Laboratory of Antiviral Drugs Discovery
Hovakim Zakaryan
Head of the laboratory, PhD
E-mail: h_zakaryan@mb.sci.am
Laboratory members
Roza Imzailyan
Researcher, PhD
Astghik Hakobyan
Researcher, PhD
Armine Beglaryan
Senior laboratory assistant
Rafayela Grigoryan
Senior laboratory assistant
Anastasiya Shavina
Senior laboratory assistant
Anahit Manukyan
Senior laboratory assistant
Artur Ghazaryan
Laboratory assistant
General information
Our laboratory was established in 2021 based on the Research Group of Antiviral Defense Mechanisms led by Hovakim Zakaryan. The main focus of the laboratory is to discover and study new antiviral drug candidates against human and animal viruses including Influenza A and B viruses, herpes simplex virus-1, and African swine fever virus. To find new antiviral agents, we combine computational and in vitro assays. For the most perspective compounds, we study the mode of action using different cell-based approaches.
Current Research Projects
- «Discovery of new antiviral compounds that target nucleotide biosynthesis enzymes», SC RA / 21T-1F158
- «Discovery of new broad-spectrum antiviral agents», SC RA / 20TTSG-1F007
Selected publications
- Grigoryan R, Arabyan E, Izmailyan R, Karalyan Z, Jordão N, Ferreira F, Zakaryan H. Antiviral activity of brequinar against African swine fever virus infection in vitro. Virus Research. 2022;317:198826. doi: 10.1016/j.virusres.2022.198826
- Chilingaryan G, Abelyan N, Sargsyan A, Nazaryan K, Serobian A, Zakaryan H. Combination of consensus and ensemble docking strategies for the discovery of human dihydroorotate dehydrogenase inhibitors. Sci Rep. 2021 Jun 1;11(1):11417. doi: 10.1038/s41598-021-91069-7
- Arabyan E, Hakobyan A, Hakobyan T, Grigoryan R, Izmailyan R, Avetisyan A, Karalyan Z, Jackman JA, Ferreira F, Elrod CC, Zakaryan H. Flavonoid Library Screening Reveals Kaempferol as a Potential Antiviral Agent Against African Swine Fever Virus. Front Microbiol. 2021 Oct 21;12:736780. doi: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.736780
- Jackman JA, Hakobyan A, Zakaryan H, Elrod CC. Inhibition of African swine fever virus in liquid and feed by medium-chain fatty acids and glycerol monolaurate. J Anim Sci Biotechnol. 2020;11(1):114. doi: 10.1186/s40104-020-00517-3
- Arabyan E, Kotsynyan A, Hakobyan A, Zakaryan H. Antiviral agents against African swine fever virus. Virus Res. 2019 Sep;270:197669. doi: 10.1016/j.virusres.2019.197669