Highly structured RNA regions in SARS-CoV-2 serve as potential drug targets. Here the authors identified a class of small molecules binding to the 5’ UTR of the SARS-CoV-2 RNA genome. Using cgSHAPE-seq, they pinpointed a bulged G as the binding site and developed RNA-degrading chimeras that inhibit viral replication.
- Zhichao Tang
- Shalakha Hegde
- Jingxin Wang
