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Sabadini G, Mellado M, Morales C, Mella J. Arylamines QSAR-Based Design and Molecular Dynamics of New Phenylthiophene and Benzimidazole Derivatives with Affinity for the C111, Y268, and H73 Sites of SARS-CoV-2 PLpro Enzyme. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2024; 17:606. [PMID: 38794177 PMCID: PMC11124164 DOI: 10.3390/ph17050606] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2024] [Revised: 05/01/2024] [Accepted: 05/07/2024] [Indexed: 05/26/2024] Open
Abstract
A non-structural SARS-CoV-2 protein, PLpro, is involved in post-translational modifications in cells, allowing the evasion of antiviral immune response mechanisms. In this study, potential PLpro inhibitory drugs were designed using QSAR, molecular docking, and molecular dynamics. A combined QSAR equation with physicochemical and Free-Wilson descriptors was formulated. The r2, q2, and r2test values were 0.833, 0.770, and 0.721, respectively. From the equation, it was found that the presence of an aromatic ring and a basic nitrogen atom is crucial for obtaining good antiviral activity. Then, a series of structures for the binding sites of C111, Y268, and H73 of PLpro were created. The best compounds were found to exhibit pIC50 values of 9.124 and docking scoring values of -14 kcal/mol. The stability of the compounds in the cavities was confirmed by molecular dynamics studies. A high number of stable contacts and good interactions over time were exhibited by the aryl-thiophenes Pred14 and Pred15, making them potential antiviral candidates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gianfranco Sabadini
- Instituto de Química y Bioquímica, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Valparaíso, Av. Gran Bretaña 1111, Valparaíso 2360102, Chile;
| | - Marco Mellado
- Instituto de Investigación y Postgrado, Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Central de Chile, Santiago 8330507, Chile
| | - César Morales
- Laboratorio de Materiales Funcionales, Centro Integrativo de Biología y Química Aplicada (CIBQA), Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Bernardo OHiggins, General Gana 1702, Santiago 8320000, Chile;
| | - Jaime Mella
- Instituto de Química y Bioquímica, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Valparaíso, Av. Gran Bretaña 1111, Valparaíso 2360102, Chile;
- Centro de Investigación, Desarrollo e Innovación de Productos Bioactivos (CInBIO), Universidad de Valparaíso, Av. Gran Bretaña 1111, Valparaíso 2360102, Chile
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2
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Choi HS, Choi AY, Kopp JB, Winkler CA, Cho SK. Review of COVID-19 Therapeutics by Mechanism: From Discovery to Approval. J Korean Med Sci 2024; 39:e134. [PMID: 38622939 PMCID: PMC11018982 DOI: 10.3346/jkms.2024.39.e134] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2024] [Accepted: 03/18/2024] [Indexed: 04/17/2024] Open
Abstract
The global research and pharmaceutical community rapidly mobilized to develop treatments for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Existing treatments have been repurposed and new drugs have emerged. Here we summarize mechanisms and clinical trials of COVID-19 therapeutics approved or in development. Two reviewers, working independently, reviewed published data for approved COVID-19 vaccines and drugs, as well as developmental pipelines, using databases from the following organizations: United States Food and Drug Administration (US-FDA), European Medicines Agency (EMA), Japanese Pharmaceutical and Medical Devices Agency (PMDA), and ClinicalTrials.gov. In all, 387 drugs were found for initial review. After removing unrelated trials and drugs, 66 drugs were selected, including 17 approved drugs and 49 drugs under development. These drugs were classified into six categories: 1) drugs targeting the viral life cycle 2) Anti-severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 Monoclonal Antibodies, 3) immunomodulators, 4) anti-coagulants, 5) COVID-19-induced neuropathy drugs, and 6) other therapeutics. Among the 49 drugs under development are the following: 6 drugs targeting the viral life cycle, 12 immunosuppression drugs, 2 immunostimulants, 2 HIF-PHD targeting drugs, 3 GM-CSF targeting drugs, 5 anti-coagulants, 2 COVID-19-induced neuropathy drugs, and 17 others. This review provides insight into mechanisms of action, properties, and indications for COVID-19 medications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hee Sun Choi
- Department of Pharmacology, Ajou University School of Medicine, Suwon, Korea
| | - A Young Choi
- Department of Pharmacology, Ajou University School of Medicine, Suwon, Korea
| | - Jeffrey B Kopp
- Kidney Disease Section, Kidney Diseases, Branch, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Cheryl A Winkler
- Basic Research Laboratory, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Frederick, MD, USA
| | - Sung Kweon Cho
- Department of Pharmacology, Ajou University School of Medicine, Suwon, Korea
- Basic Research Laboratory, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Frederick, MD, USA.
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3
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Juárez-Mercado KE, Gómez-Hernández MA, Salinas-Trujano J, Córdova-Bahena L, Espitia C, Pérez-Tapia SM, Medina-Franco JL, Velasco-Velázquez MA. Identification of SARS-CoV-2 Main Protease Inhibitors Using Chemical Similarity Analysis Combined with Machine Learning. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2024; 17:240. [PMID: 38399455 PMCID: PMC10892746 DOI: 10.3390/ph17020240] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2024] [Revised: 02/05/2024] [Accepted: 02/08/2024] [Indexed: 02/25/2024] Open
Abstract
SARS-CoV-2 Main Protease (Mpro) is an enzyme that cleaves viral polyproteins translated from the viral genome, which is critical for viral replication. Mpro is a target for anti-SARS-CoV-2 drug development. Herein, we performed a large-scale virtual screening by comparing multiple structural descriptors of reference molecules with reported anti-coronavirus activity against a library with >17 million compounds. Further filtering, performed by applying two machine learning algorithms, identified eighteen computational hits as anti-SARS-CoV-2 compounds with high structural diversity and drug-like properties. The activities of twelve compounds on Mpro's enzymatic activity were evaluated by fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) assays. Compound 13 (ZINC13878776) significantly inhibited SARS-CoV-2 Mpro activity and was employed as a reference for an experimentally hit expansion. The structural analogues 13a (ZINC4248385), 13b (ZNC13523222), and 13c (ZINC4248365) were tested as Mpro inhibitors, reducing the enzymatic activity of recombinant Mpro with potency as follows: 13c > 13 > 13b > 13a. Then, their anti-SARS-CoV-2 activities were evaluated in plaque reduction assays using Vero CCL81 cells. Subtoxic concentrations of compounds 13a, 13c, and 13b displayed in vitro antiviral activity with IC50 in the mid micromolar range. Compounds 13a-c could become lead compounds for the development of new Mpro inhibitors with improved activity against anti-SARS-CoV-2.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Milton Abraham Gómez-Hernández
- School of Medicine, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City 04510, Mexico
- Graduate Program in Biomedical Sciences, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City 04510, Mexico
| | - Juana Salinas-Trujano
- Research and Development in Biotherapeutics Unit (UDIBI), National School of Biological Sciences, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Mexico City 11350, Mexico
- National Laboratory for Specialized Services of Investigation, Development and Innovation (I+D+i) for Pharma Chemicals and Biotechnological Products, LANSEIDI-FarBiotech-CONACHyT, Mexico City 11350, Mexico
| | - Luis Córdova-Bahena
- School of Medicine, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City 04510, Mexico
- National Council of Humanities, Science and Technology (CONAHCYT), Mexico City 03940, Mexico
| | - Clara Espitia
- Immunology Department, Institute for Biomedical Research, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City 04510, Mexico
| | - Sonia Mayra Pérez-Tapia
- Research and Development in Biotherapeutics Unit (UDIBI), National School of Biological Sciences, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Mexico City 11350, Mexico
- National Laboratory for Specialized Services of Investigation, Development and Innovation (I+D+i) for Pharma Chemicals and Biotechnological Products, LANSEIDI-FarBiotech-CONACHyT, Mexico City 11350, Mexico
- Immunology Department, National School of Biological Sciences, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Mexico City 11350, Mexico
| | - José L. Medina-Franco
- DIFACQUIM Research Group, School of Chemistry, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City 04510, Mexico
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4
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Ghosh AK, Shahabi D, Imhoff MEC, Kovela S, Sharma A, Hattori SI, Higashi-Kuwata N, Mitsuya H, Mesecar AD. SARS-CoV-2 papain-like protease (PLpro) inhibitory and antiviral activity of small molecule derivatives for drug leads. Bioorg Med Chem Lett 2023; 96:129489. [PMID: 37770002 PMCID: PMC10842477 DOI: 10.1016/j.bmcl.2023.129489] [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: 08/29/2023] [Revised: 09/20/2023] [Accepted: 09/25/2023] [Indexed: 10/03/2023]
Abstract
We report here the synthesis and biological evaluation of a series of small molecule SARS-CoV-2 PLpro inhibitors. We compared the activity of selected compounds in both SARS-CoV-1 and SARS-CoV-2 PLpro inhibitory and antiviral assays. We have synthesized and evaluated several new structural variants of previous leads against SARS-CoV-2 PLpro. The replacement of the carboxamide functionality with sulfonamide derivatives resulted in PLpro inhibitors with potent PLpro inhibitory and antiviral activity in VeroE6 cells similar to GRL0617. To obtain molecular insight, we created an optimized model of a potent sulfonamide derivative in the SARS-CoV-2 PLpro active site.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arun K Ghosh
- Department of Chemistry and Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907 USA.
| | - Dana Shahabi
- Department of Chemistry and Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907 USA
| | | | - Satish Kovela
- Department of Chemistry and Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907 USA
| | - Ashish Sharma
- Department of Chemistry and Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907 USA
| | - Shin-Ichiro Hattori
- Department of Refractory Viral Diseases, National Center for Global Health and Medicine, Shinjuku, Tokyo 162-8655 Japan
| | - Nobuyo Higashi-Kuwata
- Department of Refractory Viral Diseases, National Center for Global Health and Medicine, Shinjuku, Tokyo 162-8655 Japan
| | - Hiroaki Mitsuya
- Department of Refractory Viral Diseases, National Center for Global Health and Medicine, Shinjuku, Tokyo 162-8655 Japan; Department of Clinical Sciences, Kumamoto University Hospital, Kumamoto 860-8556 Japan; Experimental Retrovirology Section, HIV and AIDS Malignancy Branch National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD 20892 USA
| | - Andrew D Mesecar
- Department of Biological Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907 USA
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5
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Jones T, Monakhova N, Guivel-Benhassine F, Lepioshkin A, Bruel T, Lane TR, Schwartz O, Puhl AC, Makarov V, Ekins S. Synthesis and Evaluation of 9-Aminoacridines with SARS-CoV-2 Antiviral Activity. ACS OMEGA 2023; 8:40817-40822. [PMID: 37929131 PMCID: PMC10620940 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.3c05900] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2023] [Accepted: 10/04/2023] [Indexed: 11/07/2023]
Abstract
There have been relatively few small molecules developed with direct activity against the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Two existing antimalarial drugs, pyronaridine and quinacrine, display whole cell activity against SARS-CoV-2 in A549 + ACE2 cells (pretreatment, IC50 = 0.23 and 0.19 μM, respectively) with moderate cytotoxicity (CC50 = 11.53 and 9.24 μM, respectively). Moreover, pyronaridine displays in vitro activity against SARS-CoV-2 PLpro (IC50 = 1.8 μM). Given their existing antiviral activity, these compounds are strong candidates for repurposing against COVID-19 and prompt us to study the structure-activity relationship of the 9-aminoacridine scaffold against SARS-CoV-2 using traditional medicinal chemistry to identify promising new analogs. Our studies identified several novel analogs possessing potent in vitro activity in U2-OS ACE2 GFP 1-10 and 1-11 (IC50 < 1.0 μM) as well as moderate cytotoxicity (CC50 > 4.0 μM). Compounds such as 7g, 9c, and 7e were more active, demonstrating selectivity indices SI > 10, and 9c displayed the strongest activity (IC50 ≤ 0.42 μM, CC50 ≥ 4.41 μM, SI > 10) among them, indicating that it has potential as a new lead molecule in this series against COVID-19.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thane Jones
- Collaborations
Pharmaceuticals, Inc., 840 Main Campus Drive, Lab 3510, Raleigh, North Carolina 27606, United States
| | - Natalia Monakhova
- Federal
Research Centre “Fundamentals of Biotechnology” of the
Russian Academy of Sciences (Research Centre of Biotechnology RAS), 33-2 Leninsky Prospect, Moscow 119071, Russia
| | | | - Alexander Lepioshkin
- Federal
Research Centre “Fundamentals of Biotechnology” of the
Russian Academy of Sciences (Research Centre of Biotechnology RAS), 33-2 Leninsky Prospect, Moscow 119071, Russia
| | - Timothée Bruel
- Institut
Pasteur, 28 rue du Dr Roux, Paris Cedex 15 75724, France
| | - Thomas R. Lane
- Collaborations
Pharmaceuticals, Inc., 840 Main Campus Drive, Lab 3510, Raleigh, North Carolina 27606, United States
| | - Olivier Schwartz
- Institut
Pasteur, 28 rue du Dr Roux, Paris Cedex 15 75724, France
| | - Ana C. Puhl
- Collaborations
Pharmaceuticals, Inc., 840 Main Campus Drive, Lab 3510, Raleigh, North Carolina 27606, United States
| | - Vadim Makarov
- Federal
Research Centre “Fundamentals of Biotechnology” of the
Russian Academy of Sciences (Research Centre of Biotechnology RAS), 33-2 Leninsky Prospect, Moscow 119071, Russia
| | - Sean Ekins
- Collaborations
Pharmaceuticals, Inc., 840 Main Campus Drive, Lab 3510, Raleigh, North Carolina 27606, United States
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6
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Ardanuy J, Johnson R, Dillen C, Taylor L, Hammond H, Weston S, Frieman M. Pyronaridine tetraphosphate is an efficacious antiviral and anti-inflammatory active against multiple highly pathogenic coronaviruses. mBio 2023; 14:e0158723. [PMID: 37581442 PMCID: PMC10653794 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.01587-23] [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: 06/23/2023] [Accepted: 06/26/2023] [Indexed: 08/16/2023] Open
Abstract
IMPORTANCE Pyronaridine tetraphosphate is on the WHO Essential Medicine List for its importance as a widely available and safe treatment for malaria. We find that pyronaridine is a highly effective antiviral therapeutic across mouse models using multiple variants of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), and the highly pathogenic viruses SARS-CoV-1 and Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus responsible for previous coronavirus outbreaks. Additionally, we find that pyronaridine additively combines with current COVID-19 treatments such as nirmatrelvir (protease inhibitor in Paxlovid) and molnupiravir to further inhibit SARS-CoV-2 infections. There are many antiviral compounds that demonstrate efficacy in cellular models, but few that show this level of impact in multiple mouse models and represent a promising therapeutic for the current coronavirus pandemic as well as future outbreaks as well.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeremy Ardanuy
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Center for Pathogen Research, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Robert Johnson
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Center for Pathogen Research, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Carly Dillen
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Center for Pathogen Research, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Louis Taylor
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Center for Pathogen Research, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Holly Hammond
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Center for Pathogen Research, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Stuart Weston
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Center for Pathogen Research, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Matthew Frieman
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Center for Pathogen Research, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
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7
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Puhl AC, Lane TR, Ekins S. Learning from COVID-19: How drug hunters can prepare for the next pandemic. Drug Discov Today 2023; 28:103723. [PMID: 37482237 PMCID: PMC10994687 DOI: 10.1016/j.drudis.2023.103723] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2023] [Revised: 07/10/2023] [Accepted: 07/18/2023] [Indexed: 07/25/2023]
Abstract
Over 3 years, the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic killed nearly 7 million people and infected more than 767 million globally. During this time, our very small company was able to contribute to antiviral drug discovery efforts through global collaborations with other researchers, which enabled the identification and repurposing of multiple molecules with activity against SARS-CoV-2 including pyronaridine tetraphosphate, tilorone, quinacrine, vandetanib, lumefantrine, cetylpyridinium chloride, raloxifene, carvedilol, olmutinib, dacomitinib, crizotinib, and bosutinib. We highlight some of the key findings from this experience of using different computational and experimental strategies, and detail some of the challenges and strategies for how we might better prepare for the next pandemic so that potential antiviral treatments are available for future outbreaks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana C Puhl
- Collaborations Pharmaceuticals, Inc., 840 Main Campus Drive, Lab 3510, Raleigh, NC, USA.
| | - Thomas R Lane
- Collaborations Pharmaceuticals, Inc., 840 Main Campus Drive, Lab 3510, Raleigh, NC, USA
| | - Sean Ekins
- Collaborations Pharmaceuticals, Inc., 840 Main Campus Drive, Lab 3510, Raleigh, NC, USA.
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8
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Puhl AC, Godoy AS, Noske GD, Nakamura AM, Gawriljuk VO, Fernandes RS, Oliva G, Ekins S. Discovery of PL pro and M pro Inhibitors for SARS-CoV-2. ACS OMEGA 2023; 8:22603-22612. [PMID: 37387790 PMCID: PMC10275482 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.3c01110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2023] [Accepted: 06/01/2023] [Indexed: 07/01/2023]
Abstract
There are very few small-molecule antivirals for SARS-CoV-2 that are either currently approved (or emergency authorized) in the US or globally, including remdesivir, molnupiravir, and paxlovid. The increasing number of SARS-CoV-2 variants that have appeared since the outbreak began over three years ago raises the need for continual development of updated vaccines and orally available antivirals in order to fully protect or treat the population. The viral main protease (Mpro) and the papain-like protease (PLpro) are key for viral replication; therefore, they represent valuable targets for antiviral therapy. We herein describe an in vitro screen performed using the 2560 compounds from the Microsource Spectrum library against Mpro and PLpro in an attempt to identify additional small-molecule hits that could be repurposed for SARS-CoV-2. We subsequently identified 2 hits for Mpro and 8 hits for PLpro. One of these hits was the quaternary ammonium compound cetylpyridinium chloride with dual activity (IC50 = 2.72 ± 0.09 μM for PLpro and IC50 = 7.25 ± 0.15 μM for Mpro). A second inhibitor of PLpro was the selective estrogen receptor modulator raloxifene (IC50 = 3.28 ± 0.29 μM for PLpro and IC50 = 42.8 ± 6.7 μM for Mpro). We additionally tested several kinase inhibitors and identified olmutinib (IC50 = 0.54 ± 0.04 μM), bosutinib (IC50 = 4.23 ± 0.28 μM), crizotinib (IC50 = 3.81 ± 0.04 μM), and dacominitinib (IC50 = IC50 3.33 ± 0.06 μM) as PLpro inhibitors for the first time. In some cases, these molecules have also been tested by others for antiviral activity for this virus, or we have used Calu-3 cells infected with SARS-CoV-2. The results suggest that approved drugs can be identified with promising activity against these proteases, and in several cases we or others have validated their antiviral activity. The additional identification of known kinase inhibitors as molecules targeting PLpro may provide new repurposing opportunities or starting points for chemical optimization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana C. Puhl
- Collaborations
Pharmaceuticals, Inc., 840 Main Campus Drive, Lab 3510, Raleigh, North Carolina 27606, United States
| | - Andre S. Godoy
- Sao
Carlos Institute of Physics, University
of Sao Paulo, Av. Joao
Dagnone, 1100—Jardim Santa Angelina, Sao Carlos 13563-120, Brazil
| | - Gabriela D. Noske
- Sao
Carlos Institute of Physics, University
of Sao Paulo, Av. Joao
Dagnone, 1100—Jardim Santa Angelina, Sao Carlos 13563-120, Brazil
| | - Aline M. Nakamura
- Sao
Carlos Institute of Physics, University
of Sao Paulo, Av. Joao
Dagnone, 1100—Jardim Santa Angelina, Sao Carlos 13563-120, Brazil
| | - Victor O. Gawriljuk
- Sao
Carlos Institute of Physics, University
of Sao Paulo, Av. Joao
Dagnone, 1100—Jardim Santa Angelina, Sao Carlos 13563-120, Brazil
| | - Rafaela S. Fernandes
- Sao
Carlos Institute of Physics, University
of Sao Paulo, Av. Joao
Dagnone, 1100—Jardim Santa Angelina, Sao Carlos 13563-120, Brazil
| | - Glaucius Oliva
- Sao
Carlos Institute of Physics, University
of Sao Paulo, Av. Joao
Dagnone, 1100—Jardim Santa Angelina, Sao Carlos 13563-120, Brazil
| | - Sean Ekins
- Collaborations
Pharmaceuticals, Inc., 840 Main Campus Drive, Lab 3510, Raleigh, North Carolina 27606, United States
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9
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Vignaux P, Lane TR, Puhl AC, Hau RK, Wright SH, Cherrington NJ, Ekins S. Transporter Inhibition Profile for the Antivirals Tilorone, Quinacrine and Pyronaridine. ACS OMEGA 2023; 8:12532-12537. [PMID: 37033868 PMCID: PMC10077433 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.3c00724] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2023] [Accepted: 03/16/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
Pyronaridine, tilorone and quinacrine are cationic molecules that have in vitro activity against Ebola, SARS-CoV-2 and other viruses. All three molecules have also demonstrated in vivo activity against Ebola in mice, while pyronaridine showed in vivo efficacy against SARS-CoV-2 in mice. We have recently tested these molecules and other antivirals against human organic cation transporters (OCTs) and apical multidrug and toxin extruders (MATEs). Quinacrine was found to be an inhibitor of OCT2, while tilorone and pyronaridine were less potent, and these displayed variability depending on the substrate used. To assess whether any of these three molecules have other potential interactions with additional transporters, we have now screened them at 10 μM against various human efflux and uptake transporters including P-gp, OATP1B3, OAT1, OAT3, MRP1, MRP2, MRP3, BCRP, as well as confirmational testing against OCT1, OCT2, MATE1 and MATE2K. Interestingly, in this study tilorone appears to be a more potent inhibitor of OCT1 and OCT2 than pyronaridine or quinacrine. However, both pyronaridine and quinacrine appear to be more potent inhibitors of MATE1 and MATE2K. None of the three compounds inhibited MRP1, MRP2, MRP3, OAT1, OAT3, P-gp or OATP1B3. Similarly, we previously showed that tilorone and pyronaridine do not inhibit OATP1B1 and have confirmed that quinacrine behaves similarly. In total, these observations suggest that the three compounds only appear to interact with OCTs and MATEs to differing extents, suggesting they may be involved in fewer clinically relevant drug-transporter interactions involving pharmaceutical substrates of the other major transporters tested.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patricia
A. Vignaux
- Collaborations
Pharmaceuticals, Inc., 840 Main Campus Drive, Lab 3510, Raleigh, North Carolina 27606, United States
| | - Thomas R. Lane
- Collaborations
Pharmaceuticals, Inc., 840 Main Campus Drive, Lab 3510, Raleigh, North Carolina 27606, United States
| | - Ana C. Puhl
- Collaborations
Pharmaceuticals, Inc., 840 Main Campus Drive, Lab 3510, Raleigh, North Carolina 27606, United States
| | - Raymond K. Hau
- Department
of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona 85721, United States
| | - Stephen H. Wright
- Department
of Physiology, College of Medicine, University
of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona 85721, United
States
| | - Nathan J. Cherrington
- Department
of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona 85721, United States
| | - Sean Ekins
- Collaborations
Pharmaceuticals, Inc., 840 Main Campus Drive, Lab 3510, Raleigh, North Carolina 27606, United States
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10
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Application of Minimal Physiologically-Based Pharmacokinetic Model to Simulate Lung and Trachea Exposure of Pyronaridine and Artesunate in Hamsters. Pharmaceutics 2023; 15:pharmaceutics15030838. [PMID: 36986698 PMCID: PMC10058671 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics15030838] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2023] [Revised: 03/01/2023] [Accepted: 03/02/2023] [Indexed: 03/08/2023] Open
Abstract
A fixed-dose combination of pyronaridine and artesunate, one of the artemisinin-based combination therapies, has been used as a potent antimalarial treatment regimen. Recently, several studies have reported the antiviral effects of both drugs against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus two (SARS-CoV-2). However, there are limited data on the pharmacokinetics (PKs), lung, and trachea exposures that could be correlated with the antiviral effects of pyronaridine and artesunate. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the pharmacokinetics, lung, and trachea distribution of pyronaridine, artesunate, and dihydroartemisinin (an active metabolite of artesunate) using a minimal physiologically-based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) model. The major target tissues for evaluating dose metrics are blood, lung, and trachea, and the nontarget tissues were lumped together into the rest of the body. The predictive performance of the minimal PBPK model was evaluated using visual inspection between observations and model predictions, (average) fold error, and sensitivity analysis. The developed PBPK models were applied for the multiple-dosing simulation of daily oral pyronaridine and artesunate. A steady state was reached about three to four days after the first dosing of pyronaridine and an accumulation ratio was calculated to be 1.8. However, the accumulation ratio of artesunate and dihydroartemisinin could not be calculated since the steady state of both compounds was not achieved by daily multiple dosing. The elimination half-life of pyronaridine and artesunate was estimated to be 19.8 and 0.4 h, respectively. Pyronaridine was extensively distributed to the lung and trachea with the lung-to-blood and trachea-to-blood concentration ratios (=Cavg,tissue/Cavg,blood) of 25.83 and 12.41 at the steady state, respectively. Also, the lung-to-blood and trachea-to-blood AUC ratios for artesunate (dihydroartemisinin) were calculated to be 3.34 (1.51) and 0.34 (0.15). The results of this study could provide a scientific basis for interpreting the dose–exposure–response relationship of pyronaridine and artesunate for COVID-19 drug repurposing.
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Mohamed EAR, Abdel-Rahman IM, Zaki MEA, Al-Khdhairawi A, Abdelhamid MM, Alqaisi AM, Rahim LBA, Abu-Hussein B, El-Sheikh AAK, Abdelwahab SF, Hassan HA. In silico prediction of potential inhibitors for SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant using molecular docking and dynamics simulation-based drug repurposing. J Mol Model 2023; 29:70. [PMID: 36808314 PMCID: PMC9939377 DOI: 10.1007/s00894-023-05457-z] [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: 09/02/2022] [Accepted: 01/16/2023] [Indexed: 02/23/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND In November 2021, variant B.1.1.529 of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) was identified by the World Health Organization (WHO) and designated Omicron. Omicron is characterized by a high number of mutations, thirty-two in total, making it more transmissible than the original virus. More than half of those mutations were found in the receptor-binding domain (RBD) that directly interacts with human angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2). This study aimed to discover potent drugs against Omicron, which were previously repurposed for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). All repurposed anti-COVID-19 drugs were compiled from previous studies and tested against the RBD of SARS-CoV-2 Omicron. METHODS As a preliminary step, a molecular docking study was performed to investigate the potency of seventy-one compounds from four classes of inhibitors. The molecular characteristics of the best-performing five compounds were predicted by estimating the drug-likeness and drug score. Molecular dynamics simulations (MD) over 100 ns were performed to inspect the relative stability of the best compound within the Omicron receptor-binding site. RESULTS The current findings point out the crucial roles of Q493R, G496S, Q498R, N501Y, and Y505H in the RBD region of SARS-CoV-2 Omicron. Raltegravir, hesperidin, pyronaridine, and difloxacin achieved the highest drug scores compared with the other compounds in the four classes, with values of 81%, 57%, 18%, and 71%, respectively. The calculated results showed that raltegravir and hesperidin had high binding affinities and stabilities to Omicron with ΔGbinding of - 75.7304 ± 0.98324 and - 42.693536 ± 0.979056 kJ/mol, respectively. Further clinical studies should be performed for the two best compounds from this study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eslam A. R. Mohamed
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Minia University, Minia, 61511 Egypt
| | - Islam M. Abdel-Rahman
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Deraya University, New-Minia, 61519 Minia Egypt
| | - Magdi E. A. Zaki
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Imam Mohammad Ibn Saud Islamic University (IMSIU), Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Ahmad Al-Khdhairawi
- Department of Biological Science and Biotechnology, Faculty of Science and Technology, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43600 Bangi, Selangor Malaysia
| | - Mahmoud M. Abdelhamid
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Al-Azhar University, Asyut, 71524 Egypt
| | - Ahmad M. Alqaisi
- Chemistry Department, University of Jordan, Amman, 11942 Jordan
- Present Address: School for Engineering of Matter, Transport and Energy, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287 USA
| | - Lyana binti Abd Rahim
- Department of Medicine, Hospital Tuanku Ampuan Najihah, Kuala Pilah, Negeri Sembilan Malaysia
| | - Bilal Abu-Hussein
- Albayader Specialty Hospital, Amman, Jordan
- Present Address: Department of General Surgery, Cumberland Infirmary Hospital, Carlisle, England
| | - Azza A. K. El-Sheikh
- Basic Health Sciences Department, College of Medicine, Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University, P.O. 13 Box 84428, Riyadh, 11671 Saudi Arabia
| | - Sayed F. Abdelwahab
- Department of Pharmaceutics and Industrial Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy, Taif University, PO Box 11099, Taif, 21944 Saudi Arabia
| | - Heba Ali Hassan
- Department of Pharmacognosy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Sohag University, Sohag, 82524 Egypt
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12
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Chandiwana N, Kruger C, Johnstone H, Chughlay MF, Ju C, Kim B, Dineka Y, Arbe-Barnes S, Miller R, Owen A, Hill A, Windgassen D, Abla N, Marrast AC, Duparc S, Francois Venter WD. Safety and efficacy of four drug regimens versus standard-of-care for the treatment of symptomatic outpatients with COVID-19: A randomised, open-label, multi-arm, phase 2 clinical trial. EBioMedicine 2022; 86:104322. [PMID: 36332361 PMCID: PMC9624152 DOI: 10.1016/j.ebiom.2022.104322] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2022] [Revised: 09/09/2022] [Accepted: 10/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Background This exploratory study investigated four repurposed anti-infective drug regimens in outpatients with COVID-19. Methods This phase 2, single centre, randomised, open-label, clinical trial was conducted in South Africa between 3rd September 2020 and 23rd August 2021. Symptomatic outpatients aged 18–65 years, with RT-PCR confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection were computer randomised (1:1:1:1:1) to standard-of-care (SOC) with paracetamol, or SOC plus artesunate-amodiaquine (ASAQ), pyronaridine-artesunate (PA), favipiravir plus nitazoxanide (FPV + NTZ), or sofosbuvir-daclatasvir (SOF-DCV). The primary endpoint was the incidence of viral clearance, i.e., the proportion of patients with a negative SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR on day 7, compared to SOC using a log-binomial model in the modified intention-to-treat (mITT) population. Findings The mITT population included 186 patients: mean age (SD) 34.9 (10.3) years, body weight 78.2 (17.1) kg. Day 7 SARS-CoV-2 clearance rates (n/N; risk ratio [95% CI]) were: SOC 34.2% (13/38), ASAQ 38.5% (15/39; 0.80 [0.44, 1.47]), PA 30.3% (10/33; 0.69 [0.37, 1.29]), FPV + NTZ 27.0% (10/37; 0.60 [0.31, 1.18]) and SOF-DCV 23.5% (8/34; 0.47 [0.22, 1.00]). Three lower respiratory tract infections occurred (PA 6.1% [2/33]; SOF-DCV 2.9% [1/34]); two required hospitalisation (PA, SOF-DCV). There were no deaths. Adverse events occurred in 55.3% (105/190) of patients, including one serious adverse event (pancytopenia; FPV + NTZ). Interpretation There was no statistical difference in viral clearance for any regimen compared to SOC. All treatments were well tolerated. Funding 10.13039/501100004167Medicines for Malaria Venture, with funding from the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, within the Covid-19 Therapeutics Accelerator in partnership with 10.13039/100004440Wellcome, the 10.13039/100000865Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and Mastercard.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nomathemba Chandiwana
- Ezintsha, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa,Corresponding author. Ezintsha, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Building C, Sunnyside Office Park, 32 Princess of Wales Terrace, Parktown, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Chelsea Kruger
- Ezintsha, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | | | | | - Chung Ju
- Shin Poong Pharm. Co. Ltd., Seoul, Republic of Korea,Graduate School of Clinical Pharmacy, CHA University, Pocheon-si, Gyeonggi-do, Republic of Korea
| | - Byungsu Kim
- Shin Poong Pharm. Co. Ltd., Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Yengiwe Dineka
- Ezintsha, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | | | | | - Andrew Owen
- Department of Molecular and Clinical Pharmacology, Centre of Excellence in Long-acting Therapeutics (CELT), University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - Andrew Hill
- Department of Molecular and Clinical Pharmacology, Centre of Excellence in Long-acting Therapeutics (CELT), University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | | | - Nada Abla
- Medicines for Malaria Venture, Geneva, Switzerland
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13
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Rank L, Puhl AC, Havener TM, Anderson E, Foil DH, Zorn KM, Monakhova N, Riabova O, Hickey AJ, Makarov V, Ekins S. Multiple approaches to repurposing drugs for neuroblastoma. Bioorg Med Chem 2022; 73:117043. [PMID: 36208544 PMCID: PMC9870653 DOI: 10.1016/j.bmc.2022.117043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2022] [Revised: 09/27/2022] [Accepted: 09/28/2022] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
Neuroblastoma (NB) is the second leading extracranial solid tumor of early childhood with about two-thirds of cases presenting before the age of 5, and accounts for roughly 15 percent of all pediatric cancer fatalities in the United States. Treatments against NB are lacking, resulting in a low survival rate in high-risk patients. A repurposing approach using already approved or clinical stage compounds can be used for diseases for which the patient population is small, and the commercial market limited. We have used Bayesian machine learning, in vitro cell assays, and combination analysis to identify molecules with potential use for NB. We demonstrated that pyronaridine (SH-SY5Y IC50 1.70 µM, SK-N-AS IC50 3.45 µM), BAY 11-7082 (SH-SY5Y IC50 0.85 µM, SK-N-AS IC50 1.23 µM), niclosamide (SH-SY5Y IC50 0.87 µM, SK-N-AS IC50 2.33 µM) and fingolimod (SH-SY5Y IC50 4.71 µM, SK-N-AS IC50 6.11 µM) showed cytotoxicity against NB. As several of the molecules are approved drugs in the US or elsewhere, they may be repurposed more readily for NB treatment. Pyronaridine was also tested in combinations in SH-SY5Y cells and demonstrated an antagonistic effect with either etoposide or crizotinib. Whereas when crizotinib and etoposide were combined with each other they had a synergistic effect in these cells. We have also described several analogs of pyronaridine to explore the structure-activity relationship against cell lines. We describe multiple molecules demonstrating cytotoxicity against NB and the further evaluation of these molecules and combinations using other NB cells lines and in vivo models will be important in the future to assess translational potential.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Rank
- Collaborations Pharmaceuticals, Inc, 840 Main Campus Drive, Lab 3510, Raleigh, NC, USA
| | - Ana C Puhl
- Collaborations Pharmaceuticals, Inc, 840 Main Campus Drive, Lab 3510, Raleigh, NC, USA.
| | - Tammy M Havener
- UNC Catalyst for Rare Diseases, Eshelman School of Pharmacy, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Edward Anderson
- UNC Catalyst for Rare Diseases, Eshelman School of Pharmacy, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Daniel H Foil
- Collaborations Pharmaceuticals, Inc, 840 Main Campus Drive, Lab 3510, Raleigh, NC, USA
| | - Kimberley M Zorn
- Collaborations Pharmaceuticals, Inc, 840 Main Campus Drive, Lab 3510, Raleigh, NC, USA
| | | | - Olga Riabova
- Research Center of Biotechnology RAS, 119071 Moscow, Russia
| | - Anthony J Hickey
- Research Center of Biotechnology RAS, 119071 Moscow, Russia; RTI International, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA
| | - Vadim Makarov
- Research Center of Biotechnology RAS, 119071 Moscow, Russia
| | - Sean Ekins
- Collaborations Pharmaceuticals, Inc, 840 Main Campus Drive, Lab 3510, Raleigh, NC, USA.
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14
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Puhl AC, Gomes GF, Damasceno S, Fritch EJ, Levi JA, Johnson NJ, Scholle F, Premkumar L, Hurst BL, Lee-Montiel F, Veras FP, Batah SS, Fabro AT, Moorman NJ, Yount BL, Dickmander RJ, Baric RS, Pearce KH, Cunha FQ, Alves-Filho JC, Cunha TM, Ekins S. Vandetanib Blocks the Cytokine Storm in SARS-CoV-2-Infected Mice. ACS OMEGA 2022; 7:31935-31944. [PMID: 36097511 PMCID: PMC9454268 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.2c02794] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2022] [Accepted: 08/18/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
The portfolio of SARS-CoV-2 small molecule drugs is currently limited to a handful that are either approved (remdesivir), emergency approved (dexamethasone, baricitinib, paxlovid, and molnupiravir), or in advanced clinical trials. Vandetanib is a kinase inhibitor which targets the vascular endothelial growth factor receptor (VEGFR), the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), as well as the RET-tyrosine kinase. In the current study, it was tested in different cell lines and showed promising results on inhibition versus the toxic effect on A549-hACE2 cells (IC50 0.79 μM) while also showing a reduction of >3 log TCID50/mL for HCoV-229E. The in vivo efficacy of vandetanib was assessed in a mouse model of SARS-CoV-2 infection and statistically significantly reduced the levels of IL-6, IL-10, and TNF-α and mitigated inflammatory cell infiltrates in the lungs of infected animals but did not reduce viral load. Vandetanib also decreased CCL2, CCL3, and CCL4 compared to the infected animals. Vandetanib additionally rescued the decreased IFN-1β caused by SARS-CoV-2 infection in mice to levels similar to that in uninfected animals. Our results indicate that the FDA-approved anticancer drug vandetanib is worthy of further assessment as a potential therapeutic candidate to block the COVID-19 cytokine storm.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana C. Puhl
- Collaborations
Pharmaceuticals, Inc., 840 Main Campus Drive, Lab 3510, Raleigh, North Carolina 27606, United States
| | - Giovanni F. Gomes
- Center for
Research in Inflammatory Diseases (CRID), Ribeirao Preto Medical School, University of Sao Paulo, Avenida Bandeirantes, 3900, Ribeirao Preto 14049-900, Sao Paulo, Brazil
| | - Samara Damasceno
- Center for
Research in Inflammatory Diseases (CRID), Ribeirao Preto Medical School, University of Sao Paulo, Avenida Bandeirantes, 3900, Ribeirao Preto 14049-900, Sao Paulo, Brazil
| | - Ethan J. Fritch
- Department
of Microbiology and Immunology, University
of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, United States
| | - James A. Levi
- Department
of Biological Sciences, North Carolina State
University, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695-7001, United States
| | - Nicole J. Johnson
- Department
of Biological Sciences, North Carolina State
University, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695-7001, United States
| | - Frank Scholle
- Department
of Biological Sciences, North Carolina State
University, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695-7001, United States
| | - Lakshmanane Premkumar
- Department
of Microbiology and Immunology, University
of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, United States
| | - Brett L. Hurst
- Institute
for Antiviral Research, Utah State University, Logan, Utah 84322-1400, United States
- Department
of Animal, Dairy and Veterinary Sciences, Utah State University, Logan, Utah 84322-1400, United States
| | - Felipe Lee-Montiel
- PhenoVista
Biosciences, 6195 Cornerstone
Ct E. #114, San Diego, California 92121, United States
| | - Flavio P. Veras
- Center for
Research in Inflammatory Diseases (CRID), Ribeirao Preto Medical School, University of Sao Paulo, Avenida Bandeirantes, 3900, Ribeirao Preto 14049-900, Sao Paulo, Brazil
| | - Sabrina S. Batah
- Department
of Pathology and Legal Medicine, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto 14090900, Brazil
| | - Alexandre T. Fabro
- Department
of Pathology and Legal Medicine, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto 14090900, Brazil
| | - Nathaniel J. Moorman
- Department
of Microbiology and Immunology, University
of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, United States
- Rapidly Emerging
Antiviral Drug Discovery Initiative, University
of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27514, United States
- Center
for Integrative Chemical Biology and Drug Discovery, Chemical Biology
and Medicinal Chemistry, Eshelman School of Pharmacy, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, United States
| | - Boyd L. Yount
- Department
of Epidemiology, Gillings School of Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27514, United States
| | - Rebekah J. Dickmander
- Department
of Microbiology and Immunology, University
of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, United States
- Rapidly Emerging
Antiviral Drug Discovery Initiative, University
of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27514, United States
- Center
for Integrative Chemical Biology and Drug Discovery, Chemical Biology
and Medicinal Chemistry, Eshelman School of Pharmacy, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, United States
| | - Ralph S. Baric
- Department
of Microbiology and Immunology, University
of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, United States
- Rapidly Emerging
Antiviral Drug Discovery Initiative, University
of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27514, United States
- Department
of Epidemiology, Gillings School of Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27514, United States
| | - Kenneth H. Pearce
- Center
for Integrative Chemical Biology and Drug Discovery, Chemical Biology
and Medicinal Chemistry, Eshelman School of Pharmacy, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, United States
- UNC Lineberger
Comprehensive Cancer Center, Chapel
Hill, North Carolina 27599, United States
| | - Fernando Q. Cunha
- Center for
Research in Inflammatory Diseases (CRID), Ribeirao Preto Medical School, University of Sao Paulo, Avenida Bandeirantes, 3900, Ribeirao Preto 14049-900, Sao Paulo, Brazil
| | - José C. Alves-Filho
- Center for
Research in Inflammatory Diseases (CRID), Ribeirao Preto Medical School, University of Sao Paulo, Avenida Bandeirantes, 3900, Ribeirao Preto 14049-900, Sao Paulo, Brazil
| | - Thiago M. Cunha
- Center for
Research in Inflammatory Diseases (CRID), Ribeirao Preto Medical School, University of Sao Paulo, Avenida Bandeirantes, 3900, Ribeirao Preto 14049-900, Sao Paulo, Brazil
| | - Sean Ekins
- Collaborations
Pharmaceuticals, Inc., 840 Main Campus Drive, Lab 3510, Raleigh, North Carolina 27606, United States
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