UMBC Researchers Identify Key Mechanism in Enterovirus Replication, Paving Way for New Antiviral Drugs
Researchers at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC) have made a significant discovery regarding how enteroviruses, which include pathogens responsible for polio and the common cold, replicate within human cells. The study, published in Nature Communications, was led by Deepak Koirala and Naba Krishna Das. It reveals that these viruses use a specific RNA structure to recruit proteins necessary for replication. The research highlights the role of a fusion protein, 3CD, which is crucial for the virus to multiply. The 3C portion of this protein cuts amino acid chains into necessary proteins, while the 3D portion acts as an RNA polymerase, copying the viral RNA. This discovery could lead to the development of broad-spectrum antiviral drugs targeting multiple enteroviruses.