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Ferjancic Z, Bihelovic F, Vulovic B, Matovic R, Trmcic M, Jankovic A, Pavlovic M, Djurkovic F, Prodanovic R, Djurdjevic Djelmas A, Kalicanin N, Zlatovic M, Sladic D, Vallet T, Vignuzzi M, Saicic RN. Development of iminosugar-based glycosidase inhibitors as drug candidates for SARS-CoV-2 virus via molecular modelling and in vitro studies. J Enzyme Inhib Med Chem 2024; 39:2289007. [PMID: 38086763 DOI: 10.1080/14756366.2023.2289007] [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: 07/12/2023] [Accepted: 11/24/2023] [Indexed: 12/18/2023] Open
Abstract
We developed new iminosugar-based glycosidase inhibitors against SARS-CoV-2. Known drugs (miglustat, migalastat, miglitol, and swainsonine) were chosen as lead compounds to develop three classes of glycosidase inhibitors (α-glucosidase, α-galactosidase, and mannosidase). Molecular modelling of the lead compounds, synthesis of the compounds with the highest docking scores, enzyme inhibition tests, and in vitro antiviral assays afforded rationally designed inhibitors. Two highly active α-glucosidase inhibitors were discovered, where one of them is the most potent iminosugar-based anti-SARS-CoV-2 agent to date (EC90 = 1.94 µM in A549-ACE2 cells against Omicron BA.1 strain). However, galactosidase inhibitors did not exhibit antiviral activity, whereas mannosidase inhibitors were both active and cytotoxic. As our iminosugar-based drug candidates act by a host-directed mechanism, they should be more resilient to drug resistance. Moreover, this strategy could be extended to identify potential drug candidates for other viral infections.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Filip Bihelovic
- Faculty of Chemistry, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Bojan Vulovic
- Faculty of Chemistry, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Radomir Matovic
- University of Belgrade-Institute of Chemistry, Technology and Metallurgy, Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Milena Trmcic
- Innovation Centre of the Faculty of Chemistry, Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Aleksandar Jankovic
- University of Belgrade-Institute of Chemistry, Technology and Metallurgy, Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Milos Pavlovic
- Faculty of Chemistry, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Filip Djurkovic
- Faculty of Chemistry, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia
| | | | | | - Nevena Kalicanin
- University of Belgrade-Institute of Chemistry, Technology and Metallurgy, Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Mario Zlatovic
- Faculty of Chemistry, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Dusan Sladic
- Faculty of Chemistry, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Thomas Vallet
- Institut Pasteur, Center for the Viral Populations and Pathogenesis, Paris, France
| | - Marco Vignuzzi
- Institut Pasteur, Center for the Viral Populations and Pathogenesis, Paris, France
- A*STAR Infectious Diseases Labs (A*STAR ID Labs), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore, Singapore
| | - Radomir N Saicic
- Faculty of Chemistry, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia
- Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts, Belgrade, Serbia
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Nemčovičová I, Lopušná K, Štibrániová I, Benedetti F, Berti F, Felluga F, Drioli S, Vidali M, Katrlík J, Pažitná L, Holazová A, Blahutová J, Lenhartová S, Sláviková M, Klempa B, Ondrejovič M, Chmelová D, Legerská B, Miertuš S, Klacsová M, Uhríková D, Kerti L, Frecer V. Identification and evaluation of antiviral activity of novel compounds targeting SARS-CoV-2 virus by enzymatic and antiviral assays, and computational analysis. J Enzyme Inhib Med Chem 2024; 39:2301772. [PMID: 38221792 PMCID: PMC10791089 DOI: 10.1080/14756366.2024.2301772] [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: 07/29/2023] [Accepted: 12/18/2023] [Indexed: 01/16/2024] Open
Abstract
The viral genome of the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus, the aetiologic agent of COVID-19, encodes structural, non-structural, and accessory proteins. Most of these components undergo rapid genetic variations, though to a lesser extent the essential viral proteases. Consequently, the protease and/or deubiquitinase activities of the cysteine proteases Mpro and PLpro became attractive targets for the design of antiviral agents. Here, we develop and evaluate new bis(benzylidene)cyclohexanones (BBC) and identify potential antiviral compounds. Three compounds were found to be effective in reducing the SARS-CoV-2 load, with EC50 values in the low micromolar concentration range. However, these compounds also exhibited inhibitory activity IC50 against PLpro at approximately 10-fold higher micromolar concentrations. Although originally developed as PLpro inhibitors, the comparison between IC50 and EC50 of BBC indicates that the mechanism of their in vitro antiviral activity is probably not directly related to inhibition of viral cysteine proteases. In conclusion, our study has identified new potential noncytotoxic antiviral compounds suitable for in vivo testing and further improvement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ivana Nemčovičová
- Biomedical Research Center, Institute of Virology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Katarína Lopušná
- Biomedical Research Center, Institute of Virology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Iveta Štibrániová
- Biomedical Research Center, Institute of Virology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Fabio Benedetti
- Department of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Trieste, Trieste, Italy
| | - Federico Berti
- Department of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Trieste, Trieste, Italy
| | - Fulvia Felluga
- Department of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Trieste, Trieste, Italy
| | - Sara Drioli
- Department of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Trieste, Trieste, Italy
| | - Mattia Vidali
- Department of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Trieste, Trieste, Italy
| | - Jaroslav Katrlík
- Institute of Chemistry, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Lucia Pažitná
- Institute of Chemistry, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Alena Holazová
- Institute of Chemistry, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Jana Blahutová
- Institute of Chemistry, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Simona Lenhartová
- Biomedical Research Center, Institute of Virology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Monika Sláviková
- Biomedical Research Center, Institute of Virology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Boris Klempa
- Biomedical Research Center, Institute of Virology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Miroslav Ondrejovič
- Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Ss. Cyril and Methodius in Trnava, Trnava, Slovakia
- ICARST n.o, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Daniela Chmelová
- Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Ss. Cyril and Methodius in Trnava, Trnava, Slovakia
| | - Barbora Legerská
- Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Ss. Cyril and Methodius in Trnava, Trnava, Slovakia
| | - Stanislav Miertuš
- Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Ss. Cyril and Methodius in Trnava, Trnava, Slovakia
- ICARST n.o, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Mária Klacsová
- Department of Physical Chemistry of Drugs, Faculty of Pharmacy, Comenius University Bratislava, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Daniela Uhríková
- Department of Physical Chemistry of Drugs, Faculty of Pharmacy, Comenius University Bratislava, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Lukáš Kerti
- Department of Physical Chemistry of Drugs, Faculty of Pharmacy, Comenius University Bratislava, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Vladimír Frecer
- Department of Physical Chemistry of Drugs, Faculty of Pharmacy, Comenius University Bratislava, Bratislava, Slovakia
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Le UNP, Chang YJ, Lu CH, Chen Y, Su WC, Chao ST, Baltina LA, Petrova SF, Li SR, Hung MC, Lai MMC, Baltina LA, Lin CW. Glycyrrhizic acid conjugates with amino acid methyl esters target the main protease, exhibiting antiviral activity against wild-type and nirmatrelvir-resistant SARS-CoV-2 variants. Antiviral Res 2024; 227:105920. [PMID: 38821317 DOI: 10.1016/j.antiviral.2024.105920] [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: 04/02/2024] [Revised: 05/10/2024] [Accepted: 05/28/2024] [Indexed: 06/02/2024]
Abstract
COVID-19 pandemic is predominantly caused by SARS-CoV-2, with its main protease, Mpro, playing a pivotal role in viral replication and serving as a potential target for inhibiting different variants. In this study, potent Mpro inhibitors were identified from glycyrrhizic acid (GL) derivatives with amino acid methyl/ethyl esters. Out of the 17 derivatives semisynthesized, Compounds 2, 6, 9, and 15, with methionine methyl esters, D-tyrosine methyl esters, glutamic acid methyl esters, and methionines in the carbohydrate moiety, respectively, significantly inhibited wild-type SARS-CoV-2 Mpro-mediated proteolysis, with IC50 values ranging from 0.06 μM to 0.84 μM. They also demonstrated efficacy in inhibiting trans-cleavage by mutant Mpro variants (Mpro_P132H, Mpro_E166V, Mpro_P168A, Mpro_Q189I), with IC50 values ranging from 0.05 to 0.92 μM, surpassing nirmatrelvir (IC50: 1.17-152.9 μM). Molecular modeling revealed stronger interactions with Valine166 in the structural complex of Mpro_E166V with the compounds compared to nirmatrelvir. Moreover, these compounds efficiently inhibited the post-entry viral processes of wild-type SARS-CoV-2 single-round infectious particles (SRIPs), mitigating viral cytopathic effects and reducing replicon-driven GFP reporter signals, as well as in vitro infectivity of wild-type, Mpro_E166V, and Mpro_Q189I SRIPs, with EC50 values ranging from 0.02 to 0.53 μM. However, nirmatrelvir showed a significant decrease in inhibiting the replication of mutant SARS-CoV-2 SRIPs carrying Mpro_E166V (EC50: >20 μM) and Mpro_Q189I (EC50: 13.2 μM) compared to wild-type SRIPs (EC50: 0.06 μM). Overall, this study identifies four GL derivatives as promising lead compounds for developing treatments against various SARS-CoV-2 strains, including Omicron, and nirmatrelvir-resistant variants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Uyen Nguyen Phuong Le
- Graduate Institute of Biological Science and Technology, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan; Department of Medical Laboratory Science and Biotechnology, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan
| | - Yu-Jen Chang
- The Ph.D. Program of Biotechnology and Biomedical Industry, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan
| | - Chih-Hao Lu
- The Ph.D. Program of Biotechnology and Biomedical Industry, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan; Institute of Bioinformatics and Systems Biology, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Hsinchu, Taiwan; Department of Biological Science and Technology, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Hsinchu, Taiwan
| | - Yeh Chen
- Department of Food Science and Biotechnology, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung, 402, Taiwan
| | - Wen-Chi Su
- Graduate Institute of Biomedical Sciences, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan
| | - Shao-Ting Chao
- Department of Medical Laboratory Science and Biotechnology, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan
| | - Lia A Baltina
- Ufa Institute of Chemistry, Ufa Federal Research Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Russia
| | - Svetlana F Petrova
- Ufa Institute of Chemistry, Ufa Federal Research Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Russia
| | - Sin-Rong Li
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, China Medical University Hospital, Taichung, 404327, Taiwan
| | - Mien-Chie Hung
- Research Center for Cancer Biology, China Medical University, Taichung, 404327, Taiwan; Center for Molecular Medicine, China Medical University Hospital, Taichung, 404327, Taiwan
| | - Michael M C Lai
- Institute of Molecular Biology, Academia Sinica, Taipei, 115201, Taiwan
| | - Lidia A Baltina
- Ufa Institute of Chemistry, Ufa Federal Research Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Russia.
| | - Cheng-Wen Lin
- Graduate Institute of Biological Science and Technology, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan; Department of Medical Laboratory Science and Biotechnology, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan; The Ph.D. Program of Biotechnology and Biomedical Industry, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan; Graduate Institute of Biomedical Sciences, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan; Department of Medical Laboratory Science and Biotechnology, Asia University, Taichung, Taiwan.
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Krismer L, Schöppe H, Rauch S, Bante D, Sprenger B, Naschberger A, Costacurta F, Fürst A, Sauerwein A, Rupp B, Kaserer T, von Laer D, Heilmann E. Study of key residues in MERS-CoV and SARS-CoV-2 main proteases for resistance against clinically applied inhibitors nirmatrelvir and ensitrelvir. NPJ VIRUSES 2024; 2:23. [PMID: 38933182 PMCID: PMC11196219 DOI: 10.1038/s44298-024-00028-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2024] [Accepted: 03/14/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024]
Abstract
The Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV) is an epidemic, zoonotically emerging pathogen initially reported in Saudi Arabia in 2012. MERS-CoV has the potential to mutate or recombine with other coronaviruses, thus acquiring the ability to efficiently spread among humans and become pandemic. Its high mortality rate of up to 35% and the absence of effective targeted therapies call for the development of antiviral drugs for this pathogen. Since the beginning of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, extensive research has focused on identifying protease inhibitors for the treatment of SARS-CoV-2. Our intention was therefore to assess whether these protease inhibitors are viable options for combating MERS-CoV. To that end, we used previously established protease assays to quantify inhibition of SARS-CoV-2, MERS-CoV and other main proteases. Nirmatrelvir inhibited several of these proteases, whereas ensitrelvir was less broadly active. To simulate nirmatrelvir's clinical use against MERS-CoV and subsequent resistance development, we applied a safe, surrogate virus-based system. Using the surrogate virus, we previously selected hallmark mutations of SARS-CoV-2-Mpro, such as T21I, M49L, S144A, E166A/K/V and L167F. In the current study, we selected a pool of MERS-CoV-Mpro mutants, characterized the resistance and modelled the steric effect of catalytic site mutants S142G, S142R, S147Y and A171S.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Krismer
- Institute of Virology, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, 6020 Austria
| | - Helge Schöppe
- Institute of Pharmacy/Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Center for Molecular Biosciences Innsbruck (CMBI), University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, 6020 Austria
| | - Stefanie Rauch
- Institute of Virology, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, 6020 Austria
| | - David Bante
- Institute of Virology, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, 6020 Austria
| | - Bernhard Sprenger
- Institute of Biochemistry, University of Innsbruck, CMBI – Center for Molecular Biosciences Innsbruck, Innsbruck, 6020 Austria
| | - Andreas Naschberger
- Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering (BESE) Division, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology KAUST, Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
| | | | - Anna Fürst
- Institute of Molecular Immunology, Technical University of Munich, Munich, 81675 Germany
| | - Anna Sauerwein
- Institute of Virology, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, 6020 Austria
| | - Bernhard Rupp
- Division of Genetic Epidemiology, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, 6020 Austria
| | - Teresa Kaserer
- Institute of Pharmacy/Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Center for Molecular Biosciences Innsbruck (CMBI), University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, 6020 Austria
| | - Dorothee von Laer
- Institute of Virology, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, 6020 Austria
| | - Emmanuel Heilmann
- Institute of Virology, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, 6020 Austria
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Xia YL, Du WW, Li YP, Tao Y, Zhang ZB, Liu SM, Fu YX, Zhang KQ, Liu SQ. Computational Insights into SARS-CoV-2 Main Protease Mutations and Nirmatrelvir Efficacy: The Effects of P132H and P132H-A173V. J Chem Inf Model 2024. [PMID: 38913174 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jcim.4c00334] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/25/2024]
Abstract
Nirmatrelvir, a pivotal component of the oral antiviral Paxlovid for COVID-19, targets the SARS-CoV-2 main protease (Mpro) as a covalent inhibitor. Here, we employed combined computational methods to explore how the prevalent Omicron variant mutation P132H, alone and in combination with A173V (P132H-A173V), affects nirmatrelvir's efficacy. Our findings suggest that P132H enhances the noncovalent binding affinity of Mpro for nirmatrelvir, whereas P132H-A173V diminishes it. Although both mutants catalyze the rate-limiting step more efficiently than the wild-type (WT) Mpro, P132H slows the overall rate of covalent bond formation, whereas P132H-A173V accelerates it. Comprehensive analysis of noncovalent and covalent contributions to the overall binding free energy of the covalent complex suggests that P132H likely enhances Mpro sensitivity to nirmatrelvir, while P132H-A173V may confer resistance. Per-residue decompositions of the binding and activation free energies pinpoint key residues that significantly affect the binding affinity and reaction rates, revealing how the mutations modulate these effects. The mutation-induced conformational perturbations alter drug-protein local contact intensities and the electrostatic preorganization of the protein, affecting noncovalent binding affinity and the stability of key reaction states, respectively. Our findings inform the mechanisms of nirmatrelvir resistance and sensitivity, facilitating improved drug design and the detection of resistant strains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuan-Ling Xia
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources in Yunnan & School of Life Sciences, Yunnan University, Kunming, Yunnan 650091, China
- Editorial Office of Journal of Yunnan University (Natural Sciences Edition), Yunnan University, Kunming, Yunnan 650091, China
| | - Wen-Wen Du
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources in Yunnan & School of Life Sciences, Yunnan University, Kunming, Yunnan 650091, China
| | - Yong-Ping Li
- School of Agriculture, Yunnan University, Kunming, Yunnan 650091, China
| | - Yan Tao
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources in Yunnan & School of Life Sciences, Yunnan University, Kunming, Yunnan 650091, China
- Yunnan University Library, Yunnan University, Kunming, Yunnan 650091, China
| | - Zhi-Bi Zhang
- Yunnan Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine & Biomedical Engineering Research Center, Kunming Medical University, Kunming, Yunnan 650500, China
| | - Song-Ming Liu
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources in Yunnan & School of Life Sciences, Yunnan University, Kunming, Yunnan 650091, China
| | - Yun-Xin Fu
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources in Yunnan & School of Life Sciences, Yunnan University, Kunming, Yunnan 650091, China
- Human Genetics Center and Department of Biostatistics and Data Science, School of Public Health, The University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston, Texas 77030, United States
| | - Ke-Qin Zhang
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources in Yunnan & School of Life Sciences, Yunnan University, Kunming, Yunnan 650091, China
| | - Shu-Qun Liu
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources in Yunnan & School of Life Sciences, Yunnan University, Kunming, Yunnan 650091, China
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Breidenbach J, Voget R, Si Y, Hingst A, Claff T, Sylvester K, Wolf V, Krasniqi V, Useini A, Sträter N, Ogura Y, Kawaguchi A, Müller CE, Gütschow M. Macrocyclic Azapeptide Nitriles: Structure-Based Discovery of Potent SARS-CoV-2 Main Protease Inhibitors as Antiviral Drugs. J Med Chem 2024; 67:8757-8790. [PMID: 38753594 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.4c00053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/18/2024]
Abstract
Given the crucial role of the main protease (Mpro) in the replication cycle of SARS-CoV-2, this viral cysteine protease constitutes a high-profile drug target. We investigated peptidomimetic azapeptide nitriles as auspicious, irreversibly acting inhibitors of Mpro. Our systematic approach combined an Mpro active-site scanning by combinatorially assembled azanitriles with structure-based design. Encouraged by the bioactive conformation of open-chain inhibitors, we conceptualized the novel chemotype of macrocyclic azanitriles whose binding mode was elucidated by cocrystallization. This strategy provided a favorable entropic contribution to target binding and resulted in the development of the extraordinarily potent Mpro inhibitor 84 with an IC50 value of 3.23 nM and a second-order rate constant of inactivation, kinac/Ki, of 448,000 M-1s-1. The open-chain Mpro inhibitor 58, along with the macrocyclic compounds 83 and 84, a broad-spectrum anticoronaviral agent, demonstrated the highest antiviral activity with EC50 values in the single-digit micromolar range. Our findings are expected to promote the future development of peptidomimetic Mpro inhibitors as anti-SARS-CoV-2 agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julian Breidenbach
- Pharmaceutical Institute, Pharmaceutical & Medicinal Chemistry, University of Bonn, An der Immenburg 4, 53121 Bonn, Germany
| | - Rabea Voget
- Pharmaceutical Institute, Pharmaceutical & Medicinal Chemistry, University of Bonn, An der Immenburg 4, 53121 Bonn, Germany
| | - Yaoyao Si
- Pharmaceutical Institute, Pharmaceutical & Medicinal Chemistry, University of Bonn, An der Immenburg 4, 53121 Bonn, Germany
| | - Alexandra Hingst
- Pharmaceutical Institute, Pharmaceutical & Medicinal Chemistry, University of Bonn, An der Immenburg 4, 53121 Bonn, Germany
| | - Tobias Claff
- Pharmaceutical Institute, Pharmaceutical & Medicinal Chemistry, University of Bonn, An der Immenburg 4, 53121 Bonn, Germany
| | - Katharina Sylvester
- Pharmaceutical Institute, Pharmaceutical & Medicinal Chemistry, University of Bonn, An der Immenburg 4, 53121 Bonn, Germany
| | - Valentina Wolf
- Pharmaceutical Institute, Pharmaceutical & Medicinal Chemistry, University of Bonn, An der Immenburg 4, 53121 Bonn, Germany
| | - Vesa Krasniqi
- Pharmaceutical Institute, Pharmaceutical & Medicinal Chemistry, University of Bonn, An der Immenburg 4, 53121 Bonn, Germany
| | - Abibe Useini
- Institute of Bioanalytical Chemistry, Center for Biotechnology and Biomedicine, Leipzig University, Deutscher Platz 5, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Norbert Sträter
- Institute of Bioanalytical Chemistry, Center for Biotechnology and Biomedicine, Leipzig University, Deutscher Platz 5, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Yukino Ogura
- Department of Infection Biology, Institute of Medicine, University of Tsukuba, 1-1-1 Tennodai, 305-8575 Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan
| | - Atsushi Kawaguchi
- Department of Infection Biology, Institute of Medicine, University of Tsukuba, 1-1-1 Tennodai, 305-8575 Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan
| | - Christa E Müller
- Pharmaceutical Institute, Pharmaceutical & Medicinal Chemistry, University of Bonn, An der Immenburg 4, 53121 Bonn, Germany
| | - Michael Gütschow
- Pharmaceutical Institute, Pharmaceutical & Medicinal Chemistry, University of Bonn, An der Immenburg 4, 53121 Bonn, Germany
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Doi A, Ota M, Saito M, Matsuyama S. Sporadic Occurrence of Ensitrelvir-Resistant SARS-CoV-2, Japan. Emerg Infect Dis 2024; 30:1289-1291. [PMID: 38669127 PMCID: PMC11138985 DOI: 10.3201/eid3006.240023] [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] [Indexed: 04/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Using the GISAID EpiCoV database, we identified 256 COVID-19 patients in Japan during March 31-December 31, 2023, who had mutations in the SARS-CoV-2 nonstructural protein 5 conferring ensitrelvir resistance. Ongoing genomic surveillance is required to monitor emergence of SARS-CoV-2 mutations that are resistant to anticoronaviral drugs.
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Liu WD, Feng PH, Cheng CY, Chou CL, Lee CH, Lu MC, Liu PY, Lee MH, Liao CH, Chen MC, Chen CP, Hsu SF, Tzeng YT, Lin YC, Ou TY, Qin A, Tsai CY, Shih WJ, Lee KY, Sheng WH. A Phase 3, Randomized, Controlled Trial Evaluating the Efficacy and Safety of Ropeginterferon Alfa-2b in Patients with Moderate COVID-19. Infect Dis Ther 2024:10.1007/s40121-024-00992-5. [PMID: 38771550 DOI: 10.1007/s40121-024-00992-5] [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: 03/20/2024] [Accepted: 05/08/2024] [Indexed: 05/22/2024] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Ropeginterferon alfa-2b is a novel mono-pegylated proline-interferon. This clinical study aimed to evaluate its antiviral efficacy of ropeginterferon alfa-2b against SARS-CoV-2 infection. METHODS This is a multicenter, randomized, open-label study. Adult patients with confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection with initial cycle threshold (Ct) value < 30 and symptom onset within 4 days were enrolled. Eligible patients were randomized in a 2:1 ratio to receive a single 250-µg dose of ropeginterferon alfa-2b subcutaneously plus standard of care (SOC) or to receive SOC alone. The primary endpoint was the proportion of patients with a negative RT-PCR result for SARS-CoV-2 or discharged from the hospital before Day 8. Change in clinical status based on the World Health Organization (WHO) clinical progression scale and pulmonary infiltrations through chest radiograph were also evaluated. RESULTS A total of 132 patients were enrolled and treated with study medication. Higher percentages of patients who achieved Ct ≥ 30 or were discharged from the hospital were observed on Day 8 and every other time point of assessment, i.e., Days 5, 11, 15, and 22, in the ropeginterferon alfa-2b group compared to the SOC alone group. However, the difference was statistically significant on Day 11 but not on Day 8. The primary endpoint was not met. The ropeginterferon alfa-2b group showed a higher improvement rate in lung infiltration on Day 5 (27.6% vs. 0.0%, p = 0.0087) and a higher improvement rate in WHO clinical progression scores on Day 8 (69.4% vs. 35.3%, p = 0.03) than those in the SOC group. No ropeginterferon alfa-2b-related serious adverse event was observed. CONCLUSION Our data show that ropeginterferon alfa-2b with SOC shortened the duration of SARS-CoV-2 shedding compared with SOC alone. In addition, ropeginterferon alfa-2b as an additional therapy could be beneficial by improving lung infiltration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wang-Da Liu
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital, No. 7, Chung-Shan South Road, Taipei, 10002, Taiwan, ROC
- Department of Medicine, National Taiwan University Cancer Center, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Po-Hao Feng
- Division of Pulmonary Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Shuang Ho Hospital, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
- Division of Pulmonary Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, No. 250 Wuxing Street, Taipei, 110, Taiwan
| | - Chien-Yu Cheng
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Taoyuan General Hospital, Ministry of Health and Welfare, Taoyuan, Taiwan
| | - Chun-Liang Chou
- Division of Thoracic Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Taipei Medical University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Chih-Hsin Lee
- Division of Pulmonary Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, No. 250 Wuxing Street, Taipei, 110, Taiwan
- Division of Pulmonary Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Wang Fang Hospital, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Min-Chi Lu
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, China Medical University Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan
| | - Po-Yu Liu
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Taichung Veterans General Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan
| | - Mei-Hui Lee
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Shuang Ho Hospital, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Chun-Hsing Liao
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Far Eastern Memorial Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Mei-Chuan Chen
- Division of Thoracic Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Taipei Medical University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Cheng-Pin Chen
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Taoyuan General Hospital, Ministry of Health and Welfare, Taoyuan, Taiwan
| | - Shang-Fu Hsu
- Division of Thoracic Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Taipei Medical University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Yu-Tien Tzeng
- Division of Pulmonary Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Wang Fang Hospital, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Yi-Chun Lin
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Taoyuan General Hospital, Ministry of Health and Welfare, Taoyuan, Taiwan
| | - Tsong-Yih Ou
- Division of Infectious Disease, Department of Internal Medicine, Wang Fang Hospital, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Albert Qin
- Department of Medical Research and Clinical Operations, PharmaEssentia Corporation, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Chan-Yen Tsai
- Department of Medical Research and Clinical Operations, PharmaEssentia Corporation, Taipei, Taiwan
| | | | - Kang-Yun Lee
- Division of Pulmonary Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Shuang Ho Hospital, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan.
- Division of Pulmonary Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, No. 250 Wuxing Street, Taipei, 110, Taiwan.
- Graduate Institute of Clinical Medicine, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan.
| | - Wang-Huei Sheng
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital, No. 7, Chung-Shan South Road, Taipei, 10002, Taiwan, ROC.
- School of Medicine, National Taiwan University College of Medicine, No. 1, Jen Ai Road, Section 1, Taipei, 10051, Taiwan.
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9
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Shin JS, Jang Y, Kim DS, Jung E, Lee MK, Kim B, Ahn S, Shin Y, Jang SS, Yun CS, Yoo J, Lim YC, Han SB, Kim M. Inhibition of endocytic uptake of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 and endo-lysosomal acidification by diphenoxylate. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 2024:e0034124. [PMID: 38742905 DOI: 10.1128/aac.00341-24] [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: 03/04/2024] [Accepted: 04/17/2024] [Indexed: 05/16/2024] Open
Abstract
Cell culture-based screening of a chemical library identified diphenoxylate as an antiviral agent against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The observed 50% effective concentrations ranged between 1.4 and 4.9 µM against the original wild-type strain and its variants. Time-of-addition experiments indicated that diphenoxylate is an entry blocker targeting a host factor involved in viral infection. Fluorescence microscopic analysis visualized that diphenoxylate prevented SARS-CoV-2 particles from penetrating the cell membrane and also impaired endo-lysosomal acidification. Diphenoxylate exhibited a synergistic inhibitory effect on SARS-CoV-2 infection in human lung epithelial Calu-3 cells when combined with a transmembrane serine protease 2 (TMPRSS2) inhibitor, nafamostat. This synergy suggested that efficient antiviral activity is achieved by blocking both TMPRSS2-mediated early and endosome-mediated late SARS-CoV-2 entry pathways. The antiviral efficacy of diphenoxylate against SARS-CoV-2 was reproducible in a human tonsil organoids system. In a transgenic mouse model expressing the obligate SARS-CoV-2 receptor, human angiotensin-converting enzyme 2, intranasal administration of diphenoxylate (10 mg/kg/day) significantly reduced the viral RNA copy number in the lungs by 70% on day 3. This study underscores that diphenoxylate represents a promising core scaffold, warranting further exploration for chemical modifications aimed at developing a new class of clinically effective antiviral drugs against SARS-CoV-2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jin Soo Shin
- Infectious Diseases Therapeutic Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology (KRICT), Daejeon, Republic of Korea
| | - Yejin Jang
- Infectious Diseases Therapeutic Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology (KRICT), Daejeon, Republic of Korea
| | - Dong-Su Kim
- Infectious Diseases Therapeutic Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology (KRICT), Daejeon, Republic of Korea
| | - Eunhye Jung
- Infectious Diseases Therapeutic Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology (KRICT), Daejeon, Republic of Korea
| | - Myoung Kyu Lee
- Infectious Diseases Therapeutic Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology (KRICT), Daejeon, Republic of Korea
| | - Byungil Kim
- Infectious Diseases Therapeutic Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology (KRICT), Daejeon, Republic of Korea
| | - Sunjoo Ahn
- Therapeutics and Biotechnology Division, Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology (KRICT), Daejeon, Republic of Korea
| | - Yeonju Shin
- Infectious Diseases Therapeutic Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology (KRICT), Daejeon, Republic of Korea
| | - Su San Jang
- Infectious Diseases Therapeutic Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology (KRICT), Daejeon, Republic of Korea
| | - Chang Soo Yun
- Infectious Diseases Therapeutic Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology (KRICT), Daejeon, Republic of Korea
| | - Jongman Yoo
- CHA Organoid Research Center, CHA University, Seongnam, Gyeonggi-do, Republic of Korea
| | - Young Chang Lim
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, The Research Institute, Konkuk University School of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Soo Bong Han
- Infectious Diseases Therapeutic Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology (KRICT), Daejeon, Republic of Korea
- Medicinal Chemistry and Pharmacology, University of Science and Technology (UST), Daejeon, Republic of Korea
| | - Meehyein Kim
- Infectious Diseases Therapeutic Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology (KRICT), Daejeon, Republic of Korea
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10
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Schreiber A, Rodner F, Oberberg N, Anhlan D, Bletz S, Mellmann A, Planz O, Ludwig S. The host-targeted antiviral drug Zapnometinib exhibits a high barrier to the development of SARS-CoV-2 resistance. Antiviral Res 2024; 225:105840. [PMID: 38438015 DOI: 10.1016/j.antiviral.2024.105840] [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: 01/05/2024] [Revised: 02/20/2024] [Accepted: 02/23/2024] [Indexed: 03/06/2024]
Abstract
Host targeting antiviral drugs (HTA) are directed against cellular mechanisms which can be exploited by viruses. These mechanisms are essential for viral replication, because missing functions cannot be compensated by the virus. However, this assumption needs experimental proof. Here we compared the HTA Zapnometinib (ZMN), with direct acting antivirals (DAA) (Remdesivir (RDV), Molnupiravir (MPV), Nirmatrelvir (NTV), Ritonavir (RTV), Paxlovid PAX)), in terms of their potency to induce reduced drug susceptibilities in SARS-CoV-2. During serial passage of δ-B1.617.2 adaptation to all DAAs occurred, while the inhibitory capacity of ZMN was not altered. Known single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) responsible for partial resistances were found for RDV, NTV and PAX. Additionally, the high mutagenic potential of MPV was confirmed and decreased drug efficacies were found for the first time. Reduced DAA efficacy did not alter the inhibitory potential of ZMN. These results show that ZMN confers a high barrier towards the development of viral resistance and has the potential to act against partially DAA-insensitive viruses.
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Affiliation(s)
- André Schreiber
- Institute of Virology (IVM), University Hospital Muenster, University of Muenster, Muenster, Germany
| | - Franziska Rodner
- Institute of Virology (IVM), University Hospital Muenster, University of Muenster, Muenster, Germany
| | - Nicole Oberberg
- Institute of Virology (IVM), University Hospital Muenster, University of Muenster, Muenster, Germany
| | - Darisuren Anhlan
- Institute of Virology (IVM), University Hospital Muenster, University of Muenster, Muenster, Germany
| | - Stefan Bletz
- Institute of Hygiene, University Hospital Muenster, University of Muenster, Muenster, Germany
| | - Alexander Mellmann
- Institute of Hygiene, University Hospital Muenster, University of Muenster, Muenster, Germany
| | - Oliver Planz
- Interfaculty Institute for Cell Biology, Department of Immunology, Eberhard Karls University Tuebingen, Germany
| | - Stephan Ludwig
- Institute of Virology (IVM), University Hospital Muenster, University of Muenster, Muenster, Germany.
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11
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Lis K, Plewka J, Menezes F, Bielecka E, Chykunova Y, Pustelny K, Niebling S, Garcia AS, Garcia-Alai M, Popowicz GM, Czarna A, Kantyka T, Pyrc K. SARS-CoV-2 M pro oligomerization as a potential target for therapy. Int J Biol Macromol 2024; 267:131392. [PMID: 38582483 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2024.131392] [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: 03/05/2024] [Revised: 04/02/2024] [Accepted: 04/03/2024] [Indexed: 04/08/2024]
Abstract
The main protease (Mpro) of SARS-CoV-2 is critical in the virus's replication cycle, facilitating the maturation of polyproteins into functional units. Due to its conservation across taxa, Mpro is a promising target for broad-spectrum antiviral drugs. Targeting Mpro with small molecule inhibitors, such as nirmatrelvir combined with ritonavir (Paxlovid™), which the FDA has approved for post-exposure treatment and prophylaxis, can effectively interrupt the replication process of the virus. A key aspect of Mpro's function is its ability to form a functional dimer. However, the mechanics of dimerization and its influence on proteolytic activity remain less understood. In this study, we utilized biochemical, structural, and molecular modelling approaches to explore Mpro dimerization. We evaluated critical residues, specifically Arg4 and Arg298, that are essential for dimerization. Our results show that changes in the oligomerization state of Mpro directly affect its enzymatic activity and dimerization propensity. We discovered a synergistic relationship influencing dimer formation, involving both intra- and intermolecular interactions. These findings highlight the potential for developing allosteric inhibitors targeting Mpro, offering promising new directions for therapeutic strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kinga Lis
- Jagiellonian University, Malopolska Centre of Biotechnology, Virogenetics, Laboratory of Virology, Gronostajowa 7a, 30-387 Cracow, Poland; Faculty of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Cracow University of Technology, Warszawska 24,31-155 Cracow, Poland
| | - Jacek Plewka
- Jagiellonian University, Malopolska Centre of Biotechnology, Virogenetics, Laboratory of Virology, Gronostajowa 7a, 30-387 Cracow, Poland
| | - Filipe Menezes
- Helmholtz Munich, Molecular Targets and Therapeutics Center, Institute of Structural Biology, Ingolstädter Landstr. 1, 85764 Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Ewa Bielecka
- Jagiellonian University, Malopolska Centre of Biotechnology, Laboratory of Proteolysis and Post-translational Modification of Proteins, Gronostajowa 7a, 30-387 Cracow, Poland
| | - Yuliya Chykunova
- Jagiellonian University, Malopolska Centre of Biotechnology, Virogenetics, Laboratory of Virology, Gronostajowa 7a, 30-387 Cracow, Poland; Jagiellonian University, Faculty of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Biotechnology, Microbiology Department, Gronostajowa 7, 30-387, Cracow, Poland
| | - Katarzyna Pustelny
- Jagiellonian University, Malopolska Centre of Biotechnology, Gronostajowa 7a, 30-387 Cracow, Poland
| | - Stephan Niebling
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory, EMBL Hamburg, Notkestrasse 85, Hamburg, Germany; Centre for Structural Systems Biology (CSSB), Hamburg, Germany
| | - Angelica Struve Garcia
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory, EMBL Hamburg, Notkestrasse 85, Hamburg, Germany; Centre for Structural Systems Biology (CSSB), Hamburg, Germany
| | - Maria Garcia-Alai
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory, EMBL Hamburg, Notkestrasse 85, Hamburg, Germany; Centre for Structural Systems Biology (CSSB), Hamburg, Germany
| | - Grzegorz M Popowicz
- Helmholtz Munich, Molecular Targets and Therapeutics Center, Institute of Structural Biology, Ingolstädter Landstr. 1, 85764 Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Anna Czarna
- Jagiellonian University, Malopolska Centre of Biotechnology, Gronostajowa 7a, 30-387 Cracow, Poland.
| | - Tomasz Kantyka
- Jagiellonian University, Malopolska Centre of Biotechnology, Laboratory of Proteolysis and Post-translational Modification of Proteins, Gronostajowa 7a, 30-387 Cracow, Poland.
| | - Krzysztof Pyrc
- Jagiellonian University, Malopolska Centre of Biotechnology, Virogenetics, Laboratory of Virology, Gronostajowa 7a, 30-387 Cracow, Poland.
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12
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Iketani S, Ho DD. SARS-CoV-2 resistance to monoclonal antibodies and small-molecule drugs. Cell Chem Biol 2024; 31:632-657. [PMID: 38640902 PMCID: PMC11084874 DOI: 10.1016/j.chembiol.2024.03.008] [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: 09/07/2023] [Revised: 03/18/2024] [Accepted: 03/21/2024] [Indexed: 04/21/2024]
Abstract
Over four years have passed since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. The scientific response has been rapid and effective, with many therapeutic monoclonal antibodies and small molecules developed for clinical use. However, given the ability for viruses to become resistant to antivirals, it is perhaps no surprise that the field has identified resistance to nearly all of these compounds. Here, we provide a comprehensive review of the resistance profile for each of these therapeutics. We hope that this resource provides an atlas for mutations to be aware of for each agent, particularly as a springboard for considerations for the next generation of antivirals. Finally, we discuss the outlook and thoughts for moving forward in how we continue to manage this, and the next, pandemic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sho Iketani
- Aaron Diamond AIDS Research Center, Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY, USA; Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY, USA
| | - David D Ho
- Aaron Diamond AIDS Research Center, Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY, USA; Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY, USA; Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY, USA.
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13
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Meyerowitz EA, Li Y. Review: The Landscape of Antiviral Therapy for COVID-19 in the Era of Widespread Population Immunity and Omicron-Lineage Viruses. Clin Infect Dis 2024; 78:908-917. [PMID: 37949817 DOI: 10.1093/cid/ciad685] [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: 09/11/2023] [Revised: 11/01/2023] [Accepted: 11/08/2023] [Indexed: 11/12/2023] Open
Abstract
The goals of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) antiviral therapy early in the pandemic were to prevent severe disease, hospitalization, and death. As these outcomes have become infrequent in the age of widespread population immunity, the objectives have shifted. For the general population, COVID-19-directed antiviral therapy should decrease symptom severity and duration and minimize infectiousness, and for immunocompromised individuals, antiviral therapy should reduce severe outcomes and persistent infection. The increased recognition of virologic rebound following ritonavir-boosted nirmatrelvir (NMV/r) and the lack of randomized controlled trial data showing benefit of antiviral therapy for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection for standard-risk, vaccinated individuals remain major knowledge gaps. Here, we review data for selected antiviral agents and immunomodulators currently available or in late-stage clinical trials for use in outpatients. We do not review antibody products, convalescent plasma, systemic corticosteroids, IL-6 inhibitors, Janus kinase inhibitors, or agents that lack Food and Drug Administration approval or emergency use authorization or are not appropriate for outpatients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric A Meyerowitz
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Montefiore Medical Center, Bronx, New York, USA
| | - Yijia Li
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
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14
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Zhang L, Xie X, Luo H, Qian R, Yang Y, Yu H, Huang J, Shi PY, Hu Q. Resistance mechanisms of SARS-CoV-2 3CLpro to the non-covalent inhibitor WU-04. Cell Discov 2024; 10:40. [PMID: 38594245 PMCID: PMC11003996 DOI: 10.1038/s41421-024-00673-0] [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: 11/06/2023] [Accepted: 03/27/2024] [Indexed: 04/11/2024] Open
Abstract
Drug resistance poses a significant challenge in the development of effective therapies against SARS-CoV-2. Here, we identified two double mutations, M49K/M165V and M49K/S301P, in the 3C-like protease (3CLpro) that confer resistance to a novel non-covalent inhibitor, WU-04, which is currently in phase III clinical trials (NCT06197217). Crystallographic analysis indicates that the M49K mutation destabilizes the WU-04-binding pocket, impacting the binding of WU-04 more significantly than the binding of 3CLpro substrates. The M165V mutation directly interferes with WU-04 binding. The S301P mutation, which is far from the WU-04-binding pocket, indirectly affects WU-04 binding by restricting the rotation of 3CLpro's C-terminal tail and impeding 3CLpro dimerization. We further explored 3CLpro mutations that confer resistance to two clinically used inhibitors: ensitrelvir and nirmatrelvir, and revealed a trade-off between the catalytic activity, thermostability, and drug resistance of 3CLpro. We found that mutations at the same residue (M49) can have distinct effects on the 3CLpro inhibitors, highlighting the importance of developing multiple antiviral agents with different skeletons for fighting SARS-CoV-2. These findings enhance our understanding of SARS-CoV-2 resistance mechanisms and inform the development of effective therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lijing Zhang
- Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
- Westlake Laboratory of Life Sciences and Biomedicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
- School of Life Sciences, Westlake University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
- Institute of Biology, Westlake Institute for Advanced Study, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Xuping Xie
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, USA
| | - Hannan Luo
- Westlake Laboratory of Life Sciences and Biomedicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
- School of Life Sciences, Westlake University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
- Institute of Biology, Westlake Institute for Advanced Study, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Runtong Qian
- Westlake Laboratory of Life Sciences and Biomedicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
- School of Life Sciences, Westlake University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
- Institute of Biology, Westlake Institute for Advanced Study, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Yang Yang
- Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Hongtao Yu
- Westlake Laboratory of Life Sciences and Biomedicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
- School of Life Sciences, Westlake University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
- Institute of Biology, Westlake Institute for Advanced Study, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
- Changping Laboratory, Yard 28, Science Park Road, Changping District, Beijing, China
| | - Jing Huang
- Westlake Laboratory of Life Sciences and Biomedicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
- School of Life Sciences, Westlake University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
- Institute of Biology, Westlake Institute for Advanced Study, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Pei-Yong Shi
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, USA.
| | - Qi Hu
- Westlake Laboratory of Life Sciences and Biomedicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China.
- School of Life Sciences, Westlake University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China.
- Institute of Biology, Westlake Institute for Advanced Study, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China.
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15
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Inniss NL, Rzhetskaya M, Ling-Hu T, Lorenzo-Redondo R, Bachta KE, Satchell KJF, Hultquist JF. Activity and inhibition of the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron nsp13 R392C variant using RNA duplex unwinding assays. SLAS DISCOVERY : ADVANCING LIFE SCIENCES R & D 2024; 29:100145. [PMID: 38301954 PMCID: PMC11160173 DOI: 10.1016/j.slasd.2024.01.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2024] [Accepted: 01/29/2024] [Indexed: 02/03/2024]
Abstract
SARS-CoV-2 nsp13 helicase is an essential enzyme for viral replication and a promising target for antiviral drug development. This study compares the double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) unwinding activity of nsp13 and the Omicron nsp13R392C variant, which is predominant in currently circulating lineages. Using in vitro gel- and fluorescence-based assays, we found that both nsp13 and nsp13R392C have dsRNA unwinding activity with equivalent kinetics. Furthermore, the R392C mutation had no effect on the efficiency of the nsp13-specific helicase inhibitor SSYA10-001. We additionally confirmed the activity of several other helicase inhibitors against nsp13, including punicalagin that inhibited dsRNA unwinding at nanomolar concentrations. Overall, this study reveals the utility of using dsRNA unwinding assays to screen small molecules for antiviral activity against nsp13 and the Omicron nsp13R392C variant. Continual monitoring of newly emergent variants will be essential for considering resistance profiles of lead compounds as they are advanced towards next-generation therapeutic development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole L Inniss
- Department of Microbiology-Immunology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL 60611 USA; Center for Structural Biology of Infectious Diseases, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL 60611 USA
| | - Margarita Rzhetskaya
- Department of Microbiology-Immunology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL 60611 USA; Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL 60611 USA; Center for Pathogen Genomics and Microbial Evolution, Havey Institute for Global Health, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL 60611 USA
| | - Ted Ling-Hu
- Department of Microbiology-Immunology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL 60611 USA; Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL 60611 USA; Center for Pathogen Genomics and Microbial Evolution, Havey Institute for Global Health, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL 60611 USA
| | - Ramon Lorenzo-Redondo
- Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL 60611 USA; Center for Pathogen Genomics and Microbial Evolution, Havey Institute for Global Health, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL 60611 USA
| | - Kelly E Bachta
- Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL 60611 USA; Center for Pathogen Genomics and Microbial Evolution, Havey Institute for Global Health, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL 60611 USA
| | - Karla J F Satchell
- Department of Microbiology-Immunology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL 60611 USA; Center for Structural Biology of Infectious Diseases, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL 60611 USA; Center for Pathogen Genomics and Microbial Evolution, Havey Institute for Global Health, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL 60611 USA.
| | - Judd F Hultquist
- Department of Microbiology-Immunology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL 60611 USA; Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL 60611 USA; Center for Pathogen Genomics and Microbial Evolution, Havey Institute for Global Health, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL 60611 USA.
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16
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Westberg M, Su Y, Zou X, Huang P, Rustagi A, Garhyan J, Patel PB, Fernandez D, Wu Y, Hao C, Lo CW, Karim M, Ning L, Beck A, Saenkham-Huntsinger P, Tat V, Drelich A, Peng BH, Einav S, Tseng CTK, Blish C, Lin MZ. An orally bioavailable SARS-CoV-2 main protease inhibitor exhibits improved affinity and reduced sensitivity to mutations. Sci Transl Med 2024; 16:eadi0979. [PMID: 38478629 PMCID: PMC11193659 DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.adi0979] [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: 04/03/2023] [Accepted: 02/21/2024] [Indexed: 05/09/2024]
Abstract
Inhibitors of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) main protease (Mpro) such as nirmatrelvir (NTV) and ensitrelvir (ETV) have proven effective in reducing the severity of COVID-19, but the presence of resistance-conferring mutations in sequenced viral genomes raises concerns about future drug resistance. Second-generation oral drugs that retain function against these mutants are thus urgently needed. We hypothesized that the covalent hepatitis C virus protease inhibitor boceprevir (BPV) could serve as the basis for orally bioavailable drugs that inhibit SARS-CoV-2 Mpro more efficiently than existing drugs. Performing structure-guided modifications of BPV, we developed a picomolar-affinity inhibitor, ML2006a4, with antiviral activity, oral pharmacokinetics, and therapeutic efficacy similar or superior to those of NTV. A crucial feature of ML2006a4 is a derivatization of the ketoamide reactive group that improves cell permeability and oral bioavailability. Last, ML2006a4 was found to be less sensitive to several mutations that cause resistance to NTV or ETV and occur in the natural SARS-CoV-2 population. Thus, anticipatory design can preemptively address potential resistance mechanisms to expand future treatment options against coronavirus variants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Westberg
- Department of Neurobiology, Stanford University; Stanford, CA 94305, USA
- Department of Chemistry, Aarhus University; 8000 Aarhus C, Denmark
- Interdisciplinary Nanoscience Center (iNANO), Aarhus University; 8000 Aarhus C, Denmark
| | - Yichi Su
- Department of Neurobiology, Stanford University; Stanford, CA 94305, USA
- Institute for Translational Brain Research, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Xinzhi Zou
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University; Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Pinghan Huang
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, The University of Texas Medical Branch; Galveston, TX 77555, USA
| | - Arjun Rustagi
- Department of Medicine, Stanford University; Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Jaishree Garhyan
- Stanford In Vitro Biosafety Level 3 Service Center, Stanford University; Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Puja Bhavesh Patel
- Stanford In Vitro Biosafety Level 3 Service Center, Stanford University; Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Daniel Fernandez
- Program in Chemistry, Engineering, and Medicine for Human Health (ChEM-H), Stanford University; Stanford, CA 94305, USA
- Sarafan ChEM-H, Macromolecular Structure Knowledge Center, Stanford University; Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Yan Wu
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University; Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Chenzhou Hao
- Department of Neurobiology, Stanford University; Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Chieh-Wen Lo
- Department of Medicine, Stanford University; Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Marwah Karim
- Department of Medicine, Stanford University; Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Lin Ning
- Department of Neurobiology, Stanford University; Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Aimee Beck
- Department of Medicine, Stanford University; Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | | | - Vivian Tat
- Department of Pathology, The University of Texas Medical Branch; Galveston, TX 77555, USA
| | - Aleksandra Drelich
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, The University of Texas Medical Branch; Galveston, TX 77555, USA
| | - Bi-Hung Peng
- Department of Neuroscience, Cell Biology, and Anatomy, The University of Texas Medical Branch; Galveston, TX 77555, USA
| | - Shirit Einav
- Department of Medicine, Stanford University; Stanford, CA 94305, USA
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Stanford University; Stanford, CA 94305, USA
- Chan Zuckerberg Biohub; San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Chien-Te K. Tseng
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, The University of Texas Medical Branch; Galveston, TX 77555, USA
- Department of Pathology, The University of Texas Medical Branch; Galveston, TX 77555, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, Cell Biology, and Anatomy, The University of Texas Medical Branch; Galveston, TX 77555, USA
| | - Catherine Blish
- Department of Medicine, Stanford University; Stanford, CA 94305, USA
- Chan Zuckerberg Biohub; San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Michael Z. Lin
- Department of Neurobiology, Stanford University; Stanford, CA 94305, USA
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University; Stanford, CA 94305, USA
- Department of Chemical and Systems Biology, Stanford University; Stanford, CA 94305, USA
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17
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Xie X, Lan Q, Zhao J, Zhang S, Liu L, Zhang Y, Xu W, Shao M, Peng J, Xia S, Zhu Y, Zhang K, Zhang X, Zhang R, Li J, Dai W, Ge Z, Hu S, Yu C, Wang J, Ma D, Zheng M, Yang H, Xiao G, Rao Z, Lu L, Zhang L, Bai F, Zhao Y, Jiang S, Liu H. Structure-based design of pan-coronavirus inhibitors targeting host cathepsin L and calpain-1. Signal Transduct Target Ther 2024; 9:54. [PMID: 38443334 PMCID: PMC10914734 DOI: 10.1038/s41392-024-01758-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2023] [Revised: 01/19/2024] [Accepted: 01/25/2024] [Indexed: 03/07/2024] Open
Abstract
Respiratory disease caused by coronavirus infection remains a global health crisis. Although several SARS-CoV-2-specific vaccines and direct-acting antivirals are available, their efficacy on emerging coronaviruses in the future, including SARS-CoV-2 variants, might be compromised. Host-targeting antivirals provide preventive and therapeutic strategies to overcome resistance and manage future outbreak of emerging coronaviruses. Cathepsin L (CTSL) and calpain-1 (CAPN1) are host cysteine proteases which play crucial roles in coronaviral entrance into cells and infection-related immune response. Here, two peptidomimetic α-ketoamide compounds, 14a and 14b, were identified as potent dual target inhibitors against CTSL and CAPN1. The X-ray crystal structures of human CTSL and CAPN1 in complex with 14a and 14b revealed the covalent binding of α-ketoamide groups of 14a and 14b to C25 of CTSL and C115 of CAPN1. Both showed potent and broad-spectrum anticoronaviral activities in vitro, and it is worth noting that they exhibited low nanomolar potency against SARS-CoV-2 and its variants of concern (VOCs) with EC50 values ranging from 0.80 to 161.7 nM in various cells. Preliminary mechanistic exploration indicated that they exhibited anticoronaviral activity through blocking viral entrance. Moreover, 14a and 14b exhibited good oral pharmacokinetic properties in mice, rats and dogs, and favorable safety in mice. In addition, both 14a and 14b treatments demonstrated potent antiviral potency against SARS-CoV-2 XBB 1.16 variant infection in a K18-hACE2 transgenic mouse model. And 14b also showed effective antiviral activity against HCoV-OC43 infection in a mouse model with a final survival rate of 60%. Further evaluation showed that 14a and 14b exhibited excellent anti-inflammatory effects in Raw 264.7 mouse macrophages and in mice with acute pneumonia. Taken together, these results suggested that 14a and 14b are promising drug candidates, providing novel insight into developing pan-coronavirus inhibitors with antiviral and anti-inflammatory properties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiong Xie
- Drug Discovery and Design Center, State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, CAS Key Laboratory of Receptor Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 201203, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Qiaoshuai Lan
- Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology (MOE/NHC/CAMS), School of Basic Medical Sciences, Shanghai Institute of Infectious Disease and Biosecurity, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Jinyi Zhao
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
- Shanghai Institute for Advanced Immunochemical Studies and School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, 201210, China
| | - Sulin Zhang
- Drug Discovery and Design Center, State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, CAS Key Laboratory of Receptor Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 201203, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Lu Liu
- Drug Discovery and Design Center, State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, CAS Key Laboratory of Receptor Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 201203, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
- Shanghai Institute for Advanced Immunochemical Studies and School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, 201210, China
| | - Yumin Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Virology, Wuhan Institute of Virology, Center for Biosafety Mega-Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430071, China
| | - Wei Xu
- Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology (MOE/NHC/CAMS), School of Basic Medical Sciences, Shanghai Institute of Infectious Disease and Biosecurity, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Maolin Shao
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
- Shanghai Institute for Advanced Immunochemical Studies and School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, 201210, China
| | - Jingjing Peng
- Drug Discovery and Design Center, State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, CAS Key Laboratory of Receptor Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 201203, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Shuai Xia
- Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology (MOE/NHC/CAMS), School of Basic Medical Sciences, Shanghai Institute of Infectious Disease and Biosecurity, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Yan Zhu
- Shanghai Institute for Advanced Immunochemical Studies and School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, 201210, China
| | - Keke Zhang
- Drug Discovery and Design Center, State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, CAS Key Laboratory of Receptor Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 201203, China
- School of Chinese Materia Medica, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, 138 Xian Lin Road, Jiangsu, 210023, Nanjing, China
| | - Xianglei Zhang
- Shanghai Institute for Advanced Immunochemical Studies and School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, 201210, China
| | - Ruxue Zhang
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
- State Key Laboratory of Virology, Wuhan Institute of Virology, Center for Biosafety Mega-Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430071, China
| | - Jian Li
- Drug Discovery and Design Center, State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, CAS Key Laboratory of Receptor Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 201203, China
- School of Chinese Materia Medica, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, 138 Xian Lin Road, Jiangsu, 210023, Nanjing, China
| | - Wenhao Dai
- Drug Discovery and Design Center, State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, CAS Key Laboratory of Receptor Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 201203, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Zhen Ge
- School of Chinese Materia Medica, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, 138 Xian Lin Road, Jiangsu, 210023, Nanjing, China
| | - Shulei Hu
- Drug Discovery and Design Center, State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, CAS Key Laboratory of Receptor Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 201203, China
| | - Changyue Yu
- Drug Discovery and Design Center, State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, CAS Key Laboratory of Receptor Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 201203, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Jiang Wang
- Drug Discovery and Design Center, State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, CAS Key Laboratory of Receptor Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 201203, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Dakota Ma
- Drug Discovery and Design Center, State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, CAS Key Laboratory of Receptor Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 201203, China
| | - Mingyue Zheng
- Drug Discovery and Design Center, State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, CAS Key Laboratory of Receptor Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 201203, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
- School of Chinese Materia Medica, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, 138 Xian Lin Road, Jiangsu, 210023, Nanjing, China
- School of Pharmaceutical Science and Technology, Hangzhou Institute for Advanced Study, UCAS, Hangzhou, 310024, China
| | - Haitao Yang
- Shanghai Institute for Advanced Immunochemical Studies and School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, 201210, China
| | - Gengfu Xiao
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
- State Key Laboratory of Virology, Wuhan Institute of Virology, Center for Biosafety Mega-Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430071, China
| | - Zihe Rao
- Shanghai Institute for Advanced Immunochemical Studies and School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, 201210, China
| | - Lu Lu
- Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology (MOE/NHC/CAMS), School of Basic Medical Sciences, Shanghai Institute of Infectious Disease and Biosecurity, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Leike Zhang
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China.
- State Key Laboratory of Virology, Wuhan Institute of Virology, Center for Biosafety Mega-Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430071, China.
| | - Fang Bai
- Shanghai Institute for Advanced Immunochemical Studies and School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, 201210, China.
| | - Yao Zhao
- National Clinical Research Center for Infectious Disease, Shenzhen Third People's Hospital, Shenzhen, 518112, China.
| | - Shibo Jiang
- Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology (MOE/NHC/CAMS), School of Basic Medical Sciences, Shanghai Institute of Infectious Disease and Biosecurity, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China.
| | - Hong Liu
- Drug Discovery and Design Center, State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, CAS Key Laboratory of Receptor Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 201203, China.
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China.
- Shanghai Institute for Advanced Immunochemical Studies and School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, 201210, China.
- School of Chinese Materia Medica, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, 138 Xian Lin Road, Jiangsu, 210023, Nanjing, China.
- School of Pharmaceutical Science and Technology, Hangzhou Institute for Advanced Study, UCAS, Hangzhou, 310024, China.
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18
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Du S, Hu X, Menéndez-Arias L, Zhan P, Liu X. Target-based drug design strategies to overcome resistance to antiviral agents: opportunities and challenges. Drug Resist Updat 2024; 73:101053. [PMID: 38301487 DOI: 10.1016/j.drup.2024.101053] [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: 10/31/2023] [Revised: 12/22/2023] [Accepted: 01/09/2024] [Indexed: 02/03/2024]
Abstract
Viral infections have a major impact in human health. Ongoing viral transmission and escalating selective pressure have the potential to favor the emergence of vaccine- and antiviral drug-resistant viruses. Target-based approaches for the design of antiviral drugs can play a pivotal role in combating drug-resistant challenges. Drug design computational tools facilitate the discovery of novel drugs. This review provides a comprehensive overview of current drug design strategies employed in the field of antiviral drug resistance, illustrated through the description of a series of successful applications. These strategies include technologies that enhance compound-target affinity while minimizing interactions with mutated binding pockets. Furthermore, emerging approaches such as virtual screening, targeted protein/RNA degradation, and resistance analysis during drug design have been harnessed to curtail the emergence of drug resistance. Additionally, host targeting antiviral drugs offer a promising avenue for circumventing viral mutation. The widespread adoption of these refined drug design strategies will effectively address the prevailing challenge posed by antiviral drug resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shaoqing Du
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology (Ministry of Education), School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, 44 West Culture Road, 250012 Jinan, Shandong, PR China
| | - Xueping Hu
- Institute of Frontier Chemistry, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shandong University, Qingdao 266237, PR China
| | - Luis Menéndez-Arias
- Centro de Biología Molecular "Severo Ochoa" (Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas & Universidad Autónoma de Madrid), Madrid, Spain.
| | - Peng Zhan
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology (Ministry of Education), School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, 44 West Culture Road, 250012 Jinan, Shandong, PR China; China-Belgium Collaborative Research Center for Innovative Antiviral Drugs of Shandong Province, 44 West Culture Road, 250012 Jinan, Shandong, PR China.
| | - Xinyong Liu
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology (Ministry of Education), School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, 44 West Culture Road, 250012 Jinan, Shandong, PR China; China-Belgium Collaborative Research Center for Innovative Antiviral Drugs of Shandong Province, 44 West Culture Road, 250012 Jinan, Shandong, PR China.
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19
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Malar DS, Verma K, Prasanth MI, Tencomnao T, Brimson JM. Network analysis-guided drug repurposing strategies targeting LPAR receptor in the interplay of COVID, Alzheimer's, and diabetes. Sci Rep 2024; 14:4328. [PMID: 38383841 PMCID: PMC10882047 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-55013-9] [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: 09/15/2023] [Accepted: 02/19/2024] [Indexed: 02/23/2024] Open
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus has greatly affected global health. Emerging evidence suggests a complex interplay between Alzheimer's disease (AD), diabetes (DM), and COVID-19. Given COVID-19's involvement in the increased risk of other diseases, there is an urgent need to identify novel targets and drugs to combat these interconnected health challenges. Lysophosphatidic acid receptors (LPARs), belonging to the G protein-coupled receptor family, have been implicated in various pathological conditions, including inflammation. In this regard, the study aimed to investigate the involvement of LPARs (specifically LPAR1, 3, 6) in the tri-directional relationship between AD, DM, and COVID-19 through network analysis, as well as explore the therapeutic potential of selected anti-AD, anti-DM drugs as LPAR, SPIKE antagonists. We used the Coremine Medical database to identify genes related to DM, AD, and COVID-19. Furthermore, STRING analysis was used to identify the interacting partners of LPAR1, LPAR3, and LPAR6. Additionally, a literature search revealed 78 drugs on the market or in clinical studies that were used for treating either AD or DM. We carried out docking analysis of these drugs against the LPAR1, LPAR3, and LPAR6. Furthermore, we modeled the LPAR1, LPAR3, and LPAR6 in a complex with the COVID-19 spike protein and performed a docking study of selected drugs with the LPAR-Spike complex. The analysis revealed 177 common genes implicated in AD, DM, and COVID-19. Protein-protein docking analysis demonstrated that LPAR (1,3 & 6) efficiently binds with the viral SPIKE protein, suggesting them as targets for viral infection. Furthermore, docking analysis of the anti-AD and anti-DM drugs against LPARs, SPIKE protein, and the LPARs-SPIKE complex revealed promising candidates, including lupron, neflamapimod, and nilotinib, stating the importance of drug repurposing in the drug discovery process. These drugs exhibited the ability to bind and inhibit the LPAR receptor activity and the SPIKE protein and interfere with LPAR-SPIKE protein interaction. Through a combined network and targeted-based therapeutic intervention approach, this study has identified several drugs that could be repurposed for treating COVID-19 due to their expected interference with LPAR(1, 3, and 6) and spike protein complexes. In addition, it can also be hypothesized that the co-administration of these identified drugs during COVID-19 infection may not only help mitigate the impact of the virus but also potentially contribute to the prevention or management of post-COVID complications related to AD and DM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dicson Sheeja Malar
- Natural Products for Neuroprotection and Anti-Ageing Research Unit, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
- Department of Clinical Chemistry, Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Kanika Verma
- Natural Products for Neuroprotection and Anti-Ageing Research Unit, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand.
- Department of Clinical Chemistry, Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand.
- Department of Molecular Epidemiology, ICMR- National Institute of Malaria Research (NIMR), New Delhi, India.
| | - Mani Iyer Prasanth
- Natural Products for Neuroprotection and Anti-Ageing Research Unit, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
- Department of Clinical Chemistry, Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Tewin Tencomnao
- Natural Products for Neuroprotection and Anti-Ageing Research Unit, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
- Department of Clinical Chemistry, Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - James Michael Brimson
- Natural Products for Neuroprotection and Anti-Ageing Research Unit, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand.
- Research Unit for Innovation and International Affairs, Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand.
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20
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Khalil AM, Nogales A, Martínez-Sobrido L, Mostafa A. Antiviral responses versus virus-induced cellular shutoff: a game of thrones between influenza A virus NS1 and SARS-CoV-2 Nsp1. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2024; 14:1357866. [PMID: 38375361 PMCID: PMC10875036 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2024.1357866] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2023] [Accepted: 01/16/2024] [Indexed: 02/21/2024] Open
Abstract
Following virus recognition of host cell receptors and viral particle/genome internalization, viruses replicate in the host via hijacking essential host cell machinery components to evade the provoked antiviral innate immunity against the invading pathogen. Respiratory viral infections are usually acute with the ability to activate pattern recognition receptors (PRRs) in/on host cells, resulting in the production and release of interferons (IFNs), proinflammatory cytokines, chemokines, and IFN-stimulated genes (ISGs) to reduce virus fitness and mitigate infection. Nevertheless, the game between viruses and the host is a complicated and dynamic process, in which they restrict each other via specific factors to maintain their own advantages and win this game. The primary role of the non-structural protein 1 (NS1 and Nsp1) of influenza A viruses (IAV) and the pandemic severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), respectively, is to control antiviral host-induced innate immune responses. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the genesis, spatial structure, viral and cellular interactors, and the mechanisms underlying the unique biological functions of IAV NS1 and SARS-CoV-2 Nsp1 in infected host cells. We also highlight the role of both non-structural proteins in modulating viral replication and pathogenicity. Eventually, and because of their important role during viral infection, we also describe their promising potential as targets for antiviral therapy and the development of live attenuated vaccines (LAV). Conclusively, both IAV NS1 and SARS-CoV-2 Nsp1 play an important role in virus-host interactions, viral replication, and pathogenesis, and pave the way to develop novel prophylactic and/or therapeutic interventions for the treatment of these important human respiratory viral pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ahmed Magdy Khalil
- Disease Intervention & Prevention and Host Pathogen Interactions Programs, Texas Biomedical Research Institute, San Antonio, TX, United States
- Department of Zoonotic Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Zagazig University, Zagazig, Egypt
| | - Aitor Nogales
- Center for Animal Health Research, CISA-INIA-CSIC, Madrid, Spain
| | - Luis Martínez-Sobrido
- Disease Intervention & Prevention and Host Pathogen Interactions Programs, Texas Biomedical Research Institute, San Antonio, TX, United States
| | - Ahmed Mostafa
- Disease Intervention & Prevention and Host Pathogen Interactions Programs, Texas Biomedical Research Institute, San Antonio, TX, United States
- Center of Scientific Excellence for Influenza Viruses, National Research Centre, Giza, Egypt
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21
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Lieber CM, Kang HJ, Aggarwal M, Lieberman NA, Sobolik EB, Yoon JJ, Natchus MG, Cox RM, Greninger AL, Plemper RK. Influenza A virus resistance to 4'-fluorouridine coincides with viral attenuation in vitro and in vivo. PLoS Pathog 2024; 20:e1011993. [PMID: 38300953 PMCID: PMC10863857 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1011993] [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: 10/20/2023] [Revised: 02/13/2024] [Accepted: 01/22/2024] [Indexed: 02/03/2024] Open
Abstract
Pre-existing or rapidly emerging resistance of influenza viruses to approved antivirals makes the development of novel therapeutics to mitigate seasonal influenza and improve preparedness against future influenza pandemics an urgent priority. We have recently identified the chain-terminating broad-spectrum nucleoside analog clinical candidate 4'-fluorouridine (4'-FlU) and demonstrated oral efficacy against seasonal, pandemic, and highly pathogenic avian influenza viruses in the mouse and ferret model. Here, we have resistance-profiled 4'-FlU against a pandemic A/CA/07/2009 (H1N1) (CA09). In vitro viral adaptation yielded six independently generated escape lineages with distinct mutations that mediated moderate resistance to 4'-FlU in the genetically controlled background of recombinant CA09 (recCA09). Mutations adhered to three distinct structural clusters that are all predicted to affect the geometry of the active site of the viral RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRP) complex for phosphodiester bond formation. Escape could be achieved through an individual causal mutation, a combination of mutations acting additively, or mutations functioning synergistically. Fitness of all resistant variants was impaired in cell culture, and all were attenuated in the mouse model. Oral 4'-FlU administered at lowest-efficacious (2 mg/kg) or elevated (10 mg/kg) dose overcame moderate resistance when mice were inoculated with 10 LD50 units of parental or resistant recCA09, demonstrated by significantly reduced virus load and complete survival. In the ferret model, invasion of the lower respiratory tract by variants representing four adaptation lineages was impaired. Resistant variants were either transmission-incompetent, or spread to untreated sentinels was fully blocked by therapeutic treatment of source animals with 4'-FlU.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carolin M. Lieber
- Center for Translational Antiviral Research, Georgia State University Institute for Biomedical Sciences, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Hae-Ji Kang
- Center for Translational Antiviral Research, Georgia State University Institute for Biomedical Sciences, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Megha Aggarwal
- Center for Translational Antiviral Research, Georgia State University Institute for Biomedical Sciences, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Nicole A. Lieberman
- Virology Division, Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Washington Medical Center, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
| | - Elizabeth B. Sobolik
- Virology Division, Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Washington Medical Center, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
| | - Jeong-Joong Yoon
- Center for Translational Antiviral Research, Georgia State University Institute for Biomedical Sciences, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Michael G. Natchus
- Emory Institute for Drug Development, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Robert M. Cox
- Center for Translational Antiviral Research, Georgia State University Institute for Biomedical Sciences, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Alexander L. Greninger
- Virology Division, Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Washington Medical Center, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
| | - Richard K. Plemper
- Center for Translational Antiviral Research, Georgia State University Institute for Biomedical Sciences, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
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22
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Bouzidi HS, Driouich JS, Klitting R, Bernadin O, Piorkowski G, Amaral R, Fraisse L, Mowbray CE, Scandale I, Escudié F, Chatelain E, de Lamballerie X, Nougairède A, Touret F. Generation and evaluation of protease inhibitor-resistant SARS-CoV-2 strains. Antiviral Res 2024; 222:105814. [PMID: 38272321 DOI: 10.1016/j.antiviral.2024.105814] [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: 11/28/2023] [Revised: 01/10/2024] [Accepted: 01/17/2024] [Indexed: 01/27/2024]
Abstract
Since the start of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, the search for antiviral therapies has been at the forefront of medical research. To date, the 3CLpro inhibitor nirmatrelvir (Paxlovid®) has shown the best results in clinical trials and the greatest robustness against variants. A second SARS-CoV-2 protease inhibitor, ensitrelvir (Xocova®), has been developed. Ensitrelvir, currently in Phase 3, was approved in Japan under the emergency regulatory approval procedure in November 2022, and is available since March 31, 2023. One of the limitations for the use of antiviral monotherapies is the emergence of resistance mutations. Here, we experimentally generated mutants resistant to nirmatrelvir and ensitrelvir in vitro following repeating passages of SARS-CoV-2 in the presence of both antivirals. For both molecules, we demonstrated a loss of sensitivity for resistance mutants in vitro. Using a Syrian golden hamster infection model, we showed that the ensitrelvir M49L mutation, in the multi-passage strain, confers a high level of in vivo resistance. Finally, we identified a recent increase in the prevalence of M49L-carrying sequences, which appears to be associated with multiple repeated emergence events in Japan and may be related to the use of Xocova® in the country since November 2022. These results highlight the strategic importance of genetic monitoring of circulating SARS-CoV-2 strains to ensure that treatments administered retain their full effectiveness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hawa Sophia Bouzidi
- Unité des Virus Émergents, UVE: Aix Marseille Univ, IRD 190, INSERM 1207, Marseille, France
| | - Jean-Sélim Driouich
- Unité des Virus Émergents, UVE: Aix Marseille Univ, IRD 190, INSERM 1207, Marseille, France
| | - Raphaëlle Klitting
- Unité des Virus Émergents, UVE: Aix Marseille Univ, IRD 190, INSERM 1207, Marseille, France
| | - Ornéllie Bernadin
- Unité des Virus Émergents, UVE: Aix Marseille Univ, IRD 190, INSERM 1207, Marseille, France
| | - Géraldine Piorkowski
- Unité des Virus Émergents, UVE: Aix Marseille Univ, IRD 190, INSERM 1207, Marseille, France
| | - Rayane Amaral
- Unité des Virus Émergents, UVE: Aix Marseille Univ, IRD 190, INSERM 1207, Marseille, France
| | - Laurent Fraisse
- Drugs for Neglected Diseases Initiative, Geneva, Switzerland
| | | | - Ivan Scandale
- Drugs for Neglected Diseases Initiative, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Fanny Escudié
- Drugs for Neglected Diseases Initiative, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Eric Chatelain
- Drugs for Neglected Diseases Initiative, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Xavier de Lamballerie
- Unité des Virus Émergents, UVE: Aix Marseille Univ, IRD 190, INSERM 1207, Marseille, France
| | - Antoine Nougairède
- Unité des Virus Émergents, UVE: Aix Marseille Univ, IRD 190, INSERM 1207, Marseille, France
| | - Franck Touret
- Unité des Virus Émergents, UVE: Aix Marseille Univ, IRD 190, INSERM 1207, Marseille, France.
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23
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Sharma T, Mondal T, Khan S, Churqui MP, Nyström K, Thombare K, Baig MH, Dong JJ. Identifying novel inhibitors targeting Exportin-1 for the potential treatment of COVID-19. Arch Microbiol 2024; 206:69. [PMID: 38240823 DOI: 10.1007/s00203-023-03761-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2023] [Revised: 11/09/2023] [Accepted: 11/19/2023] [Indexed: 01/23/2024]
Abstract
The nuclear export protein 1 (XPO1) mediates the nucleocytoplasmic transport of proteins and ribonucleic acids (RNAs) and plays a prominent role in maintaining cellular homeostasis. XPO1 has emerged as a promising therapeutic approach to interfere with the lifecycle of many viruses. In our earlier study, we proved the inhibition of XPO1 as a therapeutic strategy for managing SARS-COV-2 and its variants. In this study, we have utilized pharmacophore-assisted computational methods to identify prominent XPO1 inhibitors. After several layers of screening, a few molecules were shortlisted for further experimental validation on the in vitro SARS-CoV-2 cell infection model. It was observed that these compounds reduced spike positivity, suggesting inhibition of SARS-COV-2 infection. The outcome of this study could be considered further for developing novel antiviral therapeutic strategies against SARS-CoV-2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tanuj Sharma
- Department of Family Medicine, Gangnam Severance Hospital, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, 06273, Republic of Korea
| | - Tanmoy Mondal
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Institute of Biomedicine, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Department of Clinical Chemistry, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Sajid Khan
- Department of Biochemistry, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh, India
| | - Marianela Patzi Churqui
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, 41345, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Kristina Nyström
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, 41345, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Ketan Thombare
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Institute of Biomedicine, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Department of Clinical Chemistry, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Mohammad Hassan Baig
- Department of Family Medicine, Gangnam Severance Hospital, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, 06273, Republic of Korea.
| | - Jae-June Dong
- Department of Family Medicine, Gangnam Severance Hospital, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, 06273, Republic of Korea.
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Lima Neto JX, Bezerra KS, Barbosa ED, Araujo RL, Galvão DS, Lyra ML, Oliveira JIN, Akash S, Jardan YAB, Nafidi HA, Bourhia M, Fulco UL. Investigation of protein-protein interactions and hotspot region on the NSP7-NSP8 binding site in NSP12 of SARS-CoV-2. Front Mol Biosci 2024; 10:1325588. [PMID: 38304231 PMCID: PMC10830813 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2023.1325588] [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: 10/21/2023] [Accepted: 12/22/2023] [Indexed: 02/03/2024] Open
Abstract
Background: The RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) complex, essential in viral transcription and replication, is a key target for antiviral therapeutics. The core unit of RdRp comprises the nonstructural protein NSP12, with NSP7 and two copies of NSP8 (NSP81 and NSP82) binding to NSP12 to enhance its affinity for viral RNA and polymerase activity. Notably, the interfaces between these subunits are highly conserved, simplifying the design of molecules that can disrupt their interaction. Methods: We conducted a detailed quantum biochemical analysis to characterize the interactions within the NSP12-NSP7, NSP12-NSP81, and NSP12-NSP82 dimers. Our objective was to ascertain the contribution of individual amino acids to these protein-protein interactions, pinpointing hotspot regions crucial for complex stability. Results: The analysis revealed that the NSP12-NSP81 complex possessed the highest total interaction energy (TIE), with 14 pairs of residues demonstrating significant energetic contributions. In contrast, the NSP12-NSP7 complex exhibited substantial interactions in 8 residue pairs, while the NSP12-NSP82 complex had only one pair showing notable interaction. The study highlighted the importance of hydrogen bonds and π-alkyl interactions in maintaining these complexes. Intriguingly, introducing the RNA sequence with Remdesivir into the complex resulted in negligible alterations in both interaction energy and geometric configuration. Conclusion: Our comprehensive analysis of the RdRp complex at the protein-protein interface provides invaluable insights into interaction dynamics and energetics. These findings can guide the design of small molecules or peptide/peptidomimetic ligands to disrupt these critical interactions, offering a strategic pathway for developing effective antiviral drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- José Xavier Lima Neto
- Department of Biophysics and Pharmacology, Bioscience Center, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, Brazil
| | - Katyanna Sales Bezerra
- Department of Biophysics and Pharmacology, Bioscience Center, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, Brazil
| | - Emmanuel Duarte Barbosa
- Department of Biophysics and Pharmacology, Bioscience Center, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, Brazil
| | - Roniel Lima Araujo
- Department of Biophysics and Pharmacology, Bioscience Center, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, Brazil
| | | | | | - Jonas Ivan Nobre Oliveira
- Department of Biophysics and Pharmacology, Bioscience Center, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, Brazil
| | - Shopnil Akash
- Department of Pharmacy, Daffodil International University, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Yousef A. Bin Jardan
- Department of Pharmaceutics, College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Hiba-Allah Nafidi
- Department of Food Science, Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences, Laval University, Quebec City, QC, Canada
| | - Mohammed Bourhia
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, Ibn Zohr University, Laayoune, Morocco
| | - Umberto Laino Fulco
- Department of Biophysics and Pharmacology, Bioscience Center, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, Brazil
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Tian L, Qiang T, Yang X, Gao Y, Zhai X, Kang K, Du C, Lu Q, Gao H, Zhang D, Xie X, Liang C. Development of de-novo coronavirus 3-chymotrypsin-like protease (3CL pro) inhibitors since COVID-19 outbreak: A strategy to tackle challenges of persistent virus infection. Eur J Med Chem 2024; 264:115979. [PMID: 38048696 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2023.115979] [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: 09/18/2023] [Revised: 10/30/2023] [Accepted: 11/18/2023] [Indexed: 12/06/2023]
Abstract
Although no longer a public health emergency of international concern, COVID-19 remains a persistent and critical health concern. The development of effective antiviral drugs could serve as the ultimate piece of the puzzle to curbing this global crisis. 3-chymotrypsin-like protease (3CLpro), with its substrate specificity mirroring that of the main picornavirus 3C protease and conserved across various coronaviruses, emerges as an ideal candidate for broad-spectrum antiviral drug development. Moreover, it holds the potential as a reliable contingency option to combat emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants. In this light, the approved drugs, promising candidates, and de-novo small molecule therapeutics targeting 3CLpro since the COVID-19 outbreak in 2020 are discussed. Emphasizing the significance of diverse structural characteristics in inhibitors, be they peptidomimetic or nonpeptidic, with a shared mission to minimize the risk of cross-resistance. Moreover, the authors propose an innovative optimization strategy for 3CLpro reversible covalent PROTACs, optimizing pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics to better prepare for potential future viral outbreaks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lei Tian
- College of Bioresources Chemical and Materials Engineering, Shaanxi University of Science & Technology, Xi'an, 710021, PR China; Key Laboratory for Antiviral and Antimicrobial-Resistant Bacteria Research of Xi'an, Shaanxi University of Science & Technology, Xi'an, 710021, PR China
| | - Taotao Qiang
- College of Bioresources Chemical and Materials Engineering, Shaanxi University of Science & Technology, Xi'an, 710021, PR China.
| | - Xiuding Yang
- Key Laboratory for Antiviral and Antimicrobial-Resistant Bacteria Research of Xi'an, Shaanxi University of Science & Technology, Xi'an, 710021, PR China; School of Biological and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Shaanxi University of Science & Technology, Xi'an, 710021, PR China
| | - Yue Gao
- College of Pharmacy, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 511436, PR China
| | - Xiaopei Zhai
- Department of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmacy, Air Force Medical University, Xi'an, 710032, PR China
| | - Kairui Kang
- Key Laboratory for Antiviral and Antimicrobial-Resistant Bacteria Research of Xi'an, Shaanxi University of Science & Technology, Xi'an, 710021, PR China; School of Biological and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Shaanxi University of Science & Technology, Xi'an, 710021, PR China
| | - Cong Du
- Key Laboratory for Antiviral and Antimicrobial-Resistant Bacteria Research of Xi'an, Shaanxi University of Science & Technology, Xi'an, 710021, PR China; School of Biological and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Shaanxi University of Science & Technology, Xi'an, 710021, PR China
| | - Qi Lu
- Key Laboratory for Antiviral and Antimicrobial-Resistant Bacteria Research of Xi'an, Shaanxi University of Science & Technology, Xi'an, 710021, PR China; School of Biological and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Shaanxi University of Science & Technology, Xi'an, 710021, PR China
| | - Hong Gao
- Key Laboratory for Antiviral and Antimicrobial-Resistant Bacteria Research of Xi'an, Shaanxi University of Science & Technology, Xi'an, 710021, PR China; Shaanxi Pioneer Biotech Co., Ltd., Xi'an, 710021, PR China
| | - Dezhu Zhang
- Key Laboratory for Antiviral and Antimicrobial-Resistant Bacteria Research of Xi'an, Shaanxi University of Science & Technology, Xi'an, 710021, PR China; Shaanxi Panlong Pharmaceutical Group Co., Ltd., Xi'an, 710025, PR China
| | - Xiaolin Xie
- Shaanxi Panlong Pharmaceutical Group Co., Ltd., Xi'an, 710025, PR China
| | - Chengyuan Liang
- Key Laboratory for Antiviral and Antimicrobial-Resistant Bacteria Research of Xi'an, Shaanxi University of Science & Technology, Xi'an, 710021, PR China; School of Biological and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Shaanxi University of Science & Technology, Xi'an, 710021, PR China.
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26
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Jiang H, Zou X, Zhou X, Zhang J, Li J. Crystal structure of SARS-CoV-2 main protease (M pro) mutants in complex with the non-covalent inhibitor CCF0058981. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2024; 692:149352. [PMID: 38056159 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2023.149352] [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: 11/20/2023] [Revised: 11/25/2023] [Accepted: 11/28/2023] [Indexed: 12/08/2023]
Abstract
SARS-CoV-2 constantly circulates and evolves worldwide, generating many variants and posing a menace to global health. It is urgently needed to discover effective medicines to treat the disease caused by SARS-CoV-2 and its variants. An established target for anti-SARS-CoV-2 drug discovery is the main protease (Mpro), since it exerts an irreplaceable action in viral life cycle. CCF0058981, derived from ML300, is a non-covalent inhibitor that exhibits low nanomolar potency against SARS-CoV-2 Mpro and submicromolar anti-SARS-CoV-2 activity, thereby providing a valuable starting point for drug design. However, structural basis underlying inhibition of SARS-CoV-2 Mpro by CCF0058981 remains undetermined. In this study, the crystal structures of CCF0058981 in complex with two SARS-CoV-2 Mpro mutants (M49I and V186F), which have been identified in the recently emerged Omicron subvariants, were solved. Structural analysis defined the pivotal molecular factors responsible for the interactions between CCF0058981 and these two Mpro mutants, and revealed the binding modes of CCF0058981 to Mpro M49I and V186F mutants. These data not only provide structural insights for SARS-CoV-2 Mpro inhibition by CCF0058981, but also add to develop effective broad-spectrum drugs against SARS-CoV-2 as well as its variants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haihai Jiang
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330031, China
| | - Xiaofang Zou
- College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Gannan Medical University, Ganzhou, 341000, China
| | - Xuelan Zhou
- Jiangxi Jmerry Biopharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Ganzhou, 341000, China; Shenzhen Crystalo Biopharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Shenzhen, 518118, China
| | - Jin Zhang
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330031, China.
| | - Jian Li
- College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Gannan Medical University, Ganzhou, 341000, China.
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27
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Mao L, Shaabani N, Zhang X, Jin C, Xu W, Argent C, Kushnareva Y, Powers C, Stegman K, Liu J, Xie H, Xu C, Bao Y, Xu L, Zhang Y, Yang H, Qian S, Hu Y, Shao J, Zhang C, Li T, Li Y, Liu N, Lin Z, Wang S, Wang C, Shen W, Lin Y, Shu D, Zhu Z, Kotoi O, Kerwin L, Han Q, Chumakova L, Teijaro J, Royal M, Brunswick M, Allen R, Ji H, Lu H, Xu X. Olgotrelvir, a dual inhibitor of SARS-CoV-2 M pro and cathepsin L, as a standalone antiviral oral intervention candidate for COVID-19. MED 2024; 5:42-61.e23. [PMID: 38181791 DOI: 10.1016/j.medj.2023.12.004] [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: 06/08/2023] [Revised: 08/18/2023] [Accepted: 12/03/2023] [Indexed: 01/07/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Oral antiviral drugs with improved antiviral potency and safety are needed to address current challenges in clinical practice for treatment of COVID-19, including the risks of rebound, drug-drug interactions, and emerging resistance. METHODS Olgotrelvir (STI-1558) is designed as a next-generation antiviral targeting the SARS-CoV-2 main protease (Mpro), an essential enzyme for SARS-CoV-2 replication, and human cathepsin L (CTSL), a key enzyme for SARS-CoV-2 entry into host cells. FINDINGS Olgotrelvir is a highly bioavailable oral prodrug that is converted in plasma to its active form, AC1115. The dual mechanism of action of olgotrelvir and AC1115 was confirmed by enzyme activity inhibition assays and co-crystal structures of AC1115 with SARS-CoV-2 Mpro and human CTSL. AC1115 displayed antiviral activity by inhibiting replication of all tested SARS-CoV-2 variants in cell culture systems. Olgotrelvir also inhibited viral entry into cells using SARS-CoV-2 Spike-mediated pseudotypes by inhibition of host CTSL. In the K18-hACE2 transgenic mouse model of SARS-CoV-2-mediated disease, olgotrelvir significantly reduced the virus load in the lungs, prevented body weight loss, and reduced cytokine release and lung pathologies. Olgotrelvir demonstrated potent activity against the nirmatrelvir-resistant Mpro E166 mutants. Olgotrelvir showed enhanced oral bioavailability in animal models and in humans with significant plasma exposure without ritonavir. In phase I studies (ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT05364840 and NCT05523739), olgotrelvir demonstrated a favorable safety profile and antiviral activity. CONCLUSIONS Olgotrelvir is an oral inhibitor targeting Mpro and CTSL with high antiviral activity and plasma exposure and is a standalone treatment candidate for COVID-19. FUNDING Funded by Sorrento Therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Long Mao
- ACEA Therapeutics, Inc., San Diego, CA 92121, USA
| | | | - Xiaoying Zhang
- ACEA Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Hangzhou, Zhejiang, P.R. China
| | - Can Jin
- ACEA Therapeutics, Inc., San Diego, CA 92121, USA
| | - Wanhong Xu
- ACEA Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Hangzhou, Zhejiang, P.R. China
| | | | | | - Colin Powers
- Sorrento Therapeutics, Inc., San Diego, CA 92121, USA
| | - Karen Stegman
- Sorrento Therapeutics, Inc., San Diego, CA 92121, USA
| | - Jia Liu
- ACEA Therapeutics, Inc., San Diego, CA 92121, USA
| | - Hui Xie
- Sorrento Therapeutics, Inc., San Diego, CA 92121, USA
| | - Changxu Xu
- ACEA Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Hangzhou, Zhejiang, P.R. China
| | - Yimei Bao
- ACEA Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Hangzhou, Zhejiang, P.R. China
| | - Lijun Xu
- ACEA Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Hangzhou, Zhejiang, P.R. China
| | - Yuren Zhang
- ACEA Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Hangzhou, Zhejiang, P.R. China
| | - Haigang Yang
- ACEA Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Hangzhou, Zhejiang, P.R. China
| | - Shengdian Qian
- ACEA Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Hangzhou, Zhejiang, P.R. China
| | - Yong Hu
- ACEA Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Hangzhou, Zhejiang, P.R. China
| | - Jianping Shao
- ACEA Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Hangzhou, Zhejiang, P.R. China
| | - Can Zhang
- ACEA Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Hangzhou, Zhejiang, P.R. China
| | - Tingting Li
- ACEA Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Hangzhou, Zhejiang, P.R. China
| | - Yi Li
- ACEA Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Hangzhou, Zhejiang, P.R. China
| | - Na Liu
- ACEA Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Hangzhou, Zhejiang, P.R. China
| | - Zhenhao Lin
- ACEA Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Hangzhou, Zhejiang, P.R. China
| | - Shanbo Wang
- ACEA Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Hangzhou, Zhejiang, P.R. China
| | - Chao Wang
- ACEA Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Hangzhou, Zhejiang, P.R. China
| | - Wei Shen
- ACEA Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Hangzhou, Zhejiang, P.R. China
| | - Yuanlong Lin
- Shenzhen Third People's Hospital, SUSTech, Shenzhen, P.R. China
| | - Dan Shu
- Shenzhen Third People's Hospital, SUSTech, Shenzhen, P.R. China
| | - Zhenhong Zhu
- ACEA Therapeutics, Inc., San Diego, CA 92121, USA
| | - Olivia Kotoi
- ACEA Therapeutics, Inc., San Diego, CA 92121, USA
| | - Lisa Kerwin
- Sorrento Therapeutics, Inc., San Diego, CA 92121, USA
| | - Qing Han
- Structure Based Design, Inc., San Diego, CA 92121, USA
| | | | - John Teijaro
- Department of Immunology and Microbial Science, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Mike Royal
- Sorrento Therapeutics, Inc., San Diego, CA 92121, USA
| | | | - Robert Allen
- Sorrento Therapeutics, Inc., San Diego, CA 92121, USA
| | - Henry Ji
- Sorrento Therapeutics, Inc., San Diego, CA 92121, USA
| | - Hongzhou Lu
- Shenzhen Third People's Hospital, SUSTech, Shenzhen, P.R. China.
| | - Xiao Xu
- ACEA Therapeutics, Inc., San Diego, CA 92121, USA.
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28
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Mizuno A, Nakayoshi T, Kato K, Kurimoto E, Oda A. Computational Estimation of Residues Involving Resistance to the SARS-CoV-2 Main Protease Inhibitor Ensitrelvir Based on Virtual Alanine Scan of the Active Site. Biol Pharm Bull 2024; 47:967-977. [PMID: 38763751 DOI: 10.1248/bpb.b24-00031] [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] [Indexed: 05/21/2024]
Abstract
Ensitrelvir is a noncovalent inhibitor of the main protease (Mpro) of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2. Acquisition of drug resistance in virus-derived proteins is a serious therapeutic concern, and drug resistance occurs due to amino acid mutations. In this study, we computationally constructed 24 mutants, in which one residue around the active site was replaced with alanine and performed molecular dynamics simulations to the complex of Mpro and ensitrelvir to predict the residues involved in drug resistance. We evaluated the changes in the entire protein structure and ligand configuration in each of these mutants and estimated which residues were involved in ensitrelvir recognition. This method is called a virtual alanine scan. In nine mutants (S1A, T26A, H41A, M49A, L141A, H163A, E166A, V186A, and R188A), although the entire protein structure and catalytic dyad (cysteine (Cys)145 and histidine (His)41) were not significantly moved, the ensitrelvir configuration changed. Thus, it is considered that these mutants did not recognize ensitrelvir while maintaining Mpro enzymatic activities, and Ser1, Thr26, His41, Met49, Leu141, His163, Glu166, Val186, and Arg188 may be related to ensitrelvir resistance. The ligand shift noted in M49A was similar to that observed in M49I, which has been shown to be experimentally ensitrelvir resistant. These findings suggest that our research approach can predict mutations that incite drug resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Tomoki Nakayoshi
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Meijo University
- Graduate School of Information Sciences, Hiroshima City University
| | - Koichi Kato
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Meijo University
- Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Shonan University of Medical Sciences
| | | | - Akifumi Oda
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Meijo University
- Institute for Protein Research, Osaka University
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29
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Ferraro S, Convertino I, Cappello E, Valdiserra G, Bonaso M, Tuccori M. Lessons learnt from the preclinical discovery and development of ensitrelvir as a COVID-19 therapeutic option. Expert Opin Drug Discov 2024; 19:9-20. [PMID: 37830361 DOI: 10.1080/17460441.2023.2267001] [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: 06/30/2023] [Accepted: 10/02/2023] [Indexed: 10/14/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION The COVID-19 pandemic stimulated the development of several therapeutic tools with several degrees of success. Ensitrelvir, a protease inhibitor that blocks the replication of SARS-CoV-2, can reduce the viral load and the severity of symptoms in infected patients and become available for emergency use in Japan. Clinical trials showed a good tolerability profile although the potential for interactions with substrates, inhibitors, and inducers of CYP3A must be considered. The occurrence of resistance is also a matter of investigation. AREAS COVERED In this article, the authors describe the development of ensitrelvir starting from the identification of the molecule to the pre-clinical and clinical trials up to the post-authorization phase. EXPERT OPINION Ensitrelvir was developed in a late phase of the pandemic when the availability of patients that can be candidate to enter the clinical trial was limited with consequences for the possibility of assessing certain outcomes and for the robustness of results. Although the evidence about the benefits of ensitrelvir in COVID-19 is not questionable, the problems of interactions with other drugs, emerging resistant variants, the availability of alternative therapeutic options, costs, and accessibility will concur to its probable limited clinical use in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara Ferraro
- Unit of Pharmacology and Pharmacovigilance, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, Pisa Italy
| | - Irma Convertino
- Unit of Pharmacology and Pharmacovigilance, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, Pisa Italy
| | - Emiliano Cappello
- Unit of Pharmacology and Pharmacovigilance, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, Pisa Italy
| | - Giulia Valdiserra
- Unit of Pharmacology and Pharmacovigilance, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, Pisa Italy
| | - Marco Bonaso
- Unit of Pharmacology and Pharmacovigilance, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, Pisa Italy
| | - Marco Tuccori
- Unit of Pharmacology and Pharmacovigilance, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, Pisa Italy
- Unit of Adverse Drug Reaction Monitoring, University Hospital of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
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30
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Walker GJ, Foster CSP, Sevendal A, Domazetovska A, Kamalakkannan A, Williams PCM, Kim KW, Condylios A, Stelzer-Braid S, Bartlett AW, Rawlinson W. Clinical, Genomic, and Immunological Characterization of RSV Surge in Sydney, Australia, 2022. Pediatrics 2024; 153:e2023063667. [PMID: 38225912 DOI: 10.1542/peds.2023-063667] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/14/2023] [Indexed: 01/17/2024] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES The 2022 seasonal respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) epidemic in Sydney, Australia saw an unprecedented number of RSV detections. We aimed to characterize genomic and immunologic factors associated with the surge in RSV cases. METHODS Whole genome sequences of RSV were generated from 264 RSV-infected infants and linked to case-matched clinical data from the 2022 southern hemisphere RSV season. We then performed an immunologic analysis of baseline RSV-specific humoral immunity in women of childbearing age before and throughout the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic. RESULTS Clinical analysis revealed a high burden of disease across patients of all health backgrounds. More than one-half of RSV-related health care visits by infants resulted in hospitalization, and one-quarter required high-flow respiratory support or a higher level of care. Viral phylogenetic analyses revealed that 2022 Sydney RSV sequences were closely related to viruses that had been circulating globally since 2017, including those detected in recent US outbreaks. Nonsynonymous mutations within the palivizumab and nirsevimab binding sites were detected at low frequencies. There was no difference in baseline RSV-neutralizing antibody titers between 2020 and 2022. CONCLUSIONS Collectively, these findings suggest that neither the emergence of a novel RSV genotype nor hypothesized immune debt was associated with the surge of RSV cases and hospitalizations in 2022. Continued genomic and immunologic surveillance is required to further understand the factors driving outbreaks of RSV globally, and to inform guidelines for the rollout and ongoing use of recently developed immunotherapeutics and vaccines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gregory J Walker
- Virology Research Laboratory, Serology and Virology Division (SAViD), NSW Health Pathology, Prince of Wales Hospital, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health
| | - Charles S P Foster
- Virology Research Laboratory, Serology and Virology Division (SAViD), NSW Health Pathology, Prince of Wales Hospital, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health
| | - Andrea Sevendal
- Virology Research Laboratory, Serology and Virology Division (SAViD), NSW Health Pathology, Prince of Wales Hospital, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Ana Domazetovska
- Virology Research Laboratory, Serology and Virology Division (SAViD), NSW Health Pathology, Prince of Wales Hospital, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Abbish Kamalakkannan
- School of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Phoebe C M Williams
- National Centre for Immunisation Research and Surveillance, Westmead, New South Wales, Australia
- Discipline of Paediatrics and Child Health, School of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Health
- Kirby Institute, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Ki Wook Kim
- Virology Research Laboratory, Serology and Virology Division (SAViD), NSW Health Pathology, Prince of Wales Hospital, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
- Australian Institute of Health Innovation, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Anna Condylios
- Virology Research Laboratory, Serology and Virology Division (SAViD), NSW Health Pathology, Prince of Wales Hospital, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Sacha Stelzer-Braid
- Virology Research Laboratory, Serology and Virology Division (SAViD), NSW Health Pathology, Prince of Wales Hospital, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Adam W Bartlett
- Australian Institute of Health Innovation, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
- Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Sydney Children's Hospital Network, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
- National Centre for Immunisation Research and Surveillance, Westmead, New South Wales, Australia
| | - William Rawlinson
- Virology Research Laboratory, Serology and Virology Division (SAViD), NSW Health Pathology, Prince of Wales Hospital, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health
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31
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Zhou S, Wang K, Hu Z, Chen T, Dong Y, Gao R, Wu M, Li Y, Ji X. Design, synthesis, and structure-activity relationships of a novel class of quinazoline derivatives as coronavirus inhibitors. Eur J Med Chem 2023; 261:115831. [PMID: 37813064 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2023.115831] [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: 07/31/2023] [Revised: 09/19/2023] [Accepted: 09/21/2023] [Indexed: 10/11/2023]
Abstract
There remain great unmet needs to treat coronavirus infections in clinic, and the development of novel antiviral agents is highly demanded. In this work, a phenotypic screening against our in-house compound library identified several cajanine derivatives with moderate antiviral activity against HCoV-OC43. Based on the scaffold of cajanine, a series of quinazoline derivatives were designed employing a scaffold-hopping strategy. After an iterative structural optimization campaign, several quinazoline derivatives with potent antiviral efficacy (EC50: ∼0.1 μM) and high selectivity (SI > 1000) were successfully identified. The preliminary mechanism of action study indicated that such quinazoline derivatives functioned at the early stage of infection. In aggregate, this work delivered a new chemical type of coronavirus inhibitors, which could be employed not only for further development of antiviral drugs but also as important chemical tools to delineate the target of action.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shengchao Zhou
- College of Pharmaceutical Science, Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu, 15021, China
| | - Kun Wang
- CAMS Key Laboratory of Antiviral Drug Research, Institute of Medicinal Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Ziwei Hu
- College of Pharmaceutical Science, Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu, 15021, China
| | - Tao Chen
- College of Pharmaceutical Science, Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu, 15021, China
| | - Yao Dong
- College of Pharmaceutical Science, Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu, 15021, China
| | - Rongmei Gao
- CAMS Key Laboratory of Antiviral Drug Research, Institute of Medicinal Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Mengyuan Wu
- CAMS Key Laboratory of Antiviral Drug Research, Institute of Medicinal Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Yuhuan Li
- CAMS Key Laboratory of Antiviral Drug Research, Institute of Medicinal Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China.
| | - Xingyue Ji
- College of Pharmaceutical Science, Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu, 15021, China.
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Havranek B, Demissie R, Lee H, Lan S, Zhang H, Sarafianos SG, Jean-Luc Ayitou A, Islam SM. Discovery of Nirmatrelvir Resistance Mutations in SARS-CoV-2 3CLpro: A Computational-Experimental Approach. J Chem Inf Model 2023; 63:7180-7188. [PMID: 37947496 PMCID: PMC10976418 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jcim.3c01269] [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] [Indexed: 11/12/2023]
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic has emphasized the urgency for effective antiviral therapies against SARS-CoV-2. Targeting the main protease (3CLpro) of the virus has emerged as a promising approach, and nirmatrelvir (PF-07321332), the active component of Pfizer's oral drug Paxlovid, has demonstrated remarkable clinical efficacy. However, the emergence of resistance mutations poses a challenge to its continued success. In this study, we employed alchemical free energy perturbation (FEP) alanine scanning to identify nirmatrelvir-resistance mutations within SARS-CoV-2 3CLpro. FEP identified several mutations, which were validated through in vitro IC50 experiments and found to result in 8- and 72-fold increases in nirmatrelvir IC50 values. Additionally, we constructed SARS-CoV-2 omicron replicons containing these mutations, and one of the mutants (S144A/E166A) displayed a 20-fold increase in EC50, confirming the role of FEP in identifying drug-resistance mutations. Our findings suggest that FEP can be a valuable tool in proactively monitoring the emergence of resistant strains and guiding the design of future inhibitors with reduced susceptibility to drug resistance. As nirmatrelvir is currently widely used for treating COVID-19, this research has important implications for surveillance efforts and antiviral development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brandon Havranek
- Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA 19107, USA
- ComputePharma, LLC., Chicago, IL, USA, 60607
| | - Robel Demissie
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60607, USA
- Biophysics Core at Research Resource Center, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60607, USA
| | - Hyun Lee
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60607, USA
- Biophysics Core at Research Resource Center, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60607, USA
| | - Shuiyun Lan
- Center for ViroScience and Cure, Laboratory of Biochemical Pharmacology, Department of Pediatrics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
- Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| | - Huanchun Zhang
- Center for ViroScience and Cure, Laboratory of Biochemical Pharmacology, Department of Pediatrics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
- Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| | - Stefan G. Sarafianos
- Center for ViroScience and Cure, Laboratory of Biochemical Pharmacology, Department of Pediatrics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
- Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| | | | - Shahidul M. Islam
- ComputePharma, LLC., Chicago, IL, USA, 60607
- Department of Chemistry, Delaware State University, Dover, DE, 19901, USA
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33
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Kang KM, Jang Y, Lee SS, Jin MS, Jun CD, Kim M, Kim YC. Discovery of antiviral SARS-CoV-2 main protease inhibitors by structure-guided hit-to-lead optimization of carmofur. Eur J Med Chem 2023; 260:115720. [PMID: 37633203 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2023.115720] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2023] [Revised: 07/25/2023] [Accepted: 08/10/2023] [Indexed: 08/28/2023]
Abstract
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) main protease (Mpro) has been targeted for the development of anti-SARS-CoV-2 agents against COVID-19 infection because Mpro processes essential viral polyproteins and plays a key role in SARS-CoV-2 replication. In this study, we report the development of novel SARS-CoV-2 Mpro inhibitors derived from carmofur, a previously identified compound that has shown moderate potency as a covalent inhibitor of SARS-CoV-2 Mpro. To employ a structure-guided drug design strategy, a putative intact binding mode of carmofur at catalytic active site of Mpro was initially predicted by docking simulation. Based on the predicted binding mode, a series of carmofur derivatives aiming to occupy the Mpro substrate binding regions were investigated for structure-activity relationship analysis. As a result, an indole-based derivative, speculated to interact with the S4 binding pocket, 21b (IC50 = 1.5 ± 0.1 μM) was discovered. Its structure was further modified and evaluated in silico by combining docking simulation, free energy perturbation calculation and subpocket interaction analysis to optimize the interactions at the S2 and S4 binding pockets. Among the newly designed novel derivatives, 21h and 21i showed the best inhibitory potencies against Mpro with IC50 values of 0.35 and 0.37 μM, respectively. Moreover, their antiviral activities were confirmed with EC50 values of 20-30 μM in the SARS-CoV-2-infected cell-based assay, suggesting that these novel Mpro inhibitors could be applied as potential lead compounds for the development of substantial anti-SARS-CoV-2 agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Koon Mook Kang
- School of Life Sciences, Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology, 123 Cheomdangwagi-ro, Buk-gu, Gwangju, 61005, Republic of Korea
| | - Yejin Jang
- Infectious Diseases Therapeutic Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology, 141 Gajeong-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon, 34114, Republic of Korea
| | - Sang Soo Lee
- School of Life Sciences, Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology, 123 Cheomdangwagi-ro, Buk-gu, Gwangju, 61005, Republic of Korea
| | - Mi Sun Jin
- School of Life Sciences, Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology, 123 Cheomdangwagi-ro, Buk-gu, Gwangju, 61005, Republic of Korea
| | - Chang-Duk Jun
- School of Life Sciences, Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology, 123 Cheomdangwagi-ro, Buk-gu, Gwangju, 61005, Republic of Korea.
| | - Meehyein Kim
- Infectious Diseases Therapeutic Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology, 141 Gajeong-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon, 34114, Republic of Korea; Graduate School of New Drug Discovery and Development, Chungnam National University, 99 Daehak-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon, 34134, Republic of Korea.
| | - Yong-Chul Kim
- School of Life Sciences, Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology, 123 Cheomdangwagi-ro, Buk-gu, Gwangju, 61005, Republic of Korea.
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34
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Lieber CM, Kang HJ, Aggarwal M, Lieberman NA, Sobolik EB, Yoon JJ, Natchus MG, Cox RM, Greninger AL, Plemper RK. Influenza A virus resistance to 4'-fluorouridine coincides with viral attenuation in vitro and in vivo. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.10.20.563370. [PMID: 37905070 PMCID: PMC10614940 DOI: 10.1101/2023.10.20.563370] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2023]
Abstract
Pre-existing or rapidly emerging resistance of influenza viruses to approved antivirals makes the development of novel therapeutics to mitigate seasonal influenza and improve preparedness against future influenza pandemics an urgent priority. We have recently identified the chain-terminating broad-spectrum nucleoside analog clinical candidate 4'-fluorouridine (4'-FlU) and demonstrated oral efficacy against seasonal, pandemic, and highly pathogenic avian influenza viruses in the mouse and ferret model. Here, we have resistance-profiled 4'-FlU against a pandemic A/CA/07/2009 (H1N1) (CA09). In vitro viral adaptation yielded six independently generated escape lineages with distinct mutations that mediated moderate resistance to 4'-FlU in the genetically controlled background of recombinant CA09 (recCA09). Mutations adhered to three distinct structural clusters that are all predicted to affect the geometry of the active site of the viral RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRP) complex for phosphodiester bond formation. Escape could be achieved through an individual causal mutation, a combination of mutations acting additively, or mutations functioning synergistically. Fitness of all resistant variants was impaired in cell culture, and all were attenuated in the mouse model. Oral 4'-FlU administered at lowest-efficacious (2 mg/kg) or elevated (10 mg/kg) dose overcame moderate resistance when mice were inoculated with 10 LD 50 units of parental or resistant recCA09, demonstrated by significantly reduced virus load and complete survival. In the ferret model, invasion of the lower respiratory tract by variants representing four adaptation lineages was impaired. Resistant variants were either transmission-incompetent, or spread to untreated sentinels was fully blocked by therapeutic treatment of source animals with 4'-FlU. Author Summary Reduced sensitivity to FDA-approved influenza drugs is a major obstacle to effective antiviral therapy. We have previously demonstrated oral efficacy of a novel clinical candidate drug, 4'-FlU, against seasonal, pandemic, and highly pathogenic avian influenza viruses. In this study, we have determined possible routes of influenza virus escape from 4'-FlU and addressed whether resistance imposes a viral fitness penalty, affecting pathogenicity or ability to transmit. We identified three distinct clusters of mutations that lead to moderately reduced viral sensitivity to the drug. Testing of resistant variants against two chemically unrelated nucleoside analog inhibitors of influenza virus, conditionally approved favipiravir and the broad-spectrum SARS-CoV-2 drug molnupiravir, revealed cross-resistance of one cluster with favipiravir, whereas no viral escape from molnupiravir was noted. We found that the resistant variants are severely attenuated in mice, impaired in their ability to invade the lower respiratory tract and cause viral pneumonia in ferrets, and transmission-defective or compromised. We could fully mitigate lethal infection of mice with the resistant variants with standard or 5-fold elevated oral dose of 4'-FlU. These results demonstrate that partial viral escape from 4'-FlU is feasible in principle, but escape mutation clusters are unlikely to reach clinical significance or persist in circulating influenza virus strains.
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Saha T, Sinha S, Harfoot R, Quiñones-Mateu ME, Das SC. Inhalable dry powder containing remdesivir and disulfiram: Preparation and in vitro characterization. Int J Pharm 2023; 645:123411. [PMID: 37703955 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpharm.2023.123411] [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] [Received: 08/02/2023] [Revised: 09/05/2023] [Accepted: 09/10/2023] [Indexed: 09/15/2023]
Abstract
The respiratory tract, as the first and most afflicted target of many viruses such as SARS-CoV-2, seems to be the logical choice for delivering antiviral agents against this and other respiratory viruses. A combination of remdesivir and disulfiram, targeting two different steps in the viral replication cycle, has showed synergistic activity against SARS-CoV-2 in-vitro. In this study, we have developed an inhalable dry powder containing a combination of remdesivir and disulfiram utilizing the spray-drying technique, with the final goal of delivering this drug combination to the respiratory tract. The prepared dry powders were spherical, and crystalline. The particle size was between 1 and 5 μm indicating their suitability for inhalation. The spray-dried combinational dry powder containing remdesivir and disulfiram (RDSD) showed a higher emitted dose (ED) of >88% than single dry powder of remdesivir (RSD) (∼72%) and disulfiram (DSD) (∼84%), with a fine particle fraction (FPF) of ∼55%. Addition of L-leucine to RDSD showed >60% FPF with a similar ED. The in vitro aerosolization was not significantly affected after the stability study conducted at different humidity conditions. Interestingly, the single (RSD and DSD) and combined (RDSD) spray-dried powders showed limited cellular toxicity (CC50 values from 39.4 to >100 µM), while maintaining their anti-SARS-CoV-2 in vitro (EC50 values from 4.43 to 6.63 µM). In a summary, a combinational dry powder formulation containing remdesivir and disulfiram suitable for inhalation was developed by spray-drying technique which showed high cell viability in the respiratory cell line (Calu-3 cells) retaining their anti-SARS-CoV-2 property. In the future, in vivo studies will test the ability of these formulations to inhibit SARS-CoV-2 which is essential for clinical translation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tushar Saha
- School of Pharmacy, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Shubhra Sinha
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Rhodri Harfoot
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Miguel E Quiñones-Mateu
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Shyamal C Das
- School of Pharmacy, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand.
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36
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Jacobs L, van der Westhuyzen A, Pribut N, Dentmon ZW, Cui D, D’Erasmo MP, Bartsch PW, Liu K, Cox RM, Greenlund SF, Plemper RK, Mitchell D, Marlow J, Andrews MK, Krueger RE, Sticher ZM, Kolykhalov AA, Natchus MG, Zhou B, Pelly SC, Liotta DC. Design and Optimization of Novel Competitive, Non-peptidic, SARS-CoV-2 M pro Inhibitors. ACS Med Chem Lett 2023; 14:1434-1440. [PMID: 37849558 PMCID: PMC10577883 DOI: 10.1021/acsmedchemlett.3c00335] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2023] [Accepted: 09/15/2023] [Indexed: 10/19/2023] Open
Abstract
The SARS-CoV-2 main protease (Mpro) has been proven to be a highly effective target for therapeutic intervention, yet only one drug currently holds FDA approval status for this target. We were inspired by a series of publications emanating from the Jorgensen and Anderson groups describing the design of potent, non-peptidic, competitive SARS-CoV-2 Mpro inhibitors, and we saw an opportunity to make several design modifications to improve the overall pharmacokinetic profile of these compounds without losing potency. To this end, we created a focused virtual library using reaction-based enumeration tools in the Schrödinger suite. These compounds were docked into the Mpro active site and subsequently prioritized for synthesis based upon relative binding affinity values calculated by FEP+. Fourteen compounds were selected, synthesized, and evaluated both biochemically and in cell culture. Several of the synthesized compounds proved to be potent, competitive Mpro inhibitors with improved metabolic stability profiles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leon Jacobs
- Department
of Chemistry, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia 30322, United States
| | | | - Nicole Pribut
- Department
of Chemistry, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia 30322, United States
| | - Zackery W. Dentmon
- Department
of Chemistry, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia 30322, United States
| | - Dan Cui
- COVID-19
Emergency Response, Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia 30329, United States
| | - Michael P. D’Erasmo
- Department
of Chemistry, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia 30322, United States
| | - Perry W. Bartsch
- Department
of Chemistry, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia 30322, United States
| | - Ken Liu
- Department
of Chemistry, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia 30322, United States
| | - Robert M. Cox
- Center for
Translational Antiviral Research, Institute for Biomedical Sciences, Georgia State University, Atlanta, Georgia 30303, United States
| | - Sujay F. Greenlund
- Center for
Translational Antiviral Research, Institute for Biomedical Sciences, Georgia State University, Atlanta, Georgia 30303, United States
| | - Richard K. Plemper
- Center for
Translational Antiviral Research, Institute for Biomedical Sciences, Georgia State University, Atlanta, Georgia 30303, United States
| | - Deborah Mitchell
- Emory
Institute for Drug Development, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia 30322, United States
| | - Joshua Marlow
- Emory
Institute for Drug Development, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia 30322, United States
| | - Meghan K. Andrews
- Emory
Institute for Drug Development, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia 30322, United States
| | - Rebecca E. Krueger
- Emory
Institute for Drug Development, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia 30322, United States
| | - Zachary M. Sticher
- Emory
Institute for Drug Development, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia 30322, United States
| | - Alexander A. Kolykhalov
- Emory
Institute for Drug Development, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia 30322, United States
| | - Michael G. Natchus
- Emory
Institute for Drug Development, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia 30322, United States
| | - Bin Zhou
- COVID-19
Emergency Response, Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia 30329, United States
| | - Stephen C. Pelly
- Department
of Chemistry, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia 30322, United States
| | - Dennis C. Liotta
- Department
of Chemistry, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia 30322, United States
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37
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Costacurta F, Dodaro A, Bante D, Schöppe H, Sprenger B, Moghadasi SA, Fleischmann J, Pavan M, Bassani D, Menin S, Rauch S, Krismer L, Sauerwein A, Heberle A, Rabensteiner T, Ho J, Harris RS, Stefan E, Schneider R, Kaserer T, Moro S, von Laer D, Heilmann E. A comprehensive study of SARS-CoV-2 main protease (M pro) inhibitor-resistant mutants selected in a VSV-based system. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.09.22.558628. [PMID: 37808638 PMCID: PMC10557589 DOI: 10.1101/2023.09.22.558628] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/10/2023]
Abstract
Nirmatrelvir was the first protease inhibitor (PI) specifically developed against the SARS-CoV-2 main protease (3CLpro/Mpro) and licensed for clinical use. As SARS-CoV-2 continues to spread, variants resistant to nirmatrelvir and other currently available treatments are likely to arise. This study aimed to identify and characterize mutations that confer resistance to nirmatrelvir. To safely generate Mpro resistance mutations, we passaged a previously developed, chimeric vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV-Mpro) with increasing, yet suboptimal concentrations of nirmatrelvir. Using Wuhan-1 and Omicron Mpro variants, we selected a large set of mutants. Some mutations are frequently present in GISAID, suggesting their relevance in SARS-CoV-2. The resistance phenotype of a subset of mutations was characterized against clinically available PIs (nirmatrelvir and ensitrelvir) with cell-based and biochemical assays. Moreover, we showed the putative molecular mechanism of resistance based on in silico molecular modelling. These findings have implications on the development of future generation Mpro inhibitors, will help to understand SARS-CoV-2 protease-inhibitor-resistance mechanisms and show the relevance of specific mutations in the clinic, thereby informing treatment decisions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesco Costacurta
- Institute of Virology, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, 6020, Tyrol, Austria
| | - Andrea Dodaro
- Molecular Modeling Section (MMS), Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, University of Padua, Via F. Marzolo 5, 35131, Padova, Italy
| | - David Bante
- Institute of Virology, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, 6020, Tyrol, Austria
| | - Helge Schöppe
- Institute of Pharmacy/Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, 6020, Tyrol, Austria
| | - Bernhard Sprenger
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, 6020, Austria
| | - Seyed Arad Moghadasi
- Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology and Biophysics, Institute for Molecular Virology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, United States
| | - Jakob Fleischmann
- Institute of Molecular Biology, University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, 6020, Tyrol, Austria
- Tyrolean Cancer Research Institute (TKFI), Innrain 66, Innsbruck, 6020, Tyrol, Austria
| | - Matteo Pavan
- Molecular Modeling Section (MMS), Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, University of Padua, Via F. Marzolo 5, 35131, Padova, Italy
| | - Davide Bassani
- Molecular Modeling Section (MMS), Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, University of Padua, Via F. Marzolo 5, 35131, Padova, Italy
| | - Silvia Menin
- Molecular Modeling Section (MMS), Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, University of Padua, Via F. Marzolo 5, 35131, Padova, Italy
| | - Stefanie Rauch
- Institute of Virology, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, 6020, Tyrol, Austria
| | - Laura Krismer
- Institute of Virology, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, 6020, Tyrol, Austria
| | - Anna Sauerwein
- Institute of Virology, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, 6020, Tyrol, Austria
| | - Anne Heberle
- Institute of Virology, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, 6020, Tyrol, Austria
| | - Toni Rabensteiner
- Institute of Virology, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, 6020, Tyrol, Austria
| | - Joses Ho
- Bioinformatics Institute, Agency for Science Technology and Research, Singapore
| | - Reuben S. Harris
- Department of Biochemistry and Structural Biology, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78229, United States
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78229, United States
| | - Eduard Stefan
- Institute of Molecular Biology, University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, 6020, Tyrol, Austria
- Tyrolean Cancer Research Institute (TKFI), Innrain 66, Innsbruck, 6020, Tyrol, Austria
| | - Rainer Schneider
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, 6020, Austria
| | - Teresa Kaserer
- Institute of Pharmacy/Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, 6020, Tyrol, Austria
| | - Stefano Moro
- Molecular Modeling Section (MMS), Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, University of Padua, Via F. Marzolo 5, 35131, Padova, Italy
| | - Dorothee von Laer
- Institute of Virology, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, 6020, Tyrol, Austria
| | - Emmanuel Heilmann
- Institute of Virology, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, 6020, Tyrol, Austria
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38
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Duan Y, Wang H, Yuan Z, Yang H. Structural biology of SARS-CoV-2 M pro and drug discovery. Curr Opin Struct Biol 2023; 82:102667. [PMID: 37544112 DOI: 10.1016/j.sbi.2023.102667] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2023] [Revised: 06/10/2023] [Accepted: 07/10/2023] [Indexed: 08/08/2023]
Abstract
Since its outbreak in late 2019, the COVID-19 pandemic has drawn enormous attention worldwide as a consequence of being the most disastrous infectious disease in the past century. As one of the most immediately druggable targets of SARS-CoV-2, the main protease (Mpro) has been studied thoroughly. In this review, we provide a comprehensive summary of recent advances in structural studies of Mpro, which provide new knowledge about Mpro in terms of its biological function, structural characteristics, substrate specificity, and autocleavage process. We examine the remarkable strides made in targeting Mpro for drug discovery during the pandemic. We summarize insights into the current understanding of the structural features of Mpro and the discovery of existing Mpro-targeting drugs, illuminating pathways for the future development of anti-SARS-CoV-2 therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yinkai Duan
- Shanghai Institute for Advanced Immunochemical Studies and School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, China; Shanghai Clinical Research and Trial Center, Shanghai, China
| | - Haofeng Wang
- Shanghai Institute for Advanced Immunochemical Studies and School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, China; Shanghai Clinical Research and Trial Center, Shanghai, China
| | - Zhenghong Yuan
- Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology (MOE/NHC/CAMS), School of Basic Medical Sciences and Institute of Infectious Disease and Biosecurity, Shanghai Medical College of Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
| | - Haitao Yang
- Shanghai Institute for Advanced Immunochemical Studies and School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, China; Shanghai Clinical Research and Trial Center, Shanghai, China.
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39
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Gammeltoft KA, Zhou Y, Ryberg LA, Pham LV, Binderup A, Hernandez CRD, Offersgaard A, Fahnøe U, Peters GHJ, Ramirez S, Bukh J, Gottwein JM. Substitutions in SARS-CoV-2 Mpro Selected by Protease Inhibitor Boceprevir Confer Resistance to Nirmatrelvir. Viruses 2023; 15:1970. [PMID: 37766376 PMCID: PMC10536901 DOI: 10.3390/v15091970] [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: 07/31/2023] [Revised: 09/11/2023] [Accepted: 09/14/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Nirmatrelvir, which targets the SARS-CoV-2 main protease (Mpro), is the first-in-line drug for prevention and treatment of severe COVID-19, and additional Mpro inhibitors are in development. However, the risk of resistance development threatens the future efficacy of such direct-acting antivirals. To gain knowledge on viral correlates of resistance to Mpro inhibitors, we selected resistant SARS-CoV-2 under treatment with the nirmatrelvir-related protease inhibitor boceprevir. SARS-CoV-2 selected during five escape experiments in VeroE6 cells showed cross-resistance to nirmatrelvir with up to 7.3-fold increased half-maximal effective concentration compared to original SARS-CoV-2, determined in concentration-response experiments. Sequence analysis revealed that escape viruses harbored Mpro substitutions L50F and A173V. For reverse genetic studies, these substitutions were introduced into a cell-culture-infectious SARS-CoV-2 clone. Infectivity titration and analysis of genetic stability of cell-culture-derived engineered SARS-CoV-2 mutants showed that L50F rescued the fitness cost conferred by A173V. In the concentration-response experiments, A173V was the main driver of resistance to boceprevir and nirmatrelvir. Structural analysis of Mpro suggested that A173V can cause resistance by making boceprevir and nirmatrelvir binding less favorable. This study contributes to a comprehensive overview of the resistance profile of the first-in-line COVID-19 treatment nirmatrelvir and can thus inform population monitoring and contribute to pandemic preparedness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karen Anbro Gammeltoft
- Copenhagen Hepatitis C Program (CO-HEP), Department of Infectious Diseases, Copenhagen University Hospital-Hvidovre, Kettegård Alle 30, 2650 Hvidovre, Denmark; (K.A.G.); (Y.Z.); (L.A.R.); (L.V.P.); (A.B.); (C.R.D.H.); (A.O.); (U.F.); (S.R.); (J.B.)
- Copenhagen Hepatitis C Program (CO-HEP), Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Blegdamsvej 3B, 2200 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Yuyong Zhou
- Copenhagen Hepatitis C Program (CO-HEP), Department of Infectious Diseases, Copenhagen University Hospital-Hvidovre, Kettegård Alle 30, 2650 Hvidovre, Denmark; (K.A.G.); (Y.Z.); (L.A.R.); (L.V.P.); (A.B.); (C.R.D.H.); (A.O.); (U.F.); (S.R.); (J.B.)
- Copenhagen Hepatitis C Program (CO-HEP), Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Blegdamsvej 3B, 2200 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Line Abildgaard Ryberg
- Copenhagen Hepatitis C Program (CO-HEP), Department of Infectious Diseases, Copenhagen University Hospital-Hvidovre, Kettegård Alle 30, 2650 Hvidovre, Denmark; (K.A.G.); (Y.Z.); (L.A.R.); (L.V.P.); (A.B.); (C.R.D.H.); (A.O.); (U.F.); (S.R.); (J.B.)
- Copenhagen Hepatitis C Program (CO-HEP), Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Blegdamsvej 3B, 2200 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Long V. Pham
- Copenhagen Hepatitis C Program (CO-HEP), Department of Infectious Diseases, Copenhagen University Hospital-Hvidovre, Kettegård Alle 30, 2650 Hvidovre, Denmark; (K.A.G.); (Y.Z.); (L.A.R.); (L.V.P.); (A.B.); (C.R.D.H.); (A.O.); (U.F.); (S.R.); (J.B.)
- Copenhagen Hepatitis C Program (CO-HEP), Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Blegdamsvej 3B, 2200 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Alekxander Binderup
- Copenhagen Hepatitis C Program (CO-HEP), Department of Infectious Diseases, Copenhagen University Hospital-Hvidovre, Kettegård Alle 30, 2650 Hvidovre, Denmark; (K.A.G.); (Y.Z.); (L.A.R.); (L.V.P.); (A.B.); (C.R.D.H.); (A.O.); (U.F.); (S.R.); (J.B.)
- Copenhagen Hepatitis C Program (CO-HEP), Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Blegdamsvej 3B, 2200 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Carlos Rene Duarte Hernandez
- Copenhagen Hepatitis C Program (CO-HEP), Department of Infectious Diseases, Copenhagen University Hospital-Hvidovre, Kettegård Alle 30, 2650 Hvidovre, Denmark; (K.A.G.); (Y.Z.); (L.A.R.); (L.V.P.); (A.B.); (C.R.D.H.); (A.O.); (U.F.); (S.R.); (J.B.)
- Copenhagen Hepatitis C Program (CO-HEP), Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Blegdamsvej 3B, 2200 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Anna Offersgaard
- Copenhagen Hepatitis C Program (CO-HEP), Department of Infectious Diseases, Copenhagen University Hospital-Hvidovre, Kettegård Alle 30, 2650 Hvidovre, Denmark; (K.A.G.); (Y.Z.); (L.A.R.); (L.V.P.); (A.B.); (C.R.D.H.); (A.O.); (U.F.); (S.R.); (J.B.)
- Copenhagen Hepatitis C Program (CO-HEP), Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Blegdamsvej 3B, 2200 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Ulrik Fahnøe
- Copenhagen Hepatitis C Program (CO-HEP), Department of Infectious Diseases, Copenhagen University Hospital-Hvidovre, Kettegård Alle 30, 2650 Hvidovre, Denmark; (K.A.G.); (Y.Z.); (L.A.R.); (L.V.P.); (A.B.); (C.R.D.H.); (A.O.); (U.F.); (S.R.); (J.B.)
- Copenhagen Hepatitis C Program (CO-HEP), Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Blegdamsvej 3B, 2200 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | | | - Santseharay Ramirez
- Copenhagen Hepatitis C Program (CO-HEP), Department of Infectious Diseases, Copenhagen University Hospital-Hvidovre, Kettegård Alle 30, 2650 Hvidovre, Denmark; (K.A.G.); (Y.Z.); (L.A.R.); (L.V.P.); (A.B.); (C.R.D.H.); (A.O.); (U.F.); (S.R.); (J.B.)
- Copenhagen Hepatitis C Program (CO-HEP), Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Blegdamsvej 3B, 2200 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Jens Bukh
- Copenhagen Hepatitis C Program (CO-HEP), Department of Infectious Diseases, Copenhagen University Hospital-Hvidovre, Kettegård Alle 30, 2650 Hvidovre, Denmark; (K.A.G.); (Y.Z.); (L.A.R.); (L.V.P.); (A.B.); (C.R.D.H.); (A.O.); (U.F.); (S.R.); (J.B.)
- Copenhagen Hepatitis C Program (CO-HEP), Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Blegdamsvej 3B, 2200 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Judith Margarete Gottwein
- Copenhagen Hepatitis C Program (CO-HEP), Department of Infectious Diseases, Copenhagen University Hospital-Hvidovre, Kettegård Alle 30, 2650 Hvidovre, Denmark; (K.A.G.); (Y.Z.); (L.A.R.); (L.V.P.); (A.B.); (C.R.D.H.); (A.O.); (U.F.); (S.R.); (J.B.)
- Copenhagen Hepatitis C Program (CO-HEP), Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Blegdamsvej 3B, 2200 Copenhagen, Denmark
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40
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Bloom JD, Neher RA. Fitness effects of mutations to SARS-CoV-2 proteins. Virus Evol 2023; 9:vead055. [PMID: 37727875 PMCID: PMC10506532 DOI: 10.1093/ve/vead055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2023] [Revised: 08/08/2023] [Accepted: 08/22/2023] [Indexed: 09/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Knowledge of the fitness effects of mutations to SARS-CoV-2 can inform assessment of new variants, design of therapeutics resistant to escape, and understanding of the functions of viral proteins. However, experimentally measuring effects of mutations is challenging: we lack tractable lab assays for many SARS-CoV-2 proteins, and comprehensive deep mutational scanning has been applied to only two SARS-CoV-2 proteins. Here, we develop an approach that leverages millions of publicly available SARS-CoV-2 sequences to estimate effects of mutations. We first calculate how many independent occurrences of each mutation are expected to be observed along the SARS-CoV-2 phylogeny in the absence of selection. We then compare these expected observations to the actual observations to estimate the effect of each mutation. These estimates correlate well with deep mutational scanning measurements. For most genes, synonymous mutations are nearly neutral, stop-codon mutations are deleterious, and amino acid mutations have a range of effects. However, some viral accessory proteins are under little to no selection. We provide interactive visualizations of effects of mutations to all SARS-CoV-2 proteins (https://jbloomlab.github.io/SARS2-mut-fitness/). The framework we describe is applicable to any virus for which the number of available sequences is sufficiently large that many independent occurrences of each neutral mutation are observed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jesse D Bloom
- Basic Sciences and Computational Biology, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, 1100 Fairview Ave N, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
- Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington, 3720 15th Ave NE, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, 1100 Fairview Ave N, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - Richard A Neher
- Biozentrum, University of Basel, Spitalstrasse 41, Basel 4056, Switzerland
- Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, Lausanne 1015, Switzerl
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Knecht W, Fisher SZ, Lou J, Sele C, Ma S, Rasmussen AA, Pinotsis N, Kozielski F. Oligomeric State of β-Coronavirus Non-Structural Protein 10 Stimulators Studied by Small Angle X-ray Scattering. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:13649. [PMID: 37686452 PMCID: PMC10563069 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241713649] [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: 06/29/2023] [Revised: 08/23/2023] [Accepted: 08/25/2023] [Indexed: 09/10/2023] Open
Abstract
The β-coronavirus family, encompassing Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (SARS), and Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS), has triggered pandemics within the last two decades. With the possibility of future pandemics, studying the coronavirus family members is necessary to improve knowledge and treatment. These viruses possess 16 non-structural proteins, many of which play crucial roles in viral replication and in other vital functions. One such vital protein is non-structural protein 10 (nsp10), acting as a pivotal stimulator of nsp14 and nsp16, thereby influencing RNA proofreading and viral RNA cap formation. Studying nsp10 of pathogenic coronaviruses is central to unraveling its multifunctional roles. Our study involves the biochemical and biophysical characterisation of full-length nsp10 from MERS, SARS and SARS-CoV-2. To elucidate their oligomeric state, we employed a combination of Multi-detection Size exclusion chromatography (Multi-detection SEC) with multi-angle static light scattering (MALS) and small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) techniques. Our findings reveal that full-length nsp10s primarily exist as monomers in solution, while truncated versions tend to oligomerise. SAXS experiments reveal a globular shape for nsp10, a trait conserved in all three coronaviruses, although MERS nsp10, diverges most from SARS and SARS-CoV-2 nsp10s. In summary, unbound nsp10 proteins from SARS, MERS, and SARS-CoV-2 exhibit a globular and predominantly monomeric state in solution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wolfgang Knecht
- Department of Biology & Lund Protein Production Platform & Protein Production Sweden, Lund University, Sölvegatan 35, 22362 Lund, Sweden; (W.K.); (S.Z.F.); (C.S.); (A.A.R.)
| | - S. Zoë Fisher
- Department of Biology & Lund Protein Production Platform & Protein Production Sweden, Lund University, Sölvegatan 35, 22362 Lund, Sweden; (W.K.); (S.Z.F.); (C.S.); (A.A.R.)
- European Spallation Source ERIC, P.O. Box 176, 22100 Lund, Sweden
| | - Jiaqi Lou
- School of Pharmacy, University College London, 29-39 Brunswick Square, London WC1N 1AX, UK; (J.L.); (S.M.)
| | - Céleste Sele
- Department of Biology & Lund Protein Production Platform & Protein Production Sweden, Lund University, Sölvegatan 35, 22362 Lund, Sweden; (W.K.); (S.Z.F.); (C.S.); (A.A.R.)
| | - Shumeng Ma
- School of Pharmacy, University College London, 29-39 Brunswick Square, London WC1N 1AX, UK; (J.L.); (S.M.)
| | - Anna Andersson Rasmussen
- Department of Biology & Lund Protein Production Platform & Protein Production Sweden, Lund University, Sölvegatan 35, 22362 Lund, Sweden; (W.K.); (S.Z.F.); (C.S.); (A.A.R.)
| | - Nikos Pinotsis
- Institute of Structural and Molecular Biology, Birkbeck College, London WC1E 7HX, UK
| | - Frank Kozielski
- School of Pharmacy, University College London, 29-39 Brunswick Square, London WC1N 1AX, UK; (J.L.); (S.M.)
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42
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Bagdonas M, Čerepenkaitė K, Mickevičiūtė A, Kananavičiūtė R, Grybaitė B, Anusevičius K, Rukšėnaitė A, Kojis T, Gedgaudas M, Mickevičius V, Matulis D, Zubrienė A, Matulienė J. Screening, Synthesis and Biochemical Characterization of SARS-CoV-2 Protease Inhibitors. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:13491. [PMID: 37686295 PMCID: PMC10488051 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241713491] [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: 07/19/2023] [Revised: 08/18/2023] [Accepted: 08/19/2023] [Indexed: 09/10/2023] Open
Abstract
The severe acute respiratory syndrome-causing coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) papain-like protease (PLpro) and main protease (Mpro) play an important role in viral replication events and are important targets for anti-coronavirus drug discovery. In search of these protease inhibitors, we screened a library of 1300 compounds using a fluorescence thermal shift assay (FTSA) and identified 53 hits that thermally stabilized or destabilized PLpro. The hit compounds structurally belonged to two classes of small molecules: thiazole derivatives and symmetrical disulfide compounds. Compound dissociation constants (Kd) were determined using an enzymatic inhibition method. Seven aromatic disulfide compounds were identified as efficient PLpro inhibitors with Kd values in the micromolar range. Two disulfides displayed six-fold higher potency for PLpro (Kd = 0.5 µM) than for Mpro. The disulfide derivatives bound covalently to both proteases, as confirmed through mass spectrometry. The identified compounds can serve as lead compounds for further chemical optimization toward anti-COVID-19 drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martynas Bagdonas
- Department of Biothermodynamics and Drug Design, Institute of Biotechnology, Life Sciences Center, Vilnius University, Saulėtekio 7, LT-10257 Vilnius, Lithuania; (M.B.); (K.Č.); (A.M.); (T.K.); (M.G.); (D.M.)
| | - Kamilė Čerepenkaitė
- Department of Biothermodynamics and Drug Design, Institute of Biotechnology, Life Sciences Center, Vilnius University, Saulėtekio 7, LT-10257 Vilnius, Lithuania; (M.B.); (K.Č.); (A.M.); (T.K.); (M.G.); (D.M.)
| | - Aurelija Mickevičiūtė
- Department of Biothermodynamics and Drug Design, Institute of Biotechnology, Life Sciences Center, Vilnius University, Saulėtekio 7, LT-10257 Vilnius, Lithuania; (M.B.); (K.Č.); (A.M.); (T.K.); (M.G.); (D.M.)
| | - Rūta Kananavičiūtė
- Department of Microbiology and Biotechnology, Institute of Biosciences, Life Sciences Center, Vilnius University, Saulėtekio 7, LT-10257 Vilnius, Lithuania;
| | - Birutė Grybaitė
- Department of Organic Chemistry, Kaunas University of Technology, Radvilenų pl. 19, LT-50254 Kaunas, Lithuania; (B.G.); (K.A.); (V.M.)
| | - Kazimieras Anusevičius
- Department of Organic Chemistry, Kaunas University of Technology, Radvilenų pl. 19, LT-50254 Kaunas, Lithuania; (B.G.); (K.A.); (V.M.)
| | - Audronė Rukšėnaitė
- Department of Biological DNA Modification, Institute of Biotechnology, Life Sciences Center, Vilnius University, LT-10257 Vilnius, Lithuania;
| | - Tautvydas Kojis
- Department of Biothermodynamics and Drug Design, Institute of Biotechnology, Life Sciences Center, Vilnius University, Saulėtekio 7, LT-10257 Vilnius, Lithuania; (M.B.); (K.Č.); (A.M.); (T.K.); (M.G.); (D.M.)
| | - Marius Gedgaudas
- Department of Biothermodynamics and Drug Design, Institute of Biotechnology, Life Sciences Center, Vilnius University, Saulėtekio 7, LT-10257 Vilnius, Lithuania; (M.B.); (K.Č.); (A.M.); (T.K.); (M.G.); (D.M.)
| | - Vytautas Mickevičius
- Department of Organic Chemistry, Kaunas University of Technology, Radvilenų pl. 19, LT-50254 Kaunas, Lithuania; (B.G.); (K.A.); (V.M.)
| | - Daumantas Matulis
- Department of Biothermodynamics and Drug Design, Institute of Biotechnology, Life Sciences Center, Vilnius University, Saulėtekio 7, LT-10257 Vilnius, Lithuania; (M.B.); (K.Č.); (A.M.); (T.K.); (M.G.); (D.M.)
| | - Asta Zubrienė
- Department of Biothermodynamics and Drug Design, Institute of Biotechnology, Life Sciences Center, Vilnius University, Saulėtekio 7, LT-10257 Vilnius, Lithuania; (M.B.); (K.Č.); (A.M.); (T.K.); (M.G.); (D.M.)
| | - Jurgita Matulienė
- Department of Biothermodynamics and Drug Design, Institute of Biotechnology, Life Sciences Center, Vilnius University, Saulėtekio 7, LT-10257 Vilnius, Lithuania; (M.B.); (K.Č.); (A.M.); (T.K.); (M.G.); (D.M.)
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Hu Y, Lewandowski EM, Tan H, Zhang X, Morgan RT, Zhang X, Jacobs LMC, Butler SG, Gongora MV, Choy J, Deng X, Chen Y, Wang J. Naturally Occurring Mutations of SARS-CoV-2 Main Protease Confer Drug Resistance to Nirmatrelvir. ACS CENTRAL SCIENCE 2023; 9:1658-1669. [PMID: 37637734 PMCID: PMC10451032 DOI: 10.1021/acscentsci.3c00538] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 52.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2023] [Indexed: 08/29/2023]
Abstract
The SARS-CoV-2 main protease (Mpro) is the drug target of Pfizer's oral drug nirmatrelvir. The emergence of SARS-CoV-2 variants with mutations in Mpro raised the alarm of potential drug resistance. To identify potential clinically relevant drug-resistant mutants, we systematically characterized 102 naturally occurring Mpro mutants located at 12 residues at the nirmatrelvir-binding site, among which 22 mutations in 5 residues, including S144M/F/A/G/Y, M165T, E166 V/G/A, H172Q/F, and Q192T/S/L/A/I/P/H/V/W/C/F, showed comparable enzymatic activity to the wild-type (kcat/Km < 10-fold change) while being resistant to nirmatrelvir (Ki > 10-fold increase). X-ray crystal structures were determined for six representative mutants with and/or without GC-376/nirmatrelvir. Using recombinant SARS-CoV-2 viruses generated from reverse genetics, we confirmed the drug resistance in the antiviral assay and showed that Mpro mutants with reduced enzymatic activity had attenuated viral replication. Overall, our study identified several drug-resistant hotspots in Mpro that warrant close monitoring for possible clinical evidence of nirmatrelvir resistance, some of which have already emerged in independent viral passage assays conducted by others.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanmei Hu
- Department
of Medicinal Chemistry, Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy, Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, New Jersey 08854, United States
| | - Eric M. Lewandowski
- Department
of Molecular Medicine, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida 33612, United States
| | - Haozhou Tan
- Department
of Medicinal Chemistry, Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy, Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, New Jersey 08854, United States
| | - Xiaoming Zhang
- Department
Physiological Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Oklahoma 74078, United States
- Oklahoma
Center for Respiratory and Infectious Diseases, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Oklahoma 74078, United States
| | - Ryan T. Morgan
- Department
of Molecular Medicine, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida 33612, United States
| | - Xiujun Zhang
- Department
of Molecular Medicine, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida 33612, United States
| | - Lian M. C. Jacobs
- Department
of Molecular Medicine, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida 33612, United States
| | - Shane G. Butler
- Department
of Molecular Medicine, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida 33612, United States
| | - Maura V. Gongora
- Department
of Molecular Medicine, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida 33612, United States
| | - John Choy
- Department
Biology, School of Arts and Sciences, the
Catholic University of America, Washington, DC 20064, United States
| | - Xufang Deng
- Department
Physiological Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Oklahoma 74078, United States
- Oklahoma
Center for Respiratory and Infectious Diseases, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Oklahoma 74078, United States
| | - Yu Chen
- Department
of Molecular Medicine, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida 33612, United States
| | - Jun Wang
- Department
of Medicinal Chemistry, Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy, Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, New Jersey 08854, United States
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Purohit P, Panda M, Muya JT, Bandyopadhyay P, Meher BR. Theoretical insights into the binding interaction of Nirmatrelvir with SARS-CoV-2 Mpro mutants (C145A and C145S): MD simulations and binding free-energy calculation to understand drug resistance. J Biomol Struct Dyn 2023:1-20. [PMID: 37599474 DOI: 10.1080/07391102.2023.2248519] [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: 03/29/2023] [Accepted: 08/10/2023] [Indexed: 08/22/2023]
Abstract
Mpro, the main protease and a crucial enzyme in SARS-CoV-2 is the most fascinating molecular target for pharmacological treatment and is also liable for viral protein maturation. For antiviral therapy, no drugs have been approved clinically to date. Targeting the Mpro with a compound having inhibitory properties against it can hinder viral replication. The therapeutic potential of the antiviral compound Nirmatrelvir (NMV) against SARS-CoV-2 Mpro was investigated using a systematic approach of molecular docking, MD simulations, and binding free energy calculation based on the MM-GBSA method. NMV, a covalent inhibitor with a recently revealed chemical structure, is a promising oral antiviral clinical candidate with significant in vitro anti-SARS-CoV-2 action in third-phase clinical trials. To explore the therapeutic ability and possible drug resistance, the Mpro system was studied for WT and two of its primary mutants (C145A & C145S). The protein-ligand (Mpro/NMV) complexes were further examined through long MD simulations to check the possible drug resistance in the mutants. To understand the binding affinity, the MM-GBSA method was applied to the Mpro/NMV complexes. Moreover, PCA analysis confirms the detachment of the linker region from the major domains in C145S and C145A mutants allowing for conformational alterations in the active-site region. Based on the predicted biological activities and binding affinities of NMV to WT and mutant (C145A & C145S) Mpro, it can be stipulated that NMV may have conventional potency to act as an anti-viral agent against WT Mpro, while the catalytic-dyad mutations may show substantial mutation-induced drug resistance.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Priyanka Purohit
- Computational Biology and Bioinformatics Laboratory, PG Department of Botany, Berhampur University, Berhampur, India
| | - Madhusmita Panda
- Computational Biology and Bioinformatics Laboratory, PG Department of Botany, Berhampur University, Berhampur, India
| | - Jules Tshishimbi Muya
- Faculte of Science, Research Centre for Theoretical Chemistry and Physics in Central Africa, University of Kinshasa, Kinshasa, Congo
| | - Pradipta Bandyopadhyay
- School of Computational and Integrative Sciences, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, India
| | - Biswa Ranjan Meher
- Computational Biology and Bioinformatics Laboratory, PG Department of Botany, Berhampur University, Berhampur, India
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45
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Jimmidi R, Chamakuri S, Lu S, Ucisik MN, Chen PJ, Bohren KM, Moghadasi SA, Versteeg L, Nnabuife C, Li JY, Qin X, Chen YC, Faver JC, Nyshadham P, Sharma KL, Sankaran B, Judge A, Yu Z, Li F, Pollet J, Harris RS, Matzuk MM, Palzkill T, Young DW. DNA-encoded chemical libraries yield non-covalent and non-peptidic SARS-CoV-2 main protease inhibitors. Commun Chem 2023; 6:164. [PMID: 37542196 PMCID: PMC10403511 DOI: 10.1038/s42004-023-00961-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2023] [Accepted: 07/19/2023] [Indexed: 08/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The development of SARS-CoV-2 main protease (Mpro) inhibitors for the treatment of COVID-19 has mostly benefitted from X-ray structures and preexisting knowledge of inhibitors; however, an efficient method to generate Mpro inhibitors, which circumvents such information would be advantageous. As an alternative approach, we show here that DNA-encoded chemistry technology (DEC-Tec) can be used to discover inhibitors of Mpro. An affinity selection of a 4-billion-membered DNA-encoded chemical library (DECL) using Mpro as bait produces novel non-covalent and non-peptide-based small molecule inhibitors of Mpro with low nanomolar Ki values. Furthermore, these compounds demonstrate efficacy against mutant forms of Mpro that have shown resistance to the standard-of-care drug nirmatrelvir. Overall, this work demonstrates that DEC-Tec can efficiently generate novel and potent inhibitors without preliminary chemical or structural information.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ravikumar Jimmidi
- Center for Drug Discovery, Department of Pathology & Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, 77030, USA
| | - Srinivas Chamakuri
- Center for Drug Discovery, Department of Pathology & Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, 77030, USA.
| | - Shuo Lu
- Verna and Marrs McLean Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, 77030, USA
| | - Melek Nihan Ucisik
- Center for Drug Discovery, Department of Pathology & Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, 77030, USA
| | - Peng-Jen Chen
- Center for Drug Discovery, Department of Pathology & Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, 77030, USA
| | - Kurt M Bohren
- Center for Drug Discovery, Department of Pathology & Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, 77030, USA
| | - Seyed Arad Moghadasi
- Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, and Biophysics, University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, Minneapolis, Minnesota, 55455, USA
| | - Leroy Versteeg
- Department of Pediatrics, National School of Tropical Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, 77030, USA
- Center for Vaccine Development, Texas Children's Hospital, 1102 Bates Street, Houston, Texas, 77030, USA
| | - Christina Nnabuife
- Verna and Marrs McLean Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, 77030, USA
| | - Jian-Yuan Li
- Center for Drug Discovery, Department of Pathology & Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, 77030, USA
| | - Xuan Qin
- Center for Drug Discovery, Department of Pathology & Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, 77030, USA
| | - Ying-Chu Chen
- Center for Drug Discovery, Department of Pathology & Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, 77030, USA
| | - John C Faver
- Center for Drug Discovery, Department of Pathology & Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, 77030, USA
| | - Pranavanand Nyshadham
- Center for Drug Discovery, Department of Pathology & Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, 77030, USA
| | - Kiran L Sharma
- Center for Drug Discovery, Department of Pathology & Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, 77030, USA
| | - Banumathi Sankaran
- Department of Molecular Biophysics and Integrated Bioimaging, Berkeley Center for Structural Biology, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California, 94720, USA
| | - Allison Judge
- Verna and Marrs McLean Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, 77030, USA
| | - Zhifeng Yu
- Center for Drug Discovery, Department of Pathology & Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, 77030, USA
| | - Feng Li
- Center for Drug Discovery, Department of Pathology & Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, 77030, USA
- Verna and Marrs McLean Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, 77030, USA
| | - Jeroen Pollet
- Department of Pediatrics, National School of Tropical Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, 77030, USA
- Center for Vaccine Development, Texas Children's Hospital, 1102 Bates Street, Houston, Texas, 77030, USA
| | - Reuben S Harris
- Department of Biochemistry and Structural Biology, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas, 78229, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas, 78229, USA
| | - Martin M Matzuk
- Center for Drug Discovery, Department of Pathology & Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, 77030, USA
- Verna and Marrs McLean Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, 77030, USA
| | - Timothy Palzkill
- Verna and Marrs McLean Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, 77030, USA.
| | - Damian W Young
- Center for Drug Discovery, Department of Pathology & Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, 77030, USA.
- Verna and Marrs McLean Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, 77030, USA.
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Fink EA, Bardine C, Gahbauer S, Singh I, Detomasi TC, White K, Gu S, Wan X, Chen J, Ary B, Glenn I, O'Connell J, O'Donnell H, Fajtová P, Lyu J, Vigneron S, Young NJ, Kondratov IS, Alisoltani A, Simons LM, Lorenzo‐Redondo R, Ozer EA, Hultquist JF, O'Donoghue AJ, Moroz YS, Taunton J, Renslo AR, Irwin JJ, García‐Sastre A, Shoichet BK, Craik CS. Large library docking for novel SARS-CoV-2 main protease non-covalent and covalent inhibitors. Protein Sci 2023; 32:e4712. [PMID: 37354015 PMCID: PMC10364469 DOI: 10.1002/pro.4712] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2023] [Revised: 05/29/2023] [Accepted: 06/21/2023] [Indexed: 06/25/2023]
Abstract
Antiviral therapeutics to treat SARS-CoV-2 are needed to diminish the morbidity of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. A well-precedented drug target is the main viral protease (MPro ), which is targeted by an approved drug and by several investigational drugs. Emerging viral resistance has made new inhibitor chemotypes more pressing. Adopting a structure-based approach, we docked 1.2 billion non-covalent lead-like molecules and a new library of 6.5 million electrophiles against the enzyme structure. From these, 29 non-covalent and 11 covalent inhibitors were identified in 37 series, the most potent having an IC50 of 29 and 20 μM, respectively. Several series were optimized, resulting in low micromolar inhibitors. Subsequent crystallography confirmed the docking predicted binding modes and may template further optimization. While the new chemotypes may aid further optimization of MPro inhibitors for SARS-CoV-2, the modest success rate also reveals weaknesses in our approach for challenging targets like MPro versus other targets where it has been more successful, and versus other structure-based techniques against MPro itself.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elissa A. Fink
- Department of Pharmaceutical ChemistryUniversity of California‐San FranciscoSan FranciscoCaliforniaUSA
- Graduate Program in BiophysicsUniversity of California‐San FranciscoSan FranciscoCaliforniaUSA
| | - Conner Bardine
- Department of Pharmaceutical ChemistryUniversity of California‐San FranciscoSan FranciscoCaliforniaUSA
- Graduate Program in Chemistry and Chemical BiologyUniversity of California‐San FranciscoSan FranciscoCaliforniaUSA
| | - Stefan Gahbauer
- Department of Pharmaceutical ChemistryUniversity of California‐San FranciscoSan FranciscoCaliforniaUSA
| | - Isha Singh
- Department of Pharmaceutical ChemistryUniversity of California‐San FranciscoSan FranciscoCaliforniaUSA
| | - Tyler C. Detomasi
- Department of Pharmaceutical ChemistryUniversity of California‐San FranciscoSan FranciscoCaliforniaUSA
| | - Kris White
- Department of MicrobiologyIcahn School of Medicine at Mount SinaiNew YorkNew YorkUSA
- Global Health and Emerging Pathogens InstituteIcahn School of Medicine at Mount SinaiNew YorkNew YorkUSA
| | - Shuo Gu
- Department of Pharmaceutical ChemistryUniversity of California‐San FranciscoSan FranciscoCaliforniaUSA
| | - Xiaobo Wan
- Department of Pharmaceutical ChemistryUniversity of California‐San FranciscoSan FranciscoCaliforniaUSA
| | - Jun Chen
- Department of Pharmaceutical ChemistryUniversity of California‐San FranciscoSan FranciscoCaliforniaUSA
| | - Beatrice Ary
- Department of Pharmaceutical ChemistryUniversity of California‐San FranciscoSan FranciscoCaliforniaUSA
| | - Isabella Glenn
- Department of Pharmaceutical ChemistryUniversity of California‐San FranciscoSan FranciscoCaliforniaUSA
| | - Joseph O'Connell
- Department of Pharmaceutical ChemistryUniversity of California‐San FranciscoSan FranciscoCaliforniaUSA
| | - Henry O'Donnell
- Department of Pharmaceutical ChemistryUniversity of California‐San FranciscoSan FranciscoCaliforniaUSA
| | - Pavla Fajtová
- Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical SciencesUniversity of California‐San DiegoSan DiegoCaliforniaUSA
| | - Jiankun Lyu
- Department of Pharmaceutical ChemistryUniversity of California‐San FranciscoSan FranciscoCaliforniaUSA
| | - Seth Vigneron
- Department of Pharmaceutical ChemistryUniversity of California‐San FranciscoSan FranciscoCaliforniaUSA
| | - Nicholas J. Young
- Department of Pharmaceutical ChemistryUniversity of California‐San FranciscoSan FranciscoCaliforniaUSA
| | - Ivan S. Kondratov
- Enamine Ltd.KyïvUkraine
- V.P. Kukhar Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry and PetrochemistryNational Academy of Sciences of UkraineKyïvUkraine
| | - Arghavan Alisoltani
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Center for Pathogen Genomics and Microbial Evolution, Feinberg School of MedicineNorthwestern UniversityChicagoIllinoisUSA
| | - Lacy M. Simons
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Center for Pathogen Genomics and Microbial Evolution, Feinberg School of MedicineNorthwestern UniversityChicagoIllinoisUSA
| | - Ramon Lorenzo‐Redondo
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Center for Pathogen Genomics and Microbial Evolution, Feinberg School of MedicineNorthwestern UniversityChicagoIllinoisUSA
| | - Egon A. Ozer
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Center for Pathogen Genomics and Microbial Evolution, Feinberg School of MedicineNorthwestern UniversityChicagoIllinoisUSA
| | - Judd F. Hultquist
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Center for Pathogen Genomics and Microbial Evolution, Feinberg School of MedicineNorthwestern UniversityChicagoIllinoisUSA
| | - Anthony J. O'Donoghue
- Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical SciencesUniversity of California‐San DiegoSan DiegoCaliforniaUSA
| | - Yurii S. Moroz
- National Taras Shevchenko University of KyïvKyïvUkraine
- Chemspace LLCKyïvUkraine
| | - Jack Taunton
- Department of Cellular and Molecular PharmacologyUniversity of California‐San FranciscoSan FranciscoCaliforniaUSA
| | - Adam R. Renslo
- Department of Pharmaceutical ChemistryUniversity of California‐San FranciscoSan FranciscoCaliforniaUSA
| | - John J. Irwin
- Department of Pharmaceutical ChemistryUniversity of California‐San FranciscoSan FranciscoCaliforniaUSA
| | - Adolfo García‐Sastre
- Department of MicrobiologyIcahn School of Medicine at Mount SinaiNew YorkNew YorkUSA
- Global Health and Emerging Pathogens InstituteIcahn School of Medicine at Mount SinaiNew YorkNew YorkUSA
- Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious DiseasesIcahn School of Medicine at Mount SinaiNew YorkNew YorkUSA
- Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount SinaiNew YorkNew YorkUSA
- Department of Pathology, Molecular and Cell‐Based MedicineIcahn School of Medicine at Mount SinaiNew YorkNew YorkUSA
- QBI COVID‐19 Research Group (QCRG)San FranciscoCaliforniaUSA
| | - Brian K. Shoichet
- Department of Pharmaceutical ChemistryUniversity of California‐San FranciscoSan FranciscoCaliforniaUSA
- QBI COVID‐19 Research Group (QCRG)San FranciscoCaliforniaUSA
| | - Charles S. Craik
- Department of Pharmaceutical ChemistryUniversity of California‐San FranciscoSan FranciscoCaliforniaUSA
- QBI COVID‐19 Research Group (QCRG)San FranciscoCaliforniaUSA
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Kiso M, Yamayoshi S, Iida S, Furusawa Y, Hirata Y, Uraki R, Imai M, Suzuki T, Kawaoka Y. In vitro and in vivo characterization of SARS-CoV-2 resistance to ensitrelvir. Nat Commun 2023; 14:4231. [PMID: 37454219 PMCID: PMC10349878 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-40018-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2023] [Accepted: 07/06/2023] [Indexed: 07/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Ensitrelvir, an oral antiviral agent that targets a SARS-CoV-2 main protease (3CLpro or Nsp5), is clinically useful against SARS-CoV-2 including its omicron variants. Since most omicron subvariants have reduced sensitivity to most monoclonal antibody therapies, SARS-CoV-2 resistance to other antivirals including main protease inhibitors such as ensitrelvir is a major public health concern. Here, repeating passages of SARS-CoV-2 in the presence of ensitrelvir revealed that the M49L and E166A substitutions in Nsp5 are responsible for reduced sensitivity to ensitrelvir. Both substitutions reduced in vitro virus growth in the absence of ensitrelvir. The combination of the M49L and E166A substitutions allowed the virus to largely evade the suppressive effect of ensitrelvir in vitro. The virus possessing Nsp5-M49L showed similar pathogenicity to wild-type virus, whereas the virus possessing Nsp5-E166A or Nsp5-M49L/E166A slightly attenuated. Ensitrelvir treatment of hamsters infected with the virus possessing Nsp5-M49L/E166A was ineffective; however, nirmatrelvir or molnupiravir treatment was effective. Therefore, it is important to closely monitor the emergence of ensitrelvir-resistant SARS-CoV-2 variants to guide antiviral treatment selection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maki Kiso
- Division of Virology, Institute of Medical Science, University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Seiya Yamayoshi
- Division of Virology, Institute of Medical Science, University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.
- International Research Center for Infectious Diseases, Institute of Medical Science, University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.
- The Research Center for Global Viral Diseases, National Center for Global Health and Medicine Research Institute, Tokyo, Japan.
| | - Shun Iida
- Department of Pathology, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yuri Furusawa
- Division of Virology, Institute of Medical Science, University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
- The Research Center for Global Viral Diseases, National Center for Global Health and Medicine Research Institute, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yuichiro Hirata
- Department of Pathology, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Ryuta Uraki
- Division of Virology, Institute of Medical Science, University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
- The Research Center for Global Viral Diseases, National Center for Global Health and Medicine Research Institute, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Masaki Imai
- Division of Virology, Institute of Medical Science, University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
- International Research Center for Infectious Diseases, Institute of Medical Science, University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
- The Research Center for Global Viral Diseases, National Center for Global Health and Medicine Research Institute, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Tadaki Suzuki
- Department of Pathology, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yoshihiro Kawaoka
- Division of Virology, Institute of Medical Science, University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.
- The Research Center for Global Viral Diseases, National Center for Global Health and Medicine Research Institute, Tokyo, Japan.
- The University of Tokyo Pandemic Preparedness, Infection and Advanced Research Center, Tokyo, Japan.
- Department of Pathobiological Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA.
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48
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Flynn JM, Huang QYJ, Zvornicanin SN, Schneider-Nachum G, Shaqra AM, Yilmaz NK, Moquin SA, Dovala D, Schiffer CA, Bolon DN. Systematic Analyses of the Resistance Potential of Drugs Targeting SARS-CoV-2 Main Protease. ACS Infect Dis 2023; 9:1372-1386. [PMID: 37390404 PMCID: PMC11161032 DOI: 10.1021/acsinfecdis.3c00125] [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] [Indexed: 07/02/2023]
Abstract
Drugs that target the main protease (Mpro) of SARS-CoV-2 are effective therapeutics that have entered clinical use. Wide-scale use of these drugs will apply selection pressure for the evolution of resistance mutations. To understand resistance potential in Mpro, we performed comprehensive surveys of amino acid changes that can cause resistance to nirmatrelvir (Pfizer), and ensitrelvir (Xocova) in a yeast screen. We identified 142 resistance mutations for nirmatrelvir and 177 for ensitrelvir, many of which have not been previously reported. Ninety-nine mutations caused apparent resistance to both inhibitors, suggesting likelihood for the evolution of cross-resistance. The mutation with the strongest drug resistance score against nirmatrelvir in our study (E166V) was the most impactful resistance mutation recently reported in multiple viral passaging studies. Many mutations that exhibited inhibitor-specific resistance were consistent with the distinct interactions of each inhibitor in the substrate binding site. In addition, mutants with strong drug resistance scores tended to have reduced function. Our results indicate that strong pressure from nirmatrelvir or ensitrelvir will select for multiple distinct-resistant lineages that will include both primary resistance mutations that weaken interactions with drug while decreasing enzyme function and compensatory mutations that increase enzyme activity. The comprehensive identification of resistance mutations enables the design of inhibitors with reduced potential of developing resistance and aids in the surveillance of drug resistance in circulating viral populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia M. Flynn
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biotechnology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
| | - Qiu Yu J. Huang
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biotechnology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
| | - Sarah N. Zvornicanin
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biotechnology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
| | - Gila Schneider-Nachum
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biotechnology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
| | - Ala M. Shaqra
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biotechnology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
| | - Nese Kurt Yilmaz
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biotechnology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
| | | | - Dustin Dovala
- Novartis Institute for Biomedical Research, Emeryville, CA 94608, USA
| | - Celia A. Schiffer
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biotechnology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
| | - Daniel N.A. Bolon
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biotechnology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
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49
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Jiang H, Zhou Y, Zou X, Hu X, Wang J, Zeng P, Li W, Zeng X, Zhang J, Li J. Evaluation of the Inhibition Potency of Nirmatrelvir against Main Protease Mutants of SARS-CoV-2 Variants. Biochemistry 2023; 62:2055-2064. [PMID: 37222536 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biochem.3c00075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
SARS-CoV-2 continues to pose a threat to public health. Main protease (Mpro) is one of the most lucrative drug targets for developing specific antivirals against SARS-CoV-2 infection. By targeting Mpro, peptidomimetic nirmatrelvir is able to inhibit viral replication of SARS-CoV-2 and reduce the risk for progression to severe COVID-19. However, multiple mutations in the gene encoding Mpro of emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants raise a concern of drug resistance. In the present study, we expressed 16 previously reported SARS-CoV-2 Mpro mutants (G15S, T25I, T45I, S46F, S46P, D48N, M49I, L50F, L89F, K90R, P132H, N142S, V186F, R188K, T190I, and A191V). We evaluated the inhibition potency of nirmatrelvir against these Mpro mutants and solved the crystal structures of representative Mpro mutants of SARS-CoV-2 bound to nirmatrelvir. Enzymatic inhibition assays revealed that these Mpro variants remain susceptible to nirmatrelvir as the wildtype. Detailed analysis and structural comparison provided the inhibition mechanism of Mpro mutants by nirmatrelvir. These results informed the ongoing genomic surveillance of drug resistance of emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants to nirmatrelvir and facilitate the development of next-generation anticoronavirus drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haihai Jiang
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Nanchang University, Nanchang 330031, China
| | - Yanru Zhou
- College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Gannan Medical University, Ganzhou 341000, China
| | - Xiaofang Zou
- Shenzhen Crystalo Biopharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Shenzhen 518118, China
- Jiangxi Jmerry Biopharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Ganzhou 341000, China
| | - Xiaohui Hu
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Nanchang University, Nanchang 330031, China
| | - Jie Wang
- Shenzhen Crystalo Biopharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Shenzhen 518118, China
| | - Pei Zeng
- Shenzhen Crystalo Biopharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Shenzhen 518118, China
| | - Wenwen Li
- Shenzhen Crystalo Biopharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Shenzhen 518118, China
| | - Xiangyi Zeng
- Shenzhen Crystalo Biopharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Shenzhen 518118, China
| | - Jin Zhang
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Nanchang University, Nanchang 330031, China
| | - Jian Li
- College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Gannan Medical University, Ganzhou 341000, China
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50
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Pagliano P, Spera A, Sellitto C, Scarpati G, Folliero V, Piazza O, Franci G, Conti V, Ascione T. Preclinical discovery and development of nirmatrelvir/ritonavir combinational therapy for the treatment of COVID-19 and the lessons learned from SARS-COV-2 variants. Expert Opin Drug Discov 2023; 18:1301-1311. [PMID: 37614103 DOI: 10.1080/17460441.2023.2248879] [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: 03/25/2023] [Accepted: 08/14/2023] [Indexed: 08/25/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Nirmatrelvir/ritonavir (Paxlovid®) represent an oral antiviral therapy approved for the treatment of COVID-19. Extensive in vitro and in vivo studies have reported the promising activity of nirmatrelvir/ritonavir against numerous emerging viruses. This combination consists of nirmatrelvir, a protease reversible inhibitor of coronavirus 3CLpro mainly metabolized by cytochrome P450 (CYP)3A4, and ritonavir, an inhibitor of the CYP3A isoforms that enhances the efficacy of nirmatrelvir by fixing its suboptimal pharmacokinetic properties. AREAS COVERED This review comprehensively examines the efficacy of nirmatrelvir/ritonavir through rigorous analysis of in vitro and in vivo studies. Moreover, it thoroughly assesses its safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics, and antiviral efficacy against SARS-COV-2 infection, based on the main pre-authorization randomized controlled trials. EXPERT OPINION Nirmatrelvir/ritonavir has a good tolerability profile. Its administration during the early stages of mild-to-moderate COVID-19 holds potential benefits, as it can help prevent the onset of an aberrant immune response that could lead to pulmonary and extra-pulmonary complications. However, its drug - drug interactions can be a factor limiting its use, at least in populations on some chronic therapies, along with the risk of infection relapse after treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pasquale Pagliano
- Department of Medicine, Surgery and Dentistry, "Scuola Medica Salernitana", Unit of Infectious Diseases, University of Salerno, Baronissi, Italy
| | - Annamaria Spera
- Department of Medicine, Surgery and Dentistry, "Scuola Medica Salernitana", Unit of Infectious Diseases, University of Salerno, Baronissi, Italy
| | - Carmine Sellitto
- Department of Medicine, Surgery and Dentistry, "Scuola Medica Salernitana", Unit of Pharmacology, University of Salerno, Baronissi, Italy
| | - Giuliana Scarpati
- Department of Medicine, Surgery and Dentistry, "Scuola Medica Salernitana", Unit of Anesthesiology, University of Salerno, Baronissi, Italy
| | - Veronica Folliero
- Department of Medicine, Surgery and Dentistry "Scuola Medica Salernitana", Unit of Microbiology, University of Salerno, Baronissi, Italy
| | - Ornella Piazza
- Department of Medicine, Surgery and Dentistry, "Scuola Medica Salernitana", Unit of Anesthesiology, University of Salerno, Baronissi, Italy
| | - Gianluigi Franci
- Department of Medicine, Surgery and Dentistry "Scuola Medica Salernitana", Unit of Microbiology, University of Salerno, Baronissi, Italy
| | - Valeria Conti
- Department of Medicine, Surgery and Dentistry, "Scuola Medica Salernitana", Unit of Pharmacology, University of Salerno, Baronissi, Italy
| | - Tiziana Ascione
- Department of Medicine, Service of Infectious Diseases, Cardarelli Hospital, Naples, Italy
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