Going Antiviral

Traditionally, the emphasis has been on antivirals that zero in on a virus itself. “The problem is that a virus doesn’t like to be targeted,” says Dr. Gack, the Arthur and Marylin Levitt Endowed Chair and Scientific Director at Cleveland Clinic’s Florida Research & Innovation Center in Port St. Lucie. “A virus will mutate. And if a new virus comes along, a new antiviral will need to be developed, which requires a huge amount of time, money and effort.”

With philanthropic support as well as a highly competitive Director’s Pioneer Award from the National Institutes of Health, Dr. Gack is leading a trailblazing effort to develop “broad-spectrum” antivirals effective against a range of diseases, which could thwart future pandemics. Researchers are studying multiple viruses, including SARS-CoV-2 (the culprit behind COVID-19) and the viral pathogens responsible for influenza and mosquito-borne diseases such as dengue and Zika. The objective is to determine if infection can be treated or even prevented by blocking human enzymes that related viruses need for replication. “If, for example, we target a human factor used by not just one coronavirus but all coronaviruses,” Dr. Gack says, “we could create an antiviral to block an entire family of viruses.”

You can hear it in her voice: the thrill of the chase in pursuit of scientific knowledge. “I love discoveries,” Dr. Gack says. “The goal is to change people’s lives with our discoveries.”