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Murdocca M, Andrade Santos-Filho O, De Masi C, Dos Santos Rodrigues E, Campos de Souza CV, De Santis R, Amatore D, Latini A, Schipani R, di Rienzo Businco L, Brandimarte B, Grilli G, Huang TL, Mayence AS, Lista F, Duranti A, Sangiuolo F, Vanden Eynde JJ, Novelli G. Characterization of the symmetrical benzimidazole twin drug TL1228: the role as viral entry inhibitor for fighting COVID-19. Biol Direct 2024; 19:93. [PMID: 39415197 DOI: 10.1186/s13062-024-00523-9] [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: 08/14/2024] [Accepted: 08/28/2024] [Indexed: 10/18/2024] Open
Abstract
The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is reliably one of the largest pandemics the world has suffered in recent years. In the search for non-biological antivirals, special emphasis was placed on drug repurposing to accelerate the clinical implementation of effective drugs.The life cycle of the virus has been extensively investigated and many human targets have been identified, such as the molecular chaperone GRP78, representing a host auxiliary factor for SARS-CoV-2 entry. Here we report the inhibitor capacity of TL1228, a small molecule discovered through an in silico screening approach, which could interfere with the interaction of SARS-CoV-2 and its target cells, blocking the recognition of the GRP78 cellular receptor by the viral Spike protein. TL1228 showed in vitro the ability to reduce significantly both pseudoviral and authentic viral activity even through the reduction of GRP78/ACE2 transcript levels. Importantly, TL1228 acts in modulating expression levels of innate immunity and as inflammation markers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michela Murdocca
- Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy
| | - Osvaldo Andrade Santos-Filho
- Center of Health Sciences Laboratory of Molecular Modelling & Computational Strutural Biology Cidade Universitária, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro IPPN, Av. Carlos Chagas Filho373, Bloco H, Rio de Janeiro, 21941-599, RJ, Brazil
| | - Claudia De Masi
- Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy
| | - Edivaldo Dos Santos Rodrigues
- Center of Health Sciences Laboratory of Molecular Modelling & Computational Strutural Biology Cidade Universitária, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro IPPN, Av. Carlos Chagas Filho373, Bloco H, Rio de Janeiro, 21941-599, RJ, Brazil
| | - Claudia Valeria Campos de Souza
- Center of Health Sciences Laboratory of Molecular Modelling & Computational Strutural Biology Cidade Universitária, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro IPPN, Av. Carlos Chagas Filho373, Bloco H, Rio de Janeiro, 21941-599, RJ, Brazil
| | - Riccardo De Santis
- Department of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, University of Rome Sapienza, Rome, Italy
- Defence Institute for Biomedical Sciences, Rome, 00184, Italy
| | | | - Andrea Latini
- Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy
| | - Rossella Schipani
- Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy
| | - Lino di Rienzo Businco
- Otorhinolaryngology Department, Institute of Sport Medicine and Science CONI, Rome, Italy
| | - Bruno Brandimarte
- Electronic Measurements Physics Department, Sapienza University, Rome, Italy
| | - Giorgia Grilli
- Defence Institute for Biomedical Sciences, Rome, 00184, Italy
| | - Tien L Huang
- Formerly Division of Basic Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, Xavier University of Louisiana, 1 Drexel Drive, New Orleans, LA, 70125, USA
| | - Annie S Mayence
- Formerly Division of Basic Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, Xavier University of Louisiana, 1 Drexel Drive, New Orleans, LA, 70125, USA
| | - Florigio Lista
- Defence Institute for Biomedical Sciences, Rome, 00184, Italy
| | - Andrea Duranti
- Department of Biomolecular Sciences, University of Urbino Carlo Bo, Urbino, 61029, Italy
| | - Federica Sangiuolo
- Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy.
| | - Jean Jacques Vanden Eynde
- Formerly Department of Organic Chemistry (FS), University of Mons-UMONS, 1 place du Parc, Mons, 7000, Belgium
| | - Giuseppe Novelli
- Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy
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Usha T, Hemavathi KN, Goyal AK, Abhinand C, Dhivya S, Cholarajan A, Joshi N, Babu D, Middha SK. Investigating emodin derivatives against SARS-CoV-2 found in medicinal herbs. KUWAIT JOURNAL OF SCIENCE 2024; 51:100265. [DOI: 10.1016/j.kjs.2024.100265] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/28/2024]
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3
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Chavda V, Dodiya P, Apostolopoulos V. Adverse drug reactions associated with COVID-19 management. NAUNYN-SCHMIEDEBERG'S ARCHIVES OF PHARMACOLOGY 2024; 397:7353-7376. [PMID: 38743117 DOI: 10.1007/s00210-024-03137-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2024] [Accepted: 04/30/2024] [Indexed: 05/16/2024]
Abstract
The emergence of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) outbreak, which causes COVID-19, had a devastating impact on both people's lives and the global economy. During the course of the pandemic, the lack of specific drugs or treatments tailored for COVID-19 led to extensive repurposing of existing drugs in the pursuit of effective treatments. Some drug molecules demonstrated efficacy, while others proved ineffective. In this context, the approach of drug repurposing emerged as a novel strategy for combating COVID-19. Repurposed drugs and biologics have shown effectiveness, leading to improved clinical outcomes among patients with COVID-19. Similarly, It is equally important to assess the risk-benefit ratio associated with drugs and biologics adapted for COVID-19 treatment. Herein, we primarily focus on evaluating adverse drug events linked to repurposed COVID-19 medications, repurposed biologics, and COVID-specific drug molecules.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vivek Chavda
- Department of Pharmaceutics and Pharmaceutical Technology, L. M. College of Pharmacy, Ahmedabad, 380009, Gujarat, India.
| | - Payal Dodiya
- Department of Pharmaceutics and Pharmaceutical Technology, L. M. College of Pharmacy, Ahmedabad, 380009, Gujarat, India
| | - Vasso Apostolopoulos
- Institute for Health and Sport, Victoria University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.
- Australian Institute for Musculoskeletal Science, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.
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Gao X, Wang C, Jiang Y, Zhang S, Zhang M, Liu L, Gao S. Evaluation of inhibition effect and interaction mechanism of antiviral drugs on main protease of novel coronavirus: Molecular docking and molecular dynamics studies. J Mol Graph Model 2024; 133:108873. [PMID: 39326254 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmgm.2024.108873] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2024] [Revised: 09/22/2024] [Accepted: 09/23/2024] [Indexed: 09/28/2024]
Abstract
The outbreak of pneumonia caused by the novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) has presented a challenge to public health. The identification and development of effective antiviral drugs is essential. The main protease (3CLpro) plays an important role in the viral replication of SARS-CoV-2 and is considered to be an effective therapeutic target. In this study, according to the principle of drug repurposing, a variety of antiviral drugs commonly used were studied by molecular docking and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations to obtain potential inhibitors of main proteases. 24 antiviral drugs were docked with 5 potential action sites of 3CLpro, and the drugs with high binding strength were further simulated by MD and the molecular mechanics Poisson-Boltzmann surface area (MM-PBSA) binding free energy calculations. The results showed that the drugs with high flexibility could bind to 3CLpro better than those with low flexibility. The interaction mechanism between antiviral drugs and main protease was analyzed in detail by calculating the root mean square displacement (RMSD), root mean square fluctuation (RMSF) and interaction residues properties. The results showed that the six drugs with high flexibility (Remdesivir, Simnotrelvir, Sofosbuvir, Ledipasvir, Indinavir and Raltegravir) had strong binding strength with 3CLpro, and the last four antiviral drugs can be used as potential candidates for main protease inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin Gao
- School of Science, Tianjin Chengjian University, Tianjin, China
| | - Cuihong Wang
- School of Science, Tianjin Chengjian University, Tianjin, China.
| | - Yue Jiang
- School of Science, Tianjin Chengjian University, Tianjin, China
| | - Shouchao Zhang
- School of Science, Tianjin Chengjian University, Tianjin, China.
| | - Meiling Zhang
- School of Biomedical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China
| | - Lijuan Liu
- School of Science, Tianjin Chengjian University, Tianjin, China
| | - Sendan Gao
- School of Science, Tianjin Chengjian University, Tianjin, China
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5
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Hu Q, Zhang Y, Chen P, Zhang Y, Zhu G, Liu W, Wang C, Zheng S, Shen N, Wang H, Huang P, Ge G. Discovery and characterization of naturally occurring covalent inhibitors of SARS-CoV-2 M pro from the antiviral herb Ephedra. Chin J Nat Med 2024; 22:797-807. [PMID: 39326974 DOI: 10.1016/s1875-5364(24)60577-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2023] [Indexed: 09/28/2024]
Abstract
The Chinese herb Ephedra (also known as Mahuang) has been extensively utilized for the prevention and treatment of coronavirus-induced diseases, including coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). However, the specific anti-SARS-CoV-2 compounds and mechanisms have not been fully elucidated. The main protease (Mpro) of SARS-CoV-2 is a highly conserved enzyme responsible for proteolytic processing during the viral life cycle, making it a critical target for the development of antiviral therapies. This study aimed to identify naturally occurring covalent inhibitors of SARS-CoV-2 Mpro from Ephedra and to investigate their covalent binding sites. The results demonstrated that the non-alkaloid fraction of Ephedra (ENA) exhibited a potent inhibitory effect against the SARS-CoV-2 Mpro effect, whereas the alkaloid fraction did not. Subsequently, the chemical constituents in ENA were identified, and the major constituents' anti-SARS-CoV-2 Mpro effects were evaluated. Among the tested constituents, herbacetin (HE) and gallic acid (GA) were found to inhibit SARS-CoV-2 Mpro in a time- and dose-dependent manner. Their combination displayed a significant synergistic effect on this key enzyme. Additionally, various techniques, including inhibition kinetic assays, chemoproteomic methods, and molecular dynamics simulations, were employed to further elucidate the synergistic anti-Mpro mechanisms of the combination of HE and GA. Overall, this study deciphers the naturally occurring covalent inhibitors of SARS-CoV-2 Mpro from Ephedra and characterizes their synergistic anti-Mpro synergistic effect, providing robust evidence to support the anti-coronavirus efficacy of Ephedra.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qing Hu
- Center for Clinical Pharmacy, Cancer Center, Department of Pharmacy, Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital (Affiliated People's Hospital), Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou 310014, China
| | - Yiwen Zhang
- Center for Clinical Pharmacy, Cancer Center, Department of Pharmacy, Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital (Affiliated People's Hospital), Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou 310014, China
| | - Pengcheng Chen
- Center for Clinical Pharmacy, Cancer Center, Department of Pharmacy, Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital (Affiliated People's Hospital), Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou 310014, China
| | - Yani Zhang
- Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of TCM Chemical Biology, Institute of Interdisciplinary Integrative Medicine Research, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Guanghao Zhu
- Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of TCM Chemical Biology, Institute of Interdisciplinary Integrative Medicine Research, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Wei Liu
- Shuguang Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 200021, China
| | - Chaoran Wang
- Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Dalian 116023, China
| | - Shuilian Zheng
- Center for Clinical Pharmacy, Cancer Center, Department of Pharmacy, Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital (Affiliated People's Hospital), Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou 310014, China
| | - Nonger Shen
- Center for Clinical Pharmacy, Cancer Center, Department of Pharmacy, Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital (Affiliated People's Hospital), Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou 310014, China
| | - Haonan Wang
- Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of TCM Chemical Biology, Institute of Interdisciplinary Integrative Medicine Research, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Ping Huang
- Center for Clinical Pharmacy, Cancer Center, Department of Pharmacy, Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital (Affiliated People's Hospital), Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou 310014, China.
| | - Guangbo Ge
- Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of TCM Chemical Biology, Institute of Interdisciplinary Integrative Medicine Research, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 201203, China.
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Al Adem K, Ferreira JC, Villanueva AJ, Fadl S, El-Sadaany F, Masmoudi I, Gidiya Y, Gurudza T, Cardoso THS, Saksena NK, Rabeh WM. 3-chymotrypsin-like protease in SARS-CoV-2. Biosci Rep 2024; 44:BSR20231395. [PMID: 39036877 DOI: 10.1042/bsr20231395] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2024] [Revised: 07/16/2024] [Accepted: 07/19/2024] [Indexed: 07/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Coronaviruses constitute a significant threat to the human population. Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2, SARS-CoV-2, is a highly pathogenic human coronavirus that has caused the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. It has led to a global viral outbreak with an exceptional spread and a high death toll, highlighting the need for effective antiviral strategies. 3-Chymotrypsin-like protease (3CLpro), the main protease in SARS-CoV-2, plays an indispensable role in the SARS-CoV-2 viral life cycle by cleaving the viral polyprotein to produce 11 individual non-structural proteins necessary for viral replication. 3CLpro is one of two proteases that function to produce new viral particles. It is a highly conserved cysteine protease with identical structural folds in all known human coronaviruses. Inhibitors binding with high affinity to 3CLpro will prevent the cleavage of viral polyproteins, thus impeding viral replication. Multiple strategies have been implemented to screen for inhibitors against 3CLpro, including peptide-like and small molecule inhibitors that covalently and non-covalently bind the active site, respectively. In addition, allosteric sites of 3CLpro have been identified to screen for small molecules that could make non-competitive inhibitors of 3CLpro. In essence, this review serves as a comprehensive guide to understanding the structural intricacies and functional dynamics of 3CLpro, emphasizing key findings that elucidate its role as the main protease of SARS-CoV-2. Notably, the review is a critical resource in recognizing the advancements in identifying and developing 3CLpro inhibitors as effective antiviral strategies against COVID-19, some of which are already approved for clinical use in COVID-19 patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kenana Al Adem
- Science Division, New York University Abu Dhabi, PO Box 129188, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
| | - Juliana C Ferreira
- Science Division, New York University Abu Dhabi, PO Box 129188, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
| | - Adrian J Villanueva
- Science Division, New York University Abu Dhabi, PO Box 129188, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
| | - Samar Fadl
- Science Division, New York University Abu Dhabi, PO Box 129188, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
| | - Farah El-Sadaany
- Science Division, New York University Abu Dhabi, PO Box 129188, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
| | - Imen Masmoudi
- Science Division, New York University Abu Dhabi, PO Box 129188, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
| | - Yugmee Gidiya
- Science Division, New York University Abu Dhabi, PO Box 129188, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
| | - Tariro Gurudza
- Science Division, New York University Abu Dhabi, PO Box 129188, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
| | - Thyago H S Cardoso
- OMICS Centre of Excellence, G42 Healthcare, Masdar City, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
| | - Nitin K Saksena
- Victoria University, Footscray Campus, Melbourne, VIC. Australia
| | - Wael M Rabeh
- Science Division, New York University Abu Dhabi, PO Box 129188, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
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7
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Surendran VA, Ibrahim JM, Thodi RC, Nair AS, Sukumaran ST. Diterpenoid and C20 diterpenoid alkaloid as a potent inhibitor of SARS-CoV-2 main protease (M pro): from Piper barberi Gamble, an endemic and endangered species of Southern Western Ghats. J Biomol Struct Dyn 2024; 42:6997-7013. [PMID: 37482792 DOI: 10.1080/07391102.2023.2238075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2023] [Accepted: 07/12/2023] [Indexed: 07/25/2023]
Abstract
The present study investigated the phytochemicals and in silico anti-nCoV properties of Piper barberi, an endangered and endemic species of Southern Western Ghats. Using conventional soxhlet extraction method, the leaf and stem were extracted separately with methanol (PBLM and PBSM). The bioactive compounds from the extracts were identified using HR-LCMS/MS-qTOF analysis. These compounds were subjected to various in silico analyses to identify potential drug candidates against nCoV. The HR LCMS/MS analysis of PBLM and PBSM revealed the presence of phenols, flavonoids, alkaloids, and terpenoids in it and this is the first report of the phytoconstituents present in the species P. barberi. All the identified bioactive compounds were subjected to predict ADMET. Out of 49 identified compounds, only 31 passed drug-likeness properties and toxicity tests. Molecular interaction studies were conducted using the AutoDockTools 4.2.6., which showed that only 13 compounds exhibited acceptable binding affinity with the nCoV target Mpro. Structural stability and binding free energy analyses of the five compounds with the higher binding affinity indicated that the bioactive compounds Hetisine and Ajaconine are stable with both hydrogen bonds and hydrophobic interactions. Hetisine shows stable binding among these two compounds with two hydrogen bond interactions with the crucial catalytic dyad residue (His41). Thus, this study concludes that these compounds might potentially be used as an alternative drug candidate for managing nCoV. However, further experimental validation, including in vitro and in vivo assays, is required to substantiate the results.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Junaida M Ibrahim
- Department of Computational Biology & Bioinformatics, University of Kerala, Thiruvananthapuram, India
| | | | - Achuthsankar S Nair
- Department of Computational Biology & Bioinformatics, University of Kerala, Thiruvananthapuram, India
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Alvarez N, Adam GC, Howe JA, Sharma V, Zimmerman MD, Dolgov E, Rasheed R, Nizar F, Sahay K, Nelson AM, Park S, Zhou X, Burlein C, Fay JF, Iwamoto DV, Bahnck-Teets CM, Getty KL, Lin Goh S, Salhab I, Smith K, Boyce CW, Cabalu TD, Murgolo N, Fox NG, Mayhood TW, Shurtleff VW, Layton ME, Parish CA, McCauley JA, Olsen DB, Perlin DS. Novel Pan-Coronavirus 3CL Protease Inhibitor MK-7845: Biological and Pharmacological Profiling. Viruses 2024; 16:1158. [PMID: 39066320 PMCID: PMC11281459 DOI: 10.3390/v16071158] [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: 06/17/2024] [Revised: 07/09/2024] [Accepted: 07/11/2024] [Indexed: 07/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus type 2 (SARS-CoV-2) continues to be a global threat due to its ability to evolve and generate new subvariants, leading to new waves of infection. Additionally, other coronaviruses like Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV, formerly known as hCoV-EMC), which first emerged in 2012, persist and continue to present a threat of severe illness to humans. The continued identification of novel coronaviruses, coupled with the potential for genetic recombination between different strains, raises the possibility of new coronavirus clades of global concern emerging. As a result, there is a pressing need for pan-CoV therapeutic drugs and vaccines. After the extensive optimization of an HCV protease inhibitor screening hit, a novel 3CLPro inhibitor (MK-7845) was discovered and subsequently profiled. MK-7845 exhibited nanomolar in vitro potency with broad spectrum activity against a panel of clinical SARS-CoV-2 subvariants and MERS-CoV. Furthermore, when administered orally, MK-7845 demonstrated a notable reduction in viral burdens by >6 log orders in the lungs of transgenic mice infected with SARS-CoV-2 (K18-hACE2 mice) and MERS-CoV (K18-hDDP4 mice).
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Affiliation(s)
- Nadine Alvarez
- Center for Discovery and Innovation, Hackensack Meridian Health, 111 Ideation Way, Nutley, NJ 07110, USA (D.S.P.)
| | | | | | - Vijeta Sharma
- Center for Discovery and Innovation, Hackensack Meridian Health, 111 Ideation Way, Nutley, NJ 07110, USA (D.S.P.)
| | - Matthew D. Zimmerman
- Center for Discovery and Innovation, Hackensack Meridian Health, 111 Ideation Way, Nutley, NJ 07110, USA (D.S.P.)
| | - Enriko Dolgov
- Center for Discovery and Innovation, Hackensack Meridian Health, 111 Ideation Way, Nutley, NJ 07110, USA (D.S.P.)
| | - Risha Rasheed
- Center for Discovery and Innovation, Hackensack Meridian Health, 111 Ideation Way, Nutley, NJ 07110, USA (D.S.P.)
| | - Fatima Nizar
- Center for Discovery and Innovation, Hackensack Meridian Health, 111 Ideation Way, Nutley, NJ 07110, USA (D.S.P.)
| | - Khushboo Sahay
- Center for Discovery and Innovation, Hackensack Meridian Health, 111 Ideation Way, Nutley, NJ 07110, USA (D.S.P.)
| | - Andrew M. Nelson
- Center for Discovery and Innovation, Hackensack Meridian Health, 111 Ideation Way, Nutley, NJ 07110, USA (D.S.P.)
| | - Steven Park
- Center for Discovery and Innovation, Hackensack Meridian Health, 111 Ideation Way, Nutley, NJ 07110, USA (D.S.P.)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - David S. Perlin
- Center for Discovery and Innovation, Hackensack Meridian Health, 111 Ideation Way, Nutley, NJ 07110, USA (D.S.P.)
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Shayo MJ, Samwel B, Shadrack DM, Cassel J, Salvino JM, Montaner LJ, Deogratias G, Tietjen I, Kiruri L, Hilonga S, Innocent E. Drug repositioning identifies salvinorin A and deacetylgedunin (DCG) enriched plant extracts as novel inhibitors of Mpro, RBD-ACE2 and TMPRRS2 proteins. RSC Adv 2024; 14:21203-21212. [PMID: 38966817 PMCID: PMC11223729 DOI: 10.1039/d4ra02593h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2024] [Accepted: 06/21/2024] [Indexed: 07/06/2024] Open
Abstract
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has spread worldwide with severe health, social, and economic repercussions. Although vaccines have significantly reduced the severity of symptoms and deaths, alternative medications derived from natural products (NPs) are vital to further decrease fatalities, especially in regions with low vaccine uptake. When paired with the latest computational developments, NPs, which have been used to cure illnesses and infections for thousands of years, constitute a renewed resource for drug discovery. In the present report, a combination of computational and in vitro methods reveals the repositioning of NPs and identifies salvinorin A and deacetylgedunin (DCG) as having potential anti-SARS-CoV-2 activities. Salvinorin A was found both in silico and in vitro to inhibit both SARS-CoV-2 spike/host ACE2 protein interactions, consistent with blocking viral cell entry, and well as live virus replication. Plant extracts from Azadirachta indica and Cedrela odorata, which contain high levels of DCG, inhibited viral cell replication by targeting the main protease (Mpro) and/or inhibited viral cell entry by blocking the interaction between spike RBD-ACE2 protein at concentrations lower than salvinorin A. Our findings suggest that salvinorin A represent promising chemical starting points where further optimization may result in effective natural product-derived and potent anti-SARS-CoV-2 inhibitors to supplement vaccine efforts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariana J Shayo
- Department of Biological and Pre-clinical Studies, Institute of Traditional Medicine, Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences P.O.Box 65001 Dar es Salaam Tanzania
| | - Baraka Samwel
- Department of Natural Products, Institute of Traditional Medicines, Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences P.O.Box 65001 Dar es Salaam Tanzania
| | - Daniel M Shadrack
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Natural and Applied Sciences, St. John's University of Tanzania P.O.Box 47 Dodoma Tanzania
- School of Life Science and Bio-engineering, Nelson Mandela African Institute of Science and Technology P.O.Box 447 Arusha Tanzania
| | - Joel Cassel
- The Wistar Institute 3601 Spruce Street Philadelphia PA 19104 USA
| | - Joseph M Salvino
- The Wistar Institute 3601 Spruce Street Philadelphia PA 19104 USA
| | - Luis J Montaner
- The Wistar Institute 3601 Spruce Street Philadelphia PA 19104 USA
| | - Geradius Deogratias
- Chemistry Department, College of Natural and Applied Sciences, University of Dar es Salaam P.O.Box 35061 Dar es Salaam Tanzania
| | - Ian Tietjen
- The Wistar Institute 3601 Spruce Street Philadelphia PA 19104 USA
| | - Lucy Kiruri
- Kenyata University, Department of Chemistry P.O.Box 43844-00100 Nairobi Kenya
| | - Samson Hilonga
- Department of Medical Botany, Plant Breeding and Agronomy, Institute of Traditional Medicine, Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences P.O.Box 65001 Dar es Salaam Tanzania
| | - Ester Innocent
- Department of Biological and Pre-clinical Studies, Institute of Traditional Medicine, Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences P.O.Box 65001 Dar es Salaam Tanzania
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10
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Yuda GPWC, Hanif N, Hermawan A. Computational Screening Using a Combination of Ligand-Based Machine Learning and Molecular Docking Methods for the Repurposing of Antivirals Targeting the SARS-CoV-2 Main Protease. Daru 2024; 32:47-65. [PMID: 37907683 PMCID: PMC11087449 DOI: 10.1007/s40199-023-00484-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2023] [Accepted: 09/20/2023] [Indexed: 11/02/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND COVID-19 is an infectious disease caused by SARS-CoV-2, a close relative of SARS-CoV. Several studies have searched for COVID-19 therapies. The topics of these works ranged from vaccine discovery to natural products targeting the SARS-CoV-2 main protease (Mpro), a potential therapeutic target due to its essential role in replication and conserved sequences. However, published research on this target is limited, presenting an opportunity for drug discovery and development. METHOD This study aims to repurpose 10692 drugs in DrugBank by using ligand-based virtual screening (LBVS) machine learning (ML) with Konstanz Information Miner (KNIME) to seek potential therapeutics based on Mpro inhibitors. The top candidate compounds, the native ligand (GC-376) of the Mpro inhibitor, and the positive control boceprevir were then subjected to absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion, and toxicity (ADMET) characterization, drug-likeness prediction, and molecular docking (MD). Protein-protein interaction (PPI) network analysis was added to provide accurate information about the Mpro regulatory network. RESULTS This study identified 3,166 compound candidates inhibiting Mpro. The random forest (RF) molecular access system ML model provided the highest confidence score of 0.95 (bromo-7-nitroindazole) and identified the top 22 candidate compounds. Subjecting the 22 candidate compounds, the native ligand GC-376, and boceprevir to further ADMET property characterization and drug-likeness predictions revealed that one compound had two violations of Lipinski's rule. Additional MD results showed that only five compounds had more negative binding energies than the native ligand (- 12.25 kcal/mol). Among these compounds, CCX-140 exhibited the lowest score of - 13.64 kcal/mol. Through literature analysis, six compound classes with potential activity for Mpro were discovered. They included benzopyrazole, azole, pyrazolopyrimidine, carboxylic acids and derivatives, benzene and substituted derivatives, and diazine. Four pathologies were also discovered on the basis of the Mpro PPI network. CONCLUSION Results demonstrated the efficiency of LBVS combined with MD. This combined strategy provided positive evidence showing that the top screened drugs, including CCX-140, which had the lowest MD score, can be reasonably advanced to the in vitro phase. This combined method may accelerate the discovery of therapies for novel or orphan diseases from existing drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gusti Putu Wahyunanda Crista Yuda
- Laboratory of Macromolecular Engineering, Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Universitas Gadjah Mada Sekip Utara II, 55281, Yogyakarta, Indonesia
| | - Naufa Hanif
- Master Student of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Hacettepe University, Ankara, 06100, Turkey
| | - Adam Hermawan
- Laboratory of Macromolecular Engineering, Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Universitas Gadjah Mada Sekip Utara II, 55281, Yogyakarta, Indonesia.
- Laboratory of Advanced Pharmaceutical Sciences. APSLC Building, Faculty of Pharmacy, Universitas Gadjah Mada Sekip Utara II, 55281, Yogyakarta, Indonesia.
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11
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Amorim VMDF, Soares EP, Ferrari ASDA, Merighi DGS, de Souza RF, Guzzo CR, de Souza AS. 3-Chymotrypsin-like Protease (3CLpro) of SARS-CoV-2: Validation as a Molecular Target, Proposal of a Novel Catalytic Mechanism, and Inhibitors in Preclinical and Clinical Trials. Viruses 2024; 16:844. [PMID: 38932137 PMCID: PMC11209289 DOI: 10.3390/v16060844] [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: 05/02/2024] [Revised: 05/21/2024] [Accepted: 05/21/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Proteases represent common targets in combating infectious diseases, including COVID-19. The 3-chymotrypsin-like protease (3CLpro) is a validated molecular target for COVID-19, and it is key for developing potent and selective inhibitors for inhibiting viral replication of SARS-CoV-2. In this review, we discuss structural relationships and diverse subsites of 3CLpro, shedding light on the pivotal role of dimerization and active site architecture in substrate recognition and catalysis. Our analysis of bioinformatics and other published studies motivated us to investigate a novel catalytic mechanism for the SARS-CoV-2 polyprotein cleavage by 3CLpro, centering on the triad mechanism involving His41-Cys145-Asp187 and its indispensable role in viral replication. Our hypothesis is that Asp187 may participate in modulating the pKa of the His41, in which catalytic histidine may act as an acid and/or a base in the catalytic mechanism. Recognizing Asp187 as a crucial component in the catalytic process underscores its significance as a fundamental pharmacophoric element in drug design. Next, we provide an overview of both covalent and non-covalent inhibitors, elucidating advancements in drug development observed in preclinical and clinical trials. By highlighting various chemical classes and their pharmacokinetic profiles, our review aims to guide future research directions toward the development of highly selective inhibitors, underscore the significance of 3CLpro as a validated therapeutic target, and propel the progression of drug candidates through preclinical and clinical phases.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | - Cristiane Rodrigues Guzzo
- Department of Microbiology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo 5508-900, Brazil; (V.M.d.F.A.); (E.P.S.); (A.S.d.A.F.); (D.G.S.M.); (R.F.d.S.)
| | - Anacleto Silva de Souza
- Department of Microbiology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo 5508-900, Brazil; (V.M.d.F.A.); (E.P.S.); (A.S.d.A.F.); (D.G.S.M.); (R.F.d.S.)
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12
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Kumawat P, Agarwal LK, Sharma K. An Overview of SARS-CoV-2 Potential Targets, Inhibitors, and Computational Insights to Enrich the Promising Treatment Strategies. Curr Microbiol 2024; 81:169. [PMID: 38733424 DOI: 10.1007/s00284-024-03671-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2023] [Accepted: 03/18/2024] [Indexed: 05/13/2024]
Abstract
The rapid spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus has emphasized the urgent need for effective therapies to combat COVID-19. Investigating the potential targets, inhibitors, and in silico approaches pertinent to COVID-19 are of utmost need to develop novel therapeutic agents and reprofiling of existing FDA-approved drugs. This article reviews the viral enzymes and their counter receptors involved in the entry of SARS-CoV-2 into host cells, replication of genomic RNA, and controlling the host cell physiology. In addition, the study provides an overview of the computational techniques such as docking simulations, molecular dynamics, QSAR modeling, and homology modeling that have been used to find the FDA-approved drugs and other inhibitors against SARS-CoV-2. Furthermore, a comprehensive overview of virus-based and host-based druggable targets from a structural point of view, together with the reported therapeutic compounds against SARS-CoV-2 have also been presented. The current study offers future perspectives for research in the field of network pharmacology investigating the large unexplored molecular libraries. Overall, the present in-depth review aims to expedite the process of identifying and repurposing drugs for researchers involved in the field of COVID-19 drug discovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pooja Kumawat
- Department of Chemistry, Mohanlal Sukhadia University, Udaipur, Rajasthan, 313001, India
| | - Lokesh Kumar Agarwal
- Department of Chemistry, Mohanlal Sukhadia University, Udaipur, Rajasthan, 313001, India.
| | - Kuldeep Sharma
- Department of Botany, Mohanlal Sukhadia University, Udaipur, Rajasthan, 313001, India
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13
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Du W, Zhao L, Wu R, Huang B, Liu S, Liu Y, Huang H, Shi G. Predicting drug-Protein interaction with deep learning framework for molecular graphs and sequences: Potential candidates against SAR-CoV-2. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0299696. [PMID: 38728335 PMCID: PMC11086825 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0299696] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2023] [Accepted: 02/14/2024] [Indexed: 05/12/2024] Open
Abstract
The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) caused the COVID-19 disease, which represents a new life-threatening disaster. Regarding viral infection, many therapeutics have been investigated to alleviate the epidemiology such as vaccines and receptor decoys. However, the continuous mutating coronavirus, especially the variants of Delta and Omicron, are tended to invalidate the therapeutic biological product. Thus, it is necessary to develop molecular entities as broad-spectrum antiviral drugs. Coronavirus replication is controlled by the viral 3-chymotrypsin-like cysteine protease (3CLpro) enzyme, which is required for the virus's life cycle. In the cases of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV) and middle east respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV), 3CLpro has been shown to be a promising therapeutic development target. Here we proposed an attention-based deep learning framework for molecular graphs and sequences, training from the BindingDB 3CLpro dataset (114,555 compounds). After construction of such model, we conducted large-scale screening the in vivo/vitro dataset (276,003 compounds) from Zinc Database and visualize the candidate compounds with attention score. geometric-based affinity prediction was employed for validation. Finally, we established a 3CLpro-specific deep learning framework, namely GraphDPI-3CL (AUROC: 0.958) achieved superior performance beyond the existing state of the art model and discovered 10 molecules with a high binding affinity of 3CLpro and superior binding mode.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weian Du
- Department of Dermatology, Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Liang Zhao
- Shenzhen Health Development Research and Data Management Center, Shenzhen, China
| | - Rong Wu
- Department of Dermatology, Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Boning Huang
- School of Finance, Shanghai University of Finance and Economics, Shanghai, China
| | - Si Liu
- Department of Cosmetic and Plastic Surgery, The Sixth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yufeng Liu
- Department of Cosmetic and Plastic Surgery, The Sixth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Huaiqiu Huang
- Department of Dermatology, Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Ge Shi
- Department of Cosmetic and Plastic Surgery, The Sixth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
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14
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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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15
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Geedkar D, Kumar A, Sharma P. Synthesis and in silico inhibitory action studies of azo-anchored imidazo[4,5-b]indole scaffolds against the COVID-19 main protease (M pro). Sci Rep 2024; 14:10419. [PMID: 38710746 PMCID: PMC11074333 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-57795-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2023] [Accepted: 03/21/2024] [Indexed: 05/08/2024] Open
Abstract
The present work elicits a novel approach to combating COVID-19 by synthesizing a series of azo-anchored 3,4-dihydroimidazo[4,5-b]indole derivatives. The envisaged methodology involves the L-proline-catalyzed condensation of para-amino-functionalized azo benzene, indoline-2,3-dione, and ammonium acetate precursors with pertinent aryl aldehyde derivatives under ultrasonic conditions. The structures of synthesized compounds were corroborated through FT-IR, 1H NMR, 13C NMR, and mass analysis data. Molecular docking studies assessed the inhibitory potential of these compounds against the main protease (Mpro) of SARS-CoV-2. Remarkably, in silico investigations revealed significant inhibitory action surpassing standard drugs such as Remdesivir, Paxlovid, Molnupiravir, Chloroquine, Hydroxychloroquine (HCQ), and (N3), an irreversible Michael acceptor inhibitor. Furthermore, the highly active compound was also screened for cytotoxicity activity against HEK-293 cells and exhibited minimal toxicity across a range of concentrations, affirming its favorable safety profile and potential suitability. The pharmacokinetic properties (ADME) of the synthesized compounds have also been deliberated. This study paves the way for in vitro and in vivo testing of these scaffolds in the ongoing battle against SARS-CoV-2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deepika Geedkar
- School of Chemical Sciences, Devi Ahilya University, Indore, Madhya Pradesh, India
| | - Ashok Kumar
- School of Chemical Sciences, Devi Ahilya University, Indore, Madhya Pradesh, India
| | - Pratibha Sharma
- School of Chemical Sciences, Devi Ahilya University, Indore, Madhya Pradesh, India.
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16
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Moon C, Porges E, Roberts A, Bacon J. A combination of nirmatrelvir and ombitasvir boosts inhibition of SARS-CoV-2 replication. Antiviral Res 2024; 225:105859. [PMID: 38492891 DOI: 10.1016/j.antiviral.2024.105859] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2023] [Revised: 03/05/2024] [Accepted: 03/06/2024] [Indexed: 03/18/2024]
Abstract
Antiviral therapeutics are highly effective countermeasures for the treatment of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). However, development of resistance to antivirals undermines their effectiveness. Combining multiple antivirals during patient treatment has the potential to overcome the evolutionary selective pressure towards antiviral resistance, as well as provide a more robust and efficacious treatment option. The current evidence for effective antiviral combinations to inhibit severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) replication is limited. Here, we demonstrate a combination of nirmatrelvir with ombitasvir, to jointly bring about potent inhibition of SARS-CoV-2 replication. We developed an in vitro 384- well plate cytopathic effect assay for the evaluation of antiviral combinations against Calu-3 cells infected with SARS-CoV-2 and found, that a combination of ombitasvir and nirmatrelvir was synergistic; thereby decreasing the nirmatrelvir IC50 by approx. 16-fold. The increased potency of the nirmatrelvir-ombitasvir combination, over nirmatrelvir alone afforded a greater than 3 log10 reduction in viral titre, which is sufficient to fully prevent the detection of progeny SARS-CoV-2 viral particles at 48 h post infection. The mechanism of this potentiated effect was shown to be, in-part, due to joint inhibition of the 3-chymotrypsin-like protease via a positive allosteric modulation mechanism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher Moon
- Discovery Group, UK Health Security Agency, Porton Down, Salisbury, SP4 0JG, UK.
| | - Eleanor Porges
- Discovery Group, UK Health Security Agency, Porton Down, Salisbury, SP4 0JG, UK
| | - Adam Roberts
- Discovery Group, UK Health Security Agency, Porton Down, Salisbury, SP4 0JG, UK
| | - Joanna Bacon
- Discovery Group, UK Health Security Agency, Porton Down, Salisbury, SP4 0JG, UK
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17
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Abolhasani FS, Moein M, Rezaie N, Sheikhimehrabadi P, Shafiei M, Afkhami H, Modaresi M. Occurrence of COVID-19 in cystic fibrosis patients: a review. Front Microbiol 2024; 15:1356926. [PMID: 38694803 PMCID: PMC11061495 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2024.1356926] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2023] [Accepted: 03/11/2024] [Indexed: 05/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a genetic ailment caused by mutations in the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) gene. This autosomal recessive disorder is characterized by diverse pathobiological abnormalities, such as the disorder of CFTR channels in mucosal surfaces, caused by inadequate clearance of mucus and sputum, in addition to the malfunctioning of mucous organs. However, the primary motive of mortality in CF patients is pulmonary failure, which is attributed to the colonization of opportunistic microorganisms, formation of resistant biofilms, and a subsequent decline in lung characteristics. In December 2019, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the outbreak of the radical coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) as a worldwide public health crisis, which unexpectedly spread not only within China but also globally. Given that the respiration system is the primary target of the COVID-19 virus, it is crucial to investigate the impact of COVID-19 on the pathogenesis and mortality of CF patients, mainly in the context of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Therefore, the goal of this review is to comprehensively review the present literature on the relationship between cystic fibrosis, COVID-19 contamination, and development of ARDS. Several investigations performed during the early stages of the virus outbreak have discovered unexpected findings regarding the occurrence and effectiveness of COVID-19 in individuals with CF. Contrary to initial expectancies, the rate of infection and the effectiveness of the virus in CF patients are lower than those in the overall population. This finding may be attributed to different factors, including the presence of thick mucus, social avoidance, using remedies that include azithromycin, the fairly younger age of CF patients, decreased presence of ACE-2 receptors, and the effect of CFTR channel disorder on the replication cycle and infectivity of the virus. However, it is important to notice that certain situations, which include undergoing a transplant, can also doubtlessly boost the susceptibility of CF patients to COVID-19. Furthermore, with an increase in age in CF patients, it is vital to take into account the prevalence of the SARS-CoV-2 virus in this population. Therefore, ordinary surveillance of CF patients is vital to evaluate and save the population from the capability of transmission of the virus given the various factors that contribute to the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 outbreak in this precise organization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fatemeh Sadat Abolhasani
- Department of Pathobiology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Masood Moein
- Department of Bacteriology and Virology, School of Medicine, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
| | - Niloofar Rezaie
- Department of Bacteriology, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
| | | | - Morvarid Shafiei
- Department of Bacteriology, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Hamed Afkhami
- Nervous System Stem Cells Research Center, Semnan University of Medical Sciences, Semnan, Iran
- Department of Medical Microbiology, School of Medicine, Shahed University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mohammadreza Modaresi
- Pediatric Pulmonary Disease and Sleep Medicine Research Center, Pediatric Center of Excellence, Children's Medical Center, Tehran, Iran
- Cystic Fibrosis Research Center, Iran CF Foundation (ICFF), Tehran, Iran
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18
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Mohammad A, Zheoat A, Oraibi A, Manaithiya A, S. Almaary K, Allah Nafidi H, Bourhia M, Kilani-Jaziri S, A. Bin Jardan Y. Integrating virtual screening, pharmacoinformatics profiling, and molecular dynamics: identification of promising inhibitors targeting 3CLpro of SARS-CoV-2. Front Mol Biosci 2024; 10:1306179. [PMID: 38516396 PMCID: PMC10956415 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2023.1306179] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2023] [Accepted: 11/27/2023] [Indexed: 03/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction: The pursuit of effective therapeutic solutions for SARS-CoV-2 infections and COVID-19 necessitates the repurposing of existing compounds. This study focuses on the detailed examination of the central protease, 3-chymotrypsin-like protease (3CLpro), a pivotal player in virus replication. The combined approach of molecular dynamics simulations and virtual screening is employed to identify potential inhibitors targeting 3CLpro. Methods: A comprehensive virtual screening of 7120 compounds sourced from diverse databases was conducted. Four promising inhibitors, namely EN1036, F6548-4084, F6548-1613, and PUBT44123754, were identified. These compounds exhibited notable attributes, including high binding affinity (ranging from -5.003 to -5.772 Kcal/mol) and superior Induced Fit Docking scores (ranging from -671.66 to -675.26 Kcal/mol) compared to co-crystallized ligands. Results: In-depth analysis revealed that F6548-1613 stood out, demonstrating stable hydrogen bonds with amino acids His41 and Thr62. Notably, F6548-1613 recorded a binding energy of -65.72 kcal/mol in Molecular Mechanics Generalized Born Surface Area (MMGBSA) simulations. These findings were supported by Molecular Dynamics simulations, highlighting the compound's efficacy in inhibiting 3CLpro. Discussion: The identified compounds, in compliance with Lipinski's rule of five and exhibiting functional molecular interactions with 3CLpro, present promising therapeutic prospects. The integration of in silico methodologies significantly expedites drug discovery, laying the foundation for subsequent experimental validation and optimization. This approach holds the potential to develop effective therapeutics for SARS-CoV-2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abeer Mohammad
- Department of Pharmacy, Al-Manara College for Medical Sciences, Maysan, Iraq
- Advanced Medical and Dental Institute, University Sains Malaysia, Kepala Batas, Pulau, Penang, Malaysia
| | - Ahmed Zheoat
- Department of Pharmacy, Al-Manara College for Medical Sciences, Maysan, Iraq
| | - Amjad Oraibi
- Department of Pharmacy, Al-Manara College for Medical Sciences, Maysan, Iraq
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences A, Faculty of Pharmacy of Monastir, University of Monastir, Monastir, Tunisia
- Research Unit for Bioactive Natural Products and Biotechnology UR17ES49, Faculty of Dental Medicine of Monastir, University of Monastir, Monastir, Tunisia
| | - Ajay Manaithiya
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Jamia Hamdard, New Delhi, India
| | - Khalid S. Almaary
- Department of Botany and Microbiology, College of Science, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Hiba Allah Nafidi
- Department of Food Science, Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences, Laval University, Quebec, QC, Canada
| | - Mohammed Bourhia
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, Ibn Zohr University, Laayoune, Morocco
| | - Soumaya Kilani-Jaziri
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences A, Faculty of Pharmacy of Monastir, University of Monastir, Monastir, Tunisia
- Research Unit for Bioactive Natural Products and Biotechnology UR17ES49, Faculty of Dental Medicine of Monastir, University of Monastir, Monastir, Tunisia
| | - Yousef A. Bin Jardan
- Department of Pharmaceutics, College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
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19
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Yang X, Zheng S, Wang X, Wang J, Ali Shah SB, Wang Y, Gao R, Xu Z. Advances in pharmacology, biosynthesis, and metabolic engineering of Scutellaria-specialized metabolites. Crit Rev Biotechnol 2024; 44:302-318. [PMID: 36581326 DOI: 10.1080/07388551.2022.2149386] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2022] [Revised: 10/11/2022] [Accepted: 11/02/2022] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Scutellaria Linn., which belongs to the family Lamiaceae, is a commonly used medicinal plant for heat clearing and detoxification. In particular, the roots of S. baicalensis and the entire herb of S. barbata have been widely used in traditional medicine for thousands of years. The main active components of Scutellaria, including: baicalein, wogonin, norwogonin, scutellarein, and their glycosides have potential or existing drug usage. However, the wild resources of Scutellaria plants have been overexploited, and degenerated germplasm resources cannot fulfill the requirements of chemical extraction and clinical usage. Metabolic engineering and green production via microorganisms provide alternative strategies for greater efficiency in the production of natural products. Here, we review the progress of: pharmacological investigations, multi-omics, biosynthetic pathways, and metabolic engineering of various Scutellaria species and their active compounds. In addition, based on multi-omics data, we systematically analyze the phylogenetic relationships of Scutellaria and predict candidate transcription factors related to the regulation of active flavonoids. Finally, we propose the prospects of directed evolution of core enzymes and genome-assisted breeding to alleviate the shortage of plant resources of Scutellaria. This review provides important insights into the sustainable utilization and development of Scutellaria resources.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinyi Yang
- Ministry of Education, Key Laboratory of Saline-alkali Vegetation Ecology Restoration (Northeast Forestry University), Harbin, China
- College of Life Science, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin, China
| | - Sihao Zheng
- China National Traditional Chinese Medicine Co., Ltd, Beijing, China
| | - Xiaotong Wang
- Ministry of Education, Key Laboratory of Saline-alkali Vegetation Ecology Restoration (Northeast Forestry University), Harbin, China
- College of Life Science, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin, China
| | - Jing Wang
- Ministry of Education, Key Laboratory of Saline-alkali Vegetation Ecology Restoration (Northeast Forestry University), Harbin, China
- College of Life Science, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin, China
| | - Syed Basit Ali Shah
- Ministry of Education, Key Laboratory of Saline-alkali Vegetation Ecology Restoration (Northeast Forestry University), Harbin, China
- College of Life Science, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin, China
| | - Yu Wang
- Institute of Medicinal Plant Development, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Ranran Gao
- The Artemisinin Research Center, Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Zhichao Xu
- Ministry of Education, Key Laboratory of Saline-alkali Vegetation Ecology Restoration (Northeast Forestry University), Harbin, China
- College of Life Science, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin, China
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20
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Pillai U J, Cherian L, Taunk K, Iype E, Dutta M. Identification of antiviral phytochemicals from cranberry as potential inhibitors of SARS-CoV-2 main protease (M pro). Int J Biol Macromol 2024; 261:129655. [PMID: 38266830 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2024.129655] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2023] [Revised: 01/11/2024] [Accepted: 01/19/2024] [Indexed: 01/26/2024]
Abstract
Cranberry phytochemicals are known to possess antiviral activities. In the current study, we explored the therapeutic potential of cranberry against SARS-CoV-2 by targeting its main protease (Mpro) enzyme. Firstly, phytochemicals of cranberry origin were identified from three independent databases. Subsequently, virtual screening, using molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulation approaches, led to the identification of three lead phytochemicals namely, cyanidin 3-O-galactoside, β-carotene and epicatechin. Furthermore, in vitro enzymatic assays revealed that cyanidin 3-O-galactoside had the highest inhibitory potential with IC50 of 9.98 μM compared to the other two phytochemicals. Cyanidin 3-O-galactoside belongs to the class of anthocyanins. Anthocyanins extracted from frozen cranberry also exhibited the highest inhibitory potential with IC50 of 23.58 μg/ml compared to the extracts of carotenoids and flavanols, the class for β-carotene and epicatechin, respectively. Finally, we confirm the presence of the phytochemicals in the cranberry extracts using targeted LC-MS/MS analysis. Our results, therefore, indicate that the identified cranberry-derived bioactive compounds as well as cranberry could be used for therapeutic interventions against SARS-CoV-2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jisha Pillai U
- Department of Biotechnology, Birla Institute of Technology and Science (BITS) Pilani-Dubai Campus, Academic City, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
| | - Lucy Cherian
- Department of Biotechnology, Birla Institute of Technology and Science (BITS) Pilani-Dubai Campus, Academic City, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
| | - Khushman Taunk
- Proteomics Laboratory, National Centre for Cell Science, Ganeshkhind, Pune, Maharashtra, India
| | - Eldhose Iype
- College of Engineering and Technology, American University of the Middle East, Kuwait
| | - Mainak Dutta
- Department of Biotechnology, Birla Institute of Technology and Science (BITS) Pilani-Dubai Campus, Academic City, Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
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21
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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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22
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Grifagni D, Lenci E, De Santis A, Orsetti A, Barracchia CG, Tedesco F, Bellini Puglielli R, Lucarelli F, Lauriola A, Assfalg M, Cantini F, Calderone V, Guardavaccaro D, Trabocchi A, D’Onofrio M, Ciofi-Baffoni S. Development of a GC-376 Based Peptidomimetic PROTAC as a Degrader of 3-Chymotrypsin-like Protease of SARS-CoV-2. ACS Med Chem Lett 2024; 15:250-257. [PMID: 38352832 PMCID: PMC10860180 DOI: 10.1021/acsmedchemlett.3c00498] [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: 10/31/2023] [Revised: 12/26/2023] [Accepted: 01/03/2024] [Indexed: 02/16/2024] Open
Abstract
We have applied a proteolysis targeting chimera (PROTAC) technology to obtain a peptidomimetic molecule able to trigger the degradation of SARS-CoV-2 3-chymotrypsin-like protease (3CLPro). The PROTAC molecule was designed by conjugating a GC-376 based dipeptidyl 3CLPro ligand to a pomalidomide moiety through a piperazine-piperidine linker. NMR and crystallographic data complemented with enzymatic and cellular studies showed that (i) the dipeptidyl moiety of PROTAC binds to the active site of the dimeric state of SARS-CoV-2 3CLPro forming a reversible covalent bond with the sulfur atom of catalytic Cys145, (ii) the linker and the pomalidomide cereblon-ligand of PROTAC protrude from the protein, displaying a high degree of flexibility and no interactions with other regions of the protein, and (iii) PROTAC reduces the protein levels of SARS-CoV-2 3CLPro in cultured cells. This study paves the way for the future applicability of peptidomimetic PROTACs to tackle 3CLPro-dependent viral infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deborah Grifagni
- Magnetic
Resonance Center CERM, University of Florence, Via Luigi Sacconi 6, 50019 Sesto Fiorentino, Florence, Italy
- Department
of Chemistry “Ugo Schiff”, University of Florence, Via della Lastruccia 3-13, 50019 Sesto Fiorentino, Florence, Italy
| | - Elena Lenci
- Department
of Chemistry “Ugo Schiff”, University of Florence, Via della Lastruccia 3-13, 50019 Sesto Fiorentino, Florence, Italy
| | - Alessia De Santis
- Magnetic
Resonance Center CERM, University of Florence, Via Luigi Sacconi 6, 50019 Sesto Fiorentino, Florence, Italy
- Department
of Chemistry “Ugo Schiff”, University of Florence, Via della Lastruccia 3-13, 50019 Sesto Fiorentino, Florence, Italy
| | - Andrea Orsetti
- Magnetic
Resonance Center CERM, University of Florence, Via Luigi Sacconi 6, 50019 Sesto Fiorentino, Florence, Italy
- Department
of Chemistry “Ugo Schiff”, University of Florence, Via della Lastruccia 3-13, 50019 Sesto Fiorentino, Florence, Italy
| | | | - Filomena Tedesco
- Department
of Chemistry “Ugo Schiff”, University of Florence, Via della Lastruccia 3-13, 50019 Sesto Fiorentino, Florence, Italy
| | - Raffaele Bellini Puglielli
- Department
of Chemistry “Ugo Schiff”, University of Florence, Via della Lastruccia 3-13, 50019 Sesto Fiorentino, Florence, Italy
| | - Francesca Lucarelli
- Magnetic
Resonance Center CERM, University of Florence, Via Luigi Sacconi 6, 50019 Sesto Fiorentino, Florence, Italy
- Department
of Chemistry “Ugo Schiff”, University of Florence, Via della Lastruccia 3-13, 50019 Sesto Fiorentino, Florence, Italy
| | - Angela Lauriola
- Department
of Biotechnology, University of Verona, Strada le Grazie 15, 37134 Verona, Italy
| | - Michael Assfalg
- Department
of Biotechnology, University of Verona, Strada le Grazie 15, 37134 Verona, Italy
| | - Francesca Cantini
- Magnetic
Resonance Center CERM, University of Florence, Via Luigi Sacconi 6, 50019 Sesto Fiorentino, Florence, Italy
- Department
of Chemistry “Ugo Schiff”, University of Florence, Via della Lastruccia 3-13, 50019 Sesto Fiorentino, Florence, Italy
| | - Vito Calderone
- Magnetic
Resonance Center CERM, University of Florence, Via Luigi Sacconi 6, 50019 Sesto Fiorentino, Florence, Italy
- Department
of Chemistry “Ugo Schiff”, University of Florence, Via della Lastruccia 3-13, 50019 Sesto Fiorentino, Florence, Italy
| | - Daniele Guardavaccaro
- Department
of Biotechnology, University of Verona, Strada le Grazie 15, 37134 Verona, Italy
| | - Andrea Trabocchi
- Department
of Chemistry “Ugo Schiff”, University of Florence, Via della Lastruccia 3-13, 50019 Sesto Fiorentino, Florence, Italy
| | - Mariapina D’Onofrio
- Department
of Biotechnology, University of Verona, Strada le Grazie 15, 37134 Verona, Italy
| | - Simone Ciofi-Baffoni
- Magnetic
Resonance Center CERM, University of Florence, Via Luigi Sacconi 6, 50019 Sesto Fiorentino, Florence, Italy
- Department
of Chemistry “Ugo Schiff”, University of Florence, Via della Lastruccia 3-13, 50019 Sesto Fiorentino, Florence, Italy
- Consorzio
Interuniversitario Risonanze Magnetiche di Metalloproteine (CIRMMP), Via L. Sacconi 6, 50019 Sesto Fiorentino, Italy
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23
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Li J, Zhong X, Li H, Yu Z, Li J, Duan Q, Li Y, Chen F, Wang Y, Wu Z, Liu Y, Peng Z, Song D. Design, synthesis and biological evaluation of biaryl amide derivatives against SARS-CoV-2 with dual-target mechanism. Eur J Med Chem 2024; 264:115978. [PMID: 38061229 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2023.115978] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2023] [Revised: 11/14/2023] [Accepted: 11/18/2023] [Indexed: 12/30/2023]
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic highlights the urgent need to develop effective small-molecule antivirals. Thirty-three novel biaryl amide derivatives were synthesized and evaluated for anti-coronaviral activity. Some significant SARs were uncovered and the intensive structure modifications led to the most active compounds 8b and 8h. The broad-spectrum anti-coronaviral effects of 8h were validated at RNA and protein levels. 8h inhibits coronavirus replication at multiple stages, from virus entry to virus dsRNA synthesis. The mechanism of action showed that 8h may simultaneously act on 3CLpro and TMPRSS2 to display anti-coronaviral effects. 8h combined with RdRp inhibitor showed synergistic inhibitory activity against coronavirus. This study confirmed that biaryl amide derivatives may be a new class of potential therapeutic agents against coronavirus with multiple target effect, worthy of further investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiayu Li
- Institute of Medicinal Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100050, China
| | - Xiuli Zhong
- Institute of Medicinal Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100050, China
| | - Hongying Li
- Institute of Medicinal Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100050, China
| | - Zhihui Yu
- Institute of Medicinal Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100050, China
| | - Jianrui Li
- Institute of Medicinal Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100050, China
| | - Qionglu Duan
- Institute of Medicinal Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100050, China
| | - Yinghong Li
- Institute of Medicinal Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100050, China
| | - Fenbei Chen
- Institute of Medicinal Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100050, China
| | - Yanxiang Wang
- Institute of Medicinal Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100050, China
| | - Zhiyun Wu
- Institute of Medicinal Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100050, China
| | - Yonghua Liu
- Institute of Medicinal Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100050, China.
| | - Zonggen Peng
- Institute of Medicinal Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100050, China.
| | - Danqing Song
- Institute of Medicinal Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100050, China.
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24
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Wang G, Venegas FA, Rueda AM, Weerasinghe NW, Uggowitzer KA, Thibodeaux CJ, Moitessier N, Mittermaier AK. A naturally occurring G11S mutation in the 3C-like protease from the SARS-CoV-2 virus dramatically weakens the dimer interface. Protein Sci 2024; 33:e4857. [PMID: 38058248 PMCID: PMC10731504 DOI: 10.1002/pro.4857] [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: 08/16/2023] [Revised: 11/22/2023] [Accepted: 12/01/2023] [Indexed: 12/08/2023]
Abstract
The 3C-like protease (3CLpro ) is crucial to the replication of SARS-CoV-2, the causative agent of COVID-19, and is the target of several successful drugs including Paxlovid and Xocova. Nevertheless, the emergence of viral resistance underlines the need for alternative drug strategies. 3CLpro only functions as a homodimer, making the protein-protein interface an attractive drug target. Dimerization is partly mediated by a conserved glycine at position 11. However, some naturally occurring SARS-CoV-2 sequences contain a serine at this position, potentially disrupting the dimer. We have used concentration-dependent activity assays and mass spectrometry to show that indeed the G11S mutation reduces the stability of the dimer by 600-fold. This helps to set a quantitative benchmark for the minimum potency required of any future protein-protein interaction inhibitors targeting 3CLpro and raises interesting questions regarding how coronaviruses bearing such weakly dimerizing 3CLpro enzymes are capable of replication.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guanyu Wang
- Department of ChemistryMcGill UniversityMontrealQuebecCanada
| | | | - Andres M. Rueda
- Department of ChemistryMcGill UniversityMontrealQuebecCanada
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25
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Cai L, Han F, Ji B, He X, Wang L, Niu T, Zhai J, Wang J. In Silico Screening of Natural Flavonoids against 3-Chymotrypsin-like Protease of SARS-CoV-2 Using Machine Learning and Molecular Modeling. Molecules 2023; 28:8034. [PMID: 38138524 PMCID: PMC10745665 DOI: 10.3390/molecules28248034] [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: 11/07/2023] [Revised: 11/30/2023] [Accepted: 12/07/2023] [Indexed: 12/24/2023] Open
Abstract
The "Long-COVID syndrome" has posed significant challenges due to a lack of validated therapeutic options. We developed a novel multi-step virtual screening strategy to reliably identify inhibitors against 3-chymotrypsin-like protease of SARS-CoV-2 from abundant flavonoids, which represents a promising source of antiviral and immune-boosting nutrients. We identified 57 interacting residues as contributors to the protein-ligand binding pocket. Their energy interaction profiles constituted the input features for Machine Learning (ML) models. The consensus of 25 classifiers trained using various ML algorithms attained 93.9% accuracy and a 6.4% false-positive-rate. The consensus of 10 regression models for binding energy prediction also achieved a low root-mean-square error of 1.18 kcal/mol. We screened out 120 flavonoid hits first and retained 50 drug-like hits after predefined ADMET filtering to ensure bioavailability and safety profiles. Furthermore, molecular dynamics simulations prioritized nine bioactive flavonoids as promising anti-SARS-CoV-2 agents exhibiting both high structural stability (root-mean-square deviation < 5 Å for 218 ns) and low MM/PBSA binding free energy (<-6 kcal/mol). Among them, KB-2 (PubChem-CID, 14630497) and 9-O-Methylglyceofuran (PubChem-CID, 44257401) displayed excellent binding affinity and desirable pharmacokinetic capabilities. These compounds have great potential to serve as oral nutraceuticals with therapeutic and prophylactic properties as care strategies for patients with long-COVID syndrome.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Junmei Wang
- School of Pharmacy, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA; (L.C.); (F.H.); (B.J.); (X.H.); (L.W.); (T.N.); (J.Z.)
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26
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Pérez-Vargas J, Worrall LJ, Olmstead AD, Ton AT, Lee J, Villanueva I, Thompson CAH, Dudek S, Ennis S, Smith JR, Shapira T, De Guzman J, Gang S, Ban F, Vuckovic M, Bielecki M, Kovacic S, Kenward C, Hong CY, Gordon DG, Levett PN, Krajden M, Leduc R, Boudreault PL, Niikura M, Paetzel M, Young RN, Cherkasov A, Strynadka NCJ, Jean F. A novel class of broad-spectrum active-site-directed 3C-like protease inhibitors with nanomolar antiviral activity against highly immune-evasive SARS-CoV-2 Omicron subvariants. Emerg Microbes Infect 2023; 12:2246594. [PMID: 37555275 PMCID: PMC10453993 DOI: 10.1080/22221751.2023.2246594] [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: 05/24/2023] [Revised: 07/31/2023] [Accepted: 08/06/2023] [Indexed: 08/10/2023]
Abstract
Antivirals with broad coronavirus activity are important for treating high-risk individuals exposed to the constantly evolving SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern (VOCs) as well as emerging drug-resistant variants. We developed and characterized a novel class of active-site-directed 3-chymotrypsin-like protease (3CLpro) inhibitors (C2-C5a). Our lead direct-acting antiviral (DAA), C5a, is a non-covalent, non-peptide with a dissociation constant of 170 nM against recombinant SARS-CoV-2 3CLpro. The compounds C2-C5a exhibit broad-spectrum activity against Omicron subvariants (BA.5, BQ.1.1, and XBB.1.5) and seasonal human coronavirus-229E infection in human cells. Notably, C5a has median effective concentrations of 30-50 nM against BQ.1.1 and XBB.1.5 in two different human cell lines. X-ray crystallography has confirmed the unique binding modes of C2-C5a to the 3CLpro, which can limit virus cross-resistance to emerging Paxlovid-resistant variants. We tested the effect of C5a with two of our newly discovered host-directed antivirals (HDAs): N-0385, a TMPRSS2 inhibitor, and bafilomycin D (BafD), a human vacuolar H+-ATPase [V-ATPase] inhibitor. We demonstrated a synergistic action of C5a in combination with N-0385 and BafD against Omicron BA.5 infection in human Calu-3 lung cells. Our findings underscore that a SARS-CoV-2 multi-targeted treatment for circulating Omicron subvariants based on DAAs (C5a) and HDAs (N-0385 or BafD) can lead to therapeutic benefits by enhancing treatment efficacy. Furthermore, the high-resolution structures of SARS-CoV-2 3CLpro in complex with C2-C5a will facilitate future rational optimization of our novel broad-spectrum active-site-directed 3C-like protease inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jimena Pérez-Vargas
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Life Sciences Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Liam J. Worrall
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and Centre for Blood Research, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Andrea D. Olmstead
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Life Sciences Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Anh-Tien Ton
- Vancouver Prostate Centre, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Jaeyong Lee
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and Centre for Blood Research, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, Canada
| | - Ivan Villanueva
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Life Sciences Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Connor A. H. Thompson
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Life Sciences Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Svenja Dudek
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Life Sciences Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Siobhan Ennis
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, Canada
| | - Jason R. Smith
- Vancouver Prostate Centre, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
- Department of Chemistry, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, Canada
| | - Tirosh Shapira
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Life Sciences Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Joshua De Guzman
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Life Sciences Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Shutong Gang
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Life Sciences Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Fuqiang Ban
- Vancouver Prostate Centre, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Marija Vuckovic
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and Centre for Blood Research, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Michael Bielecki
- Department of Chemistry, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, Canada
| | - Suzana Kovacic
- Department of Chemistry, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, Canada
| | - Calem Kenward
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and Centre for Blood Research, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Christopher Yee Hong
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Life Sciences Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Danielle G. Gordon
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Life Sciences Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Paul N. Levett
- British Columbia Centre for Disease Control Public Health Laboratory, Vancouver, Canada
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Mel Krajden
- British Columbia Centre for Disease Control Public Health Laboratory, Vancouver, Canada
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Richard Leduc
- Department of Pharmacology-Physiology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Institut de Pharmacologie de Sherbrooke, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Canada
| | - Pierre-Luc Boudreault
- Department of Pharmacology-Physiology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Institut de Pharmacologie de Sherbrooke, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Canada
| | - Masahiro Niikura
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, Canada
| | - Mark Paetzel
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, Canada
| | - Robert N. Young
- Department of Chemistry, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, Canada
| | - Artem Cherkasov
- Vancouver Prostate Centre, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Natalie C. J. Strynadka
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and Centre for Blood Research, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - François Jean
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Life Sciences Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
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27
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Ahamed NA, Arif IA. Finding potential inhibitors for Main protease (Mpro) of SARS-CoV-2 through virtual screening and MD simulation studies. Saudi J Biol Sci 2023; 30:103845. [PMID: 38020225 PMCID: PMC10663854 DOI: 10.1016/j.sjbs.2023.103845] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2023] [Revised: 10/09/2023] [Accepted: 10/15/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023] Open
Abstract
SARS-CoV-2 is a highly hazardous species that can infect people with Covid-19 disease, dramatically increasing mortality rates worldwide. Plenty of researches have been done to find drugs or inhibitors, with this study aiming to identify an inhibitor within the ChEMBL database using computational approaches. From the ChEMBL library, 19,43,048 compounds which are known type of small compounds and proteins were downloaded and docked with the Main protease (Mpro). After performing compound screening using Lipinski's rule, Qikprop analysis following with virtual Screening, Induced Fit Docking (IFD) and MM-GBSA analysis with the Glide and Prime modules of Schrödinger, the best complex was subjected to MD simulation with Desmond. According to the docking results, small protein 2,371,668 and compound 1,090,395 were docked with Main protease with -12.6, -12.0 kcal/mol dock score and interacted with the functional site residues His 41 and Cys 145, as well as the binding site residues Thr 26, Phe 140, Asn 142, Gly 143, Glu 166, and Gln 189. Complex structures were shown to be steadier by the MD simulation study because both the ligands heavy atoms and the protein Cα atoms' RMSD values fell within acceptable ranges. As a result, this research suggests that the molecule CHEMBL2371668 and the compound CHEMBL1090395 may inhibit the activity of Main protease, and the usefulness of these molecules will be examined further through experimental research.
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Affiliation(s)
- N. Anis Ahamed
- Department of Botany and Microbiology, College of Science, King Saud University, P.O. Box 2455, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia
| | - Ibrahim A. Arif
- Department of Botany and Microbiology, College of Science, King Saud University, P.O. Box 2455, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia
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28
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Saksena NK, Reddy SB, Miranda-Saksena M, Cardoso THS, Silva EMA, Ferreira JC, Rabeh WM. SARS-CoV-2 variants, its recombinants and epigenomic exploitation of host defenses. Biochim Biophys Acta Mol Basis Dis 2023; 1869:166836. [PMID: 37549720 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbadis.2023.166836] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2023] [Revised: 07/17/2023] [Accepted: 07/31/2023] [Indexed: 08/09/2023]
Abstract
Since 2003, we have seen the emergence of novel viruses, such as SARS-CoV-1, MERS, ZIKA, swine flu virus H1N1, Marburg, Monkeypox, Ebola, and SARS-CoV-2, but none of them gained pandemic proportions similar to SARS-CoV-2. This could be attributed to unique viral traits, allowing its rapid global dissemination following its emergence in October 2019 in Wuhan, China, which appears to be primarily driven by the emergence of highly transmissible and virulent variants that also associate, in some cases, with severe disease and considerable mortality caused by fatal pneumonia, acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) in infected individuals. Mechanistically, several factors are involved in viral pathogenesis, and epigenetic alterations take the front seat in host-virus interactions. The molecular basis of all viral infections, including SARS-CoV-2, tightly hinges on the transitory silencing of the host gene machinery via epigenetic modulation. SARS-CoV-2 also hijacks and subdues the host gene machinery, leading to epigenetic modulation of the critical host elements responsible for antiviral immunity. Epigenomics is a powerful, unexplored avenue that can provide a profound understanding of virus-host interactions and lead to the development of epigenome-based therapies and vaccines to counter viruses. This review discusses current developments in SARS-CoV-2 variation and its role in epigenetic modulation in infected hosts. This review provides an overview, especially in the context of emerging viral strains, their recombinants, and their possible roles in the epigenetic exploitation of host defense and viral pathogenesis. It provides insights into host-virus interactions at the molecular, genomic, and immunological levels and sheds light on the future of epigenomics-based therapies for SARS-CoV-2 infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nitin K Saksena
- Victoria University, Footscray Campus, Melbourne, VIC. Australia.
| | - Srinivasa Bonam Reddy
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555, USA
| | | | - Thyago H S Cardoso
- OMICS Centre of Excellence, G42 Healthcare, Mazdar City, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
| | - Edson M A Silva
- Science Division, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Juliana C Ferreira
- Science Division, New York University Abu Dhabi, PO Box 129188, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
| | - Wael M Rabeh
- Science Division, New York University Abu Dhabi, PO Box 129188, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
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Chan LC, Mat Yassim AS, Ahmad Fuaad AAH, Leow TC, Sabri S, Radin Yahaya RS, Abu Bakar AMS. Inhibition of SARS-CoV-2 3CL protease by the anti-viral chimeric protein RetroMAD1. Sci Rep 2023; 13:20178. [PMID: 37978223 PMCID: PMC10656507 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-47511-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2023] [Accepted: 11/14/2023] [Indexed: 11/19/2023] Open
Abstract
COVID-19 results from SARS-CoV-2, which mutates frequently, challenging current treatments. Therefore, it is critical to develop new therapeutic drugs against this disease. This study explores the interaction between SARS-CoV-2 3CLpro and RetroMAD1, a well-characterized coronavirus protein and potential drug target, using in-silico methods. The analysis through the HDOCK server showed stable complex formation with a binding energy of -12.3, the lowest among reference drugs. The RetroMAD1-3CLpro complex underwent a 100 ns molecular dynamics simulation (MDS) in an explicit solvation system, generating various trajectories, including RMSD, RMSF, hydrogen bonding, radius of gyration, and ligand binding energy. MDS results confirmed intact interactions within the RetroMAD1-3CLpro complex during simulations. In vitro experiments validated RetroMAD1's ability to inhibit 3CLpro enzyme activity and prevent SARS-CoV-2 infection in human bronchial cells. RetroMAD1 exhibited antiviral efficacy comparable to Remdesivir without cytotoxicity at effective concentrations. These results suggest RetroMAD1 as a potential drug candidate against SARS-CoV-2, warranting further in vivo and clinical studies to assess its efficiency.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lee-Chin Chan
- Biovalence Sdn. Bhd., 22, Jalan SS 25/34, Taman Mayang, 47301, Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia
- Biovalence Technologies Pte. Ltd., #06-307 The Plaza, 7500A Beach Road, Singapore, 199591, Singapore
| | - Aini Syahida Mat Yassim
- Biovalence Sdn. Bhd., 22, Jalan SS 25/34, Taman Mayang, 47301, Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia.
- Biovalence Technologies Pte. Ltd., #06-307 The Plaza, 7500A Beach Road, Singapore, 199591, Singapore.
- School of Health Science, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 16150 Kubang Kerian, Kelantan, Malaysia.
| | - Abdullah Al Hadi Ahmad Fuaad
- Centre of Fundamental and Frontier Sciences in Self-Assembly (FSSA), Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Universiti Malaya, 50603, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Thean Chor Leow
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 UPM, Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia
- Enzyme and Microbial Technology Research Center, Faculty of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 UPM, Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia
- Institute of Bioscience, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 UPM, Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Suriana Sabri
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 UPM, Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia
- Enzyme and Microbial Technology Research Center, Faculty of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 UPM, Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Radin Shafierul Radin Yahaya
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 UPM, Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Awang Muhammad Sagaf Abu Bakar
- Jabatan Perkhidmatan Veterinar Sabah, Aras 3, Blok B, Wisma Pertanian Sabah, Jalan Tasik, Luyang (Off Jln Maktab Gaya), Beg Berkunci 2051, 88999, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia.
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30
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Li X, Song Y. Structure and function of SARS-CoV and SARS-CoV-2 main proteases and their inhibition: A comprehensive review. Eur J Med Chem 2023; 260:115772. [PMID: 37659195 PMCID: PMC10529944 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2023.115772] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 31.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2023] [Revised: 08/24/2023] [Accepted: 08/26/2023] [Indexed: 09/04/2023]
Abstract
Severe acute respiratory syndrome-associated coronavirus (SARS-CoV) identified in 2003 infected ∼8000 people in 26 countries with 800 deaths, which was soon contained and eradicated by syndromic surveillance and enhanced quarantine. A closely related coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, the causative agent of COVID-19 identified in 2019, has been dramatically more contagious and catastrophic. It has infected and caused various flu-like symptoms of billions of people in >200 countries, including >6 million people died of or with the virus. Despite the availability of several vaccines and antiviral drugs against SARS-CoV-2, finding new therapeutics is needed because of viral evolution and a possible emerging coronavirus in the future. The main protease (Mpro) of these coronaviruses plays important roles in their life cycle and is essential for the viral replication. This article represents a comprehensive review of the function, structure and inhibition of SARS-CoV and -CoV-2 Mpro, including structure-activity relationships, protein-inhibitor interactions and clinical trial status.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin Li
- Department of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, 1 Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX, 77030, USA; Dan L. Duncan Comprehensive Cancer Center, Baylor College of Medicine, 1 Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX, 77030, USA.
| | - Yongcheng Song
- Department of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, 1 Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX, 77030, USA; Dan L. Duncan Comprehensive Cancer Center, Baylor College of Medicine, 1 Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX, 77030, USA.
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31
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Zhao JH, Wang YW, Yang J, Tong ZJ, Wu JZ, Wang YB, Wang QX, Li QQ, Yu YC, Leng XJ, Chang L, Xue X, Sun SL, Li HM, Ding N, Duan JA, Li NG, Shi ZH. Natural products as potential lead compounds to develop new antiviral drugs over the past decade. Eur J Med Chem 2023; 260:115726. [PMID: 37597436 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2023.115726] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2023] [Revised: 05/22/2023] [Accepted: 08/13/2023] [Indexed: 08/21/2023]
Abstract
Virus infection has been one of the main causes of human death since the ancient times. Even though more and more antiviral drugs have been approved in clinic, long-term use can easily lead to the emergence of drug resistance and side effects. Fortunately, there are many kinds of metabolites which were produced by plants, marine organisms and microorganisms in nature with rich structural skeletons, and they are natural treasure house for people to find antiviral active substances. Aiming at many types of viruses that had caused serious harm to human health in recent years, this review summarizes the natural products with antiviral activity that had been reported for the first time in the past ten years, we also sort out the source, chemical structure and safety indicators in order to provide potential lead compounds for the research and development of new antiviral drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing-Han Zhao
- National and Local Collaborative Engineering Center of Chinese Medicinal Resources Industrialization and Formulae Innovative Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, 138 Xianlin Road, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210023, China
| | - Yue-Wei Wang
- National and Local Collaborative Engineering Center of Chinese Medicinal Resources Industrialization and Formulae Innovative Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, 138 Xianlin Road, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210023, China
| | - Jin Yang
- National and Local Collaborative Engineering Center of Chinese Medicinal Resources Industrialization and Formulae Innovative Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, 138 Xianlin Road, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210023, China
| | - Zhen-Jiang Tong
- National and Local Collaborative Engineering Center of Chinese Medicinal Resources Industrialization and Formulae Innovative Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, 138 Xianlin Road, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210023, China
| | - Jia-Zhen Wu
- National and Local Collaborative Engineering Center of Chinese Medicinal Resources Industrialization and Formulae Innovative Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, 138 Xianlin Road, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210023, China
| | - Yi-Bo Wang
- National and Local Collaborative Engineering Center of Chinese Medicinal Resources Industrialization and Formulae Innovative Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, 138 Xianlin Road, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210023, China
| | - Qing-Xin Wang
- National and Local Collaborative Engineering Center of Chinese Medicinal Resources Industrialization and Formulae Innovative Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, 138 Xianlin Road, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210023, China
| | - Qing-Qing Li
- National and Local Collaborative Engineering Center of Chinese Medicinal Resources Industrialization and Formulae Innovative Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, 138 Xianlin Road, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210023, China
| | - Yan-Cheng Yu
- National and Local Collaborative Engineering Center of Chinese Medicinal Resources Industrialization and Formulae Innovative Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, 138 Xianlin Road, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210023, China
| | - Xue-Jiao Leng
- National and Local Collaborative Engineering Center of Chinese Medicinal Resources Industrialization and Formulae Innovative Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, 138 Xianlin Road, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210023, China
| | - Liang Chang
- National and Local Collaborative Engineering Center of Chinese Medicinal Resources Industrialization and Formulae Innovative Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, 138 Xianlin Road, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210023, China
| | - Xin Xue
- National and Local Collaborative Engineering Center of Chinese Medicinal Resources Industrialization and Formulae Innovative Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, 138 Xianlin Road, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210023, China
| | - Shan-Liang Sun
- National and Local Collaborative Engineering Center of Chinese Medicinal Resources Industrialization and Formulae Innovative Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, 138 Xianlin Road, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210023, China
| | - He-Min Li
- National and Local Collaborative Engineering Center of Chinese Medicinal Resources Industrialization and Formulae Innovative Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, 138 Xianlin Road, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210023, China
| | - Ning Ding
- National and Local Collaborative Engineering Center of Chinese Medicinal Resources Industrialization and Formulae Innovative Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, 138 Xianlin Road, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210023, China.
| | - Jin-Ao Duan
- National and Local Collaborative Engineering Center of Chinese Medicinal Resources Industrialization and Formulae Innovative Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, 138 Xianlin Road, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210023, China.
| | - Nian-Guang Li
- National and Local Collaborative Engineering Center of Chinese Medicinal Resources Industrialization and Formulae Innovative Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, 138 Xianlin Road, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210023, China.
| | - Zhi-Hao Shi
- Laboratory of Molecular Design and Drug Discovery, School of Science, China Pharmaceutical University, 639 Longmian Avenue, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 211198, China.
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Wang Y, Qin P, Zhao C, Li Y, Li S, Fan F, Li D, Huang H, Duan H, Yang X, Du W, Li Y. Evaluating anti-viral effect of Ivermectin on porcine epidemic diarrhea virus and analyzing the related genes and signaling pathway by RNA-seq in vitro. Virology 2023; 587:109877. [PMID: 37688922 DOI: 10.1016/j.virol.2023.109877] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2023] [Revised: 08/28/2023] [Accepted: 08/31/2023] [Indexed: 09/11/2023]
Abstract
Porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV) has catastrophic impacts on the global pig industry. However, there remains no effective drugs for PEDV infection. Ivermectin is an FDA-approved anthelmintic drug used to treat worm infections. In this study, we reported the broad-spectrum antiviral activity of Ivermectin in vitro. Ivermectin can inhibit PEDV infections of different genotypes. Avermectin derivatives can also inhibit PEDV infections. A time of addition assay showed that Ivermectin exhibited potent anti-PEDV activity when added simultaneously with or post virus infection. Furthermore, Ivermectin significantly inhibited the late stage of viral infection by affecting viral release. RNA sequencing indicates Ivermectin induces cell cycle arrest, which may be related to its ability to inhibit viral release. Interestingly, when combined with Niclosamide, Ivermectin demonstrated an enhanced anti-PEDV effect. These findings highlight Ivermectin as a novel antiviral agent with potential for the development of drugs against PEDV infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yue Wang
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, 450046, China.
| | - Panpan Qin
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, 450046, China.
| | - Chenxu Zhao
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, 450046, China.
| | - Yaqin Li
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, 450046, China.
| | - Shuai Li
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, 450046, China.
| | - Fangfang Fan
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, 450046, China.
| | - Dongliang Li
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, 450046, China; Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Animal Pathogens and Biosafety, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, 450046, China.
| | - Huimin Huang
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Henan University of Animal Husbandry and Economy, 6 Long-zi-hu Street, Zhengzhou, 450046, China.
| | - Hong Duan
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, 450046, China; Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Animal Pathogens and Biosafety, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, 450046, China.
| | - Xia Yang
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, 450046, China; Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Animal Pathogens and Biosafety, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, 450046, China.
| | - Wenjuan Du
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Utrecht, 3584, CL, the Netherlands.
| | - Yongtao Li
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, 450046, China; Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Animal Pathogens and Biosafety, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, 450046, China; Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Utrecht, 3584, CL, the Netherlands.
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Kosenko M, Onkhonova G, Susloparov I, Ryzhikov A. SARS-CoV-2 proteins structural studies using synchrotron radiation. Biophys Rev 2023; 15:1185-1194. [PMID: 37974992 PMCID: PMC10643813 DOI: 10.1007/s12551-023-01153-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2023] [Accepted: 09/20/2023] [Indexed: 11/19/2023] Open
Abstract
In the process of the development of structural biology, both the size and the complexity of the determined macromolecular structures have grown significantly. As a result, the range of application areas for the results of structural studies of biological macromolecules has expanded. Significant progress in the development of structural biology methods has been largely achieved through the use of synchrotron radiation. Modern sources of synchrotron radiation allow to conduct high-performance structural studies with high temporal and spatial resolution. Thus, modern techniques make it possible to obtain not only static structures, but also to study dynamic processes, which play a key role in understanding biological mechanisms. One of the key directions in the development of structural research is the drug design based on the structures of biomolecules. Synchrotron radiation offers insights into the three-dimensional time-resolved structure of individual viral proteins and their complexes at atomic resolution. The rapid and accurate determination of protein structures is crucial for understanding viral pathogenicity and designing targeted therapeutics. Through the application of experimental techniques, including X-ray crystallography and small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS), it is possible to elucidate the structural details of SARS-CoV-2 virion containing 4 structural, 16 nonstructural proteins (nsp), and several accessory proteins. The most studied potential targets for vaccines and drugs are the structural spike (S) protein, which is responsible for entering the host cell, as well as nonstructural proteins essential for replication and transcription, such as main protease (Mpro), papain-like protease (PLpro), and RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp). This article provides a brief overview of structural analysis techniques, with focus on synchrotron radiation-based methods applied to the analysis of SARS-CoV-2 proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maksim Kosenko
- Federal Budgetary Research Institution State Research Center of Virology and Biotechnology “Vector” Rospotrebnadzor, Koltsovo, 630559 Russia
| | - Galina Onkhonova
- Federal Budgetary Research Institution State Research Center of Virology and Biotechnology “Vector” Rospotrebnadzor, Koltsovo, 630559 Russia
| | - Ivan Susloparov
- Federal Budgetary Research Institution State Research Center of Virology and Biotechnology “Vector” Rospotrebnadzor, Koltsovo, 630559 Russia
| | - Alexander Ryzhikov
- Federal Budgetary Research Institution State Research Center of Virology and Biotechnology “Vector” Rospotrebnadzor, Koltsovo, 630559 Russia
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Huang T, Zheng D, Song Y, Pan H, Qiu G, Xiang Y, Wang Z, Wang F. Demonstration of the impact of COVID-19 on metabolic associated fatty liver disease by bioinformatics and system biology approach. Medicine (Baltimore) 2023; 102:e34570. [PMID: 37657050 PMCID: PMC10476796 DOI: 10.1097/md.0000000000034570] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2023] [Accepted: 07/13/2023] [Indexed: 09/03/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has caused a great threat to human health. Metabolic associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) is a liver disease with a high prevalence rate. Previous studies indicated that MAFLD led to increased mortality and severe case rates of COVID-19 patients, but its mechanism remains unclear. METHODS This study analyzed the transcriptional profiles of COVID-19 and MAFLD patients and their respective healthy controls from the perspectives of bioinformatics and systems biology to explore the underlying molecular mechanisms between the 2 diseases. Specifically, gene expression profiles of COVID-19 and MAFLD patients were acquired from the gene expression omnibus datasets and screened shared differentially expressed genes (DEGs). Gene ontology and pathway function enrichment analysis were performed for common DEGs to reveal the regulatory relationship between the 2 diseases. Besides, the hub genes were extracted by constructing a protein-protein interaction network of shared DEGs. Based on these hub genes, we conducted regulatory network analysis of microRNA/transcription factors-genes and gene - disease relationship and predicted potential drugs for the treatment of COVID-19 and MAFLD. RESULTS A total of 3734 and 589 DEGs were screened from the transcriptome data of MAFLD (GSE183229) and COVID-19 (GSE196822), respectively, and 80 common DEGs were identified between COVID-19 and MAFLD. Functional enrichment analysis revealed that the shared DEGs were involved in inflammatory reaction, immune response and metabolic regulation. In addition, 10 hub genes including SERPINE1, IL1RN, THBS1, TNFAIP6, GADD45B, TNFRSF12A, PLA2G7, PTGES, PTX3 and GADD45G were identified. From the interaction network analysis, 41 transcription factors and 151 micro-RNAs were found to be the regulatory signals. Some mental, Inflammatory, liver diseases were found to be most related with the hub genes. Importantly, parthenolide, luteolin, apigenin and MS-275 have shown possibility as therapeutic agents against COVID-19 and MAFLD. CONCLUSION This study reveals the potential common pathogenesis between MAFLD and COVID-19, providing novel clues for future research and treatment of MAFLD and severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tengda Huang
- Innovation Center of Nursing Research, Nursing Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Sichuan, Chengdu, China
- Division of Liver Surgery, Department of General Surgery and Laboratory of Liver Surgery, and State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Collaborative Innovation Center of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Dawei Zheng
- The College of Life Sciences, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Yujia Song
- Division of Liver Surgery, Department of General Surgery and Laboratory of Liver Surgery, and State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Collaborative Innovation Center of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Hongyuan Pan
- Division of Liver Surgery, Department of General Surgery and Laboratory of Liver Surgery, and State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Collaborative Innovation Center of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Guoteng Qiu
- Division of Liver Surgery, Department of General Surgery and Laboratory of Liver Surgery, and State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Collaborative Innovation Center of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Yuchu Xiang
- The College of Life Sciences, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Zichen Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Fang Wang
- Innovation Center of Nursing Research, Nursing Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Sichuan, Chengdu, China
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Caleffi GS, Rosa AS, de Souza LG, Avelar JLS, Nascimento SMR, de Almeida VM, Tucci AR, Ferreira VN, da Silva AJM, Santos-Filho OA, Miranda MD, Costa PRR. Aurones: A Promising Scaffold to Inhibit SARS-CoV-2 Replication. JOURNAL OF NATURAL PRODUCTS 2023; 86:1536-1549. [PMID: 37257024 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jnatprod.3c00249] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
Aurones are a small subgroup of flavonoids in which the basic C6-C3-C6 skeleton is arranged as (Z)-2-benzylidenebenzofuran-3(2H)-one. These compounds are structural isomers of flavones and flavonols, natural products reported as potent inhibitors of SARS-CoV-2 replication. Herein, we report the design, synthesis, and anti-SARS-CoV-2 activity of a series of 25 aurones bearing different oxygenated groups (OH, OCH3, OCH2OCH3, OCH2O, OCF2H, and OCH2C6H4R) at the A- and/or B-rings using cell-based screening assays. We observed that 12 of the 25 compounds exhibit EC50 < 3 μM (8e, 8h, 8j, 8k, 8l, 8m, 8p, 8q, 8r, 8w, 8x, and 8y), of which five presented EC50 < 1 μM (8h, 8m, 8p, 8q, and 8w) without evident cytotoxic effect in Calu-3 cells. The substitution of the A- and/or B-ring with OCH3, OCH2OCH3, and OCF2H groups seems beneficial for the antiviral activity, while the corresponding phenolic derivatives showed a significant decrease in the anti-SARS-CoV-2 activity. The most potent compound of the series, aurone 8q (EC50 = 0.4 μM, SI = 2441.3), is 2 to 3 times more effective than the polyphenolic flavonoids myricetin (2) and baicalein (1), respectively. Investigation of the five more active compounds as inhibitors of SARS-CoV-2 3CLpro based on molecular dynamic calculations suggested that these aurones should detach from the active site of 3CLpro, and, probably, they could bind to another SARS-CoV-2 protein target (either receptor or enzyme).
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Alice S Rosa
- Laboratório de Morfologia e Morfogênese Viral, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, 21040-900 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | | | | | | | | | - Amanda R Tucci
- Laboratório de Morfologia e Morfogênese Viral, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, 21040-900 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Vivian N Ferreira
- Laboratório de Morfologia e Morfogênese Viral, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, 21040-900 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | | | | | - Milene D Miranda
- Laboratório de Morfologia e Morfogênese Viral, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, 21040-900 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
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Ruatta SM, Prada Gori DN, Fló Díaz M, Lorenzelli F, Perelmuter K, Alberca LN, Bellera CL, Medeiros A, López GV, Ingold M, Porcal W, Dibello E, Ihnatenko I, Kunick C, Incerti M, Luzardo M, Colobbio M, Ramos JC, Manta E, Minini L, Lavaggi ML, Hernández P, Šarlauskas J, Huerta García CS, Castillo R, Hernández-Campos A, Ribaudo G, Zagotto G, Carlucci R, Medrán NS, Labadie GR, Martinez-Amezaga M, Delpiccolo CML, Mata EG, Scarone L, Posada L, Serra G, Calogeropoulou T, Prousis K, Detsi A, Cabrera M, Alvarez G, Aicardo A, Araújo V, Chavarría C, Mašič LP, Gantner ME, Llanos MA, Rodríguez S, Gavernet L, Park S, Heo J, Lee H, Paul Park KH, Bollati-Fogolín M, Pritsch O, Shum D, Talevi A, Comini MA. Garbage in, garbage out: how reliable training data improved a virtual screening approach against SARS-CoV-2 MPro. Front Pharmacol 2023; 14:1193282. [PMID: 37426813 PMCID: PMC10323144 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2023.1193282] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2023] [Accepted: 05/31/2023] [Indexed: 07/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction: The identification of chemical compounds that interfere with SARS-CoV-2 replication continues to be a priority in several academic and pharmaceutical laboratories. Computational tools and approaches have the power to integrate, process and analyze multiple data in a short time. However, these initiatives may yield unrealistic results if the applied models are not inferred from reliable data and the resulting predictions are not confirmed by experimental evidence. Methods: We undertook a drug discovery campaign against the essential major protease (MPro) from SARS-CoV-2, which relied on an in silico search strategy -performed in a large and diverse chemolibrary- complemented by experimental validation. The computational method comprises a recently reported ligand-based approach developed upon refinement/learning cycles, and structure-based approximations. Search models were applied to both retrospective (in silico) and prospective (experimentally confirmed) screening. Results: The first generation of ligand-based models were fed by data, which to a great extent, had not been published in peer-reviewed articles. The first screening campaign performed with 188 compounds (46 in silico hits and 100 analogues, and 40 unrelated compounds: flavonols and pyrazoles) yielded three hits against MPro (IC50 ≤ 25 μM): two analogues of in silico hits (one glycoside and one benzo-thiazol) and one flavonol. A second generation of ligand-based models was developed based on this negative information and newly published peer-reviewed data for MPro inhibitors. This led to 43 new hit candidates belonging to different chemical families. From 45 compounds (28 in silico hits and 17 related analogues) tested in the second screening campaign, eight inhibited MPro with IC50 = 0.12-20 μM and five of them also impaired the proliferation of SARS-CoV-2 in Vero cells (EC50 7-45 μM). Discussion: Our study provides an example of a virtuous loop between computational and experimental approaches applied to target-focused drug discovery against a major and global pathogen, reaffirming the well-known "garbage in, garbage out" machine learning principle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Santiago M. Ruatta
- Laboratory Redox Biology of Trypanosomes, Institut Pasteur de Montevideo, Montevideo, Uruguay
- Facultad de Bioquímica y Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Nacional del Litoral, Santa Fe, Argentina
| | - Denis N. Prada Gori
- Laboratory of Bioactive Compound Research and Development (LIDeB), Faculty of Exact Sciences, National University of La Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Martín Fló Díaz
- Laboratory of Immunovirology, Institut Pasteur de Montevideo, Montevideo, Uruguay
- Departamento de Inmunobiología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de la República, Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - Franca Lorenzelli
- Laboratory Redox Biology of Trypanosomes, Institut Pasteur de Montevideo, Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - Karen Perelmuter
- Cell Biology Unit, Institut Pasteur de Montevideo, Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - Lucas N. Alberca
- Laboratory of Bioactive Compound Research and Development (LIDeB), Faculty of Exact Sciences, National University of La Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Carolina L. Bellera
- Laboratory of Bioactive Compound Research and Development (LIDeB), Faculty of Exact Sciences, National University of La Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Andrea Medeiros
- Laboratory Redox Biology of Trypanosomes, Institut Pasteur de Montevideo, Montevideo, Uruguay
- Departamento de Bioquímica, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de la República, Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - Gloria V. López
- Departamento de Química Orgánica, Facultad de Química, Universidad de la República, Montevideo, Uruguay
- Vascular Biology and Drug Discovery Lab, Institut Pasteur de Montevideo, Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - Mariana Ingold
- Vascular Biology and Drug Discovery Lab, Institut Pasteur de Montevideo, Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - Williams Porcal
- Departamento de Química Orgánica, Facultad de Química, Universidad de la República, Montevideo, Uruguay
- Vascular Biology and Drug Discovery Lab, Institut Pasteur de Montevideo, Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - Estefanía Dibello
- Departamento de Química Orgánica, Facultad de Química, Universidad de la República, Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - Irina Ihnatenko
- PVZ—Center of Pharmaceutical Engineering, Institute of Medicinal and Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Conrad Kunick
- PVZ—Center of Pharmaceutical Engineering, Institute of Medicinal and Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Marcelo Incerti
- Departamento de Química Orgánica, Facultad de Química, Universidad de la República, Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - Martín Luzardo
- Departamento de Química Orgánica, Facultad de Química, Universidad de la República, Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - Maximiliano Colobbio
- Departamento de Química Orgánica, Facultad de Química, Universidad de la República, Montevideo, Uruguay
- Laboratorio de Química Fina, Facultad de Química, Instituto Polo Tecnológico de Pando, Universidad de la República, Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - Juan Carlos Ramos
- Departamento de Química Orgánica, Facultad de Química, Universidad de la República, Montevideo, Uruguay
- Laboratorio de Química Fina, Facultad de Química, Instituto Polo Tecnológico de Pando, Universidad de la República, Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - Eduardo Manta
- Departamento de Química Orgánica, Facultad de Química, Universidad de la República, Montevideo, Uruguay
- Laboratorio de Química Fina, Facultad de Química, Instituto Polo Tecnológico de Pando, Universidad de la República, Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - Lucía Minini
- Departamento de Química Orgánica, Facultad de Química, Universidad de la República, Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - María Laura Lavaggi
- Laboratorio de Química Biológica Ambiental, Sede Rivera, Centro Universitario Regional Noreste, Universidad de la República, Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - Paola Hernández
- Departamento de Genética, Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas Clemente Estable, Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - Jonas Šarlauskas
- Life Sciences Centre, Department of Xenobiotic Biochemistry, Institute of Biochemistry, Vilnius University, Vilnius, Lithuania
| | | | - Rafael Castillo
- Departamento de Farmacia, Facultad de Química, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de Mexico, Mexico
| | - Alicia Hernández-Campos
- Departamento de Farmacia, Facultad de Química, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de Mexico, Mexico
| | - Giovanni Ribaudo
- Department of Molecular and Translational Medicine, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Zagotto
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Renzo Carlucci
- Facultad de Ciencias Bioquímicas y Farmacéuticas, Instituto de Química Rosario (IQUIR) UNR, CONICET, Universidad Nacional de Rosario, Rosario, Argentina
| | - Noelia S. Medrán
- Facultad de Ciencias Bioquímicas y Farmacéuticas, Instituto de Química Rosario (IQUIR) UNR, CONICET, Universidad Nacional de Rosario, Rosario, Argentina
| | - Guillermo R. Labadie
- Facultad de Ciencias Bioquímicas y Farmacéuticas, Instituto de Química Rosario (IQUIR) UNR, CONICET, Universidad Nacional de Rosario, Rosario, Argentina
| | - Maitena Martinez-Amezaga
- Facultad de Ciencias Bioquímicas y Farmacéuticas, Instituto de Química Rosario (IQUIR) UNR, CONICET, Universidad Nacional de Rosario, Rosario, Argentina
| | - Carina M. L. Delpiccolo
- Facultad de Ciencias Bioquímicas y Farmacéuticas, Instituto de Química Rosario (IQUIR) UNR, CONICET, Universidad Nacional de Rosario, Rosario, Argentina
| | - Ernesto G. Mata
- Facultad de Ciencias Bioquímicas y Farmacéuticas, Instituto de Química Rosario (IQUIR) UNR, CONICET, Universidad Nacional de Rosario, Rosario, Argentina
| | - Laura Scarone
- Departamento de Química Orgánica, Facultad de Química, Universidad de la República, Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - Laura Posada
- Departamento de Química Orgánica, Facultad de Química, Universidad de la República, Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - Gloria Serra
- Departamento de Química Orgánica, Facultad de Química, Universidad de la República, Montevideo, Uruguay
| | | | - Kyriakos Prousis
- Institute of Chemical Biology, National Hellenic Research Foundation, Athens, Greece
| | - Anastasia Detsi
- Laboratory of Organic Chemistry, School of Chemical Engineering, National Technical University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - Mauricio Cabrera
- Laboratorio de Moléculas Bioactivas, Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas, CENUR Litoral Norte, Universidad de la República, Paysandú, Uruguay
| | - Guzmán Alvarez
- Laboratorio de Moléculas Bioactivas, Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas, CENUR Litoral Norte, Universidad de la República, Paysandú, Uruguay
| | - Adrián Aicardo
- Departamento de Bioquímica, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de la República, Montevideo, Uruguay
- Centro de Investigaciones Biomédicas (CEINBIO), Universidad de la República, Montevideo, Uruguay
- Departamento de Nutrición Clínica, Escuela de Nutrición, Universidad de la República, Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - Verena Araújo
- Departamento de Bioquímica, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de la República, Montevideo, Uruguay
- Centro de Investigaciones Biomédicas (CEINBIO), Universidad de la República, Montevideo, Uruguay
- Departamento de Alimentos, Escuela de Nutrición, Universidad de la República, Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - Cecilia Chavarría
- Departamento de Bioquímica, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de la República, Montevideo, Uruguay
- Centro de Investigaciones Biomédicas (CEINBIO), Universidad de la República, Montevideo, Uruguay
| | | | - Melisa E. Gantner
- Laboratory of Bioactive Compound Research and Development (LIDeB), Faculty of Exact Sciences, National University of La Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Manuel A. Llanos
- Laboratory of Bioactive Compound Research and Development (LIDeB), Faculty of Exact Sciences, National University of La Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Santiago Rodríguez
- Laboratory of Bioactive Compound Research and Development (LIDeB), Faculty of Exact Sciences, National University of La Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Luciana Gavernet
- Laboratory of Bioactive Compound Research and Development (LIDeB), Faculty of Exact Sciences, National University of La Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Soonju Park
- Screening Discovery Platform, Institut Pasteur Korea, Seongnam, Republic of Korea
| | - Jinyeong Heo
- Screening Discovery Platform, Institut Pasteur Korea, Seongnam, Republic of Korea
| | - Honggun Lee
- Screening Discovery Platform, Institut Pasteur Korea, Seongnam, Republic of Korea
| | - Kyu-Ho Paul Park
- Screening Discovery Platform, Institut Pasteur Korea, Seongnam, Republic of Korea
| | | | - Otto Pritsch
- Laboratory of Immunovirology, Institut Pasteur de Montevideo, Montevideo, Uruguay
- Departamento de Inmunobiología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de la República, Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - David Shum
- Screening Discovery Platform, Institut Pasteur Korea, Seongnam, Republic of Korea
| | - Alan Talevi
- Laboratory of Bioactive Compound Research and Development (LIDeB), Faculty of Exact Sciences, National University of La Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Marcelo A. Comini
- Laboratory Redox Biology of Trypanosomes, Institut Pasteur de Montevideo, Montevideo, Uruguay
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Xue Y, Mei H, Chen Y, Griffin JD, Liu Q, Weisberg E, Yang J. Repurposing clinically available drugs and therapies for pathogenic targets to combat SARS-CoV-2. MedComm (Beijing) 2023; 4:e254. [PMID: 37193304 PMCID: PMC10183156 DOI: 10.1002/mco2.254] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2022] [Revised: 02/11/2023] [Accepted: 03/07/2023] [Indexed: 05/18/2023] Open
Abstract
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has affected a large portion of the global population, both physically and mentally. Current evidence suggests that the rapidly evolving coronavirus subvariants risk rendering vaccines and antibodies ineffective due to their potential to evade existing immunity, with enhanced transmission activity and higher reinfection rates that could lead to new outbreaks across the globe. The goal of viral management is to disrupt the viral life cycle as well as to relieve severe symptoms such as lung damage, cytokine storm, and organ failure. In the fight against viruses, the combination of viral genome sequencing, elucidation of the structure of viral proteins, and identifying proteins that are highly conserved across multiple coronaviruses has revealed many potential molecular targets. In addition, the time- and cost-effective repurposing of preexisting antiviral drugs or approved/clinical drugs for these targets offers considerable clinical advantages for COVID-19 patients. This review provides a comprehensive overview of various identified pathogenic targets and pathways as well as corresponding repurposed approved/clinical drugs and their potential against COVID-19. These findings provide new insight into the discovery of novel therapeutic strategies that could be applied to the control of disease symptoms emanating from evolving SARS-CoV-2 variants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yiying Xue
- Department of Hematology, Tongji Hospital, Frontier Science Center for Stem Cell Research, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Signaling and Disease Research, School of Life Sciences and TechnologyTongji UniversityShanghaiChina
| | - Husheng Mei
- Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Medical Physics and Technology, Institute of Health and Medical Technology, Hefei Institutes of Physical ScienceChinese Academy of SciencesHefeiChina
- University of Science and Technology of ChinaHefeiAnhuiChina
| | - Yisa Chen
- Department of Hematology, Tongji Hospital, Frontier Science Center for Stem Cell Research, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Signaling and Disease Research, School of Life Sciences and TechnologyTongji UniversityShanghaiChina
| | - James D. Griffin
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana‐Farber Cancer InstituteBostonMassachusettsUSA
- Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical SchoolBostonMassachusettsUSA
| | - Qingsong Liu
- Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Medical Physics and Technology, Institute of Health and Medical Technology, Hefei Institutes of Physical ScienceChinese Academy of SciencesHefeiChina
- University of Science and Technology of ChinaHefeiAnhuiChina
- Hefei Cancer HospitalChinese Academy of SciencesHefeiChina
| | - Ellen Weisberg
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana‐Farber Cancer InstituteBostonMassachusettsUSA
- Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical SchoolBostonMassachusettsUSA
| | - Jing Yang
- Department of Hematology, Tongji Hospital, Frontier Science Center for Stem Cell Research, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Signaling and Disease Research, School of Life Sciences and TechnologyTongji UniversityShanghaiChina
- Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Medical Physics and Technology, Institute of Health and Medical Technology, Hefei Institutes of Physical ScienceChinese Academy of SciencesHefeiChina
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Wang Q, Chen G, He J, Li J, Xiong M, Su H, Li M, Hu H, Xu Y. Structure-Based Design of Potent Peptidomimetic Inhibitors Covalently Targeting SARS-CoV-2 Papain-like Protease. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24108633. [PMID: 37239980 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24108633] [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: 02/27/2023] [Revised: 05/05/2023] [Accepted: 05/07/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023] Open
Abstract
The papain-like protease (PLpro) of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) plays a critical role in the proteolytic processing of viral polyproteins and the dysregulation of the host immune response, providing a promising therapeutic target. Here, we report the structure-guide design of novel peptidomimetic inhibitors covalently targeting SARS-CoV-2 PLpro. The resulting inhibitors demonstrate submicromolar potency in the enzymatic assay (IC50 = 0.23 μM) and significant inhibition of SARS-CoV-2 PLpro in the HEK293T cells using a cell-based protease assay (EC50 = 3.61 μM). Moreover, an X-ray crystal structure of SARS-CoV-2 PLpro in complex with compound 2 confirms the covalent binding of the inhibitor to the catalytic residue cysteine 111 (C111) and emphasizes the importance of interactions with tyrosine 268 (Y268). Together, our findings reveal a new scaffold of SARS-CoV-2 PLpro inhibitors and provide an attractive starting point for further optimization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qian Wang
- School of Chinese Materia Medica, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210023, China
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Guofeng Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Jian He
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Jiameng Li
- School of Chinese Materia Medica, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210023, China
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Muya Xiong
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Haixia Su
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Minjun Li
- Shanghai Synchrotron Radiation Facility, Shanghai Advanced Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201210, China
| | - Hangchen Hu
- School of Pharmaceutical Science and Technology, Hangzhou Institute for Advanced Study, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou 310024, China
| | - Yechun Xu
- School of Chinese Materia Medica, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210023, China
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
- School of Pharmaceutical Science and Technology, Hangzhou Institute for Advanced Study, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou 310024, China
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Lin JG, Huang GJ, Su YC. Efficacy analysis and research progress of complementary and alternative medicines in the adjuvant treatment of COVID-19. J Biomed Sci 2023; 30:30. [PMID: 37138292 PMCID: PMC10155165 DOI: 10.1186/s12929-023-00923-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2023] [Accepted: 04/18/2023] [Indexed: 05/05/2023] Open
Abstract
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has impacted human lifestyles around the world, causing huge distress in terms of public health systems, emergency response capacity and economic development. The causative agent of COVID-19, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), is associated with respiratory involvement, cardiovascular-related diseases, and ultimately causes multiple organ failure and death in severely affected individuals. Thus, effective prevention or early treatment of COVID-19 is critical. An effective vaccine offers a way out of the pandemic for governments, the scientific community and people worldwide, but we still lack effective drug therapies, including treatments for the prevention and treatment of COVID-19. This had led to a high global demand for many complementary and alternative medicines (CAMs). Moreover, many healthcare providers are now requesting information about CAMs that prevent, relieve, or treat the symptoms of COVID-19 and even alleviate vaccine-related side effects. Experts and scholars must therefore become familiar with the use of CAMs in COVID-19, current research directions and effectiveness of CAMs for COVID-19. This narrative review updates the current status and research worldwide on the use of CAMs for COVID-19. The review provides reliable evidence on theoretical viewpoints and therapeutic efficacies of CAM combinations, and evidence in support of the therapeutic strategy of Taiwan Chingguan Erhau (NRICM102) against moderate-to-severe novel coronavirus infectious disease in Taiwan.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jaung-Geng Lin
- School of Chinese Medicine, College of Chinese Medicine, China Medical University, No.91, Hsueh-Shih Road, Taichung, 40402, Taiwan
- Chinese Medicine Research Center, China Medical University, No.91, Hsueh-Shih Road, Taichung, 40402, Taiwan
| | - Guan-Jhong Huang
- Department of Chinese Pharmaceutical Sciences and Chinese Medicine Resources, College of Chinese Medicine, China Medical University, No.91, Hsueh-Shih Road, Taichung, 40402, Taiwan.
- Department of Food Nutrition and Healthy Biotechnology, Asia University, No. 500, Lioufeng Road, Taichung, 41354, Taiwan.
| | - Yi-Chang Su
- National Research Institute of Chinese Medicine, Ministry of Health and Welfare, No.155-1, Section 2, Linong Street, Beitou District, Taipei, 11221, Taiwan
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Novak J, Pathak P, Grishina MA, Potemkin VA. The design of compounds with desirable properties - The anti-HIV case study. J Comput Chem 2023; 44:1016-1030. [PMID: 36533526 DOI: 10.1002/jcc.27061] [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: 08/25/2022] [Revised: 11/14/2022] [Accepted: 12/04/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Efficacy and safety are among the most desirable characteristics of an ideal drug. The tremendous increase in computing power and the entry of artificial intelligence into the field of computational drug design are accelerating the process of identifying, developing, and optimizing potential drugs. Here, we present novel approach to design new molecules with desired properties. We combined various neural networks and linear regression algorithms to build models for cytotoxicity and anti-HIV activity based on Continual Molecular Interior analysis (CoMIn) and Cinderella's Shoe (CiS) derived molecular descriptors. After validating the reliability of the models, a genetic algorithm was coupled with the Des-Pot Grid algorithm to generate new molecules from a predefined pool of molecular fragments and predict their bioactivity and cytotoxicity. This combination led to the proposal of 16 hit molecules with high anti-HIV activity and low cytotoxicity. The anti-SARS-CoV-2 activity of the hits was predicted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jurica Novak
- Department of Biotechnology, University of Rijeka, Rijeka, Croatia
- Center for Artificial Intelligence and Cybersecurity, University of Rijeka, Rijeka, Croatia
- Scientific and Educational Center "Biomedical Technologies", Higher Medical & Biological School, South Ural State University, Chelyabinsk, Russia
| | - Prateek Pathak
- Laboratory of Computational Modelling of Drugs, Higher Medical & Biological School, South Ural State University, Chelyabinsk, Russia
| | - Maria A Grishina
- Laboratory of Computational Modelling of Drugs, Higher Medical & Biological School, South Ural State University, Chelyabinsk, Russia
| | - Vladimir A Potemkin
- Laboratory of Computational Modelling of Drugs, Higher Medical & Biological School, South Ural State University, Chelyabinsk, Russia
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Metallo-antiviral aspirants: Answer to the upcoming virusoutbreak. EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF MEDICINAL CHEMISTRY REPORTS 2023; 8:100104. [PMID: 37035854 PMCID: PMC10070197 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmcr.2023.100104] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2022] [Revised: 03/27/2023] [Accepted: 04/02/2023] [Indexed: 04/07/2023]
Abstract
In light of the current SARS-CoV-2 outbreak, about one million research papers (articles, reviews, communications, etc.) were published in the last one and a half years. It was also noticed that in the past few years; infectious diseases, mainly those of viral origin, burdened the public health systems worldwide. The current wave of the Covid-19 pandemic has unmasked critical demand for compounds that can be swiftly mobilized for the treatment of re-emerging or emerging viral infections. With the potential chemical and structural characteristics of organic motifs, the coordination compounds might be a promising and flexible option for drug development. Their therapeutic consequence may be tuned by varying metal nature and its oxidation number, ligands characteristics, and stereochemistry of the species formed. The emerging successes of cisplatin in cancer chemotherapy inspire researchers to make new efforts for studying metallodrugs as antivirals. Metal-based compounds have immense therapeutic potential in terms of structural diversity and possible mechanisms of action; therefore, they might offer an excellent opportunity to achieve new antivirals. This review is an attempt to summarize the current status of antiviral therapies against SARS-CoV-2 from the available literature sources, discuss the specific challenges and solutions in the development of metal-based antivirals, and also talk about the possibility to accelerate discovery efforts in this direction.
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Computational studies of potential antiviral compounds from some selected Nigerian medicinal plants against SARS-CoV-2 proteins. INFORMATICS IN MEDICINE UNLOCKED 2023; 38:101230. [PMID: 36974159 PMCID: PMC10030444 DOI: 10.1016/j.imu.2023.101230] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2023] [Revised: 03/18/2023] [Accepted: 03/20/2023] [Indexed: 03/24/2023] Open
Abstract
The challenges posed by COVID-19's emergence have led to a search for its therapies. There is no cure for COVID-19 infection yet, but there is significant progress in vaccine formulation for prophylaxis and drug development (such as paxlovid) for high-risk patients. As a contribution to the ongoing quest for solutions, this study shows potent phytocompounds identification as inhibitors of SARS-CoV-2 targets using in silico methods. We used virtual screening, molecular docking, and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations to investigate the interaction of some phytochemicals with 3CLpro, ACE2, and PLpro proteins crucial to the SARS-CoV-2 viral cycle. The predicted docking scores range from −5.5 to −9.4 kcal/mol, denoting appreciable binding of these compounds to the SARS-CoV-2 proteins and presenting a multitarget inhibition for COVID-19. Some phytocompounds interact favorably at non-active sites of the enzymes. For instance, MD simulation shows that an identified site on PLpro is stable and likely an allosteric region for inhibitor binding and modulation. These phytocompounds could be developed into effective therapy against COVID-19 and probed as potential multitarget-directed ligands and drug candidates against the SARS-CoV-2 virus. The study unveils drug repurposing, selectivity, allosteric site targeting, and multitarget-directed ligand in one piece. These concepts are three distinct approaches in the drug design and discovery pipeline.
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Guo B, Zheng H, Jiang H, Li X, Guan N, Zuo Y, Zhang Y, Yang H, Wang X. Enhanced compound-protein binding affinity prediction by representing protein multimodal information via a coevolutionary strategy. Brief Bioinform 2023; 24:6995409. [PMID: 36682005 DOI: 10.1093/bib/bbac628] [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: 09/15/2022] [Revised: 12/12/2022] [Accepted: 12/25/2022] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Due to the lack of a method to efficiently represent the multimodal information of a protein, including its structure and sequence information, predicting compound-protein binding affinity (CPA) still suffers from low accuracy when applying machine-learning methods. To overcome this limitation, in a novel end-to-end architecture (named FeatNN), we develop a coevolutionary strategy to jointly represent the structure and sequence features of proteins and ultimately optimize the mathematical models for predicting CPA. Furthermore, from the perspective of data-driven approach, we proposed a rational method that can utilize both high- and low-quality databases to optimize the accuracy and generalization ability of FeatNN in CPA prediction tasks. Notably, we visually interpret the feature interaction process between sequence and structure in the rationally designed architecture. As a result, FeatNN considerably outperforms the state-of-the-art (SOTA) baseline in virtual drug evaluation tasks, indicating the feasibility of this approach for practical use. FeatNN provides an outstanding method for higher CPA prediction accuracy and better generalization ability by efficiently representing multimodal information of proteins via a coevolutionary strategy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Binjie Guo
- Department of Neurobiology and Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province 310058, China
- Liangzhu Laboratory, MOE Frontier Science Center for Brain Science and Brain-machine Integration, State Key Laboratory of Brain-machine Intelligence, Zhejiang University, 1369 West Wenyi Road, Hangzhou 311121, China
- NHC and CAMS Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Hanyu Zheng
- Department of Neurobiology and Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province 310058, China
- Liangzhu Laboratory, MOE Frontier Science Center for Brain Science and Brain-machine Integration, State Key Laboratory of Brain-machine Intelligence, Zhejiang University, 1369 West Wenyi Road, Hangzhou 311121, China
- NHC and CAMS Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Haohan Jiang
- Department of Neurobiology and Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province 310058, China
- Liangzhu Laboratory, MOE Frontier Science Center for Brain Science and Brain-machine Integration, State Key Laboratory of Brain-machine Intelligence, Zhejiang University, 1369 West Wenyi Road, Hangzhou 311121, China
- NHC and CAMS Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Xiaodan Li
- Department of Neurobiology and Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province 310058, China
- Liangzhu Laboratory, MOE Frontier Science Center for Brain Science and Brain-machine Integration, State Key Laboratory of Brain-machine Intelligence, Zhejiang University, 1369 West Wenyi Road, Hangzhou 311121, China
- NHC and CAMS Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Naiyu Guan
- Department of Neurobiology and Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province 310058, China
- Liangzhu Laboratory, MOE Frontier Science Center for Brain Science and Brain-machine Integration, State Key Laboratory of Brain-machine Intelligence, Zhejiang University, 1369 West Wenyi Road, Hangzhou 311121, China
- NHC and CAMS Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Yanming Zuo
- Liangzhu Laboratory, MOE Frontier Science Center for Brain Science and Brain-machine Integration, State Key Laboratory of Brain-machine Intelligence, Zhejiang University, 1369 West Wenyi Road, Hangzhou 311121, China
- NHC and CAMS Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Yicheng Zhang
- Department of Neurobiology and Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province 310058, China
- Liangzhu Laboratory, MOE Frontier Science Center for Brain Science and Brain-machine Integration, State Key Laboratory of Brain-machine Intelligence, Zhejiang University, 1369 West Wenyi Road, Hangzhou 311121, China
- NHC and CAMS Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Hengfu Yang
- School of Computer Science, Hunan First Normal University, Changsha, 410205 Hunan, China
| | - Xuhua Wang
- Department of Neurobiology and Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province 310058, China
- Liangzhu Laboratory, MOE Frontier Science Center for Brain Science and Brain-machine Integration, State Key Laboratory of Brain-machine Intelligence, Zhejiang University, 1369 West Wenyi Road, Hangzhou 311121, China
- NHC and CAMS Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
- Co-innovation Center of Neuroregeneration, Nantong University, Nantong, 226001 Jiangsu, China
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Komatsu H, Tanaka T, Ye Z, Ikeda K, Matsuzaki T, Yasugi M, Hosoda M. Identification of SARS-CoV-2 main protease inhibitors from FDA-approved drugs by artificial intelligence-supported activity prediction system. J Biomol Struct Dyn 2023; 41:1767-1775. [PMID: 34984963 DOI: 10.1080/07391102.2021.2024260] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
Although a certain level of efficacy and safety of several vaccine products against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) have been established, unmet medical needs for orally active small molecule therapeutic drugs are still very high. As a key drug target molecule, SARS-CoV-2 main protease (Mpro) is focused and large number of in-silico screenings, a part of which were supported by artificial intelligence (AI), have been conducted to identify Mpro inhibitors both through drug repurposing and drug discovery approaches. In the many drug-repurposing studies, docking simulation-based technologies have been mainly employed and contributed to the identification of several Mpro binders. On the other hand, because AI-guided INTerprotein's Engine for New Drug Design (AI-guided INTENDD), an AI-supported activity prediction system for small molecules, enables to propose the potential binders by proprietary AI scores but not docking scores, it was expected to identify novel potential Mpro binders from FDA-approved drugs. As a result, we selected 20 potential Mpro binders using AI-guided INTENDD, of which 13 drugs showed Mpro-binding signal by surface plasmon resonance (SPR) method. Six (6) compounds among the 13 positive drugs were identified for the first time by the present study. Furthermore, it was verified that vorapaxar bound to Mpro with a Kd value of 27 µM by SPR method and inhibited virus replication in SARS-CoV-2 infected cells with an EC50 value of 11 µM. Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Ken Ikeda
- Interprotein Corporation, Osaka, Japan
| | | | - Mayo Yasugi
- Graduate School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Osaka Prefecture University, Izumisano, Osaka, Japan.,Asian Health Science Institute, Osaka Prefecture University, Izumisano, Osaka, Japan.,Osaka International Research Center for Infectious Diseases, Osaka Prefecture University, Osaka, Japan
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45
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COVID-19 signalome: Potential therapeutic interventions. Cell Signal 2023; 103:110559. [PMID: 36521656 PMCID: PMC9744501 DOI: 10.1016/j.cellsig.2022.110559] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2022] [Revised: 11/21/2022] [Accepted: 12/08/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic has triggered intensive research and development of drugs and vaccines against SARS-CoV-2 during the last two years. The major success was especially observed with development of vaccines based on viral vectors, nucleic acids and whole viral particles, which have received emergent authorization leading to global mass vaccinations. Although the vaccine programs have made a big impact on COVID-19 spread and severity, emerging novel variants have raised serious concerns about vaccine efficacy. Due to the urgent demand, drug development had originally to rely on repurposing of antiviral drugs developed against other infectious diseases. For both drug and vaccine development the focus has been mainly on SARS-CoV-2 surface proteins and host cell receptors involved in viral attachment and entry. In this review, we expand the spectrum of SARS-CoV-2 targets by investigating the COVID-19 signalome. In addition to the SARS-CoV-2 Spike protein, the envelope, membrane, and nucleoprotein targets have been subjected to research. Moreover, viral proteases have presented the possibility to develop different strategies for the inhibition of SARS-CoV-2 replication and spread. Several signaling pathways involving the renin-angiotensin system, angiotensin-converting enzymes, immune pathways, hypoxia, and calcium signaling have provided attractive alternative targets for more efficient drug development.
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46
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Nakajima S, Ohashi H, Akazawa D, Torii S, Suzuki R, Fukuhara T, Watashi K. Antiviral Activity of Micafungin and Its Derivatives against SARS-CoV-2 RNA Replication. Viruses 2023; 15:v15020452. [PMID: 36851666 PMCID: PMC9958940 DOI: 10.3390/v15020452] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2022] [Revised: 01/27/2023] [Accepted: 02/02/2023] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Echinocandin antifungal drugs, including micafungin, anidulafungin, and caspofungin, have been recently reported to exhibit antiviral effects against various viruses such as flavivirus, alphavirus, and coronavirus. In this study, we focused on micafungin and its derivatives and analyzed their antiviral activities against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The micafungin derivatives Mi-2 and Mi-5 showed higher antiviral activity than micafungin, with 50% maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) of 5.25 and 6.51 µM, respectively (3.8 to 4.7-fold stronger than micafungin) and 50% cytotoxic concentration (CC50) of >64 µM in VeroE6/TMPRSS2 cells. This high anti-SARS-CoV-2 activity was also conserved in human lung epithelial cell-derived Calu-3 cells. Micafungin, Mi-2, and Mi-5 were suggested to inhibit the intracellular virus replication process; additionally, these compounds were active against SARS-CoV-2 variants, including Delta (AY.122, hCoV-19/Japan/TY11-927/2021), Omicron (BA.1.18, hCoV-19/Japan/TY38-873/2021), a variant resistant to remdesivir (R10/E796G C799F), and a variant resistant to casirivimab/imdevimab antibody cocktail (E406W); thus, our results provide basic evidence for the potential use of micafungin derivatives for developing antiviral agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shogo Nakajima
- Research Center for Drug and Vaccine Development, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, 1-23-1 Toyama, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 162-8640, Japan
- Department of Virology II, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, 1-23-1 Toyama, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 162-8640, Japan
- Choju Medical Institute, Fukushimura Hospital, 19-14 Yamanaka, Noyoricho, Toyohashi-shi 441-8124, Japan
| | - Hirofumi Ohashi
- Research Center for Drug and Vaccine Development, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, 1-23-1 Toyama, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 162-8640, Japan
| | - Daisuke Akazawa
- Research Center for Drug and Vaccine Development, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, 1-23-1 Toyama, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 162-8640, Japan
| | - Shiho Torii
- Laboratory of Virus Control, Research Institute for Microbial Diseases, Osaka University, Suita 565-0871, Japan
- Insect-Virus Interactions Unit, Department of Virology, Institut Pasteur, 75015 Paris, France
| | - Rigel Suzuki
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Hokkaido University, N-15, W-7, Kita-ku, Sapporo 060-8638, Japan
| | - Takasuke Fukuhara
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Hokkaido University, N-15, W-7, Kita-ku, Sapporo 060-8638, Japan
| | - Koichi Watashi
- Research Center for Drug and Vaccine Development, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, 1-23-1 Toyama, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 162-8640, Japan
- Department of Virology II, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, 1-23-1 Toyama, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 162-8640, Japan
- Department of Applied Biological Sciences, Tokyo University of Science, 2641 Yamazaki, Noda 278-8510, Japan
- Correspondence:
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47
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Nabi-Afjadi M, Mohebi F, Zalpoor H, Aziziyan F, Akbari A, Moradi-Sardareh H, Bahreini E, Moeini AM, Effatpanah H. A cellular and molecular biology-based update for ivermectin against COVID-19: is it effective or non-effective? Inflammopharmacology 2023; 31:21-35. [PMID: 36609716 PMCID: PMC9823263 DOI: 10.1007/s10787-022-01129-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2022] [Accepted: 12/05/2022] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Despite community vaccination against coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and reduced mortality, there are still challenges in treatment options for the disease. Due to the continuous mutation of SARS-CoV-2 virus and the emergence of new strains, diversity in the use of existing antiviral drugs to combat the epidemic has become a crucial therapeutic chance. As a broad-spectrum antiparasitic and antiviral drug, ivermectin has traditionally been used to treat many types of disease, including DNA and RNA viral infections. Even so, based on currently available data, it is still controversial that ivermectin can be used as one of the effective antiviral agents to treat severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) or not. The aim of this study was to provide comprehensive information on ivermectin, including its safety and efficacy, as well as its adverse effects in the treatment of COVID-19.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohsen Nabi-Afjadi
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Tarbiat Modares, Tehran, Iran
| | - Fatemeh Mohebi
- Molecular Medicine Research Center, Hormozghan Health Institute, Hormozghan University of Medical Sciences, Bandar Abbas, Iran
| | - Hamidreza Zalpoor
- Shiraz Neuroscience Research Center, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
- Network of Immunity in Infection, Malignancy and Autoimmunity (NIIMA), Universal Scientific Education and Research Network (USERN), Tehran, Iran
| | - Fatemeh Aziziyan
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Tarbiat Modares, Tehran, Iran
- Network of Immunity in Infection, Malignancy and Autoimmunity (NIIMA), Universal Scientific Education and Research Network (USERN), Tehran, Iran
| | - Abdullatif Akbari
- Network of Immunity in Infection, Malignancy and Autoimmunity (NIIMA), Universal Scientific Education and Research Network (USERN), Tehran, Iran
| | | | - Elham Bahreini
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Amir Mansour Moeini
- Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Shahrekord University of Medical Sciences, Shahrekord, Iran
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48
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Chen R, Gao Y, Liu H, Li H, Chen W, Ma J. Advances in research on 3C-like protease (3CL pro) inhibitors against SARS-CoV-2 since 2020. RSC Med Chem 2023; 14:9-21. [PMID: 36760740 PMCID: PMC9890616 DOI: 10.1039/d2md00344a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2022] [Accepted: 10/24/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
COVID-19 caused by SARS-CoV-2 in late 2019 is still threatening global human health. Although some vaccines and drugs are available in the market, controlling the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus remains a huge challenge. 3C-like protease (3CLpro) is a highly conserved key protease for SARS-CoV-2 replication, and no relevant homologous protein with a similar cleavage site to 3CLpro has been identified in humans, highlighting that development of 3CLpro inhibitors exhibits great promise for treatment of COVID-19. In this review, the authors describe the structure and function of 3CLpro. To better understand the characteristics of SARS-CoV-2 3CLpro inhibitors, the SARS-CoV-2 3CLpro inhibitors reported since 2020 are classified into peptidomimetic covalent inhibitors, non-peptidomimetic covalent inhibitors and non-covalent small molecule inhibitors, and the representative inhibitors, their biological activities and binding models are highlighted. Collectively, we hope that all the information presented here will provide new insights into the design and development of more effective 3CLpro inhibitors against SARS-CoV-2 as novel anti-coronavirus drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roufen Chen
- School of Medicine, Huaqiao University Quanzhou 362000 China
| | - Yali Gao
- Pharmacy Department, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University Quanzhou 362000 China
| | - Han Liu
- School of Medicine, Huaqiao University Quanzhou 362000 China
| | - He Li
- School of Medicine, Huaqiao University Quanzhou 362000 China
| | - Wenfa Chen
- Pharmacy Department, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University Quanzhou 362000 China
| | - Junjie Ma
- School of Medicine, Huaqiao University Quanzhou 362000 China
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49
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Ridgway H, Ntallis C, Chasapis CT, Kelaidonis K, Matsoukas MT, Plotas P, Apostolopoulos V, Moore G, Tsiodras S, Paraskevis D, Mavromoustakos T, Matsoukas JM. Molecular Epidemiology of SARS-CoV-2: The Dominant Role of Arginine in Mutations and Infectivity. Viruses 2023; 15:309. [PMID: 36851526 PMCID: PMC9963001 DOI: 10.3390/v15020309] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2022] [Revised: 01/17/2023] [Accepted: 01/19/2023] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Background, Aims, Methods, Results, Conclusions: Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is a global challenge due to its ability to mutate into variants that spread more rapidly than the wild-type virus. The molecular biology of this virus has been extensively studied and computational methods applied are an example paradigm for novel antiviral drug therapies. The rapid evolution of SARS-CoV-2 in the human population is driven, in part, by mutations in the receptor-binding domain (RBD) of the spike (S-) protein, some of which enable tighter binding to angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE2). More stable RBD-ACE2 association is coupled with accelerated hydrolysis by proteases, such as furin, trypsin, and the Transmembrane Serine Protease 2 (TMPRSS2) that augment infection rates, while inhibition of the 3-chymotrypsin-like protease (3CLpro) can prevent the viral replication. Additionally, non-RBD and non-interfacial mutations may assist the S-protein in adopting thermodynamically favorable conformations for stronger binding. This study aimed to report variant distribution of SARS-CoV-2 across European Union (EU)/European Economic Area (EEA) countries and relate mutations with the driving forces that trigger infections. Variants' distribution data for SARS-CoV-2 across EU/EEA countries were mined from the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) based on the sequence or genotyping data that are deposited in the Global Science Initiative for providing genomic data (GISAID) and The European Surveillance System (TESSy) databases. Docking studies performed with AutoDock VINA revealed stabilizing interactions of putative antiviral drugs, e.g., selected anionic imidazole biphenyl tetrazoles, with the ACE2 receptor in the RBD-ACE2 complex. The driving forces of key mutations for Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta, Epsilon, Kappa, Lambda, and Omicron variants, which stabilize the RBD-ACE2 complex, were investigated by computational approaches. Arginine is the critical amino acid in the polybasic furin cleavage sites S1/S2 (681-PRRARS-686) S2' (814-KRS-816). Critical mutations into arginine residues that were found in the delta variant (L452R, P681R) and may be responsible for the increased transmissibility and morbidity are also present in two widely spreading omicron variants, named BA.4.6 and BQ.1, where mutation R346T in the S-protein potentially contributes to neutralization escape. Arginine binders, such as Angiotensin Receptor Blockers (ARBs), could be a class of novel drugs for treating COVID-19.
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Affiliation(s)
- Harry Ridgway
- Institute for Sustainable Industries and Liveable Cities, Victoria University, Melbourne 8001, VIC, Australia
- AquaMem Consultants, Rodeo, NM 88056, USA
| | - Charalampos Ntallis
- Institute of Chemical Biology, National Hellenic Research Foundation, 11635 Athens, Greece
| | - Christos T. Chasapis
- Institute of Chemical Biology, National Hellenic Research Foundation, 11635 Athens, Greece
| | | | | | - Panagiotis Plotas
- Laboratory of Primary Health Care, School of Health Rehabilitation Sciences, University of Patras, 26504 Patras, Greece
| | - Vasso Apostolopoulos
- Institute for Health and Sport, Victoria University, Melbourne 3030, VIC, Australia
- Immunology Program, Australian Institute for Musculoskeletal Science (AIMSS), Melbourne 3021, VIC, Australia
| | - Graham Moore
- Pepmetics Inc., 772 Murphy Place, Victoria, BC V6Y 3H4, Canada
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 1N4, Canada
| | - Sotirios Tsiodras
- 4th Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 11527 Athens, Greece
| | - Dimitrios Paraskevis
- Department of Hygiene Epidemiology and Medical Statistics, School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 11527 Athens, Greece
| | - Thomas Mavromoustakos
- Department of Chemistry, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 11571 Athens, Greece
| | - John M. Matsoukas
- NewDrug PC, Patras Science Park, 26504 Patras, Greece
- Institute for Health and Sport, Victoria University, Melbourne 3030, VIC, Australia
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 1N4, Canada
- Department of Chemistry, University of Patras, 26504 Patras, Greece
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50
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Khamto N, Utama K, Tateing S, Sangthong P, Rithchumpon P, Cheechana N, Saiai A, Semakul N, Punyodom W, Meepowpan P. Discovery of Natural Bisbenzylisoquinoline Analogs from the Library of Thai Traditional Plants as SARS-CoV-2 3CL Pro Inhibitors: In Silico Molecular Docking, Molecular Dynamics, and In Vitro Enzymatic Activity. J Chem Inf Model 2023; 63:2104-2121. [PMID: 36647612 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jcim.2c01309] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
The emergence of SARS-CoV-2 in December 2019 has become a global issue due to the continuous upsurge in patients and the lack of drug efficacy for treatment. SARS-CoV-2 3CLPro is one of the most intriguing biomolecular targets among scientists worldwide for developing antiviral drugs due to its relevance in viral replication and transcription. Herein, we utilized computer-assisted drug screening to investigate 326 natural products from Thai traditional plants using structure-based virtual screening against SARS-CoV-2 3CLPro. Following the virtual screening, the top 15 compounds based on binding energy and their interactions with key amino acid Cys145 were obtained. Subsequently, they were further evaluated for protein-ligand complex stability via molecular dynamics simulation and binding free energy calculation using molecular mechanics Poisson-Boltzmann surface area (MM-PBSA) approaches. Following drug-likeness and ADME/Tox assessments, seven bisbenzylisoquinolines were obtained, including neferine (3), liensinine (4), isoliensinine (5), dinklacorine (8), tiliacorinine (13), 2'-nortiliacorinine (14), and yanangcorinine (15). These compounds computationally showed a higher binding affinity than native N3 and GC-373 inhibitors and attained stable interactions on the active site of 3CLpro during 100 ns in molecular dynamics (MD) simulation. Moreover, the in vitro enzymatic assay showed that most bisbenzylisoquinolines could experimentally inhibit SARS-CoV-2 3CLPro. To our delight, isoliensinine (5) isolated from Nelumbo nucifera demonstrated the highest inhibition of protease activity with the IC50 value of 29.93 μM with low toxicity on Vero cells. Our findings suggested that bisbenzylisoquinoline scaffolds could be potentially used as an in vivo model for the development of effective anti-SARS-CoV-2 drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nopawit Khamto
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Chiang Mai University, 239 Huay Kaew Road, Chiang Mai50200, Thailand.,Graduate School, Chiang Mai University, 239 Huay Kaew Road, Chiang Mai50200, Thailand
| | - Kraikrit Utama
- Interdisciplinary Program in Biotechnology, Graduate School, Chiang Mai University, 239 Huay Kaew Road, Chiang Mai50200, Thailand.,Research Center on Chemistry for Development of Health Promoting Products from Northern Resources, Faculty of Science, Chiang Mai University, 239 Huay Kaew Road, Chiang Mai50200, Thailand
| | - Suriya Tateing
- Department of Plant and Soil Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture, Chiang Mai University, 239 Huay Kaew Road, Chiang Mai50200, Thailand
| | - Padchanee Sangthong
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Chiang Mai University, 239 Huay Kaew Road, Chiang Mai50200, Thailand.,Research Center on Chemistry for Development of Health Promoting Products from Northern Resources, Faculty of Science, Chiang Mai University, 239 Huay Kaew Road, Chiang Mai50200, Thailand
| | - Puracheth Rithchumpon
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Chiang Mai University, 239 Huay Kaew Road, Chiang Mai50200, Thailand
| | - Nathaporn Cheechana
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Chiang Mai University, 239 Huay Kaew Road, Chiang Mai50200, Thailand.,Graduate School, Chiang Mai University, 239 Huay Kaew Road, Chiang Mai50200, Thailand
| | - Aroonchai Saiai
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Chiang Mai University, 239 Huay Kaew Road, Chiang Mai50200, Thailand
| | - Natthawat Semakul
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Chiang Mai University, 239 Huay Kaew Road, Chiang Mai50200, Thailand.,Research Center on Chemistry for Development of Health Promoting Products from Northern Resources, Faculty of Science, Chiang Mai University, 239 Huay Kaew Road, Chiang Mai50200, Thailand.,Center of Excellence in Materials Science and Technology, Chiang Mai University, 239 Huay Kaew Road, Chiang Mai50200, Thailand
| | - Winita Punyodom
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Chiang Mai University, 239 Huay Kaew Road, Chiang Mai50200, Thailand.,Center of Excellence in Materials Science and Technology, Chiang Mai University, 239 Huay Kaew Road, Chiang Mai50200, Thailand.,Center of Excellence for Innovation in Chemistry (PERCH-CIC), Faculty of Science, Chiang Mai University, 239 Huay Kaew Road, Chiang Mai50200, Thailand
| | - Puttinan Meepowpan
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Chiang Mai University, 239 Huay Kaew Road, Chiang Mai50200, Thailand.,Center of Excellence in Materials Science and Technology, Chiang Mai University, 239 Huay Kaew Road, Chiang Mai50200, Thailand.,Center of Excellence for Innovation in Chemistry (PERCH-CIC), Faculty of Science, Chiang Mai University, 239 Huay Kaew Road, Chiang Mai50200, Thailand
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