History
The research group of the Section of General Microbiology and Virology & Microbial Biotechnologies begun its activity early in the 90s through fundings obtained within the AIDS Project of the Italian Health Ministry. From ‘90 to ’99 the group had a regular flow of financial resources that allowed to plan investments on equipment and personnel and to guarantee continuity to research activities.
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Scientific publications in major journals in the field of medicinal chemistry gave us international visibility and, as a consequence, the chance to participate to one of the most successful spin off initiatives of the last ten years in the USA: the one that determined the birth of Idenix Pharmaceuticals Ltd. (originally Novirio) through the confluence of the antiviral research projects of three Groups: Farmacologists at the Birmingham University (Alabama, USA); Chemists at Montpellier University and CNRS (France); Virologists at the University of Cagliari (Italy).
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a class of nucleoside analogues (characterized by a methyl at position 2’ of ribose), which turned out to be potent inhibitors of the polymerase of some RNA virus families, one of which also includes HCV, the hepatitis C virus.
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two different classes of non nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NNRTIs), initially studied in the above mentioned AIDS project;
Currently, 2’ methyl nucleosides are in clinical trials (carried out by Idenix / Novartis and Pharmasset / Roche) for the therapy of HCV infections.
A representative of a class of indole derivatives has also been the object of Phase I clinical trials (carried out by Idenix) in AIDS patients. Recently, indole derivatives have been licensed to GlaxoSmithKline.
A DABO prototype, objective of an European Project, is under experimentation in monkeys to demonstrate its efficacy as a microbicide to prevent sexual HIV transmission/acquisition.
In parallel, within the Laboratories of Monserrato and Macchiareddu, the groups keeps carrying on its research activity mainly focussed on antiviral activity and on biotechnologies applied to the environment.