2,8-bis(trifluoromethyl)quinoline analogs show improved anti-Zika virus activity, compared to mefloquine

N-Heterocycles as Promising Antiviral Agents: A Comprehensive Overview

Viruses are a real threat to every organism at any stage of life leading to extensive infections and casualties. N-heterocycles can affect the viral life cycle at many points, including viral entrance into host cells, viral genome replication, and the production of novel viral species. Certain N-heterocycles can also stimulate the host's immune system, producing antiviral cytokines and chemokines that can stop the reproduction of viruses. This review focused on recent five- or six-membered synthetic N-heterocyclic molecules showing antiviral activity through SAR analyses. The review will assist in identifying robust scaffolds that might be utilized to create effective antiviral drugs with either no or few side effects.

Trifluoromethyl-β-dicarbonyls as Versatile Synthons in Synthesis of Heterocycles

Trifluoromethyl group relishes a privileged position in the realm of medicinal chemistry because its incorporation into organic molecules often enhances the bioactivity by altering pharmacological profile of molecule. Trifluoromethyl-β-dicarbonyls have emerged as pivotal building blocks in synthetic organic chemistry due to their facile accessibility, stability and remarkable versatility. Owing to presence of nucleophilic and electrophilic sites, they offer multifunctional sites for the reaction. This review covers a meticulous exploration of their multifaceted role, encompassing an in-depth analysis of mechanism, extensive scope, limitations and wide-ranging applications in diverse organic synthesis, covering the literature from the 21st century. This comprehensive review encapsulates the applications of trifluoromethyl-β-dicarbonyls and their synthetic equivalents as precursors of complex and diverse heterocyclic scaffolds, fused heterocycles and spirocyclic compounds having medicinal and material importance. Their potent synthetic utility in cyclocondensation reactions with binucleophiles, cycloaddition reactions, C-C bond formations, asymmetric multicomponent reactions using classical/solvent-free/catalytic synthesis have been presented. Influence of unsymmetrical trifluoromethyl-β-diketones on regioselectivity of transformation is also reviewed. This review will benefit the synthetic and pharmaceutical communities to explore trifluoromethyl-β-dicarbonyls as trifluoromethyl building blocks for fabrication of heterocyclic scaffolds having implementation into drug discovery programs in the imminent future.

Insight into the Natural Biomolecules (BMs): Promising Candidates as Zika Virus Inhibitors

Zika virus (ZIKV) is among the relatively new infectious disease threats that include SARS-CoV-2, coronavirus, monkeypox (Mpox) virus, etc. ZIKV has been reported to cause severe health risks to the fetus. To date, satisfactory treatment is still not available for the treatment of ZIKV infection. This review examines the last five years of work using natural biomolecules (BMs) to counteract the ZIKV through virtual screening and in vitro investigations. Virtual screening has identified doramectin, pinocembrin, hesperidins, epigallocatechin gallate, pedalitin, and quercetin as potentially active versus ZIKV infection. In vitro, testing has shown that nordihydroguaiaretic acid, mefloquine, isoquercitrin, glycyrrhetinic acid, patentiflorin-A, rottlerin, and harringtonine can reduce ZIKV infections in cell lines. However, in vivo, testing is limited, fortunately, emetine, rottlerin, patentiflorin-A, and lycorine have shown in vivo anti- ZIKV potential. This review focuses on natural biomolecules that show a particularly high selective index (>10). There is limited in vivo and clinical trial data for natural BMs, which needs to be an active area of investigation. This review aims to compile the known reference data and discuss the barriers associated with discovering and using natural BM agents to control ZIKV infection.

Synthesis, antiproliferative and antiplasmodial evaluation of new chloroquine and mefloquine-based harmiquins

Here we present the synthesis and evaluation of the biological activity of new hybrid compounds, ureido-type (UT) harmiquins, based on chloroquine (CQ) or mefloquine (MQ) scaffolds and β-carboline alkaloid harmine against cancer cell lines and Plasmodium falciparum. The hybrids were prepared from the corresponding amines by 1,1'-carbonyldiimidazole (CDI)-mediated synthesis. In vitro evaluation of the biological activity of the title compounds revealed two hit compounds. Testing of the antiproliferative activity of the new UT harmiquins, and previously prepared triazole-(TT) and amide-type (AT) CQ-based harmiquins, against a panel of human cell lines, revealed TT harmiquine 16 as the most promising compound, as it showed pronounced and selective activity against the tumor cell line HepG2 (IC 50 = 5.48 ± 3.35 μmol L-1). Screening of the antiplasmodial activities of UT harmiquins against erythrocytic stages of the Plasmodium life cycle identified CQ-based UT harmiquine 12 as a novel antiplasmodial hit because it displayed low IC 50 values in the submicromolar range against CQ-sensitive and resistant strains (IC 50 0.06 ± 0.01, and 0.19 ± 0.02 μmol L-1, respectively), and exhibited high selectivity against Plasmodium, compared to mammalian cells (SI = 92).

Indol-3-ylglyoxylamide as Privileged Scaffold in Medicinal Chemistry

In recent years, indolylglyoxylamide-based derivatives have received much attention due to their application in drug design and discovery, leading to the development of a wide array of compounds that have shown a variety of pharmacological activities. Combining the indole nucleus, already validated as a "privileged structure," with the glyoxylamide function allowed for an excellent template to be obtained that is suitable to a great number of structural modifications aimed at permitting interaction with specific molecular targets and producing desirable therapeutic effects. The present review provides insight into how medicinal chemists have elegantly exploited the indolylglyoxylamide moiety to obtain potentially useful drugs, with a particular focus on compounds exhibiting activity in in vivo models or reaching clinical trials. All in all, this information provides exciting new perspectives on existing data that can be useful in further design of indolylglyoxylamide-based molecules with interesting pharmacological profiles. The aim of this report is to present an update of collection data dealing with the employment of this moiety in the rational design of compounds that are able to interact with a specific target, referring to the last 20 years.

Natural Products and Derivatives as Potential Zika virus Inhibitors: A Comprehensive Review

Zika virus (ZIKV) is an arbovirus whose infection in humans can lead to severe outcomes. This article reviews studies reporting the anti-ZIKV activity of natural products (NPs) and derivatives published from 1997 to 2022, which were carried out with NPs obtained from plants (82.4%) or semisynthetic/synthetic derivatives, fungi (3.1%), bacteria (7.6%), animals (1.2%) and marine organisms (1.9%) along with miscellaneous compounds (3.8%). Classes of NPs reported to present anti-ZIKV activity include polyphenols, triterpenes, alkaloids, and steroids, among others. The highest values of the selectivity index, the ratio between cytotoxicity and antiviral activity (SI = CC₅₀/EC₅₀), were reported for epigallocatechin gallate (SI ≥ 25,000) and anisomycin (SI ≥ 11,900) obtained from Streptomyces bacteria, dolastane (SI = 1246) isolated from the marine seaweed Canistrocarpus cervicorni, and the flavonol myricetin (SI ≥ 862). NPs mostly act at the stages of viral adsorption and internalization in addition to presenting virucidal effect. The data demonstrate the potential of NPs for developing new anti-ZIKV agents and highlight the lack of studies addressing their molecular mechanisms of action and pre-clinical studies of efficacy and safety in animal models. To the best of our knowledge, none of the active compounds has been submitted to clinical studies.

Promising Schiff bases in antiviral drug design and discovery

Emerging and re-emerging illnesses will probably present a new hazard of infectious diseases and have fostered the urge to research new antiviral agents. Most of the antiviral agents are analogs of nucleosides and only a few are non-nucleoside antiviral agents. There is quite a less percentage of marketed/clinically approved non-nucleoside antiviral medications. Schiff bases are organic compounds that possess a well-demonstrated profile against cancer, viruses, fungus, and bacteria, as well as in the management of diabetes, chemotherapy-resistant cases, and malarial infections. Schiff bases resemble aldehydes or ketones with an imine/azomethine group instead of a carbonyl ring. Schiff bases have a broad application profile not only in therapeutics/medicine but also in industrial applications. Researchers have synthesized and screened various Schiff base analogs for their antiviral potential. Some of the important heterocyclic compounds like istatin, thiosemicarbazide, quinazoline, quinoyl acetohydrazide, etc. have been used to derive novel Schiff base analogs. Keeping in view the outbreak of viral pandemics and epidemics, this manuscript compiles a review of Schiff base analogs concerning their antiviral properties and structural-activity relationship analysis.

Piperazine-derived small molecules as potential Flaviviridae NS3 protease inhibitors. In vitro antiviral activity evaluation against Zika and Dengue viruses

Since 2011 Direct Acting antivirals (DAAs) drugs targeting different non-structural (NS) viral proteins (NS3, NS5A or NS5B inhibitors) have been approved for clinical use in HCV therapies. However, currently there are not licensed therapeutics to treat Flavivirus infections and the only licensed DENV vaccine, Dengvaxia, is restricted to patients with preexisting DENV immunity. Similarly to NS5 polymerase, the NS3 catalytic region is evolutionarily conserved among the Flaviviridae family sharing strong structural similarity with other proteases belonging to this family and therefore is an attractive target for the development of pan-flavivirus therapeutics. In this work we present a library of 34 piperazine-derived small molecules as potential Flaviviridae NS3 protease inhibitors. The library was developed through a privileged structures-based design and then biologically screened using a live virus phenotypic assay to determine the half-maximal inhibitor concentration (IC₅₀) of each compound against ZIKV and DENV. Two lead compounds, 42 and 44, with promising broad-spectrum activity against ZIKV (IC₅₀ 6.6 µM and 1.9 µM respectively) and DENV (IC₅₀ 6.7 µM and 1.4 µM respectively) and a good security profile were identified. Besides, molecular docking calculations were performed to provide insights about key interactions with residues in NS3 proteases' active sites.

Investigation of the mechanism of action of mefloquine and derivatives against the parasite Echinococcus multilocularis

Alveolar echinococcosis (AE) is caused by infection with the fox tapeworm E. multilocularis. The disease affects humans, dogs, captive monkeys, and other mammals, and it is caused by the metacestode stage of the parasite growing invasively in the liver. The current drug treatment is based on non-parasiticidal benzimidazoles. Thus, they are only limitedly curative and can cause severe side effects. Therefore, novel and improved treatment options for AE are needed. Mefloquine (MEF), an antimalarial agent, was previously shown to be effective against E. multilocularis in vitro and in experimentally infected mice. However, MEF is not parasiticidal and needs improvement for successful treatment of patients, and it can induce strong neuropsychiatric side-effects. In this study, the structure-activity relationship and mode of action of MEF was investigated by comparative analysis of 14 MEF derivatives. None of them showed higher activity against E. multilocularis metacestodes compared to MEF, but four compounds caused limited damage. In order to identify molecular targets of MEF and effective derivatives, differential affinity chromatography combined with mass spectrometry was performed with two effective compounds (MEF, MEF-3) and two ineffective compounds (MEF-13, MEF-22). 1'681 proteins were identified that bound specifically to MEF or derivatives. 216 proteins were identified as binding only to MEF and MEF-3. GO term enrichment analysis of these proteins and functional grouping of the 25 most abundant MEF and MEF-3 specific binding proteins revealed the key processes energy metabolism and cellular transport and structure, as well as stress responses and nucleic acid binding to be involved. The previously described ferritin was confirmed as an exclusively MEF-binding protein that could be relevant for its efficacy against E. multilocularis. The here identified potential targets of MEF will be further investigated in the future for a clear understanding of the pleiotropic effects of MEF, and improved therapeutic options against AE.

Spotlight on 4-substituted quinolines as potential anti-infective agents: Journey beyond chloroquine

Continued emerging resistance of pathogens against the clinically approved candidates and their associated limitations continuously demand newer agents having better potency with a more suited safety profile. Quinoline nuclei containing scaffolds of natural and synthetic origin have been documented for diverse types of pharmacological activities, and a number of drugs are clinically approved. In the present review, we unprecedentedly covered the biological potential of 4-substituted quinoline and elaborated a rationale for its special privilege to afford the significant number of approved clinical drugs, particularly against infectious pathogens. Compounds with 4-substituted quinoline are well documented for antimalarial activity, but in the last two decades, they have been extensively explored for activity against cancer, tuberculosis, and several other pathogens including viruses, bacteria, fungi, and other infectious pathogens. In the present study, the anti-infective spectrum of this scaffold is discussed against viruses, mycobacteria, malarial parasites, and fungal and bacterial strains, along with recent updates in this area, with special emphasis on the structure-activity relationship.

ZIKV: Epidemiology, infection mechanism and current therapeutics

The Zika virus (ZIKV) is a vector-borne flavivirus that has been detected in 87 countries worldwide. Outbreaks of ZIKV infection have been reported from various places around the world and the disease has been declared a public health emergency of international concern. ZIKV has two modes of transmission: vector and non-vector. The ability of ZIKV to vertically transmit in its competent vectors, such as Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus, helps it to cope with adverse conditions, and this could be the reason for the major outbreaks that occur from time to time. ZIKV outbreaks are a global threat and, therefore, there is a need for safe and effective drugs and vaccines to fight the virus. In more than 80% of cases, ZIKV infection is asymptomatic and leads to complications, such as microcephaly in newborns and Guillain–Barré syndrome (GBS) in adults. Drugs such as sofosbuvir, chloroquine, and suramin have been found to be effective against ZIKV infections, but further evaluation of their safety in pregnant women is needed. Although temoporfin can be given to pregnant women, it needs to be tested further for side effects. Many vaccine types based on protein, vector, DNA, and mRNA have been formulated. Some vaccines, such as mRNA-1325 and VRC-ZKADNA090-00-VP, have reached Phase II clinical trials. Some new techniques should be used for formulating and testing the efficacy of vaccines. Although there have been no recent outbreaks of ZIKV infection, several studies have shown continuous circulation of ZIKV in mosquito vectors, and there is a risk of re-emergence of ZIKV in the near future. Therefore, vaccines and drugs for ZIKV should be tested further, and safe and effective therapeutic techniques should be licensed for use during outbreaks.

Emerging quinoline- and quinolone-based antibiotics in the light of epidemics

Pandemics are large-scale outbreaks of infectious disease that can greatly increase morbidity and mortality all the globe. Since past 1990 till twentieth century, these infectious diseases have been major threat all over the globe associated with poor hygiene and sanitation. In light of these epidemics, researches have gained enormous rise in the developing the potential therapeutic treatment. Thus, revolutionized antibiotics have led to the near eradication of such ailments. Around 50 million prescription of antibiotics written in US per year according to center for disease control and prevention (CDC) report. There is a wide range of antibiotics available which differ in their usage and their mechanism of action. Among these quinoline and quinolone class of antibiotics get attention as they show tremendous potential in fighting the epidemics. Quinoline and quinolone comprise of two rings along with substitutions at different positions which is synthetically obtained by structural modifications of quinine. Quinoline and quinolone antibiotics exhibit extensive activities approved by FDA in the treatment of the several ailments such as gastrointestinal infections, urinary tract infections, prostate inflammation, malaria, gonorrhea, skin infection, colorectal cancer, respiratory tract infections. These are active against both gram-negative and gram-positive bacteria. This basic core of quinoline and quinolone is vital due to its capability of targeting the pathogen causing disease and beneficial in treating the infectious disease. They inhibit the synthesis of nucleic acid of bacteria which results in the rupture of bacterial chromosome due to the interruption of enzymes such as DNA gyrase and topoisomerase IV. There are various quinoline and quinolone compounds that are synthetically derived by applying different synthesis approaches which show a wide range of pharmacological activities in several diseases. The most commonly used are fluoro, chloro, and hydroxychloro derivatives of quinoline and quinolone. These compounds are helpful in the treatment of numerous epidemics as a chief and combination therapy. These quinoline and quinolone pharmacophore fascinate the interest of researchers as they inhibit the entry of virus in host cell and cease its replication by blocking the host receptor glycosylation and proteolytic processing. They act as immune modulator by inhibiting autophagy and reduction of both lysosomal activity and production of cytokine. Therefore, quinoline and quinolone derivatives attain significance in area of research and treatment of various life-threatening epidemics such as SARS, Zika virus, Ebola virus, dengue, and COVID-19 (currently). In this chapter, the research and advancements of quinoline- and quinolone-based antibiotics in epidemic management are briefly discussed.

In vitro and in silico trichomonacidal activity of 2,8-bis(trifluoromethyl) quinoline analogs against Trichomonas vaginalis

Trichomoniasis is a great public health burden worldwide and the increase in treatment failures has led to a need for finding alternative molecules to treat this disease. In this study, we present in vitro and in silico analyses of two 2,8-bis(trifluoromethyl) quinolines (QDA-1 and QDA-2) against Trichomonas vaginalis. For in vitro trichomonacidal activity, up to seven different concentrations of these drugs were tested. Molecular docking, biochemical, and cytotoxicity analyses were performed to evaluate the selectivity profile. QDA-1 displayed a significant effect, completely reducing trophozoites viability at 160 µM, with an IC₅₀ of 113.8 µM, while QDA-2 at the highest concentration reduced viability by 76.9%. QDA-1 completely inhibited T. vaginalis growth and increased reactive oxygen species production and lipid peroxidation after 24 h of treatment, but nitric oxide accumulation was not observed. In addition, molecular docking studies showed that QDA-1 has a favorable binding mode in the active site of the T. vaginalis enzymes purine nucleoside phosphorylase, lactate dehydrogenase, triosephosphate isomerase, and thioredoxin reductase. Moreover, QDA-1 presented a level of cytotoxicity by reducing 36.7% of Vero cells' viability at 200 µM with a CC₅₀ of 247.4 µM and a modest selectivity index. In summary, the results revealed that QDA-1 had a significant anti-T. vaginalis activity. Although QDA-1 had detectable cytotoxicity, the concentration needed to eliminate T. vaginalis trophozoites is lower than the CC₅₀ encouraging further studies of this compound as a trichomonacidal agent.

Are the Organoid Models an Invaluable Contribution to ZIKA Virus Research?

In order to prevent new pathogen outbreaks and avoid possible new global health threats, it is important to study the mechanisms of microbial pathogenesis, screen new antiviral agents and test new vaccines using the best methods. In the last decade, organoids have provided a groundbreaking opportunity for modeling pathogen infections in human brains, including Zika virus (ZIKV) infection. ZIKV is a member of the Flavivirus genus, and it is recognized as an emerging infectious agent and a serious threat to global health. Organoids are 3D complex cellular models that offer an in-scale organ that is physiologically alike to the original one, useful for exploring the mechanisms behind pathogens infection; additionally, organoids integrate data generated in vitro with traditional tools and often support those obtained in vivo with animal model. In this mini-review the value of organoids for ZIKV research is examined and sustained by the most recent literature. Within a 3D viewpoint, tissue engineered models are proposed as future biological systems to help in deciphering pathogenic processes and evaluate preventive and therapeutic strategies against ZIKV. The next steps in this field constitute a challenge that may protect people and future generations from severe brain defects.

Chloroquine Analogs: An Overview of Natural and Synthetic Quinolines as Broad Spectrum Antiviral Agents

SARS-CoV-2, a positive single-stranded RNA enveloped coronavirus, currently poses a global health threat. Drugs with quinoline scaffolds have been studied to repurpose their useful broad-spectrum properties into treating various diseases, including viruses. Preliminary studies on the quinoline medications, chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine, against SARS-CoV-2, have shown to be a potential area of interest for drug development due to their ability to prevent viral entry, act as anti-inflammatory modulators, and inhibit key enzymes allowing reduced viral infectivity. In addition to Chloroquine and Hydroxychloroquine, we discussed analogs of the drugs to understand the quinoline scaffold's potential antiviral mechanisms. The heterocyclic scaffold of quinoline can be modified in many ways, primarily through the modification of its substituents. We studied these different synthetic derivatives to understand properties that could enhance its antiviral specificity thoroughly. Chloroquine and its analogs can act on various stages of the viral life cycle, pre and post entry. In this study, we reviewed chloroquine and its synthetic and natural analogs for their antiviral properties in a variety of viruses. Furthermore, we reviewed the compound's potential abilities to attenuate symptoms associated with viral infections. Natural compounds that share scaffolding to chloroquine can act as antivirals or attenuate symptoms through the stimulation of the host immune system or reduction of oxidative stress. Furthermore, we discuss perspectives of the drug's repurposing due to its ability to inhibit the beta-hematin formation and to be a Zinc Ionophore.

5-((1H-imidazol-1-yl)methyl)quinolin-8-ol as potential antiviral SARS-CoV-2 candidate: Synthesis, crystal structure, Hirshfeld surface analysis, DFT and molecular docking studies

A potential new drug to treat SARS-CoV-2 infections and chloroquine analogue, 5-((1H-imidazol-1-yl)methyl)quinolin-8-ol (DD1) has been here synthesized and characterized by FT-IR, 1H-NMR, 13C-NMR, ultraviolet-visible, ESI-MS and single-crystal X-ray diffraction. DD1 was optimized in gas phase, aqueous and DMSO solutions using hybrid B3LYP/6-311++G(d,p) method. Comparisons between experimental and theoretical infrared spectra, 1H and 13C NMR chemical shifts and electronic spectrum in DMSO solution evidence good concordances. Higher solvation energy was observed in aqueous solution than in DMSO, showing in aqueous solution a higher value than antiviral brincidofovir and chloroquine. on Bond orders, atomic charges and topological studies suggest that imidazole ring play a very important role in the properties of DD1. NBO and AIM analyses support the intra-molecular O15-H16•••N17 bonds of DD1 in the three media. Low gap value supports the higher reactivity of DD1 than chloroquine justified by the higher electrophilicity and low nucleophilicity. Complete vibrational assignments of DD1 in gas phase and aqueous solution are reported together with the scaled force constants. In addition, better intermolecular interactions were observed by Hirshfeld surface analysis. Finally, the molecular docking mechanism between DD1 ligand and COVID-19/6WCF and COVID-19/6Y84 receptors were studied to explore the binding modes of these compounds at the active sites. Molecular docking results have shown that the DD1 molecule can be considered as a potential agent against COVID-19/6Y84-6WCF receptors.

Antiviral Agents - Benzazine Derivatives

The review outlines the results of studies of the antiviral activity of quinoline, quinoxaline, and quinazoline derivatives published over the past 5 years. The supplied data indicate the enormous potential of benzazines for the design of effective antiviral drugs.

Inhibition of Chikungunya Virus Infection by 4-Hydroxy-1-Methyl-3-(3-morpholinopropanoyl)quinoline-2(1H)-one (QVIR) Targeting nsP2 and E2 Proteins

The re-emergence of Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) infection in humans with no approved antiviral therapies or vaccines is one of the major problems with global significance. In the present investigation, we screened 80 in-house quinoline derivatives for their anti-CHIKV activity by computational techniques and found 4-hydroxy-1-methyl-3-(3-morpholinopropanoyl)quinoline-2(1H)-one (QVIR) to have potential binding affinities with CHIKV nsP2 and E2 glycoproteins. QVIR was evaluated in vitro for its anti-CHIKV potential. QVIR showed strong inhibition of CHIKV infection with an EC₅₀ (50% effective concentration) value of 2.2 ± 0.49 μM without significant cytotoxicity (CC₅₀ > 200 μM) and was chosen for further elucidation of its antiviral mechanism. The infectious viral particle formation was abolished by approximately 72% at a QVIR concentration of 20 μM during infection in the BHK-21 cell line, and the CHIKV RNA synthesis was diminished by 84% for nsP2 as well as 74% for E2, whereas the levels of viral proteins were decreased by 69.9% for nsP2 and 53.9% for E2. Flow cytometry analysis confirmed a huge decline in the expression of viral nsP2 and E2 proteins by 71.84 and 67.7%, respectively. Time of addition experiments indicated that QVIR inhibited viral infection at early and late stages of viral replication cycle, and the optimal inhibition was observed at 16 h post infection. The present study advocates for the first time that QVIR acts as a substantial and potent inhibitor against CHIKV and might be as an auspicious novel drug candidate for the development of therapeutic agents against CHIKV infections.

Synthetic and medicinal perspective of quinolines as antiviral agents

In current scenario, various heterocycles have come up exhibiting crucial role in various medicinal agents which are valuable for mankind. Out of diverse range of heterocycle, quinoline scaffold have been proved to play an important role in broad range of biological activities. Several drug molecules bearing a quinoline molecule with useful anticancer, antibacterial activities etc have been marketed such as chloroquine, saquinavir etc. Owing to their broad spectrum biological role, various synthetic strategies such as Skraup reaction, Combes reaction etc. has been developed by the researchers all over the world. But still the synthetic methods are associated with various limitations as formation of side products, use of expensive metal catalysts. Thus, several efforts to develop an efficient and cost effective synthetic protocol are still carried out till date. Moreover, quinoline scaffold displays remarkable antiviral activity. Therefore, in this review we have made an attempt to describe recent synthetic protocols developed by various research groups along with giving a complete explanation about the role of quinoline derivatives as antiviral agent. Quinoline derivatives were found potent against various strains of viruses like zika virus, enterovirus, herpes virus, human immunodeficiency virus, ebola virus, hepatitis C virus, SARS virus and MERS virus etc.

Synthesis and antiviral activity of a series of novel quinoline derivatives as anti-RSV or anti-IAV agents

We report herein the synthesis of a series of novel quinoline derivatives, based on the lead compound 1a, identified from a rRSV-mGFP high-throughput screening assay. Our results revealed that target compounds 1b, 1g-h, 1af and 1ah (IC₅₀ = 3.10-6.93 μM) had good in vitro activity against RSV, which were better than 1a and ribavirin. In addition, we found that compound 1g displayed the lower cytotoxicity (CC₅₀: 2490.33 μM) and the highest selective index (SI = 673.06), suggesting its promising potential as a candidate for further development. On the other hand, compounds 1a, 1m, 1v, 1ad-1af and 1ah-1ai (IC₅₀s: 1.87-14.28 μM) were more active against IAV than or comparable to ribavirin (IC₅₀: 15.36 ± 0.93 μM). Particularly, the most active compound 1ae (IC₅₀: 1.87 ± 0.58 μM) was found to be 8.2-fold more potent than the reference drug, which could inhibit the virus transcription and replication cycle at an early stage.

A comprehensive review on the biological interest of quinoline and its derivatives

Amongst heterocyclic compounds, quinoline is an advantaged scaffold that appears as a significant assembly motif for the development of new drug entities. Quinoline and its derivatives tested with diverse biological activity constitute an important class of compounds for new drug development. Therefore, many scientific communities have developed these compounds as intent structure and evaluated their biological activities. The present, review provides brief natural sources of quinoline and including a new extent of quinoline-based marketed drugs. This review also confers information about the biological activities of quinoline derivatives such as antibacterial, antifungal, antimycobacterial, antiviral, anti-protozoal, antimalarial, anticancer, cardiovascular, CNS effects, antioxidant, anticonvulsant, analgesic, anti-inflammatory, anthelmintic and miscellaneous activities.

Chloroquine and Sulfadoxine Derivatives Inhibit ZIKV Replication in Cervical Cells

Despite the severe morbidity caused by Zika fever, its specific treatment is still a challenge for public health. Several research groups have investigated the drug repurposing of chloroquine. However, the highly toxic side effect induced by chloroquine paves the way for the improvement of this drug for use in Zika fever clinics. Our aim is to evaluate the anti-Zika virus (ZIKV) effect of hybrid compounds derived from chloroquine and sulfadoxine antimalarial drugs. The antiviral activity of hybrid compounds (C-Sd1 to C-Sd7) was assessed in an in-vitro model of human cervical and Vero cell lines infected with a Brazilian (BR) ZIKV strain. First, we evaluated the cytotoxic effect on cultures treated with up to 200 µM of C-Sds and observed CC₅₀ values that ranged from 112.0 ± 1.8 to >200 µM in cervical cells and 43.2 ± 0.4 to 143.0 ± 1.3 µM in Vero cells. Then, the cultures were ZIKV-infected and treated with up to 25 µM of C-Sds for 48 h. The treatment of cervical cells with C-Sds at 12 µM induced a reduction of 79.8% ± 4.2% to 90.7% ± 1.5% of ZIKV-envelope glycoprotein expression in infected cells as compared to 36.8% ± 2.9% of infection in vehicle control. The viral load was also investigated and revealed a reduction of 2- to 3-logs of ZIKV genome copies/mL in culture supernatants compared to 6.7 ± 0.7 × 10⁸ copies/mL in vehicle control. The dose-response curve by plaque-forming reduction (PFR) in cervical cells revealed a potent dose-dependent activity of C-Sds in inhibiting ZIKV replication, with PFR above 50% and 90% at 6 and 12 µM, respectively, while 25 µM inhibited 100% of viral progeny. The treatment of Vero cells at 12 µM led to 100% PFR, confirming the C-Sds activity in another cell type. Regarding effective concentration in cervical cells, the EC₅₀ values ranged from 3.2 ± 0.1 to 5.0 ± 0.2 µM, and the EC₉₀ values ranged from 7.2 ± 0.1 to 11.6 ± 0.1 µM, with selectivity index above 40 for most C-Sds, showing a good therapeutic window. Here, our aim is to investigate the anti-ZIKV activity of new hybrid compounds that show highly potent efficacy as inhibitors of ZIKV in-vitro infection. However, further studies will be needed to investigate whether these new chemical structures can lead to the improvement of chloroquine antiviral activity.

Repurposing clinical drugs is a promising strategy to discover drugs against Zika virus infection

Zika virus (ZIKV) is an emerging pathogen associated with neurological complications, such as Guillain-Barré syndrome in adults and microcephaly in fetuses and newborns. This mosquito-borne flavivirus causes important social and sanitary problems owing to its rapid dissemination. However, the development of antivirals against ZIKV is lagging. Although various strategies have been used to study anti-ZIKV agents, approved drugs or vaccines for the treatment (or prevention) of ZIKV infections are currently unavailable. Repurposing clinically approved drugs could be an effective approach to quickly respond to an emergency outbreak of ZIKV infections. The well-established safety profiles and optimal dosage of these clinically approved drugs could provide an economical, safe, and efficacious approach to address ZIKV infections. This review focuses on the recent research and development of agents against ZIKV infection by repurposing clinical drugs. Their characteristics, targets, and potential use in anti-ZIKV therapy are presented. This review provides an update and some successful strategies in the search for anti-ZIKV agents are given.

Synthesis of potentially new schiff bases of N-substituted-2-quinolonylacetohydrazides as anti-COVID-19 agents

We report herein a new series of synthesized N-substituted-2-quinolonylacetohydrazides aiming to evaluate their activity towards SARS-CoV-2. The structures of the obtained products were fully confirmed by NMR, mass, IR spectra and elemental analysis as well. Molecular docking calculations showed that most of the tested compounds possessed good binding affinity to the SARS-CoV-2 main protease (M^pro) comparable toRemdesivir.

(Iso)Quinoline-Artemisinin Hybrids Prepared through Click Chemistry: Highly Potent Agents against Viruses

Viral infections cause life-threatening diseases in millions of people worldwide every year and there is an urgent need for new, effective antiviral drugs. Hybridization of two chemically diverse compounds into a new bioactive effector product is a successful concept to improve the properties of a hybrid drug relative to the parent compounds. In this study, (iso)quinoline-artemisinin hybrids, obtained through copper-catalyzed azide-alkyne cycloaddition or metal-free click reactions (in organic solvents or in the presence of water), were analyzed in vitro, for the first time, for their inhibitory activity against human cytomegalovirus (HCMV), relative to their parent compounds and the reference drug ganciclovir. EC50 (HCMV) values were obtained in a range 0.22-1.20 μm, which indicated highly potent antiviral properties in the absence of cytotoxic effects on normal cells (CC50 >100 μm). The most active hybrid, 1 (EC50 =0.22 μm), is 25 times more potent than its parent compound artesunic acid (EC50 =5.41 μm) and 12 times more efficient than the standard drug ganciclovir (EC50 =2.6 μm). Interestingly, hybrid 1 also shows inhibitory activity against hepatitis B virus in vitro (EC50 (HBeAg)=2.57 μm).

Crystal structures, Hirshfeld surface analysis and Pixel energy calculations of three trifluoromethylquinoline derivatives: further analyses of fluorine close contacts in trifluoromethylated derivatives

As many studies have revealed, the introduction of a CF3 group into an organic compound can result in significant enhancement of biological activity. Factors which lead to this enhancement are thus of great interest. To investigate further this area, we have looked at the ability of fluorine to form close contacts with various atoms in organic compounds, e.g. F⋯F, F⋯O/O⋯F, F⋯C/C⋯F, H⋯F/F⋯H, and F⋯N/N⋯F, as indicated from crystal structure determinations and Hirshfeld analysis studies on trifluoromethylated compounds. Herein we first report the crystal structures, Hirshfeld surface analyses (HSA), and Pixel energy calculations of three trifluoromethylated quinoline derivatives, namely 2-(trifluoromethyl)quinolin-4-ol, 1, 4-ethoxy-2-(trifluoromethyl)quinoline, 2, and N 1-(2,8-bis(trifluoromethyl)quinolin-4-yl)ethane-1,2-diamine, 3. Of particular interest is the determination of the various fluorine⋯atom close contacts. The total percentages of fluorine⋯atom close contacts in compounds 1–3 were determined to be high at 47, 41.2 and 60.7%, respectively. As relatively few HSA studies on trifluoromethylated compounds have reported the percentages of individual atom⋯atom close contacts, we have also determined the percentages of atom⋯atom close contacts for 20 more trifluoromethylated compounds: the range of total fluorine⋯atom close contacts for these compounds was 20–60%. While these data are based on connections between similar molecules in a crystalline state, they also clearly suggest that a compound containing CF3 group(s) has the potential to make extensive intermolecular connections/close contacts with organic material. Thus a possible factor for the enhanced biological activity of a compound bearing CF3 group(s) could be the propensity of the CF3 group to form many close contacts, thereby aiding binding or interaction with a biological target.

Drugs for the Treatment of Zika Virus Infection

Zika virus is an emerging flavivirus that causes the neurodevelopmental congenital Zika syndrome and that has been linked to the neuroinflammatory Guillain-Barré syndrome. The absence of a vaccine or a clinically approved drug to treat the disease combined with the likelihood that another outbreak will occur in the future defines an unmet medical need. Several promising drug candidate molecules have been reported via repurposing studies, high-throughput compound library screening, and de novo design in the short span of a few years. Intense research activity in this area has occurred in response to the World Health Organization declaration of a Public Health Emergency of International Concern on February 1, 2016. In this Perspective, the authors review the emergence of Zika virus, the biology of its replication, targets for therapeutic intervention, target product profile, and current drug development initiatives.

Synthesis and Antibacterial Activity of Mefloquine-Based Analogs Against Sensitive and Resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis Strains

Background and Introduction:

Mefloquine, a drug used to prevent and treat malaria is described possessing activity against the Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) as well as against multidrugresistant tuberculosis (MDR) and other types of bacteria. Despite their importance, few compounds based on the Mefloquine nucleus have been synthesized and evaluated against TB.

Materials and Methods:

For the synthesis of all the compounds based on the Mefloquine nucleus we used a synthetic route which utilized the key derivative 4-methoxy-2,8-bis(trifluoromethyl)quinoline 2 as starting material. The compounds 3 (a-c), 4 (a-b) were synthesized after one step by reaction of 2 with appropriate amines substituted. The chloro derivatives 5 and 6 were obtained from compounds 4b and 4a by treatment with SOCl2 in CH2Cl2 at reflux in 75 and 80% yield, respectively. The analogue 6 was converted to 7 after treatment with ethanolamine under heating at 90oC in 64% yield and to the azido derivative 8 in 56% after reaction with sodium azide in MeOH at reflux for 2 h. The analogue 9 was obtained after reaction of 5 with ethanolamine at 90oC for 1 h in 90% yield. All the new compounds were identified by detailed spectral data, including 1H NMR, 13C NMR and high resolution mass spectra. All the compound were evaluated for their in vitro antibacterial activity against sensitive Mycobacterium tuberculosis ATCC 27294, using the microplate Alamar Blue assay (MABA). The more active compounds 3c, 7, and 9 were also evaluated against resistant strain SR 2571/0215 (resistant to Rifampicin and Isoniazid) by above method. All compounds were tested against three cancer cell lines: SF-295 (glioblastoma), HCT-116 (colon) and PC-3 (prostate) using the MTT assay.

Results:

All the planned ten compounds were synthetically obtained in good global yield, displaying activity against sensitive Mycobacterium tuberculosis in vitro, with exception of one, with MIC values between 37.2 and 154.8 µM. The compounds 3c (37.2 µM), 7 (68.1 µM) and 9 (65.6 µM) showed the highest activity in this series with MIC values similar when compare to the standard Mefloquine (30 – 60 µM), being 3c the most potent. The more active compounds 3c, 7, and 9 were also evaluated against resistant strain, displaying MIC of 37.2, 136.2 and 65.6 µM, respectively. All compounds were tested against three cancer cell lines and showed low cytotoxicity.

Conclusion:

All synthesized compounds, with the exception of 5, exhibited activity against the Mtb. Compound 3c was the most potent against resistant and sensitive Mtb in this series, with MIC value of 37.2 µM. All compounds showed low cytotoxicity. These findings could be considered a good model to develop possible lead compounds in the fight against TB based on Mefloquine nucleus.

Antimalarial drugs and their metabolites are potent Zika virus inhibitors

Studies aimed at repurposing existing drugs revealed that some antimalarial compounds possess anti-Zika virus (anti-ZIKV) activity. Here, we further tested 14 additional antimalarial drugs and their metabolites or analogs for anti-ZIKV activity using a phenotypic screening approach. We identified four compounds with varying anti-ZIKV activity, including a metabolite of amodiaquine termed desethylamodiaquine (DAQ) and N-desethylchloroquine (DECQ), a metabolite of chloroquine, which both exhibited low micromolar effective concentrations against three different ZIKV strains. Two other compounds termed dihydroartemisinin (DHA) and quinidine (QD) exhibited only partial inhibition of ZIKV replication. Characterization of the inhibitory mechanisms of DAQ and DECQ showed that both drugs target the entry step as well as postentry events of the viral replication cycle. These hits represent attractive starting points for future optimization of new anti-ZIKV drug candidates derived from antimalarial drugs and their analogs.

Zika Virus: Origins, Pathological Action, and Treatment Strategies

The Zika virus (ZIKV) global epidemic prompted the World Health Organization to declare it a 2016 Public Health Emergency of International Concern. The overwhelming experience over the past several years teaches us that ZIKV and the associated neurological complications represent a long-term world-wide challenge to public health. Although the number of ZIKV cases in the Western Hemisphere has dropped since 2016, the need for basic research and anti-ZIKV drug development remains strong. Re-emerging viruses like ZIKV are an ever-present threat in the 21st century where fast transcontinental travel lends itself to viral epidemics. Here, we first present the origin story for ZIKV and review the rapid progress researchers have made toward understanding of the ZIKV pathology and in the design, re-purposing, and testing–particularly in vivo–drug candidates for ZIKV prophylaxis and therapy ZIKV. Quite remarkably, a short, but intensive, drug-repurposing effort has already resulted in several readily available FDA-approved drugs that are capable of effectively combating the virus in infected adult mouse models and, most importantly, in both preventing maternal-fetal transmission and severe microcephaly in newborns in pregnant mouse models.

Quinolines and Quinolones as Antibacterial, Antifungal, Anti-virulence, Antiviral and Anti-parasitic Agents

Infective diseases have become health threat of a global proportion due to appearance and spread of microorganisms resistant to majority of therapeutics currently used for their treatment. Therefore, there is a constant need for development of new antimicrobial agents, as well as novel therapeutic strategies. Quinolines and quinolones, isolated from plants, animals, and microorganisms, have demonstrated numerous biological activities such as antimicrobial, insecticidal, anti-inflammatory, antiplatelet, and antitumor. For more than two centuries quinoline/quinolone moiety has been used as a scaffold for drug development and even today it represents an inexhaustible inspiration for design and development of novel semi-synthetic or synthetic agents exhibiting broad spectrum of bioactivities. The structural diversity of synthetized compounds provides high and selective activity attained through different mechanisms of action, as well as low toxicity on human cells. This review describes quinoline and quinolone derivatives with antibacterial, antifungal, anti-virulent, antiviral, and anti-parasitic activities with the focus on the last 10 years literature.

Investigational drugs for the treatment of Zika virus infection: a preclinical and clinical update

INTRODUCTION

The Zika virus (ZIKV) infection results in severe neurological complications and has emerged as a threat to public health worldwide. No drugs or vaccines are available for use in the clinic and the need for novel and effective therapeutic agents is urgent.

AREAS COVERED

This review describes the latest progress of antiviral development for the treatment of ZIKV infection; it primarily focuses on the literature describing 20 potential anti-ZIKV drugs/agents currently being tested in vivo or in clinical trials. The paper also discusses the need for novel ZIKV inhibitors and the critical issues for successful antiviral drug development.

EXPERT OPINION

So far, 20 compounds have been tested in vivo and three in the clinical trials; progressing these compounds to the clinic is a challenge. Novel ZIKV inhibitors that target virus or host factors are urgently needed. Knowledge-driven drug repurposing, structure-based discovery, RNA interference, long noncoding RNAs, miRNAs, and peptide inhibitors may pave the way for the discovery of such novel agents.

Host-Directed Antivirals: A Realistic Alternative to Fight Zika Virus

Zika virus (ZIKV), a mosquito-borne flavivirus, was an almost neglected pathogen until its introduction in the Americas in 2015, where it has been responsible for a threat to global health, causing a great social and sanitary alarm due to its increased virulence, rapid spread, and an association with severe neurological and ophthalmological complications. Currently, no specific antiviral therapy against ZIKV is available, and treatments are palliative and mainly directed toward the relief of symptoms, such as fever and rash, by administering antipyretics, anti-histamines, and fluids for dehydration. Nevertheless, lately, search for antivirals has been a major aim in ZIKV investigations. To do so, screening of libraries from different sources, testing of natural compounds, and repurposing of drugs with known antiviral activity have allowed the identification of several antiviral candidates directed to both viral (structural proteins and enzymes) and cellular elements. Here, we present an updated review of current knowledge about anti-ZIKV strategies, focusing on host-directed antivirals as a realistic alternative to combat ZIKV infection.

Activity of mefloquine and mefloquine derivatives against Echinococcus multilocularis

The cestode E. multilocularis causes the disease alveolar echinococcosis (AE) in humans. The continuously proliferating metacestode (larval stage) of the parasite infects mostly the liver and exhibits tumor-like growth. Current chemotherapeutical treatment options rely on benzimidazoles, which are rarely curative and have to be applied daily and life-long. This can result in considerable hepatotoxicity and thus treatment discontinuation. Therefore, novel drugs against AE are urgently needed. The anti-malarial mefloquine was previously shown to be active against E. multilocularis metacestodes in vitro, and in mice infected by intraperitoneal inoculation of metacestodes when administered at 100 mg/kg by oral gavage twice a week for 12 weeks. In the present study, the same dosage regime was applied in mice infected via oral uptake of eggs representing the natural route of infection. After 12 weeks of treatment, the presence of parasite lesions was assessed in a liver squeeze chamber and by PCR, and a significantly reduced parasite load was found in mefloquine-treated animals. Assessment of mefloquine plasma concentrations by HPLC and modeling using a two-compartment pharmacokinetic model with first-order absorption showed that >90% of the expected steady-state levels (Cmin 1.15 mg/L, Cmax 2.63 mg/L) were reached. These levels are close to concentrations achieved in humans during long-term weekly dosage of 250 mg (dose applied for malaria prophylaxis). In vitro structure-activity relationship analysis of mefloquine and ten derivatives revealed that none of the derivatives exhibited stronger activities than mefloquine. Activity was only observed, when the 2-piperidylmethanol group of mefloquine was replaced by an amino group-containing residue and when the trifluoromethyl residue on position 8 of the quinoline structure was present. This is in line with the anti-malarial activity of mefloquine and it implies that the mode of action in E. multilocularis might be similar to the one against malaria.

Potential targets for therapeutic intervention and structure based vaccine design against Zika virus

Continuously increasing number of reports of Zika virus (ZIKV) infections and associated severe clinical manifestations, including autoimmune abnormalities and neurological disorders such as neonatal microcephaly and Guillain-Barré syndrome have created alarming situation in various countries. To date, no specific antiviral therapy or vaccine is available against ZIKV. This review provides a comprehensive insight into the potential therapeutic targets and describes viral epitopes of broadly neutralizing antibodies (bNAbs) in vaccine design perspective. Interactions between ZIKV envelope glycoprotein E and cellular receptors mediate the viral fusion and entry to the target cell. Blocking these interactions by targeting cellular receptors or viral structural proteins mediating these interactions or viral surface glycans can inhibit viral entry to the cell. Similarly, different non-structural proteins of ZIKV and un-translated regions (UTRs) of its RNA play essential roles in viral replication cycle and potentiate for therapeutic interventions. Structure based vaccine design requires identity and structural description of the epitopes of bNAbs. We have described different conserved bNAb epitopes present in the ZIKV envelope as potential targets for structure based vaccine design. This review also highlights successes, unanswered questions and future perspectives in relation to therapeutic and vaccine development against ZIKV.

Zika virus, vaccines, and antiviral strategies

INTRODUCTION

Zika virus (ZIKV) recently emerged as a global public health emergency of international concern. ZIKV is responsible for severe neurological complications in adults and infection during pregnancy and can lead to congenital Zika syndrome. There is no licensed vaccine or drug to prevent or treat ZIKV infection. Areas covered: The aim of this article is to provide an overview and update of the progress of research on anti-ZIKV vaccine and medications until the end of 2017, with a special emphasis on drugs that can be used during pregnancy. Expert commentary: Development of new vaccines and drugs is challenging and several points particular to ZIKV infections augment this difficulty: (1) Cross-reactions between ZIKV and other flaviviruses, the impact of ZIKV vaccination on subsequent flavivirus infections, and vice-versa, is unknown, (2) Drugs against ZIKV should be safe in pregnant women, and (3) Evaluation of the efficacy of vaccine and drugs against ZIKV in clinical trials phase II-IV will be complicated due to the decline of ZIKV circulation.

A Review of the Ongoing Research on Zika Virus Treatment

The Zika fever is an arboviral disease resulting from the infection with Zika virus (ZIKV). The virus is transmitted to humans by the bite of Aedes mosquitos, mainly Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus. ZIKV has been detected for decades in African and Asian regions and, since 2007, has spread to other continents; among them, infections are most reported in the Americas. This can be explained by the presence of vectors in highly populated and tropical regions where people are susceptible to contamination. ZIKV has been considered by the World Health Organization a serious public health problem because of the increasing number of cases of congenital malformation and neurological disorders related to its infection, such as microcephaly, Guillain⁻Barré syndrome, meningoencephalitis, and myelitis. There is no vaccine or specific antiviral against ZIKV. The infection is best prevented by avoiding mosquito bite, and the treatment of infected patients is palliative. In this context, the search for efficient antivirals is necessary but remains challenging. Here, we aim to review the molecules that have been described to interfere with ZIKV life cycle and discuss their potential use in ZIKV therapy.

Antiviral Activity of Novel Quinoline Derivatives against Dengue Virus Serotype 2

Dengue virus causes dengue fever, a debilitating disease with an increasing incidence in many tropical and subtropical territories. So far, there are no effective antivirals licensed to treat this virus. Here we describe the synthesis and antiviral activity evaluation of two compounds based on the quinoline scaffold, which has shown potential for the development of molecules with various biological activities. Two of the tested compounds showed dose-dependent inhibition of dengue virus serotype 2 in the low and sub micromolar range. The compounds 1 and 2 were also able to impair the accumulation of the viral envelope glycoprotein in infected cells, while showing no sign of direct virucidal activity and acting possibly through a mechanism involving the early stages of the infection. The results are congruent with previously reported data showing the potential of quinoline derivatives as a promising scaffold for the development of new antivirals against this important virus.

Therapeutic Approaches for Zika Virus Infection of the Nervous System

Zika virus has spread rapidly in the Americas and has caused devastation of human populations affected in these regions. The virus causes teratogenic effects involving the nervous system, and in adults and children can cause a neuropathy similar to Guillain-Barré syndrome, an anterior myelitis, or, rarely, an encephalitis. While major efforts have been undertaken to control mosquito populations that spread the virus and to develop a vaccine, drug development that directly targets the virus in an infected individual to prevent or treat the neurological manifestations is necessary. Rational and targeted drug development is possible since the viral life cycle and the structure of the key viral proteins are now well understood. While several groups have identified therapeutic candidates, their approaches differ in the types of screening processes and viral assays used. Animal studies are available for only a few compounds. Here we provide an exhaustive review and compare each of the classes of drugs discovered, the methods used for drug discovery, and their potential use in humans for the prevention or treatment of neurological complications of Zika virus infection.

Current status of therapeutic and vaccine approaches against Zika virus

Zika virus (ZIKV) is a global threat because it is spreading at an alarming rate because of its wider range of transmission routes. The neuroteratogenic nature of ZIKV infection is posing serious threats to unborn lives therefore, it is necessary to develop an ideal ZIKV prophylactic or therapeutic agent urgently. Researchers are having tough time finding a treatment for ZIKV in part because of serious consequences of vaccines and drugs to unborn lives and pregnant women. However, in vitro and in vivo evaluation of therapeutic efficacy of DNA vaccine, recombinant subunit vaccine, and ZIKV purified inactivated vaccine offers hope for human protection. Large number of food and drug administration (FDA) approved drugs as wells as compounds with anti-ZIKV activity offer valuable opportunity to control the massive bio-burden of this catastrophic epidemic. Some evidences suggest that immunotherapeutics might prove to be winning strategy in pregnant females. Here, we review the recent advances and current knowledge regarding therapeutic interventions against ZIKV infection. This article will provide baseline data and roadmap to prosecute further research for the development of novel therapeutic strategy to curb the explosive rise in ZIKV.