The present study demonstrates the antiviral potential of ASC1R by showing its ability to reduce RdRp mRNA levels in transfected C57BL/6 mice by up to 100 % after a single application. Evaluation of its acute toxicity showed that ASC1R doses 30–100 times higher than its effective dose resulted in no evidence of organ toxicity. Furthermore, assessments of repeated-dose subacute toxicity also showed excellent tolerability of ASC1R, with no deaths, behavioral changes, or histopathological alterations in the liver, lungs, spleen, and kidneys of treated mice.

These findings highlight the therapeutic potential of ASC1R, making it a promising candidate for clinical application, with substantial benefits for COVID-19 patients.

These results also have broader implications for the design and development of structurally analogous antivirals for other viral diseases.

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