Signal UQ researchers identify NMT1 pathway as common target for broad-spectrum antiviral therapy

Summary

Researchers at the University of Queensland in Australia identified a lead for a new antiviral treatment approach that could help block deadly viral infections including COVID-19 and Ebola. The team pinpointed a human enzyme pathway called NMT1 that numerous human viruses commonly depend on for cell-to-cell spread. They found that a specific compound currently in clinical trials as a cancer treatment effectively suppresses this pathway. The compound was shown to block normal viral replication and assembly by inhibiting NMT1. Because the approach targets a host-cell pathway rather than a specific virus, it raises the prospect of a broad-spectrum antiviral applicable across multiple pathogens, and represents a case of potential drug repurposing from oncology to virology.