101
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Cha HM, Kim UI, Ahn SB, Lee MK, Lee H, Bang H, Jang Y, Kim SS, Bae MA, Kim K, Kim M. Evaluation of Antiviral Activity of Gemcitabine Derivatives against Influenza Virus and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2. ACS Infect Dis 2023; 9:1033-1045. [PMID: 36912867 PMCID: PMC10081574 DOI: 10.1021/acsinfecdis.3c00034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2023] [Indexed: 03/14/2023]
Abstract
Gemcitabine is a nucleoside analogue of deoxycytidine and has been reported to be a broad-spectrum antiviral agent against both DNA and RNA viruses. Screening of a nucleos(t)ide analogue-focused library identified gemcitabine and its derivatives (compounds 1, 2a, and 3a) blocking influenza virus infection. To improve their antiviral selectivity by reducing cytotoxicity, 14 additional derivatives were synthesized in which the pyridine rings of 2a and 3a were chemically modified. Structure-and-activity and structure-and-toxicity relationship studies demonstrated that compounds 2e and 2h were most potent against influenza A and B viruses but minimally cytotoxic. It is noteworthy that in contrast to cytotoxic gemcitabine, they inhibited viral infection with 90% effective concentrations of 14.5-34.3 and 11.4-15.9 μM, respectively, maintaining viability of mock-infected cells over 90% at 300 μM. Resulting antiviral selectivity was comparable to that of a clinically approved nucleoside analogue, favipiravir. The cell-based viral polymerase assay proved the mode-of-action of 2e and 2h targeting viral RNA replication and/or transcription. In a murine influenza A virus-infection model, intraperitoneal administration of 2h not only reduced viral RNA level in the lungs but also alleviated infection-mediated pulmonary infiltrates. In addition, it inhibited replication of severe acute respiratory syndrome virus 2 infection in human lung cells at subtoxic concentrations. The present study could provide a medicinal chemistry framework for the synthesis of a new class of viral polymerase inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hyeon-Min Cha
- Infectious
Diseases Therapeutic Research Center, Korea
Research Institute of Chemical Technology (KRICT), Daejeon 34114, Republic of Korea
- Graduate
School of New Drug Discovery and Development, Chungnam National University, Daejeon 34134, Republic
of Korea
| | - Uk-Il Kim
- ST
Pharm Co., Ltd., Seoul 06194, Republic of Korea
- College
of Pharmacy, Dongguk University, Goyang-si, Gyeonggi-do 10326, Republic of Korea
| | - Soo Bin Ahn
- Infectious
Diseases Therapeutic Research Center, Korea
Research Institute of Chemical Technology (KRICT), Daejeon 34114, Republic of Korea
- Graduate
School of New Drug Discovery and Development, Chungnam National University, Daejeon 34134, Republic
of Korea
| | - Myoung Kyu Lee
- Infectious
Diseases Therapeutic Research Center, Korea
Research Institute of Chemical Technology (KRICT), Daejeon 34114, Republic of Korea
| | - Haemi Lee
- Infectious
Diseases Therapeutic Research Center, Korea
Research Institute of Chemical Technology (KRICT), Daejeon 34114, Republic of Korea
| | | | - Yejin Jang
- Infectious
Diseases Therapeutic Research Center, Korea
Research Institute of Chemical Technology (KRICT), Daejeon 34114, Republic of Korea
| | - Seong Soon Kim
- Drug
Discovery Platform Research Center, Korea
Research Institute of Chemical Technology (KRICT), Daejeon 34114, Republic of Korea
| | - Myung Ae Bae
- Drug
Discovery Platform Research Center, Korea
Research Institute of Chemical Technology (KRICT), Daejeon 34114, Republic of Korea
| | - Kyungjin Kim
- ST
Pharm Co., Ltd., Seoul 06194, Republic of Korea
| | - Meehyein Kim
- Infectious
Diseases Therapeutic Research Center, Korea
Research Institute of Chemical Technology (KRICT), Daejeon 34114, Republic of Korea
- Graduate
School of New Drug Discovery and Development, Chungnam National University, Daejeon 34134, Republic
of Korea
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102
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Pozzi C, Vanet A, Francesconi V, Tagliazucchi L, Tassone G, Venturelli A, Spyrakis F, Mazzorana M, Costi MP, Tonelli M. Antitarget, Anti-SARS-CoV-2 Leads, Drugs, and the Drug Discovery-Genetics Alliance Perspective. J Med Chem 2023; 66:3664-3702. [PMID: 36857133 PMCID: PMC10005815 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.2c01229] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/02/2023]
Abstract
The most advanced antiviral molecules addressing major SARS-CoV-2 targets (Main protease, Spike protein, and RNA polymerase), compared with proteins of other human pathogenic coronaviruses, may have a short-lasting clinical efficacy. Accumulating knowledge on the mechanisms underlying the target structural basis, its mutational progression, and the related biological significance to virus replication allows envisaging the development of better-targeted therapies in the context of COVID-19 epidemic and future coronavirus outbreaks. The identification of evolutionary patterns based solely on sequence information analysis for those targets can provide meaningful insights into the molecular basis of host-pathogen interactions and adaptation, leading to drug resistance phenomena. Herein, we will explore how the study of observed and predicted mutations may offer valuable suggestions for the application of the so-called "synthetic lethal" strategy to SARS-CoV-2 Main protease and Spike protein. The synergy between genetics evidence and drug discovery may prioritize the development of novel long-lasting antiviral agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cecilia Pozzi
- Department of Biotechnology, Chemistry and Pharmacy,
University of Siena, via Aldo Moro 2, 53100 Siena,
Italy
| | - Anne Vanet
- Université Paris Cité,
CNRS, Institut Jacques Monod, F-75013 Paris,
France
| | - Valeria Francesconi
- Department of Pharmacy, University of
Genoa, viale Benedetto XV n.3, 16132 Genoa, Italy
| | - Lorenzo Tagliazucchi
- Department of Life Science, University of
Modena and Reggio Emilia, via Campi 103, 41125 Modena,
Italy
- Doctorate School in Clinical and Experimental Medicine
(CEM), University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Via Campi 287,
41125 Modena, Italy
| | - Giusy Tassone
- Department of Biotechnology, Chemistry and Pharmacy,
University of Siena, via Aldo Moro 2, 53100 Siena,
Italy
| | - Alberto Venturelli
- Department of Life Science, University of
Modena and Reggio Emilia, via Campi 103, 41125 Modena,
Italy
| | - Francesca Spyrakis
- Department of Drug Science and Technology,
University of Turin, Via Giuria 9, 10125 Turin,
Italy
| | - Marco Mazzorana
- Diamond Light Source, Harwell Science and
Innovation Campus, Didcot, Oxfordshire OX11 0DE,
U.K.
| | - Maria P. Costi
- Department of Life Science, University of
Modena and Reggio Emilia, via Campi 103, 41125 Modena,
Italy
| | - Michele Tonelli
- Department of Pharmacy, University of
Genoa, viale Benedetto XV n.3, 16132 Genoa, Italy
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103
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COVID-19 Management Strategies in Solid Organ Transplant Recipients. Infect Dis Clin North Am 2023:S0891-5520(23)00024-7. [PMID: 37142512 PMCID: PMC10028355 DOI: 10.1016/j.idc.2023.03.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/24/2023]
Abstract
Solid organ transplant recipients are at high risk of severe coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19). If left untreated, it results in high rates of hospitalization, intensive care unit admission and death. Early diagnosis of COVID-19 is essential to ensure the early administration of therapeutics. Treatment of mild-to-moderate COVID-19 with remdesivir, ritonavir-boosted nirmatrelvir, or an anti-spike neutralizing monoclonal antibody may prevent progression to severe and critical COVID-19. Among patients with severe and critical COVID-19, treatment with intravenous remdesivir and immunomodulation is recommended. This review article discusses strategies in the management of solid organ transplant recipients with COVID-19.
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104
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Anderson TK, Hoferle PJ, Lee KW, Coon JJ, Kirchdoerfer RN. An alphacoronavirus polymerase structure reveals conserved co-factor functions. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.03.15.532841. [PMID: 36993498 PMCID: PMC10055115 DOI: 10.1101/2023.03.15.532841] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
Coronaviruses are a diverse subfamily of viruses containing pathogens of humans and animals. This subfamily of viruses replicates their RNA genomes using a core polymerase complex composed of viral non-structural proteins: nsp7, nsp8 and nsp12. Most of our understanding of coronavirus molecular biology comes from the betacoronaviruses like SARS-CoV and SARS-CoV-2, the latter of which is the causative agent of COVID-19. In contrast, members of the alphacoronavirus genus are relatively understudied despite their importance in human and animal health. Here we have used cryo-electron microscopy to determine the structure of the alphacoronavirus porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV) core polymerase complex bound to RNA. Our structure shows an unexpected nsp8 stoichiometry in comparison to other published coronavirus polymerase structures. Biochemical analysis shows that the N-terminal extension of one nsp8 is not required for in vitro RNA synthesis for alpha and betacoronaviruses as previously hypothesized. Our work shows the importance of studying diverse coronaviruses to reveal aspects of coronavirus replication while also identifying areas of conservation to be targeted by antiviral drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas K. Anderson
- Biochemistry Department, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706
- Institute for Molecular Virology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706
- Center for Quantitative Cell Imaging, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706
| | - Peter J. Hoferle
- Biochemistry Department, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706
- Institute for Molecular Virology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706
- Center for Quantitative Cell Imaging, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706
| | - Kenneth W. Lee
- Biomolecular Chemistry Department, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706
| | - Joshua J. Coon
- Biomolecular Chemistry Department, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706
- Department of Chemistry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 53715, United States
- Morgridge Institute for Research, Madison, Wisconsin 53715, United States
| | - Robert N. Kirchdoerfer
- Biochemistry Department, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706
- Institute for Molecular Virology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706
- Center for Quantitative Cell Imaging, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706
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105
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McCollum C, Courtney CM, O’Connor NJ, Aunins TR, Jordan TX, Rogers KL, Brindley S, Brown JM, Nagpal P, Chatterjee A. Safety and Biodistribution of Nanoligomers Targeting the SARS-CoV-2 Genome for the Treatment of COVID-19. ACS Biomater Sci Eng 2023; 9:1656-1671. [PMID: 36853144 PMCID: PMC10000012 DOI: 10.1021/acsbiomaterials.2c00669] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2022] [Accepted: 02/13/2023] [Indexed: 03/01/2023]
Abstract
As the world braces to enter its fourth year of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, the need for accessible and effective antiviral therapeutics continues to be felt globally. The recent surge of Omicron variant cases has demonstrated that vaccination and prevention alone cannot quell the spread of highly transmissible variants. A safe and nontoxic therapeutic with an adaptable design to respond to the emergence of new variants is critical for transitioning to the treatment of COVID-19 as an endemic disease. Here, we present a novel compound, called SBCoV202, that specifically and tightly binds the translation initiation site of RNA-dependent RNA polymerase within the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) genome, inhibiting viral replication. SBCoV202 is a Nanoligomer, a molecule that includes peptide nucleic acid sequences capable of binding viral RNA with single-base-pair specificity to accurately target the viral genome. The compound has been shown to be safe and nontoxic in mice, with favorable biodistribution, and has shown efficacy against SARS-CoV-2 in vitro. Safety and biodistribution were assessed using three separate administration methods, namely, intranasal, intravenous, and intraperitoneal. Safety studies showed the Nanoligomer caused no outward distress, immunogenicity, or organ tissue damage, measured through observation of behavior and body weight, serum levels of cytokines, and histopathology of fixed tissue, respectively. SBCoV202 was evenly biodistributed throughout the body, with most tissues measuring Nanoligomer concentrations well above the compound KD of 3.37 nM. In addition to favorable availability to organs such as the lungs, lymph nodes, liver, and spleen, the compound circulated through the blood and was rapidly cleared through the renal and urinary systems. The favorable biodistribution and lack of immunogenicity and toxicity set Nanoligomers apart from other antisense therapies, while the adaptability of the nucleic acid sequence of Nanoligomers provides a defense against future emergence of drug resistance, making these molecules an attractive potential treatment for COVID-19.
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Affiliation(s)
- Colleen
R. McCollum
- Department
of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, Colorado 80303, United States
| | - Colleen M. Courtney
- Department
of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, Colorado 80303, United States
- Sachi Bio, Colorado Technology Center, Louisville, Colorado 80027, United States
| | - Nolan J. O’Connor
- Department
of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, Colorado 80303, United States
| | - Thomas R. Aunins
- Department
of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, Colorado 80303, United States
| | - Tristan X. Jordan
- Department
of Microbiology, New York University Langone, New York, New York 10016, United States
| | - Keegan L. Rogers
- Department
of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of
Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado 80045, United States
| | - Stephen Brindley
- Department
of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of
Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado 80045, United States
| | - Jared M. Brown
- Department
of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of
Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado 80045, United States
| | - Prashant Nagpal
- Sachi Bio, Colorado Technology Center, Louisville, Colorado 80027, United States
- Antimicrobial
Regeneration Consortium Labs, Louisville, Colorado 80027, United States
| | - Anushree Chatterjee
- Department
of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, Colorado 80303, United States
- Sachi Bio, Colorado Technology Center, Louisville, Colorado 80027, United States
- Antimicrobial
Regeneration Consortium Labs, Louisville, Colorado 80027, United States
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106
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Au TY, Wiśniewski OW, Benjamin S, Kubicki T, Dytfeld D, Gil L. G6PD deficiency-does it alter the course of COVID-19 infections? Ann Hematol 2023:10.1007/s00277-023-05164-y. [PMID: 36905446 PMCID: PMC10006571 DOI: 10.1007/s00277-023-05164-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2022] [Accepted: 12/18/2022] [Indexed: 03/12/2023]
Abstract
Despite the existence of well-founded data around the relationship between reactive oxygen species (ROS) and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD), current research around G6PD-deficient patients with viral infections, and limitations as a result of their condition, are inadequate. Here, we analyze existing data around immunological risks, complications, and consequences of this disease, particularly in relation to COVID-19 infections and treatment. The relationship between G6PD deficiency and elevated ROS leading to increased viral load suggests that these patients may confer heightened infectivity. Additionally, worsened prognoses and more severe complications of infection may be realized in class I G6PD-deficient individuals. Though more research is demanded on the topic, preliminary studies suggest that antioxidative therapy which reduces ROS levels in these patients could prove beneficial in the treatment of viral infections in G6PD-deficient individuals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tsz Yuen Au
- Faculty of Medicine, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Poznan, Poland.
| | | | - Shamiram Benjamin
- Faculty of Medicine, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Poznan, Poland
| | - Tadeusz Kubicki
- Department of Hematology and Bone Marrow Transplantation, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Poznan, Poland
| | - Dominik Dytfeld
- Department of Hematology and Bone Marrow Transplantation, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Poznan, Poland
| | - Lidia Gil
- Department of Hematology and Bone Marrow Transplantation, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Poznan, Poland.
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107
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Doijen J, Temmerman K, Van den Eynde C, Diels A, Van den Broeck N, Van Gool M, Heo I, Jaensch S, Zwaagstra M, Diosa Toro M, Chiu W, De Jonghe S, Leyssen P, Bojkova D, Ciesek S, Cinatl J, Verschueren L, Buyck C, Van Kuppeveld F, Neyts J, Van Loock M, Van Damme E. Identification of Z-Tyr-Ala-CHN 2, a Cathepsin L Inhibitor with Broad-Spectrum Cell-Specific Activity against Coronaviruses, including SARS-CoV-2. Microorganisms 2023; 11:717. [PMID: 36985290 PMCID: PMC10055926 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms11030717] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2023] [Revised: 02/17/2023] [Accepted: 03/07/2023] [Indexed: 03/12/2023] Open
Abstract
The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), is partly under control by vaccination. However, highly potent and safe antiviral drugs for SARS-CoV-2 are still needed to avoid development of severe COVID-19. We report the discovery of a small molecule, Z-Tyr-Ala-CHN2, which was identified in a cell-based antiviral screen. The molecule exerts sub-micromolar antiviral activity against SARS-CoV-2, SARS-CoV-1, and human coronavirus 229E. Time-of-addition studies reveal that Z-Tyr-Ala-CHN2 acts at the early phase of the infection cycle, which is in line with the observation that the molecule inhibits cathepsin L. This results in antiviral activity against SARS-CoV-2 in VeroE6, A549-hACE2, and HeLa-hACE2 cells, but not in Caco-2 cells or primary human nasal epithelial cells since the latter two cell types also permit entry via transmembrane protease serine subtype 2 (TMPRSS2). Given their cell-specific activity, cathepsin L inhibitors still need to prove their value in the clinic; nevertheless, the activity profile of Z-Tyr-Ala-CHN2 makes it an interesting tool compound for studying the biology of coronavirus entry and replication.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jordi Doijen
- Janssen Pharmaceutica NV, Turnhoutseweg 30, 2340 Beerse, Belgium
| | - Koen Temmerman
- Janssen Pharmaceutica NV, Turnhoutseweg 30, 2340 Beerse, Belgium
| | | | - Annick Diels
- Janssen Pharmaceutica NV, Turnhoutseweg 30, 2340 Beerse, Belgium
| | | | | | - Inha Heo
- Janssen Pharmaceutica NV, Turnhoutseweg 30, 2340 Beerse, Belgium
| | - Steffen Jaensch
- Janssen Pharmaceutica NV, Turnhoutseweg 30, 2340 Beerse, Belgium
| | - Marleen Zwaagstra
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Yalelaan 1, Virology Division, Department of Biomolecular Health Sciences, Infectious Diseases and Immunology, Utrecht University, 3584 Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Mayra Diosa Toro
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Yalelaan 1, Virology Division, Department of Biomolecular Health Sciences, Infectious Diseases and Immunology, Utrecht University, 3584 Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Winston Chiu
- Laboratory of Virology and Chemotherapy, Herestraat 49, Rega Institute for Medical Research, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, KU Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Steven De Jonghe
- Laboratory of Virology and Chemotherapy, Herestraat 49, Rega Institute for Medical Research, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, KU Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Pieter Leyssen
- Laboratory of Virology and Chemotherapy, Herestraat 49, Rega Institute for Medical Research, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, KU Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Denisa Bojkova
- Institute for Medical Virology, University Hospital, Paul-Ehrlich-Str. 40, Frankfurt University, 60596 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Sandra Ciesek
- Institute for Medical Virology, University Hospital, Paul-Ehrlich-Str. 40, Frankfurt University, 60596 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Jindrich Cinatl
- Institute for Medical Virology, University Hospital, Paul-Ehrlich-Str. 40, Frankfurt University, 60596 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Lore Verschueren
- Janssen Pharmaceutica NV, Turnhoutseweg 30, 2340 Beerse, Belgium
| | - Christophe Buyck
- Janssen Pharmaceutica NV, Turnhoutseweg 30, 2340 Beerse, Belgium
| | - Frank Van Kuppeveld
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Yalelaan 1, Virology Division, Department of Biomolecular Health Sciences, Infectious Diseases and Immunology, Utrecht University, 3584 Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Johan Neyts
- Laboratory of Virology and Chemotherapy, Herestraat 49, Rega Institute for Medical Research, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, KU Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Marnix Van Loock
- Janssen Pharmaceutica NV, Turnhoutseweg 30, 2340 Beerse, Belgium
| | - Ellen Van Damme
- Janssen Pharmaceutica NV, Turnhoutseweg 30, 2340 Beerse, Belgium
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108
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Zhou Q, Luo Y, Zhu Y, Chen Q, Qiu J, Cong F, Li Y, Zhang X. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and nucleotide analog GS-441524 conjugates with potent in vivo efficacy against coronaviruses. Eur J Med Chem 2023; 249:115113. [PMID: 36706621 PMCID: PMC9830933 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2023.115113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2022] [Revised: 12/25/2022] [Accepted: 01/09/2023] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
Coronaviruses (CoVs) infect a broad range of hosts, including humans and various animals, with a tendency to cross the species barrier, causing severe harm to human society and fostering the need for effective anti-coronaviral drugs. GS-441524 is a broad-spectrum antiviral nucleoside with potent anti-CoVs activities. However, its application is limited by poor oral bioavailability. Herein, we designed and synthesized several conjugates via covalently binding NSAIDs to 5'-OH of GS-441524 through ester bonds. The ibuprofen conjugate, ATV041, exhibited potent in vitro anti-coronaviral efficacy against four zoonotic coronaviruses in the alpha- and beta-genera. Oral-dosed ATV041 resulted in favorable bioavailability and rapid tissue distribution of GS-441524 and ibuprofen. In MHV-A59 infected mice, ATV041 dose-dependently decreased viral RNA replication and significantly reduced the proinflammatory cytokines in the liver and the lung at 3 dpi. As a result, the MHV-A59-induced lung and liver inflammatory injury was significantly alleviated. Taken together, this work provides a novel drug conjugate strategy to improve oral PK and offers a potent anti-coronaviral lead compound for further studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qifan Zhou
- Department of Chemistry, College of Science, Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies and Medi-X Pingshan, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, Guangdong, 518000, China
| | - Yinzhu Luo
- Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Laboratory Animals, Guangdong Laboratory Animals Monitoring Institute, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510663, China
| | - Yujun Zhu
- Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Laboratory Animals, Guangdong Laboratory Animals Monitoring Institute, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510663, China
| | - Qishu Chen
- Department of Chemistry, College of Science, Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies and Medi-X Pingshan, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, Guangdong, 518000, China
| | - Jingfei Qiu
- Department of Chemistry, College of Science, Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies and Medi-X Pingshan, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, Guangdong, 518000, China
| | - Feng Cong
- Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Laboratory Animals, Guangdong Laboratory Animals Monitoring Institute, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510663, China.
| | - Yingjun Li
- Department of Chemistry, College of Science, Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies and Medi-X Pingshan, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, Guangdong, 518000, China; State Key Laboratory of Chemical Oncogenomics, Tsinghua Shenzhen International Graduate School, Shenzhen, 518055, China.
| | - Xumu Zhang
- Department of Chemistry, College of Science, Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies and Medi-X Pingshan, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, Guangdong, 518000, China.
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109
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Săndulescu O, Apostolescu CG, Preoțescu LL, Streinu-Cercel A, Săndulescu M. Therapeutic developments for SARS-CoV-2 infection-Molecular mechanisms of action of antivirals and strategies for mitigating resistance in emerging variants in clinical practice. Front Microbiol 2023; 14:1132501. [PMID: 36937282 PMCID: PMC10017972 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1132501] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2022] [Accepted: 02/07/2023] [Indexed: 03/06/2023] Open
Abstract
This article systematically presents the current clinically significant therapeutic developments for the treatment of COVID-19 by providing an in-depth review of molecular mechanisms of action for SARS-CoV-2 antivirals and critically analyzing the potential targets that may allow the selection of resistant viral variants. Two main categories of agents can display antiviral activity: direct-acting antivirals, which act by inhibiting viral enzymes, and host-directed antivirals, which target host cell factors that are involved in steps of the viral life cycle. We discuss both these types of antivirals, highlighting the agents that have already been approved for treatment of COVID-19, and providing an overview of the main molecules that are currently in drug development. Direct-acting antivirals target viral enzymes that are essential in the viral life cycle. Three direct-acting antivirals are currently in use: two are nucleoside analogs that inhibit the RNA-dependent RNA polymerase of SARS-CoV-2, i.e., remdesivir and molnupiravir, and the third one, nirmatrelvir/ritonavir, is an inhibitor of SARS-CoV-2 main protease. The potential for induction of viral resistance is discussed for each of these antivirals, along with their clinical activity on each of the SARS-CoV-2 variants and sublineages that have been dominant over the course of the pandemic, i.e., Alpha, Delta, as well as Omicron and its sublineages BA.1, BA.2, BA.5, BQ.1 and XBB. Host-directed antivirals are currently in preclinical or clinical development; these agents target host cell enzymes that are involved in facilitating viral entry, replication, or virion release. By blocking these enzymes, viral replication can theoretically be effectively stopped. As no SARS-CoV-2 host-directed antiviral has been approved so far, further research is still needed and we present the host-directed antivirals that are currently in the pipeline. Another specific type of agents that have been used in the treatment of COVID-19 are neutralizing antibodies (NAbs). Their main binding site is the spike protein, and therefore their neutralization activity is influenced by mutations occurring in this region. We discuss the main changes in neutralization activity of NAbs for the most important dominant SARS-CoV-2 variants. Close monitoring of emerging variants and sublineages is still warranted, to better understand the impact of viral mutations on the clinical efficiency of antivirals and neutralizing antibodies developed for the treatment of COVID-19.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oana Săndulescu
- Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Bucharest, Romania
- National Institute for Infectious Diseases “Prof. Dr. Matei Balș”, Bucharest, Romania
| | - Cătălin Gabriel Apostolescu
- Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Bucharest, Romania
- National Institute for Infectious Diseases “Prof. Dr. Matei Balș”, Bucharest, Romania
| | - Liliana Lucia Preoțescu
- Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Bucharest, Romania
- National Institute for Infectious Diseases “Prof. Dr. Matei Balș”, Bucharest, Romania
| | - Adrian Streinu-Cercel
- Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Bucharest, Romania
- National Institute for Infectious Diseases “Prof. Dr. Matei Balș”, Bucharest, Romania
| | - Mihai Săndulescu
- Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Bucharest, Romania
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Ayipo YO, Ahmad I, Najib YS, Sheu SK, Patel H, Mordi MN. Molecular modelling and structure-activity relationship of a natural derivative of o-hydroxybenzoate as a potent inhibitor of dual NSP3 and NSP12 of SARS-CoV-2: in silico study. J Biomol Struct Dyn 2023; 41:1959-1977. [PMID: 35037841 DOI: 10.1080/07391102.2022.2026818] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
The nsp3 macrodomain and nsp12 (RdRp) enzymes are strongly implicated in the virulent regulation of the host immune response and viral replication of SARS-CoV-2, making them plausible therapeutic targets for mitigating infectivity. Remdesivir remains the only FDA-approved small-molecule inhibitor of the nsp12 in clinical conditions while none has been approved yet for the nsp3 macrodomain. In this study, 69,067 natural compounds from the IBScreen database were screened for efficacious potentials with mechanistic multitarget-directed inhibitory pharmacology against the dual targets using in silico approaches. Standard and extra precision (SP and XP) Maestro glide docking analyses were employed to evaluate their inhibitory interactions against the enzymes. Four compounds, STOCK1N-45901, 03804, 83408, 08377 consistently showed high XP scores against the respective targets and interacted strongly with pharmacologically essential amino acid and RNA residues, in better terms than the standard, co-crystallized inhibitors, GS-441524 and remdesivir. Further assessments through the predictions of ADMET and mutagenicity distinguished STOCK1N-45901, a natural derivative of o-hydroxybenzoate as the most promising candidate. The ligand maintained a good conformational and thermodynamic stability in complex with the enzymes throughout the trajectories of 100 ns molecular dynamics, indicated by RMSD, RMSF and radius of gyration plots. Its binding free energy, MM-GBSA was recorded as -54.24 and -31.77 kcal/mol against the respective enzyme, while its structure-activity relationships confer high probabilities as active antiviral, anti-inflammatory, antiinfection, antitussive and peroxidase inhibitor. The IBScreen database natural product, STOCK1N-45901 (2,3,4,5,6-pentahydroxyhexyl o-hydroxybenzoate) is thus recommended as a potent inhibitor of dual nsp3 and nsp12 of SARS-CoV-2 for further study. Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yusuf Oloruntoyin Ayipo
- Centre for Drug Research, Universiti Sains Malaysia, USM, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia
- Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, Kwara State University, Malete, Ilorin, Nigeria
| | - Iqrar Ahmad
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, R. C. Patel Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research, Shirpur, Maharashtra, India
| | - Yahaya Sani Najib
- Centre for Drug Research, Universiti Sains Malaysia, USM, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Medicinal Chemistry, Bayero University, Kano, Nigeria
| | - Sikirat Kehinde Sheu
- Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, Kwara State University, Malete, Ilorin, Nigeria
| | - Harun Patel
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, R. C. Patel Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research, Shirpur, Maharashtra, India
| | - Mohd Nizam Mordi
- Centre for Drug Research, Universiti Sains Malaysia, USM, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia
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Glen AK, Ma C, Mendoza L, Womack F, Wood EC, Sinha M, Acevedo L, Kvarfordt LG, Peene RC, Liu S, Hoffman AS, Roach JC, Deutsch EW, Ramsey SA, Koslicki D. ARAX: a graph-based modular reasoning tool for translational biomedicine. Bioinformatics 2023; 39:btad082. [PMID: 36752514 PMCID: PMC10027432 DOI: 10.1093/bioinformatics/btad082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2022] [Revised: 12/17/2022] [Accepted: 02/07/2023] [Indexed: 04/12/2023] Open
Abstract
MOTIVATION With the rapidly growing volume of knowledge and data in biomedical databases, improved methods for knowledge-graph-based computational reasoning are needed in order to answer translational questions. Previous efforts to solve such challenging computational reasoning problems have contributed tools and approaches, but progress has been hindered by the lack of an expressive analysis workflow language for translational reasoning and by the lack of a reasoning engine-supporting that language-that federates semantically integrated knowledge-bases. RESULTS We introduce ARAX, a new reasoning system for translational biomedicine that provides a web browser user interface and an application programming interface (API). ARAX enables users to encode translational biomedical questions and to integrate knowledge across sources to answer the user's query and facilitate exploration of results. For ARAX, we developed new approaches to query planning, knowledge-gathering, reasoning and result ranking and dynamically integrate knowledge providers for answering biomedical questions. To illustrate ARAX's application and utility in specific disease contexts, we present several use-case examples. AVAILABILITY AND IMPLEMENTATION The source code and technical documentation for building the ARAX server-side software and its built-in knowledge database are freely available online (https://github.com/RTXteam/RTX). We provide a hosted ARAX service with a web browser interface at arax.rtx.ai and a web API endpoint at arax.rtx.ai/api/arax/v1.3/ui/. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amy K Glen
- School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331, USA
| | - Chunyu Ma
- Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, Pennsylvania State University, State College, PA 16802, USA
| | - Luis Mendoza
- Institute for Systems Biology, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - Finn Womack
- Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, Pennsylvania State University, State College, PA 16802, USA
| | - E C Wood
- School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331, USA
| | - Meghamala Sinha
- School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331, USA
| | - Liliana Acevedo
- School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331, USA
| | - Lindsey G Kvarfordt
- School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331, USA
| | - Ross C Peene
- School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331, USA
| | - Shaopeng Liu
- Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, Pennsylvania State University, State College, PA 16802, USA
| | - Andrew S Hoffman
- Interdisciplinary Hub for Digitalization and Society, Radboud University, Nijmegen 6500GL, The Netherlands
| | - Jared C Roach
- Institute for Systems Biology, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | | | - Stephen A Ramsey
- School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331, USA
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331, USA
| | - David Koslicki
- Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, Pennsylvania State University, State College, PA 16802, USA
- Department of Biology, Pennsylvania State University, State College, PA 16801, USA
- Department of Computer Science and Engineering, Pennsylvania State University, State College, PA 16802, USA
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Miropolskaya N, Kozlov M, Petushkov I, Prostova M, Pupov D, Esyunina D, Kochetkov S, Kulbachinskiy A. Effects of natural polymorphisms in SARS-CoV-2 RNA-dependent RNA polymerase on its activity and sensitivity to inhibitors in vitro. Biochimie 2023; 206:81-88. [PMID: 36252889 PMCID: PMC9568283 DOI: 10.1016/j.biochi.2022.10.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2022] [Revised: 10/02/2022] [Accepted: 10/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
SARS-CoV-2 RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) is the key enzyme required for viral replication and mRNA synthesis. RdRp is one of the most conserved viral proteins and a promising target for antiviral drugs and inhibitors. At the same time, analysis of public databases reveals multiple variants of SARS-CoV-2 genomes with substitutions in the catalytic RdRp subunit nsp12. Structural mapping of these mutations suggests that some of them may affect the interactions of nsp12 with its cofactors nsp7/nsp8 as well as with RNA substrates. We have obtained several mutations of these types and demonstrated that some of them decrease specific activity of RdRp in vitro, possibly by changing RdRp assembly and/or its interactions with RNA. Therefore, natural polymorphisms in RdRp may potentially affect viral replication. Furthermore, we have synthesized a series of polyphenol and diketoacid derivatives based on previously studied inhibitors of hepatitis C virus RdRp and found that several of them can inhibit SARS-CoV-2 RdRp. Tested mutations in RdRp do not have strong effects on the efficiency of inhibition. Further development of more efficient non-nucleoside inhibitors of SARS-CoV-2 RdRp should take into account the existence of multiple polymorphic variants of RdRp.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nataliya Miropolskaya
- Institute of Molecular Genetics, National Research Center “Kurchatov Institute”, Moscow, 123182, Russia
| | - Maxim Kozlov
- Engelhardt Institute of Molecular Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, 119991, Moscow, Russia
| | - Ivan Petushkov
- Institute of Molecular Genetics, National Research Center “Kurchatov Institute”, Moscow, 123182, Russia
| | - Maria Prostova
- Institute of Molecular Genetics, National Research Center “Kurchatov Institute”, Moscow, 123182, Russia
| | - Danil Pupov
- Institute of Molecular Genetics, National Research Center “Kurchatov Institute”, Moscow, 123182, Russia
| | - Daria Esyunina
- Institute of Molecular Genetics, National Research Center “Kurchatov Institute”, Moscow, 123182, Russia
| | - Sergey Kochetkov
- Engelhardt Institute of Molecular Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, 119991, Moscow, Russia
| | - Andrey Kulbachinskiy
- Institute of Molecular Genetics, National Research Center "Kurchatov Institute", Moscow, 123182, Russia.
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113
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Lessons Learnt from COVID-19: Computational Strategies for Facing Present and Future Pandemics. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24054401. [PMID: 36901832 PMCID: PMC10003049 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24054401] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2023] [Revised: 02/19/2023] [Accepted: 02/21/2023] [Indexed: 02/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Since its outbreak in December 2019, the COVID-19 pandemic has caused the death of more than 6.5 million people around the world. The high transmissibility of its causative agent, the SARS-CoV-2 virus, coupled with its potentially lethal outcome, provoked a profound global economic and social crisis. The urgency of finding suitable pharmacological tools to tame the pandemic shed light on the ever-increasing importance of computer simulations in rationalizing and speeding up the design of new drugs, further stressing the need for developing quick and reliable methods to identify novel active molecules and characterize their mechanism of action. In the present work, we aim at providing the reader with a general overview of the COVID-19 pandemic, discussing the hallmarks in its management, from the initial attempts at drug repurposing to the commercialization of Paxlovid, the first orally available COVID-19 drug. Furthermore, we analyze and discuss the role of computer-aided drug discovery (CADD) techniques, especially those that fall in the structure-based drug design (SBDD) category, in facing present and future pandemics, by showcasing several successful examples of drug discovery campaigns where commonly used methods such as docking and molecular dynamics have been employed in the rational design of effective therapeutic entities against COVID-19.
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114
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In Vitro Pharmacokinetic Behavior of Antiviral 3-Amidinophenylalanine Derivatives in Rat, Dog and Monkey Hepatocytes. Biomedicines 2023; 11:biomedicines11030682. [PMID: 36979660 PMCID: PMC10045298 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines11030682] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2023] [Revised: 02/17/2023] [Accepted: 02/21/2023] [Indexed: 03/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Type II transmembrane serine proteases represent pharmacological targets for blocking entry and spread of influenza or coronaviruses. In this study, the depletion rates of the 3-amidinophenylalanine (3-APhA)-derived matriptase/TMPRSS2 inhibitors MI-463, MI-472, MI-485 or MI-1900 were determined by LC-MS/MS measurements over a period of 300 min using suspensions of rat, dog and cynomolgus monkey primary hepatocytes. From these in vitro pharmacokinetic (PK) experiments, intrinsic clearance values (Clint) were evaluated, and in vivo pharmacokinetic parameters (hepatic clearance, hepatic extraction ratio and bioavailability) were predicted. It was found that rat hepatocytes were the most active in the metabolism of 3-APhA derivatives (Clint 31.9–37.8 mL/min/kg), whereas dog and monkey cells displayed somewhat lower clearance of these compounds (Clint 6.6–26.7 mL/min/kg). These data support elucidation of important PK properties of anti-TMPRSS2/anti-matriptase 3-APhAs using mammalian hepatocyte models and thus contribute to the optimization of lead compounds.
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115
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Amstutz A, Speich B, Mentré F, Rueegg CS, Belhadi D, Assoumou L, Burdet C, Murthy S, Dodd LE, Wang Y, Tikkinen KAO, Ader F, Hites M, Bouscambert M, Trabaud MA, Fralick M, Lee TC, Pinto R, Barratt-Due A, Lund-Johansen F, Müller F, Nevalainen OPO, Cao B, Bonnett T, Griessbach A, Taji Heravi A, Schönenberger C, Janiaud P, Werlen L, Aghlmandi S, Schandelmaier S, Yazdanpanah Y, Costagliola D, Olsen IC, Briel M. Effects of remdesivir in patients hospitalised with COVID-19: a systematic review and individual patient data meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials. THE LANCET. RESPIRATORY MEDICINE 2023; 11:453-464. [PMID: 36828006 PMCID: PMC10156140 DOI: 10.1016/s2213-2600(22)00528-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 50.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2022] [Revised: 12/09/2022] [Accepted: 12/14/2022] [Indexed: 02/24/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Interpretation of the evidence from randomised controlled trials (RCTs) of remdesivir in patients treated in hospital for COVID-19 is conflicting. We aimed to assess the benefits and harms of remdesivir compared with placebo or usual care in these patients, and whether treatment effects differed between prespecified patient subgroups. METHODS For this systematic review and meta-analysis, we searched PubMed, Embase, the Cochrane COVID-19 trial registry, ClinicalTrials.gov, the International Clinical Trials Registry Platform, and preprint servers from Jan 1, 2020, until April 11, 2022, for RCTs of remdesivir in adult patients hospitalised with COVID-19, and contacted the authors of eligible trials to request individual patient data. The primary outcome was all-cause mortality at day 28 after randomisation. We used multivariable hierarchical regression-adjusting for respiratory support, age, and enrollment period-to investigate effect modifiers. This study was registered with PROSPERO, CRD42021257134. FINDINGS Our search identified 857 records, yielding nine RCTs eligible for inclusion. Of these nine eligible RCTs, individual data were provided for eight, covering 10 480 patients hospitalised with COVID-19 (99% of such patients included in such RCTs worldwide) recruited between Feb 6, 2020, and April 1, 2021. Within 28 days of randomisation, 662 (12·5%) of 5317 patients assigned to remdesivir and 706 (14·1%) of 5005 patients assigned to no remdesivir died (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 0·88, 95% CI 0·78-1·00, p=0·045). We found evidence for a credible subgroup effect according to respiratory support at baseline (pinteraction=0·019). Of patients who were ventilated-including those who received high-flow oxygen-253 (30·0%) of 844 patients assigned to remdesivir died compared with 241 (28·5%) of 846 patients assigned to no remdesivir (aOR 1·10 [0·88-1·38]; low-certainty evidence). Of patients who received no oxygen or low-flow oxygen, 409 (9·1%) of 4473 patients assigned to remdesivir died compared with 465 (11·2%) of 4159 patients assigned to no remdesivir (0·80 [0·70-0·93]; high-certainty evidence). No credible subgroup effect was found for time to start of remdesivir after symptom onset, age, presence of comorbidities, enrolment period, or corticosteroid use. Remdesivir did not increase the frequency of severe or serious adverse events. INTERPRETATION This individual patient data meta-analysis showed that remdesivir reduced mortality in patients hospitalised with COVID-19 who required no or conventional oxygen support, but was underpowered to evaluate patients who were ventilated when receiving remdesivir. The effect size of remdesivir in patients with more respiratory support or acquired immunity and the cost-effectiveness of remdesivir remain to be further elucidated. FUNDING EU-RESPONSE.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alain Amstutz
- CLEAR Methods Center, Division of Clinical Epidemiology, University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland; Department of Clinical Research, University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Benjamin Speich
- CLEAR Methods Center, Division of Clinical Epidemiology, University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland; Department of Clinical Research, University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
| | - France Mentré
- Université Paris Cité and Université Sorbonne Paris Nord, Inserm, IAME, Paris, France; Département d'Épidémiologie, Biostatistique et Recherche Clinique, Hôpital Bichat, AP-HP, Paris, France
| | - Corina Silvia Rueegg
- Oslo Centre for Biostatistics and Epidemiology, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - Drifa Belhadi
- Université Paris Cité and Université Sorbonne Paris Nord, Inserm, IAME, Paris, France; Département d'Épidémiologie, Biostatistique et Recherche Clinique, Hôpital Bichat, AP-HP, Paris, France
| | - Lambert Assoumou
- Université Paris Cité and Université Sorbonne Paris Nord, Inserm, IAME, Paris, France
| | - Charles Burdet
- Université Paris Cité and Université Sorbonne Paris Nord, Inserm, IAME, Paris, France; Département d'Épidémiologie, Biostatistique et Recherche Clinique, Hôpital Bichat, AP-HP, Paris, France
| | - Srinivas Murthy
- Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Lori Elizabeth Dodd
- Clinical Trials Research Section, Biostatistics Research Branch, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, MD, USA
| | - Yeming Wang
- Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Center of Respiratory Medicine, China-Japan Friendship Hospital, Beijing, China; Institute of Respiratory Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, China; National Clinical Research Center for Respiratory Diseases, Beijing, China
| | - Kari A O Tikkinen
- Department of Urology, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland; Department of Surgery, South Karelian Central Hospital, Lappeenranta, Finland
| | - Florence Ader
- Département des Maladies Infectieuses et Tropicales, Hospices Civils de Lyon, Lyon, France; Legiopath, Centre International de Recherche en Infectiologie, Inserm 1111, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, CNRS, UMR5308, École Normale Supérieure de Lyon, Univ Lyon, Lyon, France
| | - Maya Hites
- Cliniques Universitaires de Bruxelles Hôpital Érasme, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Clinique des Maladies Infectieuses, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Maude Bouscambert
- Laboratoire de Virologie, Institut des Agents Infectieux de Lyon, Centre National de Référence des Virus Respiratoires France Sud, Hospices Civils de Lyon, Lyon, France
| | - Mary Anne Trabaud
- Laboratoire de Virologie, Institut des Agents Infectieux de Lyon, Centre National de Référence des Virus Respiratoires France Sud, Hospices Civils de Lyon, Lyon, France
| | - Mike Fralick
- Department of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Todd C Lee
- Clinical Practice Assessment Unit, Department of Medicine, McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Ruxandra Pinto
- Department of Critical Care Medicine, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Andreas Barratt-Due
- Department of Anesthesia and Intensive Care Medicine, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - Fridtjof Lund-Johansen
- Department of Anesthesia and Intensive Care Medicine, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - Fredrik Müller
- Department of Anesthesia and Intensive Care Medicine, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | | | - Bin Cao
- Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Center of Respiratory Medicine, China-Japan Friendship Hospital, Beijing, China; Institute of Respiratory Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, China; National Clinical Research Center for Respiratory Diseases, Beijing, China
| | - Tyler Bonnett
- Clinical Monitoring Research Program Directorate, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, National Institutes of Health, Frederick, MD, USA
| | - Alexandra Griessbach
- CLEAR Methods Center, Division of Clinical Epidemiology, University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland; Department of Clinical Research, University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Ala Taji Heravi
- CLEAR Methods Center, Division of Clinical Epidemiology, University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland; Department of Clinical Research, University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Christof Schönenberger
- CLEAR Methods Center, Division of Clinical Epidemiology, University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland; Department of Clinical Research, University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Perrine Janiaud
- Department of Clinical Research, University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Laura Werlen
- Department of Clinical Research, University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Soheila Aghlmandi
- CLEAR Methods Center, Division of Clinical Epidemiology, University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland; Department of Clinical Research, University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Stefan Schandelmaier
- CLEAR Methods Center, Division of Clinical Epidemiology, University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland; Department of Clinical Research, University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Yazdan Yazdanpanah
- Université Paris Cité and Université Sorbonne Paris Nord, Inserm, IAME, Paris, France; Service de Maladies Infectieuses et Tropicales, Hôpital Bichat, AP-HP, Paris, France
| | - Dominique Costagliola
- Sorbonne Université, Inserm, Institut Pierre-Louis d'Épidémiologie et de Santé Publique, Paris, France
| | | | - Matthias Briel
- CLEAR Methods Center, Division of Clinical Epidemiology, University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland; Department of Clinical Research, University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland; Department of Health Research Methodology, Evidence, and Impact, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
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Mohamed SK, Anouar EH, Ahmad S, Abbady MS, Abdel-Wadood FK, Qahtan MQM, Mague JT, El Bakri Y. Synthesis, X-ray crystal structure, Hirshfeld surface analysis and computational investigation into the potential inhibitory action of novel 6-( p-tolyl)-2-(( p-tolyl)thio)methyl-7 H-[1.2.4]triazolo[5,1- b][1,3,4]thiadiazine inhibits the main protease of COVID-19. J Biomol Struct Dyn 2023; 41:14275-14284. [PMID: 36794735 DOI: 10.1080/07391102.2023.2180432] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2022] [Accepted: 02/08/2023] [Indexed: 02/17/2023]
Abstract
In recent times, the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has now become a worldwide pandemic. With over 71 million confirmed cases, even though the effectiveness and side effects of the specific drugs and vaccines approved for this disease are still limited. Scientists and researchers from all across the world are working to find a vaccine and a cure for COVID-19 by using large-scale drug discovery and analysis. Heterocyclic compounds are regarded to be valuable sources for the discovery of new antiviral medications against SARS-CoV-2 because virus occurrences are still on the rise, and infectivity and mortality may also rise shortly. In this regard, we have synthesized a new triazolothiadiazine derivative. The structure was characterized by NMR spectra and confirmed by X-ray diffraction analysis. The structural geometry coordinates of the title compound are well reproduced by DFT calculations. NBO and NPA analyses have been performed to determine the interaction energies between bonding and antibonding orbital, and natural atomic charges of heavy atoms. Molecular docking suggests that the compounds may have good affinity for SAR-CoV-2 main protease, RNA-dependent RNA polymerase and nucleocapsid enzymes, particularly the main protease enzyme (binding energy of -11.9 kcal mol-1). The predicted docked pose of the compound is dynamically stable and reports a major van der Waals contribution (-62.00 kcal mol-1) to overall net energy.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shaaban K Mohamed
- Chemistry and Environmental Division, Manchester Metropolitan University, Manchester, England
- Chemistry Department, Faculty of Science, Minia University, El-Minia, Egypt
| | - El Hassane Anouar
- Department of Chemistry, College of Sciences and Humanities in Al-Kharj, Prince Sattam bin Abdulaziz University, Al-Kharj, Saudi Arabia
| | - Sajjad Ahmad
- Department of Health and Biological Sciences, Abasyn University, Peshawar, Pakistan
| | - Mohamed S Abbady
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Assiut University, Assiut, Egypt
| | | | - Maha Q M Qahtan
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Taiz University, Taiz, Yemen
| | - Joel T Mague
- Department of Chemistry, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, USA
| | - Youness El Bakri
- Department of Theoretical and Applied Chemistry, South Ural State University, Chelyabinsk, Russian Federation
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Development and Evaluation of a Novel One-Step RT-qPCR Targeting the Vero Gene for the Identification of False-Positive Results Caused by Inactivated Virus Vaccine Contamination. Vaccines (Basel) 2023; 11:vaccines11020372. [PMID: 36851250 PMCID: PMC9959469 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines11020372] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2022] [Revised: 02/01/2023] [Accepted: 02/04/2023] [Indexed: 02/10/2023] Open
Abstract
To identify false-positive SARS-CoV-2 test results caused by novel coronavirus inactivated vaccine contamination, a novel RT-qPCR targeting the ORF1ab and N genes of SARS-CoV-2 and Vero gene was developed. The amplification efficiency, precision, and lower limit of detection (LLOD) of the RT-qPCR assay were determined. A total of 346 clinical samples and 132 environmental samples were assessed, and the diagnostic performance was evaluated. The results showed that the amplification efficiency of the ORF1ab, N, and Vero genes was 95%, 97%, and 93%, respectively. The coefficients of variation of Ct values at a concentration of 3 × 104 copies/mL were lower than 5%. The LLOD for the ORF1ab, N, and Vero genes reached 8.0, 3.3, and 8.2 copies/reaction, respectively. For the 346 clinical samples, our RT-qPCR assay identified SARS-CoV-2-positive and SARS-CoV-2-negative samples with a sensitivity of 100.00% and a specificity of 99.30% and novel coronavirus inactivated vaccine-contaminated samples with a sensitivity of 100% and a specificity of 100%. For the environmental samples, our RT-qPCR assay identified novel coronavirus inactivated vaccine-contaminated samples with a sensitivity of 88.06% and a specificity of 95.38%. In conclusion, the RT-qPCR assay we established can be used to diagnose COVID-19 and, to a certain extent, false-positive results due to vaccine contamination.
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Nakajima S, Ohashi H, Akazawa D, Torii S, Suzuki R, Fukuhara T, Watashi K. Antiviral Activity of Micafungin and Its Derivatives against SARS-CoV-2 RNA Replication. Viruses 2023; 15:v15020452. [PMID: 36851666 PMCID: PMC9958940 DOI: 10.3390/v15020452] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2022] [Revised: 01/27/2023] [Accepted: 02/02/2023] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Echinocandin antifungal drugs, including micafungin, anidulafungin, and caspofungin, have been recently reported to exhibit antiviral effects against various viruses such as flavivirus, alphavirus, and coronavirus. In this study, we focused on micafungin and its derivatives and analyzed their antiviral activities against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The micafungin derivatives Mi-2 and Mi-5 showed higher antiviral activity than micafungin, with 50% maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) of 5.25 and 6.51 µM, respectively (3.8 to 4.7-fold stronger than micafungin) and 50% cytotoxic concentration (CC50) of >64 µM in VeroE6/TMPRSS2 cells. This high anti-SARS-CoV-2 activity was also conserved in human lung epithelial cell-derived Calu-3 cells. Micafungin, Mi-2, and Mi-5 were suggested to inhibit the intracellular virus replication process; additionally, these compounds were active against SARS-CoV-2 variants, including Delta (AY.122, hCoV-19/Japan/TY11-927/2021), Omicron (BA.1.18, hCoV-19/Japan/TY38-873/2021), a variant resistant to remdesivir (R10/E796G C799F), and a variant resistant to casirivimab/imdevimab antibody cocktail (E406W); thus, our results provide basic evidence for the potential use of micafungin derivatives for developing antiviral agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shogo Nakajima
- Research Center for Drug and Vaccine Development, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, 1-23-1 Toyama, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 162-8640, Japan
- Department of Virology II, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, 1-23-1 Toyama, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 162-8640, Japan
- Choju Medical Institute, Fukushimura Hospital, 19-14 Yamanaka, Noyoricho, Toyohashi-shi 441-8124, Japan
| | - Hirofumi Ohashi
- Research Center for Drug and Vaccine Development, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, 1-23-1 Toyama, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 162-8640, Japan
| | - Daisuke Akazawa
- Research Center for Drug and Vaccine Development, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, 1-23-1 Toyama, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 162-8640, Japan
| | - Shiho Torii
- Laboratory of Virus Control, Research Institute for Microbial Diseases, Osaka University, Suita 565-0871, Japan
- Insect-Virus Interactions Unit, Department of Virology, Institut Pasteur, 75015 Paris, France
| | - Rigel Suzuki
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Hokkaido University, N-15, W-7, Kita-ku, Sapporo 060-8638, Japan
| | - Takasuke Fukuhara
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Hokkaido University, N-15, W-7, Kita-ku, Sapporo 060-8638, Japan
| | - Koichi Watashi
- Research Center for Drug and Vaccine Development, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, 1-23-1 Toyama, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 162-8640, Japan
- Department of Virology II, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, 1-23-1 Toyama, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 162-8640, Japan
- Department of Applied Biological Sciences, Tokyo University of Science, 2641 Yamazaki, Noda 278-8510, Japan
- Correspondence:
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Mohseni N, Royster A, Ren S, Ma Y, Pintado M, Mir M, Mir S. A novel compound targets the feline infectious peritonitis virus nucleocapsid protein and inhibits viral replication in cell culture. J Biol Chem 2023; 299:102976. [PMID: 36738790 PMCID: PMC10011503 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2023.102976] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2022] [Revised: 01/26/2023] [Accepted: 01/29/2023] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Feline infectious peritonitis (FIP) is a serious viral illness in cats, caused by feline coronavirus. Once a cat develops clinical FIP, the prognosis is poor. The effective treatment strategy for coronavirus infections with immunopathological complications such as SARS-CoV-2, MERS, and FIP is focused on antiviral and immunomodulatory agents to inhibit virus replication and enhance the protective immune response. In this article we report the binding and conformational alteration of feline alphacoronavirus (FCoV) nucleocapsid protein by a novel compound K31. K31 noncompetitively inhibited the interaction between the purified nucleocapsid protein and the synthetic 5' terminus of viral genomic RNA in vitro. K31 was well tolerated by cells and inhibited FCoV replication in cell culture with a selective index of 115. A single dose of K31inhibited FCoV replication to an undetectable level in 24 h post treatment. K31 did not affect the virus entry to the host cell but inhibited the postentry steps of virus replication. The nucleocapsid protein forms ribonucleocapsid in association with the viral genomic RNA that serves as a template for transcription and replication of the viral genome. Our results show that K31 treatment disrupted the structural integrity of ribonucleocapsid in virus-infected cells. After the COVID-19 pandemic, most of the antiviral drug development strategies have focused on RdRp and proteases encoded by the viral genome. Our results have shown that nucleocapsid protein is a druggable target for anticoronavirus drug discovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nazleen Mohseni
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Western University of Health Sciences, Pomona, California, USA
| | - Austin Royster
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Western University of Health Sciences, Pomona, California, USA
| | - Songyang Ren
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Western University of Health Sciences, Pomona, California, USA
| | - Yutian Ma
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Western University of Health Sciences, Pomona, California, USA
| | - Melissa Pintado
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Western University of Health Sciences, Pomona, California, USA
| | - Mohammad Mir
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Western University of Health Sciences, Pomona, California, USA
| | - Sheema Mir
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Western University of Health Sciences, Pomona, California, USA.
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Shannon A, Canard B. Kill or corrupt: Mechanisms of action and drug-resistance of nucleotide analogues against SARS-CoV-2. Antiviral Res 2023; 210:105501. [PMID: 36567022 PMCID: PMC9773703 DOI: 10.1016/j.antiviral.2022.105501] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2022] [Revised: 12/14/2022] [Accepted: 12/15/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Nucleoside/tide analogues (NAs) have long been used in the fight against viral diseases, and now present a promising option for the treatment of COVID-19. Once activated to the 5'-triphosphate state, NAs act by targeting the viral RNA-dependent RNA-polymerase for incorporation into the viral RNA genome. Incorporated analogues can either 'kill' (terminate) synthesis, or 'corrupt' (genetically or chemically) the RNA. Against coronaviruses, the use of NAs has been further complicated by the presence of a virally encoded exonuclease domain (nsp14) with proofreading and repair capacities. Here, we describe the mechanism of action of four promising anti-COVID-19 NAs; remdesivir, molnupiravir, favipiravir and bemnifosbuvir. Their distinct mechanisms of action best exemplify the concept of 'killers' and 'corruptors'. We review available data regarding their ability to be incorporated and excised, and discuss the specific structural features that dictate their overall potency, toxicity, and mutagenic potential. This should guide the synthesis of novel analogues, lend insight into the potential for resistance mutations, and provide a rational basis for upcoming combinations therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashleigh Shannon
- AFMB, CNRS, Aix-Marseille University, UMR 7257, Case 925, 163 Avenue de Luminy, 13288, Marseille, Cedex 09, France
| | - Bruno Canard
- AFMB, CNRS, Aix-Marseille University, UMR 7257, Case 925, 163 Avenue de Luminy, 13288, Marseille, Cedex 09, France.
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Rudra Paul A, Debnath S, Majumdar S. Water‐SDS‐Ionic Liquid Catalytic System for the Synthesis of Pyrano‐chromenes and in‐silicio Approach to Predict Inhibitory Activity Against Mpro of SARS‐CoV‐2**. ChemistrySelect 2023. [DOI: 10.1002/slct.202300007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Abhijit Rudra Paul
- Department of Chemistry Tripura University Suryamaninagar 799 022 Tripura INDIA
| | - Sudhan Debnath
- Department of Chemistry Netaji Subhash Mahavidyalaya Tripura 799114 India
| | - Swapan Majumdar
- Department of Chemistry Tripura University Suryamaninagar 799 022 Tripura INDIA
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Pauly I, Kumar Singh A, Kumar A, Singh Y, Thareja S, Kamal MA, Verma A, Kumar P. Current Insights and Molecular Docking Studies of the Drugs under Clinical Trial as RdRp Inhibitors in COVID-19 Treatment. Curr Pharm Des 2023; 28:3677-3705. [PMID: 36345244 DOI: 10.2174/1381612829666221107123841] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2022] [Revised: 09/08/2022] [Accepted: 09/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
Study Background & Objective: After the influenza pandemic (1918), COVID-19 was declared a Vth pandemic by the WHO in 2020. SARS-CoV-2 is an RNA-enveloped single-stranded virus. Based on the structure and life cycle, Protease (3CLpro), RdRp, ACE2, IL-6, and TMPRSS2 are the major targets for drug development against COVID-19. Pre-existing several drugs (FDA-approved) are used to inhibit the above targets in different diseases. In coronavirus treatment, these drugs are also in different clinical trial stages. Remdesivir (RdRp inhibitor) is the only FDA-approved medicine for coronavirus treatment. In the present study, by using the drug repurposing strategy, 70 preexisting clinical or under clinical trial molecules were used in scrutiny for RdRp inhibitor potent molecules in coronavirus treatment being surveyed via docking studies. Molecular simulation studies further confirmed the binding mechanism and stability of the most potent compounds. MATERIAL AND METHODS Docking studies were performed using the Maestro 12.9 module of Schrodinger software over 70 molecules with RdRp as the target and remdesivir as the standard drug and further confirmed by simulation studies. RESULTS The docking studies showed that many HIV protease inhibitors demonstrated remarkable binding interactions with the target RdRp. Protease inhibitors such as lopinavir and ritonavir are effective. Along with these, AT-527, ledipasvir, bicalutamide, and cobicistat showed improved docking scores. RMSD and RMSF were further analyzed for potent ledipasvir and ritonavir by simulation studies and were identified as potential candidates for corona disease. CONCLUSION The drug repurposing approach provides a new avenue in COVID-19 treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Irine Pauly
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Natural Products, Central University of Punjab, Bathinda, 151401, India
| | - Ankit Kumar Singh
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Natural Products, Central University of Punjab, Bathinda, 151401, India
| | - Adarsh Kumar
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Natural Products, Central University of Punjab, Bathinda, 151401, India
| | - Yogesh Singh
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Natural Products, Central University of Punjab, Bathinda, 151401, India
| | - Suresh Thareja
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Natural Products, Central University of Punjab, Bathinda, 151401, India
| | - Mohammad A Kamal
- King Fahd Medical Research Center, King Abdulaziz University, Jaddah, Saudi Arabia.,Enzymoics, 7 Peterlee Place, Hebersham, NSW 2770, Australia.,Novel Global Community Educational Foundation, Australia Institutes for Systems Genetics, Frontiers Science Center for Disease-related Molecular Network, Australia
| | - Amita Verma
- Bioorganic and Medicinal Chemistry Research Laboratory, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Sam Higginbottom University of Agriculture, Technology and Sciences, Prayagraj, 211007, India
| | - Pradeep Kumar
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Natural Products, Central University of Punjab, Bathinda, 151401, India
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Garcia G, Irudayam JI, Jeyachandran AV, Dubey S, Chang C, Cario SC, Price N, Arumugam S, Marquez AL, Shah A, Fanaei A, Chakravarty N, Joshi S, Sinha S, French SW, Parcells M, Ramaiah A, Arumugaswami V. Broad-spectrum antiviral inhibitors targeting pandemic potential RNA viruses. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.01.19.524824. [PMID: 36711787 PMCID: PMC9882367 DOI: 10.1101/2023.01.19.524824] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
RNA viruses continue to remain a clear and present threat for potential pandemics due to their rapid evolution. To mitigate their impact, we urgently require antiviral agents that can inhibit multiple families of disease-causing viruses, such as arthropod-borne and respiratory pathogens. Potentiating host antiviral pathways can prevent or limit viral infections before escalating into a major outbreak. Therefore, it is critical to identify broad-spectrum antiviral agents. We have tested a small library of innate immune agonists targeting pathogen recognition receptors, including TLRs, STING, NOD, Dectin and cytosolic DNA or RNA sensors. We observed that TLR3, STING, TLR8 and Dectin-1 ligands inhibited arboviruses, Chikungunya virus (CHIKV), West Nile virus (WNV) and Zika virus, to varying degrees. Cyclic dinucleotide (CDN) STING agonists, such as cAIMP, diABZI, and 2',3'-cGAMP, and Dectin-1 agonist scleroglucan, demonstrated the most potent, broad-spectrum antiviral function. Comparative transcriptome analysis revealed that CHIKV-infected cells had larger number of differentially expressed genes than of WNV and ZIKV. Furthermore, gene expression analysis showed that cAIMP treatment rescued cells from CHIKV-induced dysregulation of cell repair, immune, and metabolic pathways. In addition, cAIMP provided protection against CHIKV in a CHIKV-arthritis mouse model. Cardioprotective effects of synthetic STING ligands against CHIKV, WNV, SARS-CoV-2 and enterovirus D68 (EV-D68) infections were demonstrated using human cardiomyocytes. Interestingly, the direct-acting antiviral drug remdesivir, a nucleoside analogue, was not effective against CHIKV and WNV, but exhibited potent antiviral effects against SARS-CoV-2, RSV (respiratory syncytial virus), and EV-D68. Our study identifies broad-spectrum antivirals effective against multiple families of pandemic potential RNA viruses, which can be rapidly deployed to prevent or mitigate future pandemics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gustavo Garcia
- Department of Molecular and Medical Pharmacology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Joseph Ignatius Irudayam
- Department of Molecular and Medical Pharmacology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Arjit Vijay Jeyachandran
- Department of Molecular and Medical Pharmacology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Swati Dubey
- Department of Molecular and Medical Pharmacology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Christina Chang
- Department of Molecular and Medical Pharmacology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Sebastian Castillo Cario
- Department of Molecular and Medical Pharmacology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Nate Price
- Department of Molecular and Medical Pharmacology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Sathya Arumugam
- Department of Mathematics, Government College Daman, U.T of DNH & DD, India
| | - Angelica L. Marquez
- Department of Molecular and Medical Pharmacology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Aayushi Shah
- Department of Molecular and Medical Pharmacology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Amir Fanaei
- Department of Molecular and Medical Pharmacology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Nikhil Chakravarty
- Department of Epidemiology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Shantanu Joshi
- Department of Neurology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Sanjeev Sinha
- All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India
| | - Samuel W. French
- Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Mark Parcells
- Department of Animal and Food Sciences, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, DE 19716, USA
| | - Arunachalam Ramaiah
- Tata Institute for Genetics and Society, Center at inStem, Bangalore 560065, India
- City of Milwaukee Health Department, Milwaukee, WI 53202, USA
| | - Vaithilingaraja Arumugaswami
- Department of Molecular and Medical Pharmacology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- California NanoSystems Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Lead Contact
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Karges J, Giardini MA, Blacque O, Woodworth B, Siqueira-Neto JL, Cohen SM. Enantioselective inhibition of the SARS-CoV-2 main protease with rhenium(i) picolinic acid complexes. Chem Sci 2023; 14:711-720. [PMID: 36741526 PMCID: PMC9848156 DOI: 10.1039/d2sc05473f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2022] [Accepted: 12/12/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Infections of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) have triggered a global pandemic with millions of deaths worldwide. Herein, the synthesis of functionalized Re(i) tricarbonyl complexes as inhibitors of the SARS-CoV-2 main protease, also referred to as the 3-chymotrypsin-like protease (3CLpro), is presented. The metal complexes were found to inhibit the activity of the enzyme with IC50 values in the low micromolar range. Mass spectrometry revealed that the metal complexes formed a coordinate covalent bond with the enzyme. Chiral separation of the enantiomers of the lead compound showed that one enantiomer was significantly more active than the other, consistent with specific binding and much like that observed for conventional organic small molecule inhibitors and druglike compounds. Evaluation of the lead compound against SARS-CoV-2 in a cell-based infection assay confirmed enantiospecific inhibition against the virus. This study represents a significant advancement in the use of metal complexes as coordinate covalent inhibitors of enzymes, as well as a novel starting point for the development of novel SARS-CoV-2 inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johannes Karges
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of CaliforniaLa JollaSan DiegoCalifornia 92093USA
| | - Miriam A. Giardini
- Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of CaliforniaLa JollaSan DiegoCalifornia 92093USA
| | - Olivier Blacque
- Department of Chemistry, University of ZurichWinterthurerstrasse 190CH-8057ZurichSwitzerland
| | - Brendon Woodworth
- Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, University of California San DiegoLa JollaCalifornia 92093USA
| | - Jair L. Siqueira-Neto
- Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of CaliforniaLa JollaSan DiegoCalifornia 92093USA
| | - Seth M. Cohen
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of CaliforniaLa JollaSan DiegoCalifornia 92093USA
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Zapata-Cardona MI, Florez-Alvarez L, Guerra-Sandoval AL, Chvatal-Medina M, Guerra-Almonacid CM, Hincapie-Garcia J, Hernandez JC, Rugeles MT, Zapata-Builes W. In vitro and in silico evaluation of antiretrovirals against SARS-CoV-2: A drug repurposing approach. AIMS Microbiol 2023; 9:20-40. [PMID: 36891537 PMCID: PMC9988408 DOI: 10.3934/microbiol.2023002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2022] [Revised: 11/26/2022] [Accepted: 12/13/2022] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Drug repurposing is a valuable strategy for rapidly developing drugs for treating COVID-19. This study aimed to evaluate the antiviral effect of six antiretrovirals against SARS-CoV-2 in vitro and in silico. Methods The cytotoxicity of lamivudine, emtricitabine, tenofovir, abacavir, efavirenz and raltegravir on Vero E6 was evaluated by MTT assay. The antiviral activity of each of these compounds was evaluated via a pre-post treatment strategy. The reduction in the viral titer was assessed by plaque assay. In addition, the affinities of the antiretroviral interaction with viral targets RdRp (RNA-dependent RNA polymerase), ExoN-NSP10 (exoribonuclease and its cofactor, the non-structural protein 10) complex and 3CLpro (3-chymotrypsin-like cysteine protease) were evaluated by molecular docking. Results Lamivudine exhibited antiviral activity against SARS-CoV-2 at 200 µM (58.3%) and 100 µM (66.7%), while emtricitabine showed anti-SARS-CoV-2 activity at 100 µM (59.6%), 50 µM (43.4%) and 25 µM (33.3%). Raltegravir inhibited SARS-CoV-2 at 25, 12.5 and 6.3 µM (43.3%, 39.9% and 38.2%, respectively). The interaction between the antiretrovirals and SARS-CoV-2 RdRp, ExoN-NSP10 and 3CLpro yielded favorable binding energies (from -4.9 kcal/mol to -7.7 kcal/mol) using bioinformatics methods. Conclusion Lamivudine, emtricitabine and raltegravir showed in vitro antiviral effects against the D614G strain of SARS-CoV-2. Raltegravir was the compound with the greatest in vitro antiviral potential at low concentrations, and it showed the highest binding affinities with crucial SARS-CoV-2 proteins during the viral replication cycle. However, further studies on the therapeutic utility of raltegravir in patients with COVID-19 are required.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria I. Zapata-Cardona
- Grupo Inmunovirologia, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Antioquia UdeA, Medellin, Colombia
| | - Lizdany Florez-Alvarez
- Grupo Inmunovirologia, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Antioquia UdeA, Medellin, Colombia
- Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil
| | | | - Mateo Chvatal-Medina
- Grupo Inmunovirologia, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Antioquia UdeA, Medellin, Colombia
| | | | - Jaime Hincapie-Garcia
- Grupo de investigacion, Promocion y prevencion farmaceutica, Facultad de ciencias farmaceuticas yalimentarias, Universidad de Antioquia UdeA, Medellin, Colombia
| | - Juan C. Hernandez
- Grupo Infettare, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Cooperativa de Colombia, Medellin, Colombia
| | - Maria T. Rugeles
- Grupo Inmunovirologia, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Antioquia UdeA, Medellin, Colombia
| | - Wildeman Zapata-Builes
- Grupo Inmunovirologia, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Antioquia UdeA, Medellin, Colombia
- Grupo Infettare, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Cooperativa de Colombia, Medellin, Colombia
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Kirkwood‐Johnson L, Marikawa Y. Developmental toxicity of remdesivir, an anti-COVID-19 drug, is implicated by in vitro assays using morphogenetic embryoid bodies of mouse and human pluripotent stem cells. Birth Defects Res 2023; 115:224-239. [PMID: 36349436 PMCID: PMC9877128 DOI: 10.1002/bdr2.2111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2022] [Revised: 09/09/2022] [Accepted: 10/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Remdesivir is an antiviral drug approved for the treatment of COVID-19, whose developmental toxicity remains unclear. More information about the safety of remdesivir is urgently needed for people of childbearing potential, who are affected by the ongoing pandemic. Morphogenetic embryoid bodies (MEBs) are three-dimensional (3D) aggregates of pluripotent stem cells that recapitulate embryonic body patterning in vitro, and have been used as effective embryo models to detect the developmental toxicity of chemical exposures specifically and sensitively. METHODS MEBs were generated from mouse P19C5 and human H9 pluripotent stem cells, and used to examine the effects of remdesivir. The morphological effects were assessed by analyzing the morphometric parameters of MEBs after exposure to varying concentrations of remdesivir. The molecular impact of remdesivir was evaluated by measuring the transcript levels of developmental regulator genes. RESULTS The mouse MEB morphogenesis was impaired by remdesivir at 1-8 μM. Remdesivir affected MEBs in a manner dependent on metabolic conversion, and its potency was higher than GS-441524 and GS-621763, presumptive anti-COVID-19 drugs that act similarly to remdesivir. The expressions of developmental regulator genes, particularly those involved in axial and somite patterning, were dysregulated by remdesivir. The early stage of MEB development was more vulnerable to remdesivir exposure than the later stage. The morphogenesis and gene expression profiles of human MEBs were also impaired by remdesivir at 1-8 μM. CONCLUSIONS Remdesivir impaired mouse and human MEBs at concentrations that are comparable to the therapeutic plasma levels in humans, urging further investigation into the potential impact of remdesivir on developing embryos.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauren Kirkwood‐Johnson
- Developmental and Reproductive Biology Graduate Program, Institute for Biogenesis Research, Department of Anatomy, Biochemistry and PhysiologyJohn A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawaii at ManoaHonoluluHawaiiUSA
| | - Yusuke Marikawa
- Developmental and Reproductive Biology Graduate Program, Institute for Biogenesis Research, Department of Anatomy, Biochemistry and PhysiologyJohn A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawaii at ManoaHonoluluHawaiiUSA
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Chinthapatla R, Sotoudegan M, Srivastava P, Anderson TK, Moustafa I, Passow K, Kennelly S, Moorthy R, Dulin D, Feng J, Harki D, Kirchdoerfer R, Cameron C, Arnold J. Interfering with nucleotide excision by the coronavirus 3'-to-5' exoribonuclease. Nucleic Acids Res 2023; 51:315-336. [PMID: 36546762 PMCID: PMC9841423 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkac1177] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2022] [Revised: 11/11/2022] [Accepted: 11/27/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Some of the most efficacious antiviral therapeutics are ribonucleos(t)ide analogs. The presence of a 3'-to-5' proofreading exoribonuclease (ExoN) in coronaviruses diminishes the potency of many ribonucleotide analogs. The ability to interfere with ExoN activity will create new possibilities for control of SARS-CoV-2 infection. ExoN is formed by a 1:1 complex of nsp14 and nsp10 proteins. We have purified and characterized ExoN using a robust, quantitative system that reveals determinants of specificity and efficiency of hydrolysis. Double-stranded RNA is preferred over single-stranded RNA. Nucleotide excision is distributive, with only one or two nucleotides hydrolyzed in a single binding event. The composition of the terminal basepair modulates excision. A stalled SARS-CoV-2 replicase in complex with either correctly or incorrectly terminated products prevents excision, suggesting that a mispaired end is insufficient to displace the replicase. Finally, we have discovered several modifications to the 3'-RNA terminus that interfere with or block ExoN-catalyzed excision. While a 3'-OH facilitates hydrolysis of a nucleotide with a normal ribose configuration, this substituent is not required for a nucleotide with a planar ribose configuration such as that present in the antiviral nucleotide produced by viperin. Design of ExoN-resistant, antiviral ribonucleotides should be feasible.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rukesh Chinthapatla
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Mohamad Sotoudegan
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Pankaj Srivastava
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Thomas K Anderson
- Department of Biochemistry and Institute for Molecular Virology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA
| | - Ibrahim M Moustafa
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
| | - Kellan T Passow
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| | - Samantha A Kennelly
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| | - Ramkumar Moorthy
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| | - David Dulin
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, and LaserLaB Amsterdam, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Junior Research Group 2, Interdisciplinary Center for Clinical Research, Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Cauerstr. 3, 91058 Erlangen, Germany
| | - Joy Y Feng
- Gilead Sciences, Inc, Foster City, CA 94404, USA
| | - Daniel A Harki
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| | - Robert N Kirchdoerfer
- Department of Biochemistry and Institute for Molecular Virology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA
| | - Craig E Cameron
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Jamie J Arnold
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
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Naidu SAG, Mustafa G, Clemens RA, Naidu AS. Plant-Derived Natural Non-Nucleoside Analog Inhibitors (NNAIs) against RNA-Dependent RNA Polymerase Complex (nsp7/nsp8/nsp12) of SARS-CoV-2. J Diet Suppl 2023; 20:254-283. [PMID: 34850656 DOI: 10.1080/19390211.2021.2006387] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
The emergence of fast-spreading SARS-CoV-2 mutants has sparked a new phase of COVID-19 pandemic. There is a dire necessity for antivirals targeting highly conserved genomic domains on SARS-CoV-2 that are less prone to mutation. The nsp12, also known as the RNA-dependent RNA-polymerase (RdRp), the core component of 'SARS-CoV-2 replication-transcription complex', is a potential well-conserved druggable antiviral target. Several FDA-approved RdRp 'nucleotide analog inhibitors (NAIs)' such as remdesivir, have been repurposed to treat COVID-19 infections. The NAIs target RdRp protein translation and competitively block the nucleotide insertion into the RNA chain, resulting in the inhibition of viral replication. However, the replication proofreading function of nsp14-ExoN could provide resistance to SARS-CoV-2 against many NAIs. Conversely, the 'non-nucleoside analog inhibitors (NNAIs)' bind to allosteric sites on viral polymerase surface, change the redox state; thereby, exert antiviral activity by altering interactions between the enzyme substrate and active core catalytic site of the RdRp. NNAIs neither require metabolic activation (unlike NAIs) nor compete with intracellular pool of nucleotide triphosphates (NTPs) for anti-RdRp activity. The NNAIs from phytonutrient origin are potential antiviral candidates compared to their synthetic counterparts. Several in-silico studies reported the antiviral spectrum of natural phytonutrient-NNAIs such as Suramin, Silibinin (flavonolignan), Theaflavin (tea polyphenol), Baicalein (5,6,7-trihydroxyflavone), Corilagin (gallotannin), Hesperidin (citrus bioflavonoid), Lycorine (pyrrolidine alkaloid), with superior redox characteristics (free binding energy, hydrogen-bonds, etc.) than antiviral drugs (i.e. remdesivir, favipiravir). These phytonutrient-NNAIs also exert anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, immunomodulatory and cardioprotective functions, with multifunctional therapeutic benefits in the clinical management of COVID-19.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Ghulam Mustafa
- Department of Biochemistry, Government College University, Faisalabad, Pakistan
| | - Roger A Clemens
- Department of International Regulatory Science, University of Southern California School of Pharmacy, Los Angeles, CA, USA
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Production and characterization of lentivirus vector-based SARS-CoV-2 pseudoviruses with dual reporters: Evaluation of anti-SARS-CoV-2 viral effect of Korean Red Ginseng. J Ginseng Res 2023; 47:123-132. [PMID: 35855181 PMCID: PMC9283196 DOI: 10.1016/j.jgr.2022.07.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2022] [Revised: 07/08/2022] [Accepted: 07/11/2022] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Pseudotyped virus systems that incorporate viral proteins have been widely employed for the rapid determination of the effectiveness and neutralizing activity of drug and vaccine candidates in biosafety level 2 facilities. We report an efficient method for producing severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pseudovirus with dual luciferase and fluorescent protein reporters. Moreover, using the established method, we also aimed to investigate whether Korean Red Ginseng (KRG), a valuable Korean herbal medicine, can attenuate infectivity of the pseudotyped virus. Methods A pseudovirus of SARS-CoV-2 (SARS-2pv) was constructed and efficiently produced using lentivirus vector systems available in the public domain by the introduction of critical mutations in the cytoplasmic tail of the spike protein. KRG extract was dose-dependently treated to Calu-3 cells during SARS2-pv treatment to evaluate the protective activity against SARS-CoV-2. Results The use of Calu-3 cells or the expression of angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) in HEK293T cells enabled SARS-2pv infection of host cells. Coexpression of transmembrane protease serine subtype 2 (TMPRSS2), which is the activator of spike protein, with ACE2 dramatically elevated luciferase activity, confirming the importance of the TMPRSS2-mediated pathway during SARS-CoV-2 entry. Our pseudovirus assay also revealed that KRG elicited resistance to SARS-CoV-2 infection in lung cells, suggesting its beneficial health effect. Conclusion The method demonstrated the production of SARS-2pv for the analysis of vaccine or drug candidates. When KRG was assessed by the method, it protected host cells from coronavirus infection. Further studies will be followed for demonstrating this potential benefit.
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Dofuor AK, Quartey NKA, Osabutey AF, Boateng BO, Lutuf H, Osei JHN, Ayivi-Tosuh SM, Aiduenu AF, Ekloh W, Loh SK, Opoku MJ, Aidoo OF. The Global Impact of COVID-19: Historical Development, Molecular Characterization, Drug Discovery and Future Directions. CLINICAL PATHOLOGY (THOUSAND OAKS, VENTURA COUNTY, CALIF.) 2023; 16:2632010X231218075. [PMID: 38144436 PMCID: PMC10748929 DOI: 10.1177/2632010x231218075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2023] [Accepted: 11/16/2023] [Indexed: 12/26/2023]
Abstract
In December 2019, an outbreak of a respiratory disease called the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by a new coronavirus known as severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) began in Wuhan, China. The SARS-CoV-2, an encapsulated positive-stranded RNA virus, spread worldwide with disastrous consequences for people's health, economies, and quality of life. The disease has had far-reaching impacts on society, including economic disruption, school closures, and increased stress and anxiety. It has also highlighted disparities in healthcare access and outcomes, with marginalized communities disproportionately affected by the SARS-CoV-2. The symptoms of COVID-19 range from mild to severe. There is presently no effective cure. Nevertheless, significant progress has been made in developing COVID-19 vaccine for different therapeutic targets. For instance, scientists developed multifold vaccine candidates shortly after the COVID-19 outbreak after Pfizer and AstraZeneca discovered the initial COVID-19 vaccines. These vaccines reduce disease spread, severity, and mortality. The addition of rapid diagnostics to microscopy for COVID-19 diagnosis has proven crucial. Our review provides a thorough overview of the historical development of COVID-19 and molecular and biochemical characterization of the SARS-CoV-2. We highlight the potential contributions from insect and plant sources as anti-SARS-CoV-2 and present directions for future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aboagye Kwarteng Dofuor
- Department of Biological Sciences, School of Natural and Environmental Sciences, University of Environment and Sustainable Development, Somanya, Ghana
| | - Naa Kwarley-Aba Quartey
- Department of Food Science and Technology, Faculty of Biosciences, College of Science, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana
| | | | - Belinda Obenewa Boateng
- Coconut Research Program, Oil Palm Research Institute, Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, Sekondi-Takoradi, Ghana
| | - Hanif Lutuf
- Crop Protection Division, Oil Palm Research Institute, Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, Kade, Ghana
| | - Joseph Harold Nyarko Osei
- Department of Parasitology, Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, College of Health Sciences, University of Ghana, Legon, Accra, Ghana
| | - Selina Mawunyo Ayivi-Tosuh
- Department of Biochemistry, School of Life Sciences, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, Jilin Province, China
| | - Albert Fynn Aiduenu
- West African Centre for Cell Biology of Infectious Pathogens, University of Ghana, Legon, Accra, Ghana
| | - William Ekloh
- Department of Biochemistry, School of Biological Sciences, College of Agriculture and Natural Sciences, University of Cape Coast, Cape Coast, Ghana
| | - Seyram Kofi Loh
- Department of Built Environment, School of Sustainable Development, University of Environment and Sustainable Development, Somanya, Ghana
| | - Maxwell Jnr Opoku
- Department of Biological Sciences, School of Natural and Environmental Sciences, University of Environment and Sustainable Development, Somanya, Ghana
| | - Owusu Fordjour Aidoo
- Department of Biological Sciences, School of Natural and Environmental Sciences, University of Environment and Sustainable Development, Somanya, Ghana
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He S, Qin H, Guan L, Liu K, Hong B, Zhang X, Lou F, Li M, Lin W, Chen Y, He C, Liu F, Lu S, Luo S, Zhu S, An X, Song L, Fan H, Tong Y. Bovine lactoferrin inhibits SARS-CoV-2 and SARS-CoV-1 by targeting the RdRp complex and alleviates viral infection in the hamster model. J Med Virol 2023; 95:e28281. [PMID: 36329614 PMCID: PMC9878033 DOI: 10.1002/jmv.28281] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2022] [Revised: 10/13/2022] [Accepted: 10/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Breast milk has been found to inhibit coronavirus infection, while the key components and mechanisms are unknown. We aimed to determine the components that contribute to the antiviral effects of breastmilk and explore their potential mechanism. Lactoferrin (Lf) and milk fat globule membrane inhibit severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2)-related coronavirus GX_P2V and transcription- and replication-competent SARS-CoV-2 virus-like particles in vitro and block viral entry into cells. We confirmed that bovine Lf (bLf) blocked the binding between human angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 and SARS-CoV-2 spike protein by combining receptor-binding domain (RBD). Importantly, bLf inhibited RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) activity of both SARS-CoV-2 and SARS-CoV in vitro in the nanomolar range. So far, no biological macromolecules have been reported to inhibit coronavirus RdRp. Our result indicated that bLf plays a major role in inhibiting viral replication. bLf treatment reduced viral load in lungs and tracheae and alleviated pathological damage. Our study provides evidence that bLf prevents SARS-CoV-2 infection by combining SARS-CoV-2 spike protein RBD and inhibiting coronaviruses' RdRp activity, and may be a promising candidate for the treatment of coronavirus disease 2019.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shi‐ting He
- College of Life Science and TechnologyBeijing University of Chemical TechnologyBeijingChina
| | - Hongbo Qin
- College of Life Science and TechnologyBeijing University of Chemical TechnologyBeijingChina
| | - Lin Guan
- College of Life Science and TechnologyBeijing University of Chemical TechnologyBeijingChina
| | - Ke Liu
- College of Life Science and TechnologyBeijing University of Chemical TechnologyBeijingChina
| | - Bixia Hong
- College of Life Science and TechnologyBeijing University of Chemical TechnologyBeijingChina
| | - Xiaoxu Zhang
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Soft Matter Science and EngineeringBeijing University of Chemical TechnologyBeijingChina
| | - Fuxing Lou
- College of Life Science and TechnologyBeijing University of Chemical TechnologyBeijingChina
| | - Maochen Li
- College of Life Science and TechnologyBeijing University of Chemical TechnologyBeijingChina
| | - Wei Lin
- College of Life Science and TechnologyBeijing University of Chemical TechnologyBeijingChina
| | - Yangzhen Chen
- College of Life Science and TechnologyBeijing University of Chemical TechnologyBeijingChina
| | - Chengzhi He
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Soft Matter Science and EngineeringBeijing University of Chemical TechnologyBeijingChina
| | - Feitong Liu
- H&H Group, H&H ResearchChina Research and InnovationGuangzhouChina
| | - Shanshan Lu
- College of Life Science and TechnologyBeijing University of Chemical TechnologyBeijingChina
| | - Shengdong Luo
- The Fifth Medical CenterChinese PLA People's Liberation Army General HospitalBeijingChina
| | - Shaozhou Zhu
- College of Life Science and TechnologyBeijing University of Chemical TechnologyBeijingChina
| | - Xiaoping An
- College of Life Science and TechnologyBeijing University of Chemical TechnologyBeijingChina
| | - Lihua Song
- College of Life Science and TechnologyBeijing University of Chemical TechnologyBeijingChina
| | - Huahao Fan
- College of Life Science and TechnologyBeijing University of Chemical TechnologyBeijingChina
| | - Yigang Tong
- College of Life Science and TechnologyBeijing University of Chemical TechnologyBeijingChina
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Petushkov I, Esyunina D, Kulbachinskiy A. Effects of natural RNA modifications on the activity of SARS-CoV-2 RNA-dependent RNA polymerase. FEBS J 2023; 290:80-92. [PMID: 35916766 PMCID: PMC9538676 DOI: 10.1111/febs.16587] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2022] [Revised: 07/17/2022] [Accepted: 08/01/2022] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) plays a key role in the replication of RNA viruses, including SARS-CoV-2. Processive RNA synthesis by RdRp is crucial for successful genome replication and expression, especially in the case of very long coronaviral genomes. Here, we analysed the activity of SARS-CoV-2 RdRp (the nsp12-nsp7-nsp8 complex) on synthetic primer-templates of various structures, including substrates with mismatched primers or template RNA modifications. It has been shown that RdRp cannot efficiently extend RNA primers containing mismatches and has no intrinsic RNA cleavage activity to remove the primer 3'-end, thus necessitating the action of exoribonuclease for proofreading. Similar to DNA-dependent RNA polymerases, RdRp can perform processive pyrophosphorolysis of the nascent RNA product but this reaction is also blocked in the presence of mismatches. Furthermore, we have demonstrated that several natural post-transcriptional modifications in the RNA template, which do not prevent complementary interactions (N6-methyladenosine, 5-methylcytosine, inosine and pseudouridine), do not change RdRp processivity. At the same time, certain modifications of RNA bases and ribose residues strongly block RNA synthesis, either prior to nucleotide incorporation (3-methyluridine and 1-methylguanosine) or immediately after it (2'-O-methylation). The results demonstrate that the activity of SARS-CoV-2 RdRp can be strongly inhibited by common modifications of the RNA template suggesting a way to design novel antiviral compounds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ivan Petushkov
- Institute of Molecular Genetics, National Research Center “Kurchatov Institute”MoscowRussia
| | - Daria Esyunina
- Institute of Molecular Genetics, National Research Center “Kurchatov Institute”MoscowRussia
| | - Andrey Kulbachinskiy
- Institute of Molecular Genetics, National Research Center “Kurchatov Institute”MoscowRussia
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Grundmann A, Wu C, Hardwick M, Baillie JK, Openshaw PJM, Semple MG, Böhning D, Pett S, Michael BD, Thomas RH, Galea I. Fewer COVID-19 Neurological Complications with Dexamethasone and Remdesivir. Ann Neurol 2023; 93:88-102. [PMID: 36261315 PMCID: PMC9874556 DOI: 10.1002/ana.26536] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2022] [Revised: 10/17/2022] [Accepted: 10/17/2022] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The objective of this study was to assess the impact of treatment with dexamethasone, remdesivir or both on neurological complications in acute coronavirus diease 2019 (COVID-19). METHODS We used observational data from the International Severe Acute and emerging Respiratory Infection Consortium World Health Organization (WHO) Clinical Characterization Protocol, United Kingdom. Hospital inpatients aged ≥18 years with laboratory-confirmed severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection admitted between January 31, 2020, and June 29, 2021, were included. Treatment allocation was non-blinded and performed by reporting clinicians. A propensity scoring methodology was used to minimize confounding. Treatment with remdesivir, dexamethasone, or both was assessed against the standard of care. The primary outcome was a neurological complication occurring at the point of death, discharge, or resolution of the COVID-19 clinical episode. RESULTS Out of 89,297 hospital inpatients, 64,088 had severe COVID-19 and 25,209 had non-hypoxic COVID-19. Neurological complications developed in 4.8% and 4.5%, respectively. In both groups, neurological complications were associated with increased mortality, intensive care unit (ICU) admission, worse self-care on discharge, and time to recovery. In patients with severe COVID-19, treatment with dexamethasone (n = 21,129), remdesivir (n = 1,428), and both combined (n = 10,846) were associated with a lower frequency of neurological complications: OR = 0.76 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.69-0.83), OR = 0.69 (95% CI = 0.51-0.90), and OR = 0.54 (95% CI = 0.47-0.61), respectively. In patients with non-hypoxic COVID-19, dexamethasone (n = 2,580) was associated with less neurological complications (OR = 0.78, 95% CI = 0.62-0.97), whereas the dexamethasone/remdesivir combination (n = 460) showed a similar trend (OR = 0.63, 95% CI = 0.31-1.15). INTERPRETATION Treatment with dexamethasone, remdesivir, or both in patients hospitalized with COVID-19 was associated with a lower frequency of neurological complications in an additive manner, such that the greatest benefit was observed in patients who received both drugs together. ANN NEUROL 2023;93:88-102.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander Grundmann
- Clinical Neurosciences, Clinical and Experimental Sciences, Faculty of MedicineUniversity of SouthamptonSouthamptonUK
- Department of NeurologyWessex Neurological Centre, University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation TrustSouthamptonUK
| | - Chieh‐Hsi Wu
- Statistics, Mathematical Sciences, and Faculty of Social SciencesUniversity of SouthamptonSouthamptonUK
| | - Marc Hardwick
- Clinical Neurosciences, Clinical and Experimental Sciences, Faculty of MedicineUniversity of SouthamptonSouthamptonUK
- Department of NeurologyWessex Neurological Centre, University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation TrustSouthamptonUK
| | - J. Kenneth Baillie
- Roslin InstituteUniversity of Edinburgh, Easter BushEdinburghUK
- Intensive Care UnitRoyal Infirmary of EdinburghEdinburghUK
| | - Peter J M Openshaw
- National Heart and Lung InstituteImperial College LondonLondonUK
- Imperial College Healthcare NHS TrustLondonUK
| | - Malcolm G. Semple
- NIHR Health Protection Research Unit for Emerging and Zoonotic InfectionsInstitute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences, University of LiverpoolLiverpoolUK
- Department of Respiratory MedicineAlder Hey Children's HospitalLiverpoolUK
| | - Dankmar Böhning
- Statistics, Mathematical Sciences, and Faculty of Social SciencesUniversity of SouthamptonSouthamptonUK
| | - Sarah Pett
- Medical Research Council Clinical Trials UnitInstitute of Clinical Trials and Methodology, University College LondonLondonUK
- Institute for Global HealthUniversity College LondonLondonUK
| | - Benedict D. Michael
- NIHR Health Protection Research Unit for Emerging and Zoonotic InfectionsInstitute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences, University of LiverpoolLiverpoolUK
- Department of Clinical Infection Microbiology and ImmunologyInstitute of Infection, Veterinary, and Ecological Sciences, University of LiverpoolLiverpoolUK
- Department of NeurologyThe Walton Centre NHS Foundation TrustLiverpoolUK
| | - Rhys H. Thomas
- Translational and Clinical Research InstituteUniversity of NewcastleNewcastle upon TyneUK
- Department of NeurologyRoyal Victoria InfirmaryNewcastle upon TyneUK
| | - Ian Galea
- Clinical Neurosciences, Clinical and Experimental Sciences, Faculty of MedicineUniversity of SouthamptonSouthamptonUK
- Department of NeurologyWessex Neurological Centre, University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation TrustSouthamptonUK
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Chary MA, Barbuto AF, Izadmehr S, Tarsillo M, Fleischer E, Burns MM. COVID-19 Therapeutics: Use, Mechanism of Action, and Toxicity (Xenobiotics). J Med Toxicol 2023; 19:26-36. [PMID: 36525217 PMCID: PMC9756926 DOI: 10.1007/s13181-022-00918-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2022] [Revised: 11/12/2022] [Accepted: 11/16/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
SARS-CoV-2 emerged in 2019 and led to the COVID-19 pandemic. Efforts to develop therapeutics against SARS-Cov-2 led to both new treatments and attempts to repurpose existing medications. Here, we provide a narrative review of the xenobiotics and alternative remedies used or proposed to treat COVID-19. Most repositioned xenobiotics have had neither the feared toxicity nor the anticipated efficacy. Repurposed viral replication inhibitors are not efficacious and frequently associated with nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. Antiviral medications designed specifically against SARS-CoV-2 may prevent progression to severe disease in at-risk individuals and appear to have a wide therapeutic index. Colloidal silver, zinc, and ivermectin have no demonstrated efficacy. Ivermectin has a wide therapeutic index but is not efficacious and acquiring it from veterinary sources poses additional danger. Chloroquine has a narrow therapeutic index and no efficacy. A companion review covers vaccines, monoclonal antibodies, and immunotherapies. Together, these two reviews form an update to our 2020 review.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael A Chary
- Division of Medical Toxicology, Department of Emergency Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.
- Regional Center for Poison Control and Prevention Serving Massachusetts and Rhode Island, Boston, MA, USA.
- Division of Medical Toxicology, Department of Emergency Medicine, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY, USA.
| | - Alexander F Barbuto
- Division of Medical Toxicology, Department of Emergency Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Regional Center for Poison Control and Prevention Serving Massachusetts and Rhode Island, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Carl R. Darnall Army Medical Center, Fort Hood, TX, USA
| | - Sudeh Izadmehr
- Division of Hematology and Medical Oncology, Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Marc Tarsillo
- Division of Medical Toxicology, Department of Emergency Medicine, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY, USA
| | - Eduardo Fleischer
- Division of Medical Toxicology, Department of Emergency Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Michele M Burns
- Division of Medical Toxicology, Department of Emergency Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Regional Center for Poison Control and Prevention Serving Massachusetts and Rhode Island, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
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Xiao M, Ma F, Yu J, Xie J, Zhang Q, Liu P, Yu F, Jiang Y, Zhang L. A Computer Simulation of SARS-CoV-2 Mutation Spectra for Empirical Data Characterization and Analysis. Biomolecules 2022; 13:63. [PMID: 36671448 PMCID: PMC9855923 DOI: 10.3390/biom13010063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2022] [Revised: 12/21/2022] [Accepted: 12/23/2022] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
It is very important to compute the mutation spectra, and simulate the intra-host mutation processes by sequencing data, which is not only for the understanding of SARS-CoV-2 genetic mechanism, but also for epidemic prediction, vaccine, and drug design. However, the current intra-host mutation analysis algorithms are not only inaccurate, but also the simulation methods are unable to quickly and precisely predict new SARS-CoV-2 variants generated from the accumulation of mutations. Therefore, this study proposes a novel accurate strand-specific SARS-CoV-2 intra-host mutation spectra computation method, develops an efficient and fast SARS-CoV-2 intra-host mutation simulation method based on mutation spectra, and establishes an online analysis and visualization platform. Our main results include: (1) There is a significant variability in the SARS-CoV-2 intra-host mutation spectra across different lineages, with the major mutations from G- > A, G- > C, G- > U on the positive-sense strand and C- > U, C- > G, C- > A on the negative-sense strand; (2) our mutation simulation reveals the simulation sequence starts to deviate from the base content percentage of Alpha-CoV/Delta-CoV after approximately 620 mutation steps; (3) 2019-NCSS provides an easy-to-use and visualized online platform for SARS-Cov-2 online analysis and mutation simulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ming Xiao
- College of Computer Science, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065, China
- Med-X Center for Informatics, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Fubo Ma
- West China Biomedical Big Data Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Jun Yu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Genome Sciences and Information, Beijing Institute of Genomics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
- College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Jianghang Xie
- College of Computer Science, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065, China
| | - Qiaozhen Zhang
- College of Computer Science, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065, China
| | - Peng Liu
- National Wildlife Health Center, Hebei Agricultural University, Baoding 071001, China
- Hebei Key Laboratory of Analysis and Control of Zoonotic Pathogenic Microorganism, Hebei Agricultural University, Baoding 071001, China
| | - Fei Yu
- Hebei Key Laboratory of Analysis and Control of Zoonotic Pathogenic Microorganism, Hebei Agricultural University, Baoding 071001, China
- College of Life Sciences, Hebei Agricultural University, Baoding 071001, China
| | - Yuming Jiang
- College of Computer Science, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065, China
| | - Le Zhang
- College of Computer Science, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065, China
- Med-X Center for Informatics, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
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Fayyazi N, Mostashari-Rad T, Ghasemi JB, Ardakani MM, Kobarfard F. Molecular dynamics simulation, 3D-pharmacophore and scaffold hopping analysis in the design of multi-target drugs to inhibit potential targets of COVID-19. J Biomol Struct Dyn 2022; 40:11787-11808. [PMID: 34405765 DOI: 10.1080/07391102.2021.1965914] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
SARS-CoV-2 has posed serious threat to the health and has inflicted huge costs in the world. Discovering potent compounds is a critical step to inhibit coronavirus. 3CLpro and RdRp are the most conserved targets associated with COVID-19. In this study, three-dimensional pharmacophore modeling, scaffold hopping, molecular docking, structure-based virtual screening, QSAR-based ADMET predictions and molecular dynamics analysis were used to identify inhibitors for these targets. Binding free energies estimated by molecular docking for each ligand in different binding sites of RdRp were used to predict the active site. Previously reported active 3CLpro and RdRp inhibitors were used to build a pharmacophore model to develop different scaffolds. Structure-based simulations and pharmacophore modeling based on Hip Hop algorithm converged in a state that suggest hydrogen bond acceptor and donor features have a critical role in the two binding sites. Further validations indicated that the best pharmacophore model has fairly good correlation values compared with approved inhibitors. Structure-based simulation results approved that GLu166 and Gln189 in 3CLpro and Lys551 and Glu811 in RdRp, are critical residues for dual activities. Ten compounds were extracted from pharmacophore-based virtual screening in six databases. The results, gained by repurposing approach, suggest the effectiveness of these ten compounds with different scaffolds as possible inhibitors of the two targets. Some quinoline-based hybrid derivatives also were designed. QSAR descriptors plot predicted that the scaffolds have had accepted pharmacokinetic profiles. Multiple molecular dynamics simulations in 100 ns and MM/PBSA studies of some reference inhibitors and the novel compounds in complex with both targets demonstrated stable complexes and confirmed the interaction modes. Based on different computational methods, COVID-19 multi-target inhibitors are proposed. Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Neda Fayyazi
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.,Phytochemistry Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Tahereh Mostashari-Rad
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.,Phytochemistry Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Jahan B Ghasemi
- College of Sciences, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mehran Mirabzadeh Ardakani
- Department of Traditional Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Tehran University of Medical Science, Tehran, Iran
| | - Farzad Kobarfard
- Phytochemistry Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.,Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
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137
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Alteri C, Fox V, Scutari R, Burastero GJ, Volpi S, Faltoni M, Fini V, Granaglia A, Esperti S, Gallerani A, Costabile V, Fontana B, Franceschini E, Meschiari M, Campana A, Bernardi S, Villani A, Bernaschi P, Russo C, Guaraldi G, Mussini C, Perno CF. A proof-of-concept study on the genomic evolution of Sars-Cov-2 in molnupiravir-treated, paxlovid-treated and drug-naïve patients. Commun Biol 2022; 5:1376. [PMID: 36522489 PMCID: PMC9753865 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-022-04322-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2022] [Accepted: 11/30/2022] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Little is known about SARS-CoV-2 evolution under Molnupiravir and Paxlovid, the only antivirals approved for COVID-19 treatment. By investigating SARS-CoV-2 variability in 8 Molnupiravir-treated, 7 Paxlovid-treated and 5 drug-naïve individuals at 4 time-points (Days 0-2-5-7), a higher genetic distance is found under Molnupiravir pressure compared to Paxlovid and no-drug pressure (nucleotide-substitutions/site mean±Standard error: 18.7 × 10-4 ± 2.1 × 10-4 vs. 3.3 × 10-4 ± 0.8 × 10-4 vs. 3.1 × 10-4 ± 0.8 × 10-4, P = 0.0003), peaking between Day 2 and 5. Molnupiravir drives the emergence of more G-A and C-T transitions than other mutations (P = 0.031). SARS-CoV-2 selective evolution under Molnupiravir pressure does not differ from that under Paxlovid or no-drug pressure, except for orf8 (dN > dS, P = 0.001); few amino acid mutations are enriched at specific sites. No RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) or main proteases (Mpro) mutations conferring resistance to Molnupiravir or Paxlovid are found. This proof-of-concept study defines the SARS-CoV-2 within-host evolution during antiviral treatment, confirming higher in vivo variability induced by Molnupiravir compared to Paxlovid and drug-naive, albeit not resulting in apparent mutation selection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudia Alteri
- Multimodal Research Area, Microbiology and Diagnostics of Immunology Unit, Bambino Gesù Children Hospital IRCCS, Rome, Italy
- Department of Oncology and Hemato-Oncology, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Valeria Fox
- Multimodal Research Area, Microbiology and Diagnostics of Immunology Unit, Bambino Gesù Children Hospital IRCCS, Rome, Italy
- Department of Oncology and Hemato-Oncology, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Rossana Scutari
- Multimodal Research Area, Microbiology and Diagnostics of Immunology Unit, Bambino Gesù Children Hospital IRCCS, Rome, Italy
- Department of Oncology and Hemato-Oncology, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Giulia Jole Burastero
- Department of Infectious Diseases, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy
| | - Sara Volpi
- Department of Infectious Diseases, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy
| | - Matteo Faltoni
- Department of Infectious Diseases, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy
| | - Vanessa Fini
- Multimodal Research Area, Microbiology and Diagnostics of Immunology Unit, Bambino Gesù Children Hospital IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Annarita Granaglia
- Multimodal Research Area, Microbiology and Diagnostics of Immunology Unit, Bambino Gesù Children Hospital IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Sara Esperti
- Department of Infectious Diseases, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy
| | - Altea Gallerani
- Department of Infectious Diseases, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy
| | - Valentino Costabile
- Multimodal Research Area, Microbiology and Diagnostics of Immunology Unit, Bambino Gesù Children Hospital IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Beatrice Fontana
- Department of Infectious Diseases, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy
| | | | | | - Andrea Campana
- Academic Department of Pediatrics, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Stefania Bernardi
- Academic Department of Pediatrics, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Alberto Villani
- Academic Department of Pediatrics, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Paola Bernaschi
- Multimodal Research Area, Microbiology and Diagnostics of Immunology Unit, Bambino Gesù Children Hospital IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Cristina Russo
- Multimodal Research Area, Microbiology and Diagnostics of Immunology Unit, Bambino Gesù Children Hospital IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Giovanni Guaraldi
- Department of Infectious Diseases, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy
| | - Cristina Mussini
- Department of Infectious Diseases, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy
| | - Carlo Federico Perno
- Multimodal Research Area, Microbiology and Diagnostics of Immunology Unit, Bambino Gesù Children Hospital IRCCS, Rome, Italy.
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138
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Mariniello DF, Allocca V, D’Agnano V, Villaro R, Lanata L, Bagnasco M, Aronne L, Bianco A, Perrotta F. Strategies Tackling Viral Replication and Inflammatory Pathways as Early Pharmacological Treatment for SARS-CoV-2 Infection: Any Potential Role for Ketoprofen Lysine Salt? MOLECULES (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2022; 27:molecules27248919. [PMID: 36558048 PMCID: PMC9782495 DOI: 10.3390/molecules27248919] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2022] [Revised: 12/10/2022] [Accepted: 12/12/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
COVID-19 is an infective disease resulting in widespread respiratory and non-respiratory symptoms prompted by SARS-CoV-2 infection. Interaction between SARS-CoV-2 and host cell receptors prompts activation of pro-inflammatory pathways which are involved in epithelial and endothelial damage mechanisms even after viral clearance. Since inflammation has been recognized as a critical step in COVID-19, anti-inflammatory therapies, including both steroids and non-steroids as well as cytokine inhibitors, have been proposed. Early treatment of COVID-19 has the potential to affect the clinical course of the disease regardless of underlying comorbid conditions. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), which are widely used for symptomatic relief of upper airway infections, became the mainstay of early phase treatment of COVID-19. In this review, we discuss the current evidence for using NSAIDs in early phases of SARS-CoV-2 infection with focus on ketoprofen lysine salt based on its pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic features.
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Affiliation(s)
- Domenica Francesca Mariniello
- Department of Translational Medical Sciences, University of Campania “L. Vanvitelli”, 80131 Naples, Italy
- U.O.C. Clinica Pneumologica “L. Vanvitelli”, A.O. dei Colli, Ospedale Monaldi, 80131 Naples, Italy
| | - Valentino Allocca
- Department of Translational Medical Sciences, University of Campania “L. Vanvitelli”, 80131 Naples, Italy
- U.O.C. Clinica Pneumologica “L. Vanvitelli”, A.O. dei Colli, Ospedale Monaldi, 80131 Naples, Italy
| | - Vito D’Agnano
- Department of Translational Medical Sciences, University of Campania “L. Vanvitelli”, 80131 Naples, Italy
- U.O.C. Clinica Pneumologica “L. Vanvitelli”, A.O. dei Colli, Ospedale Monaldi, 80131 Naples, Italy
| | - Riccardo Villaro
- Section of Infectious Diseases, Department of Clinical Medicine and Surgery, University of Naples Federico II, 80131 Naples, Italy
| | - Luigi Lanata
- Medical Deptartment, Dompé Farmaceutici SpA, 20122 Milan, Italy
| | | | - Luigi Aronne
- Department of Translational Medical Sciences, University of Campania “L. Vanvitelli”, 80131 Naples, Italy
- U.O.C. Clinica Pneumologica “L. Vanvitelli”, A.O. dei Colli, Ospedale Monaldi, 80131 Naples, Italy
| | - Andrea Bianco
- Department of Translational Medical Sciences, University of Campania “L. Vanvitelli”, 80131 Naples, Italy
- U.O.C. Clinica Pneumologica “L. Vanvitelli”, A.O. dei Colli, Ospedale Monaldi, 80131 Naples, Italy
| | - Fabio Perrotta
- Department of Translational Medical Sciences, University of Campania “L. Vanvitelli”, 80131 Naples, Italy
- U.O.C. Clinica Pneumologica “L. Vanvitelli”, A.O. dei Colli, Ospedale Monaldi, 80131 Naples, Italy
- Correspondence:
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139
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Bajrai LH, El-Kafrawy SA, Hassan AM, Tolah AM, Alnahas RS, Sohrab SS, Rehan M, Azhar EI. In vitro screening of anti-viral and virucidal effects against SARS-CoV-2 by Hypericum perforatum and Echinacea. Sci Rep 2022; 12:21723. [PMID: 36522420 PMCID: PMC9754313 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-26157-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2022] [Accepted: 12/12/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Hypericum perforatum and Echinacea are reported to have antiviral activities against several viral infections. In this study, H. perforatum (St. John's Wort) and Echinacea were tested in vitro using Vero E6 cells for their anti-viral effects against the newly identified Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) through its infectious cycle from 0 to 48 h post infection. The hypericin of H. perforatum and the different parts (roots, seeds, aerial) of two types of Echinacea species (Echinacea purpurea and Echinacea angustifolia) were tested for their anti-viral activities to measure the inhibition of viral load using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) on cell culture assay. Interestingly, the H. perforatum-Echinacea mixture (1:1 ratio) of H. perforatum and Echinacea was tested as well on SARS-CoV-2 and showed crucial anti-viral activity competing H. perforatum then Echinacea effects as anti-viral treatment. Therefore, the results H. perforatum and Echinacea species, applied in this study showed significant anti-viral and virucidal effects in the following order of potency: H. perforatum, H. perforatum-Echinacea mixture, and Echinacea on SARS-CoV-2 infectious cycle. Additionally, molecular simulation analysis of the compounds with essential proteins (Mpro and RdRp) of the SARS-CoV-2 revealed the most potent bioactive compounds such as Echinacin, Echinacoside, Cyanin, Cyanidin 3-(6''-alonylglucoside, Quercetin-3-O-glucuronide, Proanthocyanidins, Rutin, Kaempferol-3-O-rutinoside, and Quercetin-3-O-xyloside. Thus, based on the outcome of this study, it is demanding the setup of clinical trial with specific therapeutic protocol.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leena Hussein Bajrai
- Special Infectious Agents Unit-BSL3, King Fahd Medical Research Center, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
- Biochemistry Department, Faculty of Sciences, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
| | - Sherif Ali El-Kafrawy
- Special Infectious Agents Unit-BSL3, King Fahd Medical Research Center, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
- Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences, Faculty of Applied Medical Sciences, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
| | - Ahmed Mohamed Hassan
- Special Infectious Agents Unit-BSL3, King Fahd Medical Research Center, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
| | - Ahmed Majdi Tolah
- Special Infectious Agents Unit-BSL3, King Fahd Medical Research Center, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
- Department of Medical Laboratory Technology, Faculty of Applied Medical Sciences, King Abdulaziz University, Rabig, Saudi Arabia
| | - Rabie Saleh Alnahas
- Special Infectious Agents Unit-BSL3, King Fahd Medical Research Center, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
| | - Sayed Sartaj Sohrab
- Special Infectious Agents Unit-BSL3, King Fahd Medical Research Center, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
- Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences, Faculty of Applied Medical Sciences, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
| | - Mohd Rehan
- Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences, Faculty of Applied Medical Sciences, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
- King Fahd Medical Research Center, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
| | - Esam Ibraheem Azhar
- Special Infectious Agents Unit-BSL3, King Fahd Medical Research Center, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
- Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences, Faculty of Applied Medical Sciences, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
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140
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Sun Y, Zhao B, Wang Y, Chen Z, Zhang H, Qu L, Zhao Y, Song J. Optimization of potential non-covalent inhibitors for the SARS-CoV-2 main protease inspected by a descriptor of the subpocket occupancy. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2022; 24:29940-29951. [PMID: 36468652 DOI: 10.1039/d2cp03681a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
The main protease is regarded as an essential drug target for treating Coronavirus Disease 2019. In the present study, 13 marketed drugs were investigated to explore the possible binding mechanism, utilizing molecular docking, molecular dynamics simulation, and MM-PB(GB)SA binding energy calculations. Our results suggest that fusidic acid, polydatin, SEN-1269, AZD6482, and UNC-2327 have high binding affinities of more than 23 kcal mol-1. A descriptor was defined for the energetic occupancy of the subpocket, and it was found that S4 had a low occupancy of less than 10% on average. The molecular optimization of ADZ6482 via reinforcement learning algorithms was carried out to screen out three lead compounds, in which slight structural changes give more considerable binding energies and an occupancy of the S4 subpocket of up to 43%. The energetic occupancy could be a useful descriptor for evaluating the local binding affinity for drug design.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yujia Sun
- Green Catalysis Center, and College of Chemistry, Zhengzhou University, No. 100 Science Avenue, Zhengzhou, Henan, 450001, P. R. China.
| | - Bodi Zhao
- Green Catalysis Center, and College of Chemistry, Zhengzhou University, No. 100 Science Avenue, Zhengzhou, Henan, 450001, P. R. China.
| | - Yuqi Wang
- Green Catalysis Center, and College of Chemistry, Zhengzhou University, No. 100 Science Avenue, Zhengzhou, Henan, 450001, P. R. China.
| | - Zitong Chen
- Green Catalysis Center, and College of Chemistry, Zhengzhou University, No. 100 Science Avenue, Zhengzhou, Henan, 450001, P. R. China.
| | - Huaiyu Zhang
- Institute of Computational Quantum Chemistry, College of Chemistry and Materials Science, Hebei Normal University, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, 050024, P. R. China
| | - Lingbo Qu
- Green Catalysis Center, and College of Chemistry, Zhengzhou University, No. 100 Science Avenue, Zhengzhou, Henan, 450001, P. R. China.
| | - Yuan Zhao
- The Key Laboratory of Natural Medicine and Immuno - Engineering, Henan University, Kaifeng, Henan, 475000, P. R. China
| | - Jinshuai Song
- Green Catalysis Center, and College of Chemistry, Zhengzhou University, No. 100 Science Avenue, Zhengzhou, Henan, 450001, P. R. China.
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141
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Nelfinavir: An Old Ally in the COVID-19 Fight? Microorganisms 2022; 10:microorganisms10122471. [PMID: 36557724 PMCID: PMC9783559 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms10122471] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2022] [Revised: 12/10/2022] [Accepted: 12/12/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
After almost three years of the pandemic, Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is still spreading around the world, causing notable sanitary and social issues. New antiviral therapies are constantly under investigation. However, few options have been approved for the treatment of COVID-19. Clinical trials are currently ongoing to evaluate the efficacy of nelfinavir on mild−moderate COVID-19. This study aims to investigate the activity of this compound on SARS-CoV-2 “Variants of Concern” (VOCs), comparing its effectiveness with the approved drugs remdesivir and molnupiravir. The experiments were conducted in a biosafety level 3 facility. In this study, we used a Vero-E6-cell-based infection assay to investigate the in vitro activity of nelfinavir, molnupiravir, and remdesivir. Four strains of SARS-CoV-2 were tested: 20A.EU1, B.1.1.7, P.1, and B.1.617.2. All compounds reached micromolar/submicromolar EC50, EC90, and EC99. Furthermore, the Cmax/EC50 and Cmax/EC90 ratios were >1 for all compounds and all variants tested. Our study demonstrated that nelfinavir, as molnupiravir, and remdesivir are effective in vitro on SARS-CoV-2 variants.
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142
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Zhou Y, Chen J, Kirbas Cilingir E, Zhang W, Gonzalez L, Perez S, Davila A, Brejcha N, Gu J, Shi W, Domena JB, Ferreira BCLB, Zhang F, Vallejo FA, Toledo D, Liyanage PY, Graham RM, Dallman J, Peng Z, Agatemor C, Catenazzi A, Leblanc RM. An insight into embryogenesis interruption by carbon nitride dots: can they be nucleobase analogs? NANOSCALE 2022; 14:17607-17624. [PMID: 36412202 DOI: 10.1039/d2nr04778k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
The carbon nitride dot (CND) is an emerging carbon-based nanomaterial. It possesses rich surface functional moieties and a carbon nitride core. Spectroscopic data have demonstrated the analogy between CNDs and cytosine/uracil. Recently, it was found that CNDs could interrupt the normal embryogenesis of zebrafish. Modifying CNDs with various nucleobases, especially cytosine, further decreased embryo viability and increased deformities. Physicochemical property characterization demonstrated that adenine- and cytosine-incorporated CNDs are similar but different from guanine-, thymine- and uracil-incorporated CNDs in many properties, morphology, and structure. To investigate the embryogenesis interruption at the cellular level, bare and different nucleobase-incorporated CNDs were applied to normal and cancerous cell lines. A dose-dependent decline was observed in the viability of normal and cancerous cells incubated with cytosine-incorporated CNDs, which matched results from the zebrafish embryogenesis experiment. In addition, nucleobase-incorporated CNDs were observed to enter cell nuclei, demonstrating a possibility of CND-DNA interactions. CNDs modified by complementary nucleobases could bind each other via hydrogen bonds, which suggests nucleobase-incorporated CNDs can potentially bind the complementary nucleobases in a DNA double helix. Nonetheless, neither bare nor nucleobase-incorporated CNDs were observed to intervene in the amplification of the zebrafish polymerase-alpha 1 gene in quantitative polymerase chain reactions. Thus, in conclusion, the embryogenesis interruption by bare and nucleobase-incorporated CNDs might not be a consequence of CND-DNA interactions during DNA replication. Instead, CND-Ca2+ interactions offer a plausible mechanism that hindered cell proliferation and zebrafish embryogenesis originating from disturbed Ca2+ homeostasis by CNDs. Eventually, the hypothesis that raw or nucleobase-incorporated CNDs can be nucleobase analogs proved to be invalid.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yiqun Zhou
- Department of Chemistry, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL 33146, USA.
- C-Dots, LLC, Miami, FL 33136, USA
- Department of Biological Sciences, Florida International University, Miami, FL 33199, USA.
| | - Jiuyan Chen
- Department of Chemistry, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL 33146, USA.
| | | | - Wei Zhang
- Department of Chemistry, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL 33146, USA.
| | | | - Samuel Perez
- Miami Dade College North Campus, Miami, FL 33167, USA
| | - Arjuna Davila
- Miami Dade College North Campus, Miami, FL 33167, USA
| | | | - Jun Gu
- Department of Chemistry, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL 33146, USA.
| | - Wenquan Shi
- National Center for International Research on Photoelectric and Energy Materials, School of Materials and Energy, Yunnan University, Kunming, Yunnan 650091, People's Republic of China
| | - Justin B Domena
- Department of Chemistry, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL 33146, USA.
| | | | - Fuwu Zhang
- Department of Chemistry, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL 33146, USA.
| | - Frederic A Vallejo
- Department of Neurological Surgery, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL 33136, USA
| | - Daniela Toledo
- Department of Chemistry, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL 33146, USA.
| | | | - Regina M Graham
- Department of Neurological Surgery, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL 33136, USA
| | - Julia Dallman
- Department of Biology, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL 33146, USA
| | - Zhili Peng
- National Center for International Research on Photoelectric and Energy Materials, School of Materials and Energy, Yunnan University, Kunming, Yunnan 650091, People's Republic of China
| | - Christian Agatemor
- Department of Chemistry, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL 33146, USA.
- Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Miami, Miami, FL 33136, USA
| | - Alessandro Catenazzi
- Department of Biological Sciences, Florida International University, Miami, FL 33199, USA.
| | - Roger M Leblanc
- Department of Chemistry, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL 33146, USA.
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143
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Budipramana K, Sangande F. Molecular docking-based virtual screening: Challenges in hits identification for Anti-SARS-Cov-2 activity. PHARMACIA 2022. [DOI: 10.3897/pharmacia.69.e89812] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The emergence of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-Cov-2) requires finding new drugs or repurposing drugs for clinical use. Molecular docking belongs to structure-based drug design providing a fast method for identifying the hit compounds with antiviral activity against SARS-Cov-2. However, the weakness of the docking method is compounded by the limited crystallographic information and comparison drugs due to the novelty of this virus can present challenges in identifying hits of anti-SARS-Cov-2. In the current review, we highlighted several aspects, especially those related to the target structure, docking validation, and virtual hit selection, that need to be considered to obtain reliable docking results. Here, we discussed several cases pertaining to the issue highlighted and approaches that could be used to solve them.
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144
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Halma MTJ, Wever MJA, Abeln S, Roche D, Wuite GJL. Therapeutic potential of compounds targeting SARS-CoV-2 helicase. Front Chem 2022; 10:1062352. [PMID: 36561139 PMCID: PMC9763700 DOI: 10.3389/fchem.2022.1062352] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2022] [Accepted: 11/25/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The economical and societal impact of COVID-19 has made the development of vaccines and drugs to combat SARS-CoV-2 infection a priority. While the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein has been widely explored as a drug target, the SARS-CoV-2 helicase (nsp13) does not have any approved medication. The helicase shares 99.8% similarity with its SARS-CoV-1 homolog and was shown to be essential for viral replication. This review summarizes and builds on existing research on inhibitors of SARS-CoV-1 and SARS-CoV-2 helicases. Our analysis on the toxicity and specificity of these compounds, set the road going forward for the repurposing of existing drugs and the development of new SARS-CoV-2 helicase inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew T. J. Halma
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
- LUMICKS B. V., Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Mark J. A. Wever
- DCM, University of Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble, France
- Edelris, Lyon, France
| | - Sanne Abeln
- Department of Computer Science, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | | | - Gijs J. L. Wuite
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
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145
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Lei S, Chen X, Wu J, Duan X, Men K. Small molecules in the treatment of COVID-19. Signal Transduct Target Ther 2022; 7:387. [PMID: 36464706 PMCID: PMC9719906 DOI: 10.1038/s41392-022-01249-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 26.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2022] [Revised: 11/02/2022] [Accepted: 11/08/2022] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The outbreak of COVID-19 has become a global crisis, and brought severe disruptions to societies and economies. Until now, effective therapeutics against COVID-19 are in high demand. Along with our improved understanding of the structure, function, and pathogenic process of SARS-CoV-2, many small molecules with potential anti-COVID-19 effects have been developed. So far, several antiviral strategies were explored. Besides directly inhibition of viral proteins such as RdRp and Mpro, interference of host enzymes including ACE2 and proteases, and blocking relevant immunoregulatory pathways represented by JAK/STAT, BTK, NF-κB, and NLRP3 pathways, are regarded feasible in drug development. The development of small molecules to treat COVID-19 has been achieved by several strategies, including computer-aided lead compound design and screening, natural product discovery, drug repurposing, and combination therapy. Several small molecules representative by remdesivir and paxlovid have been proved or authorized emergency use in many countries. And many candidates have entered clinical-trial stage. Nevertheless, due to the epidemiological features and variability issues of SARS-CoV-2, it is necessary to continue exploring novel strategies against COVID-19. This review discusses the current findings in the development of small molecules for COVID-19 treatment. Moreover, their detailed mechanism of action, chemical structures, and preclinical and clinical efficacies are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sibei Lei
- State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiaohua Chen
- Department of Pharmacy, Personalized Drug Therapy Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province Sichuan Academy of Medical Sciences & Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, School of Medicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, 610072, China
| | - Jieping Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, People's Republic of China
| | - Xingmei Duan
- Department of Pharmacy, Personalized Drug Therapy Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province Sichuan Academy of Medical Sciences & Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, School of Medicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, 610072, China.
| | - Ke Men
- State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, People's Republic of China.
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146
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Esposito S, Autore G, Argentiero A, Ramundo G, Perrone S, Principi N. Update on COVID-19 Therapy in Pediatric Age. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2022; 15:1512. [PMID: 36558963 PMCID: PMC9783267 DOI: 10.3390/ph15121512] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2022] [Revised: 11/25/2022] [Accepted: 11/30/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
With the extension of the COVID-19 pandemic, the large use of COVID-19 vaccines among adults and the emergence of SARS-CoV-2 variants means that the epidemiology of COVID-19 in pediatrics, particularly among younger children, has substantially changed. The prevalence of pediatric COVID-19 significantly increased, several severe cases among children were reported, and long-COVID in pediatric age was frequently observed. The main aim of this paper is to discuss which types of treatment are presently available for pediatric patients with COVID-19, which of them are authorized for the first years of life, and which are the most important limitations of COVID-19 therapy in pediatric age. Four different antivirals, remdesivir (RVD), the combination nirmatrelvir plus ritonavir (Paxlovid), molnupiravir (MPV), and the monoclonal antibody bebtelovimab (BEB), are presently approved or authorized for emergency use for COVID-19 treatment by most of the national health authorities, although with limitations according to the clinical relevance of disease and patient's characteristics. Analyses in the literature show that MPV cannot be used in pediatric age for the risk of adverse events regarding bone growth. The other antivirals can be used, at least in older children, and RDV can be used in all children except in neonates. However, careful research on pharmacokinetic and clinical data specifically collected in neonates and children are urgently needed for the appropriate management of pediatric COVID-19.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susanna Esposito
- Pediatric Clinic, Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Parma, 43126 Parma, Italy
| | - Giovanni Autore
- Pediatric Clinic, Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Parma, 43126 Parma, Italy
| | - Alberto Argentiero
- Pediatric Clinic, Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Parma, 43126 Parma, Italy
| | - Greta Ramundo
- Pediatric Clinic, Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Parma, 43126 Parma, Italy
| | - Serafina Perrone
- Neonatoloy Unit, Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Parma, 43126 Parma, Italy
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147
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Pavan M, Bassani D, Sturlese M, Moro S. Bat coronaviruses related to SARS-CoV-2: what about their 3CL proteases (MPro)? J Enzyme Inhib Med Chem 2022; 37:1077-1082. [PMID: 35418253 PMCID: PMC9037175 DOI: 10.1080/14756366.2022.2062336] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2022] [Accepted: 03/30/2022] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite a huge effort by the scientific community to determine the animal reservoir of SARS-CoV-2, which led to the identification of several SARS-CoV-2-related viruses both in bats and in pangolins, the origin of SARS-CoV-2 is still not clear. Recently, Temmam et al. reported the discovery of bat coronaviruses with a high degree of genome similarity with SARS-CoV-2, especially concerning the RBDs of the S protein, which mediates the capability of such viruses to enter and therefore infect human cells through a hACE2-dependent pathway. These viruses, especially the one named BANAL-236, showed a higher affinity for the hACE2 compared to the original strain of SARS-CoV-2. In the present work, we analyse the similarities and differences between the 3CL protease (main protease, Mpro) of these newly reported viruses and SARS-CoV-2, discussing their relevance relative to the efficacy of existing therapeutic approaches against COVID-19, particularly concerning the recently approved orally available Paxlovid, and the development of future ones.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matteo Pavan
- Molecular Modeling Section (MMS), Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Davide Bassani
- Molecular Modeling Section (MMS), Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Mattia Sturlese
- Molecular Modeling Section (MMS), Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Stefano Moro
- Molecular Modeling Section (MMS), Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences University of Padova, Padova, Italy
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148
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Fernandes Q, Inchakalody VP, Merhi M, Mestiri S, Taib N, Moustafa Abo El-Ella D, Bedhiafi T, Raza A, Al-Zaidan L, Mohsen MO, Yousuf Al-Nesf MA, Hssain AA, Yassine HM, Bachmann MF, Uddin S, Dermime S. Emerging COVID-19 variants and their impact on SARS-CoV-2 diagnosis, therapeutics and vaccines. Ann Med 2022; 54:524-540. [PMID: 35132910 PMCID: PMC8843115 DOI: 10.1080/07853890.2022.2031274] [Citation(s) in RCA: 218] [Impact Index Per Article: 109.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
The emergence of novel and evolving variants of SARS-CoV-2 has fostered the need for change in the form of newer and more adaptive diagnostic methods for the detection of SARS-CoV-2 infections. On the other hand, developing rapid and sensitive diagnostic technologies is now more challenging due to emerging variants and varying symptoms exhibited among the infected individuals. In addition to this, vaccines remain the major mainstay of prevention and protection against infection. Novel vaccines and drugs are constantly being developed to unleash an immune response for the robust targeting of SARS-CoV-2 and its associated variants. In this review, we provide an updated perspective on the current challenges posed by the emergence of novel SARS-CoV-2 mutants/variants and the evolution of diagnostic techniques to enable their detection. In addition, we also discuss the development, formulation, working mechanisms, advantages, and drawbacks of some of the most used vaccines/therapeutic drugs and their subsequent immunological impact.Key messageThe emergence of novel variants of the SARS-CoV-2 in the past couple of months, highlights one of the primary challenges in the diagnostics, treatment, as well as vaccine development against the virus.Advancements in SARS-CoV-2 detection include nucleic acid based, antigen and immuno- assay-based and antibody-based detection methodologies for efficient, robust, and quick testing; while advancements in COVID-19 preventive and therapeutic strategies include novel antiviral and immunomodulatory drugs and SARS-CoV-2 targeted vaccines.The varied COVID-19 vaccine platforms and the immune responses induced by each one of them as well as their ability to battle post-vaccination infections have all been discussed in this review.
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Affiliation(s)
- Queenie Fernandes
- Translational Cancer Research Facility, National Center for Cancer Care and Research, Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha, Qatar.,College of Medicine, Qatar University, Doha, Qatar
| | - Varghese Philipose Inchakalody
- Translational Cancer Research Facility, National Center for Cancer Care and Research, Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha, Qatar
| | - Maysaloun Merhi
- Translational Cancer Research Facility, National Center for Cancer Care and Research, Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha, Qatar
| | - Sarra Mestiri
- Translational Cancer Research Facility, National Center for Cancer Care and Research, Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha, Qatar
| | - Nassiba Taib
- Translational Cancer Research Facility, National Center for Cancer Care and Research, Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha, Qatar
| | - Dina Moustafa Abo El-Ella
- Translational Cancer Research Facility, National Center for Cancer Care and Research, Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha, Qatar
| | - Takwa Bedhiafi
- Translational Cancer Research Facility, National Center for Cancer Care and Research, Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha, Qatar
| | - Afsheen Raza
- Translational Cancer Research Facility, National Center for Cancer Care and Research, Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha, Qatar
| | - Lobna Al-Zaidan
- Translational Cancer Research Facility, National Center for Cancer Care and Research, Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha, Qatar
| | - Mona O Mohsen
- Translational Cancer Research Facility, National Center for Cancer Care and Research, Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha, Qatar.,Department of Biomedical Research, Immunology RIA, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | | | - Ali Ait Hssain
- Medical Intensive Care Unit, Hamad General Hospital, Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha, Qatar
| | | | - Martin F Bachmann
- Department of Biomedical Research, Immunology RIA, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.,Nuffield Department of Medicine, Jenner Institute, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Shahab Uddin
- Translational Research Institute and Dermatology Institute, Academic Health System, Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha, Qatar
| | - Said Dermime
- Translational Cancer Research Facility, National Center for Cancer Care and Research, Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha, Qatar
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149
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Stevaert A, Groaz E, Naesens L. Nucleoside analogs for management of respiratory virus infections: mechanism of action and clinical efficacy. Curr Opin Virol 2022; 57:101279. [PMID: 36403338 PMCID: PMC9671222 DOI: 10.1016/j.coviro.2022.101279] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2022] [Revised: 10/14/2022] [Accepted: 10/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the development of nucleoside analogs to treat respiratory virus infections, with remdesivir being the first compound to receive worldwide authorization and three other nucleoside analogs (i.e. favipiravir, molnupiravir, and bemnifosbuvir) in the pipeline. Here, we summarize the current knowledge concerning their clinical efficacy in suppressing the virus and reducing the need for hospitalization or respiratory support. We also mention trials of favipiravir and lumicitabine, for influenza and respiratory syncytial virus, respectively. Besides, we outline how nucleoside analogs interact with the polymerases of respiratory viruses, to cause lethal virus mutagenesis or disturbance of viral RNA synthesis. In this way, we aim to convey the key findings on this rapidly evolving class of respiratory virus medication.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annelies Stevaert
- Rega Institute for Medical Research, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, KU Leuven, Herestraat 49 box 1043, B-3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Elisabetta Groaz
- Rega Institute for Medical Research, Medicinal Chemistry, KU Leuven, Herestraat 49 box 1041, B-3000 Leuven, Belgium; Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, University of Padova, Via Marzolo 5, 35131 Padova, Italy
| | - Lieve Naesens
- Rega Institute for Medical Research, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, KU Leuven, Herestraat 49 box 1043, B-3000 Leuven, Belgium.
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150
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Jiang Y, Rubin L, Zhou Z, Zhang H, Su Q, Hou ST, Lazarovici P, Zheng W. Pharmacological therapies and drug development targeting SARS-CoV-2 infection. Cytokine Growth Factor Rev 2022; 68:13-24. [PMID: 36266222 PMCID: PMC9558743 DOI: 10.1016/j.cytogfr.2022.10.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2022] [Revised: 10/07/2022] [Accepted: 10/07/2022] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
Abstract
The development of therapies for SARS-CoV-2 infection, based on virus biology and pathology, and of large- and small-scale randomized controlled trials, have brought forward several antiviral and immunomodulatory drugs targeting the disease severity. Casirivimab/Imdevimab monoclonal antibodies and convalescent plasma to prevent virus entry, Remdesivir, Molnupiravir, and Paxlovid nucleotide analogs to prevent viral replication, a variety of repurposed JAK-STAT signaling pathway inhibitors, corticosteroids, and recombinant agonists/antagonists of cytokine and interferons have been found to provide clinical benefits in terms of mortality and hospitalization. However, current treatment options face multiple clinical needs, and therefore, in this review, we provide an update on the challenges of the existing therapeutics and highlight drug development strategies for COVID-19 therapy, based on ongoing clinical trials, meta-analyses, and clinical case reports.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yizhou Jiang
- Centre of Reproduction, Development and Aging and Institute of Translation Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Macau 999078, China,Brain Research Centre and Department of Biology, School of Life Science, Southern University of Science and Technology, 1088 Xueyuan Blvd, Nanshan District, Shenzhen, Guangdong Province 518055, China
| | - Limor Rubin
- Allergy and Clinical Immunology Unit, Department of Medicine, Hadassah-Hebrew University Medical Center, Jerusalem 9112001, Israel
| | - Zhiwei Zhou
- Centre of Reproduction, Development and Aging and Institute of Translation Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Macau 999078, China
| | - Haibo Zhang
- Anesthesia, Critical Care Medicine and Physiology, St. Michael’s Hospital, University of Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Qiaozhu Su
- Institute for Global Food Security, School of Biological Sciences, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast BT9 5DL, United Kingdom
| | - Sheng-Tao Hou
- Brain Research Centre and Department of Biology, School of Life Science, Southern University of Science and Technology, 1088 Xueyuan Blvd, Nanshan District, Shenzhen, Guangdong Province 518055, China,Correspondence to: Brain Research Centre and Department of Biology, Southern University of Science and Technology, 1088 Xueyuan Blvd, Nanshan District, Shenzhen, Guangdong Province 518055, China
| | - Philip Lazarovici
- Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy Institute for Drug Research, Faculty of Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem 9112002, Israel
| | - Wenhua Zheng
- Centre of Reproduction, Development and Aging and Institute of Translation Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Macau 999078, China,Correspondence to: Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Room 3057, Building E12, Avenida de Universidade, Taipa, Macau, China
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