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Lim SY, Guo Z, Liu P, McKay LGA, Storm N, Griffiths A, Qu MD, Finberg RW, Somasundaran M, Wang JP. Anti-SARS-CoV-2 Activity of Adamantanes In Vitro and in Animal Models of Infection. COVID 2022; 2:1551-1563. [PMID: 37274537 PMCID: PMC10238102 DOI: 10.3390/covid2110111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has had devastating effects worldwide, with particularly high morbidity and mortality in outbreaks on residential care facilities. Amantadine, originally licensed as an antiviral agent for therapy and prophylaxis against influenza A virus, has beneficial effects on patients with Parkinson's disease and is used for treatment of Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis, acquired brain injury, and various other neurological disorders. Recent observational data suggest an inverse relationship between the use of amantadine and COVID-19. Adamantanes, including amantadine and rimantadine, are reported to have in vitro activity against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV) and, more recently, SARS-CoV-2. We hypothesized that adamantanes have antiviral activity against SARS-CoV-2, including variant strains. To assess the activity of adamantanes against SARS-CoV-2, we used in vitro and in vivo models of infection. We established that amantadine, rimantadine, and tromantadine inhibit the growth of SARS-CoV-2 in vitro in cultured human epithelial cells. While neither rimantadine nor amantadine reduces lung viral titers in mice infected with mouse-adapted SARS-CoV-2, rimantadine significantly reduces viral titers in the lungs in golden Syrian hamsters infected with SARS-CoV-2. In summary, rimantadine has antiviral activity against SARS-CoV-2 in human alveolar epithelial cells and in the hamster model of SARS-CoV-2 lung infection. The evaluation of amantadine or rimantadine in human randomized controlled trials can definitively address applications for the treatment or prevention of COVID-19.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sun-Young Lim
- Department of Medicine, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01655, USA
| | - Zhiru Guo
- Department of Medicine, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01655, USA
| | - Ping Liu
- Department of Medicine, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01655, USA
| | - Lindsay G. A. McKay
- Department of Microbiology and National Emerging Infectious Diseases Laboratories, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Nadia Storm
- Department of Microbiology and National Emerging Infectious Diseases Laboratories, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Anthony Griffiths
- Department of Microbiology and National Emerging Infectious Diseases Laboratories, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Ming Da Qu
- Division of Infectious Disease & Immunology, Department of Medicine, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01655, USA
| | - Robert W. Finberg
- Department of Medicine, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01655, USA
| | - Mohan Somasundaran
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biotechnology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01655, USA
| | - Jennifer P. Wang
- Department of Medicine, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01655, USA
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Bennett AL, Smith DW, Cummins MJ, Jacoby PA, Cummins JM, Beilharz MW. Low-dose oral interferon alpha as prophylaxis against viral respiratory illness: a double-blind, parallel controlled trial during an influenza pandemic year. Influenza Other Respir Viruses 2013; 7:854-62. [PMID: 23398960 PMCID: PMC5781220 DOI: 10.1111/irv.12094] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/06/2012] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE Interferon alpha (IFNα) is a known antiviral agent. A double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial was conducted investigating the use of low-dose oral interferon alpha for preventing acute viral respiratory illnesses. METHODS Two hundred healthy adults aged 18-75 years were enrolled and completed weekly health data questionnaires to monitor for symptoms and impact of respiratory illness. Serum samples were tested for antibodies against influenza and other common respiratory viruses. RESULTS Low-dose oral IFNα prophylaxis did not reduce the incidence or impact of acute respiratory illness (ARI) or the impact of illness on daily activities. Post hoc analysis of participant subgroups, however, identified significant reductions in the incidence of ARI reported by males, those aged 50 years or more and those who received the 2009 seasonal influenza vaccine. Interferon alpha prophylaxis had a significant impact on the reporting of moderate-to-severe feverishness by the study population. Seropositive participants in the IFN group were more likely to report asymptomatic or mild symptoms compared with those in the placebo group who were more likely to report stronger symptoms. CONCLUSIONS Low-dose oral IFNα prophylaxis was not effective in limiting the overall incidence of ARI in our study population. However, there was evidence that prophylaxis reduced the severity of symptoms and had a beneficial effect in some subpopulations, including those who received the 2009 seasonal trivalent influenza vaccination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alayne L Bennett
- School of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, Australia
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