Hong Kong Researchers say 'AM580' chemical could one day be used as broad-spectrum antiviral for host of infectious diseases.
The HKU team tested their chemical "AM580" on mice in a two-year study and found it stopped the replication of a host of flu strains - including H1N1, H5N1 and H7N9 - as well as the viruses that cause SARS and MERS.
"This is what we call a broad-spectrum antiviral drug, which means it can kill a number of viruses," microbiologist Yuen Kwok-yung, who led the team
they look for compounds that interrupt the way viruses use crucial fatty acids, known as lipids, within a host's cells to replicate.
The next step is to test the drug on a wider variety of animals, including pigs and primates, before pushing to clinical trials, a process Yuen said could take up to eight years.