Sex as a Biological Variable Supplement - Innovative therapeutic approaches for the 2019-novel coronavirus

The 2019-novel coronavirus (SARS CoV-2) is a major sanitary and economical threat to all countries. Development of effective antivirals is a major global priority especially early in the epidemic when vaccines are unavailable. This proposal aims at discovering and evaluating active compounds by rational design through 3D modeling of key viral proteins and also by analyzing cellular gene signatures induced by the virus. In-depth evaluation of selected compounds will include in vitro, ex vivo (human bronchial epithelium tissues) and in vivo (animal models) studies. These approaches, mostly based on drug repurposing (new indication for an existing drug), will result in rapid identification of anti-SARS CoV-2 compounds with accelerated clinical development.