San Diego, CA, October 7, 2024 – A newly published study highlights a groundbreaking discovery in the fight against Coronaviruses, including SARS-CoV-2, the pathogen that causes COVID-19. The research, published in the journal Cellular and Molecular Life Sciences (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11380654), reveals that Heat Shock Factor 1 (HSF1), a stress-response protein, plays a critical role in the survival and replication of coronaviruses in human cells. This discovery positions Sisu Pharma’s HSF1 degrading drugs as powerful tools to combat current and future pandemics caused by Coronaviruses.
“Targeting HSF1 opens a new therapeutic avenue in treating Coronaviruses. By disrupting the HSF1 stress response axis that Coronaviruses rely on, our approach has the potential to significantly impact global health,” said Dr. Dennis Thiele, Chief Scientific Officer at Sisu Pharma. “Sisu Pharma’s HSF1 degrader drugs not only hold promise for the ongoing fight against COVID-19 but also against future Coronavirus variants and potentially other viral pathogens, offering hope for improved pandemic preparedness worldwide.”
The novel discovery demonstrates that HSF1 is strongly activated when Coronaviruses infect human cells and that HSF1 aids Coronaviruses by augmenting their ability to replicate and assemble into infectious virus particles. A striking reduction in Coronavirus replication and infectious virus production was observed for SARS-Cov-2 virus and other types of Coronaviruses, when infected cells were treated with Sisu Pharma’s HSF1 degrader, SISU-102.
About Sisu
Sisu Pharma (www.sisupharma.com) is a biotechnology company focused on exploiting cellular stress by directly targeting Heat Shock Factor 1 (HSF1), the central cellular stress protective transcription factor. The company’s HSF1 targeting platform has delivered selective HSF1 degraders for oncology that demonstrate compelling efficacy in therapy-resistant cancer models. The company is at the forefront of developing innovative treatments for viral infections, targeting stress-response mechanisms to address some of the world’s most pressing health challenges. Sisu’s technology provides additional opportunities for developing treatments for neurodegenerative conditions.
