[heurifk]

Normal cells also use RNA during protein synthesis. Why doesn't remdesivir disrupt that too and kills healthy cells?

[est31]

There is no RNA cloning machinery in our cells. The RNA is instead copied from the DNA in the nucleus. Viruses like the coronavirus actually bring their own RNA cloning machinery that's assembled by the cell. Remdesivir only blocks the RNA cloning proteins of the virus.

[rocqua]

Doesn't that mean that Remdesivir would essentially defeat _all_ RNA viruses? Or is the effectiveness dependent on the exact RNA cloning mechanism used by the virus?

[rwmj]

Yes, it was originally invented to treat ebola, but it's thought to have general antiviral properties against RNA viruses.

[lisk1]

There are a lot more RNA virus specifically targeting antivirals surprised that most of them are not yet tested.

[malwarebytess]

sounds like we should get on it

[rwmj]

According to this radio programme[1] I was listening to at the weekend, scientists have been warning about the potential of coronaviruses to cause a pandemic for a long time, and saying we should work on general antivirals for them. Obviously that didn't happen.

[1] https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000gvd1

[vikramkr]

Yep. This is the same drug they tried to deploy against Ebola, and that's why they think itll be useful for such a wildly different drug virus here as well