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Konishi K, Kusakabe S, Kawaguchi N, Shishido T, Ito N, Harada M, Inoue S, Maeda K, Hall WW, Orba Y, Sawa H, Sasaki M, Sato A. β-d-N 4-hydroxycytidine, a metabolite of molnupiravir, exhibits in vitro antiviral activity against rabies virus. Antiviral Res 2024; 229:105977. [PMID: 39089332 DOI: 10.1016/j.antiviral.2024.105977] [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: 05/12/2024] [Revised: 07/08/2024] [Accepted: 07/30/2024] [Indexed: 08/03/2024]
Abstract
Rabies is a fatal neurological disorder caused by rabies virus (RABV) infection. Approximately 60,000 patients die from rabies annually, and there are no effective treatments for this disease. Nucleoside analogs are employed as antiviral drugs based on their broad antiviral spectrum, and certain nucleoside analogs have been reported to exhibit anti-RABV activity. The nucleoside analog β-d-N4-hydroxycytidine (NHC) has antiviral effects against a range of RNA viruses. Molnupiravir (MPV), a prodrug of NHC, is clinically used as an oral antiviral drug for coronavirus infections. Despite its broad-spectrum activity, the antiviral activity of NHC against RABV remains unclear. In this study, we reveal that NHC exhibits comparable in vitro anti-RABV activity as ribavirin and favipiravir (also known as T-705) with a 90% effective concentration of 6 μM in mouse neuroblastoma cells. NHC reduced viral loads in neuronal and nonneuronal cells in a dose-dependent manner. Both laboratory and field RABVs (fixed and street strains, respectively) were susceptible to NHC. However, no increase in survival or reduction in viral titers in the brain was observed in RABV-infected mice treated prophylactically with MPV. These findings highlight the potential and challenges of NHC in the treatment of RABV infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kei Konishi
- Laboratory for Drug Discovery & Disease Research, Shionogi & Co., Ltd., Osaka, Japan; Division of Anti-Virus Drug Research, International Institute for Zoonosis Control, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan
| | - Shinji Kusakabe
- Laboratory for Drug Discovery & Disease Research, Shionogi & Co., Ltd., Osaka, Japan; Division of Anti-Virus Drug Research, International Institute for Zoonosis Control, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan
| | - Nijiho Kawaguchi
- Division of Molecular Pathobiology, International Institute for Zoonosis Control, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan
| | - Takao Shishido
- Laboratory for Drug Discovery & Disease Research, Shionogi & Co., Ltd., Osaka, Japan
| | - Naoto Ito
- Laboratory of Zoonotic Diseases, Faculty of Applied Biological Sciences, Gifu University, Gifu, Japan
| | - Michiko Harada
- Department of Veterinary Science, National Institute of Infectious Diseases (NIID), Tokyo, Japan
| | - Satoshi Inoue
- Department of Veterinary Science, National Institute of Infectious Diseases (NIID), Tokyo, Japan
| | - Ken Maeda
- Department of Veterinary Science, National Institute of Infectious Diseases (NIID), Tokyo, Japan
| | - William W Hall
- International Collaboration Unit, International Institute for Zoonosis Control, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan; National Virus Reference Laboratory, School of Medicine, University College of Dublin, Ireland; Global Virus Network, Baltimore, MD, USA; Institute for Vaccine Research and Development (HU-IVReD), Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan
| | - Yasuko Orba
- Division of Anti-Virus Drug Research, International Institute for Zoonosis Control, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan; Division of Molecular Pathobiology, International Institute for Zoonosis Control, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan; International Collaboration Unit, International Institute for Zoonosis Control, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan; Institute for Vaccine Research and Development (HU-IVReD), Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan; One Health Research Center, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan
| | - Hirofumi Sawa
- Division of Anti-Virus Drug Research, International Institute for Zoonosis Control, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan; International Collaboration Unit, International Institute for Zoonosis Control, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan; Global Virus Network, Baltimore, MD, USA; Institute for Vaccine Research and Development (HU-IVReD), Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan; One Health Research Center, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan
| | - Michihito Sasaki
- Division of Molecular Pathobiology, International Institute for Zoonosis Control, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan; Institute for Vaccine Research and Development (HU-IVReD), Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan.
| | - Akihiko Sato
- Laboratory for Drug Discovery & Disease Research, Shionogi & Co., Ltd., Osaka, Japan; Division of Anti-Virus Drug Research, International Institute for Zoonosis Control, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan; Institute for Vaccine Research and Development (HU-IVReD), Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan.
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Wang X, Chiu W, Klaassen H, Marchand A, Chaltin P, Neyts J, Jochmans D. A Robust Phenotypic High-Throughput Antiviral Assay for the Discovery of Rabies Virus Inhibitors. Viruses 2023; 15:2292. [PMID: 38140533 PMCID: PMC10747594 DOI: 10.3390/v15122292] [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: 10/29/2023] [Revised: 11/10/2023] [Accepted: 11/14/2023] [Indexed: 12/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Rabies virus (RABV) causes severe neurological symptoms in mammals. The disease is almost inevitably lethal as soon as clinical symptoms appear. The use of rabies immunoglobulins (RIG) and vaccination in post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) can provide efficient protection, but many people do not receive this treatment due to its high cost and/or limited availability. Highly potent small molecule antivirals are urgently needed to treat patients once symptoms develop. In this paper, we report on the development of a high-throughput phenotypic antiviral screening assay based on the infection of BHK-21 cells with a fluorescent reporter virus and high content imaging readout. The assay was used to screen a repurposing library of 3681 drugs (all had been studied in phase 1 clinical trials). From this series, salinomycin was found to selectively inhibit viral replication by blocking infection at the entry stage. This shows that a high-throughput assay enables the screening of large compound libraries for the purposes of identifying inhibitors of RABV replication. These can then be optimized through medicinal chemistry efforts and further developed into urgently needed drugs for the treatment of symptomatic rabies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinyu Wang
- Rega Institute, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, KU Leuven, Herestraat 49 Box 1043, 3000 Leuven, Belgium; (X.W.); (W.C.)
| | - Winston Chiu
- Rega Institute, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, KU Leuven, Herestraat 49 Box 1043, 3000 Leuven, Belgium; (X.W.); (W.C.)
| | - Hugo Klaassen
- Cistim Leuven vzw, Bioincubator 2, Gaston Geenslaan 2, 3001 Leuven, Belgium; (H.K.); (A.M.); (P.C.)
| | - Arnaud Marchand
- Cistim Leuven vzw, Bioincubator 2, Gaston Geenslaan 2, 3001 Leuven, Belgium; (H.K.); (A.M.); (P.C.)
| | - Patrick Chaltin
- Cistim Leuven vzw, Bioincubator 2, Gaston Geenslaan 2, 3001 Leuven, Belgium; (H.K.); (A.M.); (P.C.)
- Center for Drug Design and Discovery (CD3), KU Leuven R&D, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Johan Neyts
- Rega Institute, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, KU Leuven, Herestraat 49 Box 1043, 3000 Leuven, Belgium; (X.W.); (W.C.)
| | - Dirk Jochmans
- Rega Institute, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, KU Leuven, Herestraat 49 Box 1043, 3000 Leuven, Belgium; (X.W.); (W.C.)
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3
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Bastos V, Pacheco V, Rodrigues ÉDL, Moraes CNS, Nóbile AL, Fonseca DLM, Souza KBS, do Vale FYN, Filgueiras IS, Schimke LF, Giil LM, Moll G, Cabral-Miranda G, Ochs HD, Vasconcelos PFDC, de Melo GD, Bourhy H, Casseb LMN, Cabral-Marques O. Neuroimmunology of rabies: New insights into an ancient disease. J Med Virol 2023; 95:e29042. [PMID: 37885152 DOI: 10.1002/jmv.29042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2023] [Revised: 09/28/2023] [Accepted: 09/30/2023] [Indexed: 10/28/2023]
Abstract
Rabies is an ancient neuroinvasive viral (genus Lyssavirus, family Rhabdoviridae) disease affecting approximately 59,000 people worldwide. The central nervous system (CNS) is targeted, and rabies has a case fatality rate of almost 100% in humans and animals. Rabies is entirely preventable through proper vaccination, and thus, the highest incidence is typically observed in developing countries, mainly in Africa and Asia. However, there are still cases in European countries and the United States. Recently, demographic, increasing income levels, and the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic have caused a massive raising in the animal population, enhancing the need for preventive measures (e.g., vaccination, surveillance, and animal control programs), postexposure prophylaxis, and a better understanding of rabies pathophysiology to identify therapeutic targets, since there is no effective treatment after the onset of clinical manifestations. Here, we review the neuroimmune biology and mechanisms of rabies. Its pathogenesis involves a complex and poorly understood modulation of immune and brain functions associated with metabolic, synaptic, and neuronal impairments, resulting in fatal outcomes without significant histopathological lesions in the CNS. In this context, the neuroimmunological and neurochemical aspects of excitatory/inhibitory signaling (e.g., GABA/glutamate crosstalk) are likely related to the clinical manifestations of rabies infection. Uncovering new links between immunopathological mechanisms and neurochemical imbalance will be essential to identify novel potential therapeutic targets to reduce rabies morbidity and mortality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victor Bastos
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Postgraduate Program of Physiopathology and Toxicology, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
- Department of Arbovirology and Hemorrhagic Fevers, PAHO Collaborating Centre for Emerging and Reemerging Arboviruses and other Zoonotic Viruses, Evandro Chagas Institute, Ananindeua, Brazil
| | - Vinicius Pacheco
- Department of Arbovirology and Hemorrhagic Fevers, PAHO Collaborating Centre for Emerging and Reemerging Arboviruses and other Zoonotic Viruses, Evandro Chagas Institute, Ananindeua, Brazil
| | - Érika D L Rodrigues
- Department of Arbovirology and Hemorrhagic Fevers, PAHO Collaborating Centre for Emerging and Reemerging Arboviruses and other Zoonotic Viruses, Evandro Chagas Institute, Ananindeua, Brazil
| | - Cássia N S Moraes
- Department of Arbovirology and Hemorrhagic Fevers, PAHO Collaborating Centre for Emerging and Reemerging Arboviruses and other Zoonotic Viruses, Evandro Chagas Institute, Ananindeua, Brazil
| | - Adriel L Nóbile
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Postgraduate Program of Physiopathology and Toxicology, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Dennyson Leandro M Fonseca
- Interunit Postgraduate Program on Bioinformatics, Institute of Mathematics and Statistics (IME), University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Kamilla B S Souza
- Department of Immunology, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Fernando Y N do Vale
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Postgraduate Program of Physiopathology and Toxicology, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Igor S Filgueiras
- Department of Immunology, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Lena F Schimke
- Department of Immunology, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Lasse M Giil
- Department of Internal Medicine, Haraldsplass Deaconess Hospital, Bergen, Norway
| | - Guido Moll
- Department of Nephrology and Internal Intensive Care Medicine, Charité University Hospital, Berlin, Germany
| | | | - Hans D Ochs
- School of Medicine and Seattle Children's Research Institute, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Pedro F da Costa Vasconcelos
- Department of Arbovirology and Hemorrhagic Fevers, PAHO Collaborating Centre for Emerging and Reemerging Arboviruses and other Zoonotic Viruses, Evandro Chagas Institute, Ananindeua, Brazil
- Department of Pathology, University of the State of Pará, Belem, Brazil
| | - Guilherme D de Melo
- Lyssavirus Epidemiology and Neuropathology Unit, WHO Collaborating Centre for Reference and Research on Rabies, Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, Paris, France
| | - Hervé Bourhy
- Lyssavirus Epidemiology and Neuropathology Unit, WHO Collaborating Centre for Reference and Research on Rabies, Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, Paris, France
| | - Livia M N Casseb
- Department of Arbovirology and Hemorrhagic Fevers, PAHO Collaborating Centre for Emerging and Reemerging Arboviruses and other Zoonotic Viruses, Evandro Chagas Institute, Ananindeua, Brazil
| | - Otavio Cabral-Marques
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Postgraduate Program of Physiopathology and Toxicology, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
- Department of Immunology, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
- Network of Immunity in Infection, Malignancy, Autoimmunity (NIIMA), Universal Scientific Education and Research Network (USERN), São Paulo, Brazil
- Department of Medicine, Division of Molecular Medicine, University of São Paulo School of Medicine, São Paulo, Brazil
- Laboratory of Medical Investigation 29, School of Medicine, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
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Rupprecht CE, Mshelbwala PP, Reeves RG, Kuzmin IV. Rabies in a postpandemic world: resilient reservoirs, redoubtable riposte, recurrent roadblocks, and resolute recidivism. ANIMAL DISEASES 2023; 3:15. [PMID: 37252063 PMCID: PMC10195671 DOI: 10.1186/s44149-023-00078-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2023] [Accepted: 04/02/2023] [Indexed: 05/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Rabies is an ancient disease. Two centuries since Pasteur, fundamental progress occurred in virology, vaccinology, and diagnostics-and an understanding of pathobiology and epizootiology of rabies in testament to One Health-before common terminological coinage. Prevention, control, selective elimination, and even the unthinkable-occasional treatment-of this zoonosis dawned by the twenty-first century. However, in contrast to smallpox and rinderpest, eradication is a wishful misnomer applied to rabies, particularly post-COVID-19 pandemic. Reasons are minion. Polyhostality encompasses bats and mesocarnivores, but other mammals represent a diverse spectrum of potential hosts. While rabies virus is the classical member of the genus, other species of lyssaviruses also cause the disease. Some reservoirs remain cryptic. Although global, this viral encephalitis is untreatable and often ignored. As with other neglected diseases, laboratory-based surveillance falls short of the notifiable ideal, especially in lower- and middle-income countries. Calculation of actual burden defaults to a flux within broad health economic models. Competing priorities, lack of defined, long-term international donors, and shrinking local champions challenge human prophylaxis and mass dog vaccination toward targets of 2030 for even canine rabies impacts. For prevention, all licensed vaccines are delivered to the individual, whether parenteral or oral-essentially 'one and done'. Exploiting mammalian social behaviors, future 'spreadable vaccines' might increase the proportion of immunized hosts per unit effort. However, the release of replication-competent, genetically modified organisms selectively engineered to spread intentionally throughout a population raises significant biological, ethical, and regulatory issues in need of broader, transdisciplinary discourse. How this rather curious idea will evolve toward actual unconventional prevention, control, or elimination in the near term remains debatable. In the interim, more precise terminology and realistic expectations serve as the norm for diverse, collective constituents to maintain progress in the field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charles E. Rupprecht
- College of Forestry, Wildlife & Environment, College of Veterinary Medicine, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849 USA
| | - Philip P. Mshelbwala
- School of Veterinary Science, University of Queensland, Gatton, Australia
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Abuja, Abuja, Nigeria
| | - R. Guy Reeves
- Max Planck Institut Für Evolutionsbiologie, 24306 Plön, Germany
| | - Ivan V. Kuzmin
- Department of Pathology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555 USA
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