ArticleCell discovery2022
RNA G-quadruplex formed in SARS-CoV-2 used for COVID-19 treatment in animal models.
Article in Cell discovery, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 48 papers.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
48 citing papers in PubMed, 99 citations in OpenAlex.
- Recent advances in functional studies of coronavirus NSP13 helicase and challenges in inhibitor development.Virulence · 2026Review
- An ATP-Driven N Protein-DDX21 Molecular Switch Dynamically Controls SARS-CoV-2 RNA G-Quadruplex Heterogeneity.Advanced science (Weinheim, Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany) · 2026Article
- SARS-CoV-2 Nsp13 helicase resolves G-quadruplexes and is inhibited by G4 ligands or an antiviral regulator: Implications for G4 anti-coronavirus therapies.The Journal of biological chemistry · 2026Article
- Targeting a genomic RNA G-quadruplex of dengue virus with small molecules as an alternative to protein-targeted therapeutics.Journal of biomedical science · 2026Article
- Telomeric repeat-containing RNA G-quadruplexes trigger ZBP1-mediated cell death.Nature communications · 2026Article
- In Search of the Most Significant Potential G-Quadruplexes in SARS-CoV-2 RNA: Genomic Analysis.Viruses · 2026Article
- Non-B DNA structures and their contributions to genetic diversity, aging, and disease.Nucleic acids research · 2026Review
- Paradoxical G-quadruplex distribution in coronavirus genomes reveals functional constraints and antiviral therapeutic opportunities.Virus research · 2026Article
- Exploring RNA G-quadruplex in the rabies virus genome and its potential against RABV infection.Chemical science · 2026Article
- RNA G-Quadruplexes in the Porcine Deltacoronavirus Genome: Structural Regulation and Therapeutic Targeting for Antiviral Strategies.Transboundary and emerging diseases · 2026Article
- Investigation of possible G-quadruplex formation by GU- and GA-rich repeats and their role in translation.RNA biology · 2025Article
- G4mer: An RNA language model for transcriptome-wide identification of G-quadruplexes and disease variants from population-scale genetic data.Nature communications · 2025Article
- RNA G-quadruplex structure targeting and imaging: recent advances and future directions.RNA (New York, N.Y.) · 2025Review
- Viral hijacking of host DDX60 promotes Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever virus replication via G-quadruplex unwinding.PLoS pathogens · 2025Article
- Screening of metallohelices for enantioselective targeting SARS-CoV-2 RNA G-quadruplex.Nucleic acids research · 2025Article
- Biomolecular condensates control and are defined by RNA-RNA interactions that arise in viral replication.Research square · 2025Article
- G-Quadruplexes in Tumor Immune Regulation: Molecular Mechanisms and Therapeutic Prospects in Gastrointestinal Cancers.Biomedicines · 2025Review
- Beyond the Pandemic Era: Recent Advances and Efficacy of SARS-CoV-2 Vaccines Against Emerging Variants of Concern.Vaccines · 2025Review
- Metallo-supramolecular complexes enantioselectively target monkeypox virus RNA G-quadruplex and bolster immune responses against MPXV.National science review · 2025Article
- The interaction of RNA G-quadruplexes from the influenza A virus vRNA with TMPyP4 and BRACO-19 ligands.PloS one · 2025Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
12 authors at 4 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
Abstract
The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has continued to affect millions of lives worldwide, leading to the urgent need for novel therapeutic strategies. G-quadruplexes (G4s) have been demonstrated to regulate life cycle of multiple viruses. Here, we identify several highly conservative and stable G4s in SARS-CoV-2 and clarify their dual-function of inhibition of the viral replication and translation processes. Furthermore, the cationic porphyrin compound 5,10,15,20-tetrakis-(N-methyl-4-pyridyl)porphine (TMPyP4) targeting SARS-CoV-2 G4s shows excellent antiviral activity, while its N-methyl-2-pyridyl positional isomer TMPyP2 with low affinity for G4 has no effects on SARS-CoV-2 infection, suggesting that the antiviral activity of TMPyP4 attributes to targeting SARS-CoV-2 G4s. In the Syrian hamster and transgenic mouse models of SARS-CoV-2 infection, administration of TMPyP4 at nontoxic doses significantly suppresses SARS-CoV-2 infection, resulting in reduced viral loads and lung lesions. Worth to note, the anti-COVID-19 activity of TMPyP4 is more potent than remdesivir evidenced by both in vitro and in vivo studies. Our findings highlight SARS-CoV-2 G4s as a novel druggable target and the compelling potential of TMPyP4 for COVID-19 therapy. Different from the existing anti-SARS-CoV-2 therapeutic strategies, our work provides another alternative therapeutic tactic for SARS-CoV-2 infection focusing on targeting the secondary structures within SARS-CoV-2 genome, and would open a new avenue for design and synthesis of drug candidates with high selectivity toward the new targets.
Identifiers
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.