partners are interested in the Russian development. Within the framework of our cooperation, it is assumed that joint laboratories will be created on the basis of our institute and on the territory of the PRC, as well as a joint venture for further research and, if successful, for conducting clinical trials. The plans are to use in the future the method of influencing the viral RNA as a basis for creating other drugs that are more specific to certain viruses,” said Vladimir Silnikov, head of the laboratory of organic synthesis of the ICBFM SB RAS.

Vladimir Silnikov noted that the ICBFM SB RAS has long been working on the creation of artificial ribonucleases - low molecular weight chemical compounds that could effectively cleave RNA. Experiments carried out on a number of RNA-containing viruses have demonstrated the effectiveness of these compounds. An additional advantage of these compounds is that when the virus dies, the structure of viral proteins is completely preserved, which contributes to the development of immunity by the body.

The chemical compound, which has already passed all the stages of preclinical tests under the code name "AS-1", was patented, but for several years it did not go beyond the walls of the laboratory of the Siberian Institute. Interest in "AS-1" reappeared against the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic.