One drug to rule them all?

Thapsigargin, a promising broad-spectrum antiviral, has proven effective for use against SARS-CoV-2, as well as the influenza A and respiratory syncytial viruses (RSV), providing hope for a holistic approach to virus control. A team led by Kin-Chow Chang (University of Nottingham, UK), in collaboration with colleagues at China Agricultural University (Beijing, China), The Pirbright Institute and the Animal and Plant Health Agency (both UK), has uncovered the broad antiviral potential of a drug – thapsigargin – that could influence how future pandemics are managed. The study, published in Viruses, demonstrated the effectiveness of thapsigargin against three different respiratory illness-causing viruses. Given...