Selection and validation of siRNAs preventing uptake and replication of SARS-CoV-2

The COVID-19 pandemic has dramatically underlined the desperate need for novel therapeutic options for treatment of respiratory viral infections to provide fast and efficacious drugs against new upcoming pathogens. RNA interference (RNAi)-based approaches depict a promising alternative to conventional medication, as they can be rapidly adjusted to the respective viral genome or its host cellular interaction partners. Here, we pursued both strategies.