LSU Health New Orleans Announces Groundbreaking Research on Remdesivir’s Novel Immunological Effects

Dr. Giulia Monticone’s work is published in EMBO Reports

July 25, 2024

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LSU Health New Orleans is proud to announce the publication of a groundbreaking study led by Giulia Monticone PhD in the prestigious journal EMBO Reports.

The study’s publication is live at https://doi.org/10.1038/s44319-024-00189-4. Adenosine analogs with immunomodulatory antiviral properties enhance T-cell function via A2AR and exhibit intrinsic antiviral properties, illustrated in a human respiratory system context.

This study unveils that the antiviral effects of the COVID-19 drug remdesivir are primarily due to a novel immunological mechanism rather than direct antiviral activity.

The study details how remdesivir’s novel immunological effects are mediated by a newly described mechanism. This discovery paves the way for a new class of drugs that enhance immunity while also targeting viruses, potentially improving the effectiveness of vaccines against viruses and cancers and boosting immunity against certain cancers.

Dr. Monticone, the lead author and a postdoctoral researcher in Dr. Lucio Miele’s team, collaborated with investigators from several LSUHSC departments and Dr. Kellie Jurado at the University of Pennsylvania. This research was funded by the US Department of Defense (DOD) Discovery Award (W81XWH-21-1-0078) and marks a significant advancement in immunological drug development.

Collaborative efforts with Southern Research (Birmingham, AL) are already underway to develop and optimize this new class of agents.

“We are thrilled to have our work recognized by EMBO Reports,” said Dr. Monticone. “This publication underscores our commitment to advancing knowledge in the field of immunology and drug development.”

3D structures of GS-441524 in two conformations and adenosine bound to A2AR, with binding affinities shown in a table

Study on REM treatment in SARS-CoV-2 infected mice: A) Treatment timeline; B) Weight loss graph; C) Viral clearance and nucleocapsid staining; D) Lung tissue H&E staining; E) CD8 T-cell staining.

LSU Health Sciences Center New Orleans (LSU Health New Orleans) educates Louisiana's health care professionals. The state's health sciences university leader, LSU Health New Orleans includes a School of Medicine with campuses in New Orleans, Baton Rouge and Lafayette, the state's only School of Dentistry, Louisiana's only public School of Public Health, and Schools of Allied Health Professions, Nursing, and Graduate Studies. LSU Health New Orleans faculty take care of patients in public and private hospitals and clinics throughout the region. In the vanguard of biosciences research, the LSU Health New Orleans research enterprise generates jobs and enormous annual economic impact. LSU Health New Orleans faculty have made lifesaving discoveries and continue to work to prevent, advance treatment or cure disease.