Pharmacology of Chloroquine: Potential Mechanism of Action against Coronavirus
Arun HS Kumar1★★ Corresponding author
- 1Veterinary Biosciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin 4, IRELAND.
CORRESPONDENCE
Arun HS Kumar
Veterinary Biosciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin 4, IRELAND.
Received: 25-02-2020; Revised: 10-03-2020; Accepted: 20-03-2020.
Volume 6, Issue 1 · pp. 9–10 · PUBLISHED · DOI: 10.5530/bems.6.1.3
ABSTRACT
Background:Chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine are recently reported to be effective in treating SARS-CoV-2 illness. The pharmacological mechanisms of this clinical benefit are continued to be explored. Materials and Methods:Using molecular docking tools in this study the binding affinity of Chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine were tested against two key SARS-CoV-2 targets i.e., 1) surface glycoprotein (6VSB) involved in viral attachment and 2) main protease (6Y84) involved in viral replication. Results:Chloroquine and hydroxy- chloroquine showed very effective binding affinity against both the SARS-CoV-2 targets. While the binding affinity against main protease was higher, multiple binding sites were observed on the surface glycoprotein of SARS-CoV-2. Conclusion: Chloroquine and hydroxy- chloroquinehave the potential to prevent SARS-CoV-2 attachment, entry and replication by directly binding to SARS-CoV-2 surface glycoprotein and its main protease.
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Kumar, A. H. (). Pharmacology of Chloroquine: Potential Mechanism of Action against Coronavirus. Biology, Engineering, Medicine and Science Reports, 6(1), 9–10. https://doi.org/10.5530/bems.6.1.3