The Samuel French laboratory in the UCLA Department of Cellular & Molecular Pathology is studying the impact of hepatitis C virus (HCV) on hepatocyte cell signaling that augments viral infection and promotes the development of hepatocellular carcinoma. Researchers primarily utilize a proteomic approach to identify pathways targeted by HCV to promote infection and lead to hepatocarcinogenesis. Identification and elucidation of novel pathways affected by HCV will allow biomarker development and non-toxic drug design to treat and prevent HCV and subsequent hepatocellular carcinoma. The novel coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, is similar to HCV in that it is an enveloped, positive-sense, single stranded RNA virus. Although SARS-CoV-2 and HCV have separate targets within the human body, proteomic approaches to understand HCV will be similarly valuable in the study of SARS-CoV-2. Therefore, research surrounding the pathology of HCV conducted by French lab may be applicable to the development of COVID-19 therapeutics and prevention strategies.
Current intellectual property owned by the Dr. French includes a patent for sulfonamide-based small molecule inhibitors of Zika virus. The small molecule inhibitors of Zika developed by the French laboratory are prophylactics or post-exposure prophylactics for the treatment of Zika virus infections that can be synthesized inexpensively in large scale. Zika belongs to the Flaviviridae virus family which are viruses transmitted by mosquitos or ticks. SARS-CoV-2 is a coronavirus that is believed to be transmitted through direct contact or respiratory droplets of infected patients. Despite differences in their modes of transmission, Zika inhibitors may be excellent leads for the development of prospective anti-RNA virus drugs, including SARS-CoV-2.
Link to Faculty website: https://bioscience.ucla.edu/faculty/samuel-french
Link to relevant cases:
1) 2018-146 https://techtransfer.universityofcalifornia.edu/NCD/29055.html
2) The heat shock protein inhibitor Quercetin attenuates hepatitis C virus production. Hepatology (2009).