Congratulations to Nadia Rabah for this funding

Viral MACRO domains as a target for antiviral drug development against emerging RNA viruses

Encadrant principal (contact): Nadia Rabah (nadia.rabah@univ-amu.fr )       

Encadrant secondaire: Isabelle Krimm (isabelle.krimm@cbs.cnrs.fr)

Emerging infections caused by positive-sense RNA viruses pose a significant threat to public health, as demonstrated by recent pandemics such as those caused by coronaviruses and the chikungunya virus. This threat is further exacerbated by global warming, urbanization, and increased international travel. The lack of specific treatments, combined with the unavailability or lengthy adaptation periods required for vaccine development and adjustement, underscores the urgent need to identify new targets for antiviral drug discovery. RNA viruses share several common features: their genomes encode “non-structural” proteins that are essential for viral replication and evasion of the host’s innate immune system. Among these, a protein module known as the macrodomain plays a crucial role by suppressing ADP-ribosylation, a key post-translational modification. This project aims to conduct a comprehensive structural and functional characterization of viral macrodomains, particularly those from coronaviruses and alphaviruses, with the ultimate goal of designing Panviral drugs.