UMass Medical School scientists Katherine A. Fitzgerald, Ph.D.; Fiachra Humphries, Ph.D.; and Liraz Galia, Ph.D., working with the British-based pharmaceutical company GlaxoSmithKline, have identified a novel molecule capable of stimulating the innate immune system against SARS-CoV-2 virus. A trigger for the STING (stimulator of interferon genes) pathway, the compound, diamidobenzimidazole (diABZI-4), protected animal models and human cells in the lab from SARS-CoV-2 infection. Published in Science Immunology, these results show that diABZI-4 has the potential to be an effective antiviral prophylaxis against COVID-19.