Targeting a genomic RNA G-quadruplex of dengue virus with small molecules as an alternative to protein-targeted therapeutics
Yeong Jun Kim, Moumita Das, JunYoung Song, Shreyasi Das, Han-Jun Kim, Jeong-Ki Kim, Ki-Young Lee, Kyeong Kyu Kim, Hye-Ra Lee · 2026
Read Targeting a genomic RNA G-quadruplex of dengue virus with small molecules as an alternative to protein-targeted therapeutics by Yeong Jun Kim, Moumita Das, JunYoung Song, Shreyasi Das, Han-Jun Kim, Jeong-Ki Kim, Ki-Young Lee, Kyeong Kyu Kim, Hye-Ra Lee (2026) in the Tower of Babel, a free online library of public-domain works preserved in clean, searchable text. No sign-up. The full text is served as a plain-text file at a predictable URL, where text is present: https://antarctic-labs.com/tower-of-babel/pmc-13217665.txt.
Description
Yeong Jun Kim and co-authors present a 2026 antiviral study that attacks dengue virus not at its proteins but at a fold in its RNA. Protein-targeted dengue drugs have repeatedly failed in translation, and the virus's four serotypes frustrate vaccine design, so a conserved structural target is attractive.
Computation and biophysics located G-quadruplex folds in the genome shared across serotypes. Of the ligands tested, BRACO-19 bound and stabilized one fold in the NS3 gene region most strongly. Treated cells made less viral protein, and infected mice fared better; a virus engineered with that fold disrupted shrugged the drug off, confirming the target. Activity spanned all four serotypes. The authors propose RNA structure targeting as a route to broad flavivirus drugs resistant to mutational escape.
Catalog record
| CREATOR | Yeong Jun Kim, Moumita Das, JunYoung Song, Shreyasi Das, Han-Jun Kim, Jeong-Ki Kim, Ki-Young Lee, Kyeong Kyu Kim, Hye-Ra Lee |
|---|---|
| YEAR | 2026 |
| COLLECTION | PAPERS |
| FORMAT | TXT |
| FILE SIZE | 74 KB |
| VERSION | 1.0 |
| LICENSE | CC BY 4.0 |
| RIGHTS | CC BY |
| SOURCE | Europe PMC |