Coronavirus: TCS Uses AI For Drug Discovery

The researchers have identified 31 candidate molecules to target the main protease which helps the virus replicate

- Shubashree Desikan

Scientists from TCS Innovation Labs in Hyderabad are harnessing the power of artificial intelligence (AI) to identify new molecules which might have the potential to target specific parts of the novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2). Using new methods, they have identified 31 candidate small molecules, which may serve as inhibitors of the chymotrypsin-like protease, one of the key drug targets in the fight against COVID-19.

The results have been posted in a preprint repository ChemRxiv. Preprints are yet to be peer-reviewed and published in scientific journals.

Target proteins

The genome of the novel coronavirus codes for several proteins that have crucial roles in entry of the virus into the host cell, its replication, assembly and host-pathogen interactions. Some of these proteins that help the virus perform its functions are common targets for drug developers. Among these drug targets are the spike protein, which helps the virus attach itself to the host cell and enter it, and viral proteases which help it replicate.