1
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Song MH, Sun Y, Qiu XB. Hijacking autophagy for infection by flaviviruses. Virus Res 2024; 347:199422. [PMID: 38901564 PMCID: PMC11252935 DOI: 10.1016/j.virusres.2024.199422] [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: 03/10/2024] [Revised: 06/08/2024] [Accepted: 06/17/2024] [Indexed: 06/22/2024]
Abstract
Autophagy is a lysosomal degradative pathway, which regulates the homeostasis of eukaryotic cells. This pathway can degrade misfolded or aggregated proteins, clear damaged organelles, and eliminate intracellular pathogens, including viruses, bacteria, and parasites. But, not all types of viruses are eliminated by autophagy. Flaviviruses (e.g., Yellow fever, Japanese encephalitis, Hepatitis C, Dengue, Zika, and West Nile viruses) are single-stranded and enveloped RNA viruses, and transmitted to humans primarily through the bites of arthropods, leading to severe and widespread illnesses. Like the coronavirus SARS-CoV-II, flaviviruses hijack autophagy for their infection and escape from host immune clearance. Thus, it is possible to control these viral infections by inhibiting autophagy. In this review, we summarize recent research progresses on hijacking of autophagy by flaviviruses and discuss the feasibility of antiviral therapies using autophagy inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ming-Hui Song
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 211198, China
| | - Yan Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 211198, China
| | - Xiao-Bo Qiu
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 211198, China; Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Cell Proliferation & Regulation Biology, College of Life Sciences, Beijing Normal University, 19 Xinjiekouwai Avenue, Beijing 100875, China.
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2
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Kiemel D, Kroell ASH, Denolly S, Haselmann U, Bonfanti JF, Andres JI, Ghosh B, Geluykens P, Kaptein SJF, Wilken L, Scaturro P, Neyts J, Van Loock M, Goethals O, Bartenschlager R. Pan-serotype dengue virus inhibitor JNJ-A07 targets NS4A-2K-NS4B interaction with NS2B/NS3 and blocks replication organelle formation. Nat Commun 2024; 15:6080. [PMID: 39030239 PMCID: PMC11271582 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-50437-3] [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: 06/26/2023] [Accepted: 07/05/2024] [Indexed: 07/21/2024] Open
Abstract
Dengue fever represents a significant medical and socio-economic burden in (sub)tropical regions, yet antivirals for treatment or prophylaxis are lacking. JNJ-A07 was described as highly active against the different genotypes within each serotype of the disease-causing dengue virus (DENV). Based on clustering of resistance mutations it has been assumed to target DENV non-structural protein 4B (NS4B). Using a photoaffinity labeling compound with high structural similarity to JNJ-A07, here we demonstrate binding to NS4B and its precursor NS4A-2K-NS4B. Consistently, we report recruitment of the compound to intracellular sites enriched for these proteins. We further specify the mechanism-of-action of JNJ-A07, which has virtually no effect on viral polyprotein cleavage, but targets the interaction between the NS2B/NS3 protease/helicase complex and the NS4A-2K-NS4B cleavage intermediate. This interaction is functionally linked to de novo formation of vesicle packets (VPs), the sites of DENV RNA replication. JNJ-A07 blocks VPs biogenesis with little effect on established ones. A similar mechanism-of-action was found for another NS4B inhibitor, NITD-688. In summary, we unravel the antiviral mechanism of these NS4B-targeting molecules and show how DENV employs a short-lived cleavage intermediate to carry out an early step of the viral life cycle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dominik Kiemel
- Heidelberg University, Medical Faculty Heidelberg, Department of Infectious Diseases, Molecular Virology, Center for Integrative Infectious Disease Research, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Ann-Sophie Helene Kroell
- Heidelberg University, Medical Faculty Heidelberg, Department of Infectious Diseases, Molecular Virology, Center for Integrative Infectious Disease Research, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Solène Denolly
- Heidelberg University, Medical Faculty Heidelberg, Department of Infectious Diseases, Molecular Virology, Center for Integrative Infectious Disease Research, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Uta Haselmann
- Heidelberg University, Medical Faculty Heidelberg, Department of Infectious Diseases, Molecular Virology, Center for Integrative Infectious Disease Research, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Jean-François Bonfanti
- Janssen Infectious Diseases Discovery, Janssen-Cilag, Val de Reuil, France
- Evotec, Toulouse, France
| | - Jose Ignacio Andres
- Discovery Chemistry, Janssen R&D, a Johnson & Johnson company, Toledo, Spain
| | - Brahma Ghosh
- Discovery Chemistry, Janssen R&D, a Johnson & Johnson company, Spring House, PA, USA
| | | | - Suzanne J F Kaptein
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Rega Institute for Medical Research, Laboratory of Virology and Chemotherapy, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | | | | | - Johan Neyts
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Rega Institute for Medical Research, Laboratory of Virology and Chemotherapy, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Marnix Van Loock
- Janssen Global Public Health, Janssen Pharmaceutica NV, a Johnson & Johnson company, Beerse, Belgium
| | - Olivia Goethals
- Janssen Global Public Health, Janssen Pharmaceutica NV, a Johnson & Johnson company, Beerse, Belgium
| | - Ralf Bartenschlager
- Heidelberg University, Medical Faculty Heidelberg, Department of Infectious Diseases, Molecular Virology, Center for Integrative Infectious Disease Research, Heidelberg, Germany.
- German Centre for Infection Research, Heidelberg partner site, Heidelberg, Germany.
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3
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Tam EH, Peng Y, Cheah MXY, Yan C, Xiao T. Neutralizing antibodies to block viral entry and for identification of entry inhibitors. Antiviral Res 2024; 224:105834. [PMID: 38369246 DOI: 10.1016/j.antiviral.2024.105834] [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: 02/01/2024] [Accepted: 02/07/2024] [Indexed: 02/20/2024]
Abstract
Neutralizing antibodies (NAbs) are naturally produced by our immune system to combat viral infections. Clinically, neutralizing antibodies with potent efficacy and high specificity have been extensively used to prevent and treat a wide variety of viral infections, including Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), Dengue Virus (DENV) and Hepatitis B Virus (HBV). An overwhelmingly large subset of clinically effective NAbs operates by targeting viral envelope proteins to inhibit viral entry into the host cell. Binding of viral envelope protein to the host receptor is a critical rate limiting step triggering a cascade of downstream events, including endocytosis, membrane fusion and pore formation to allow viral entry. In recent years, improved structural knowledge on these processes have allowed researchers to also leverage NAbs as an indispensable tool in guiding discovery of novel antiviral entry inhibitors, providing drug candidates with high efficacy and pan-genus specificity. This review will summarize the latest progresses on the applications of NAbs as effective entry inhibitors and as important tools to develop antiviral therapeutics by high-throughput drug screenings, rational design of peptidic entry inhibitor mimicking NAbs and in silico computational modeling approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ee Hong Tam
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University 637551, Singapore; Institute of Structural Biology, Nanyang Technological University 636921, Singapore
| | - Yu Peng
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University 637551, Singapore; Institute of Structural Biology, Nanyang Technological University 636921, Singapore
| | - Megan Xin Yan Cheah
- Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, A*STAR (Agency of Science, Technology and Research) 138673, Singapore
| | - Chuan Yan
- Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, A*STAR (Agency of Science, Technology and Research) 138673, Singapore
| | - Tianshu Xiao
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University 637551, Singapore; Institute of Structural Biology, Nanyang Technological University 636921, Singapore.
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4
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Li LH, Chiu W, Huang YA, Rasulova M, Vercruysse T, Thibaut HJ, Ter Horst S, Rocha-Pereira J, Vanhoof G, Borrenberghs D, Goethals O, Kaptein SJF, Leyssen P, Neyts J, Dallmeier K. Multiplexed multicolor antiviral assay amenable for high-throughput research. Nat Commun 2024; 15:42. [PMID: 38168091 PMCID: PMC10761739 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-44339-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: 02/09/2023] [Accepted: 12/08/2023] [Indexed: 01/05/2024] Open
Abstract
To curb viral epidemics and pandemics, antiviral drugs are needed with activity against entire genera or families of viruses. Here, we develop a cell-based multiplex antiviral assay for high-throughput screening against multiple viruses at once, as demonstrated by using three distantly related orthoflaviviruses: dengue, Japanese encephalitis and yellow fever virus. Each virus is tagged with a distinct fluorescent protein, enabling individual monitoring in cell culture through high-content imaging. Specific antisera and small-molecule inhibitors are employed to validate that multiplexing approach yields comparable inhibition profiles to single-virus infection assays. To facilitate downstream analysis, a kernel is developed to deconvolute and reduce the multidimensional quantitative data to three cartesian coordinates. The methodology is applicable to viruses from different families as exemplified by co-infections with chikungunya, parainfluenza and Bunyamwera viruses. The multiplex approach is expected to facilitate the discovery of broader-spectrum antivirals, as shown in a pilot screen of approximately 1200 drug-like small-molecules.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li-Hsin Li
- KU Leuven Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Rega Institute, Laboratory of Virology and Chemotherapy, Leuven, Belgium
- Molecular Vaccinology and Vaccine Discovery group, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Winston Chiu
- KU Leuven Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Rega Institute, Laboratory of Virology and Chemotherapy, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Yun-An Huang
- KU Leuven Department of Neuroscience, Research Group Neurophysiology, Laboratory for Circuit Neuroscience, Leuven, Belgium
- Vlaams Instituut voor Biotechnologie, Neuro-Electronics Research Flanders (NERF), Leuven, Belgium
| | - Madina Rasulova
- KU Leuven Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Rega Institute, Laboratory of Virology and Chemotherapy, Translational Platform Virology and Chemotherapy (TPVC), Leuven, Belgium
| | - Thomas Vercruysse
- KU Leuven Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Rega Institute, Laboratory of Virology and Chemotherapy, Translational Platform Virology and Chemotherapy (TPVC), Leuven, Belgium
- AstriVax, Heverlee, Belgium
| | - Hendrik Jan Thibaut
- KU Leuven Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Rega Institute, Laboratory of Virology and Chemotherapy, Translational Platform Virology and Chemotherapy (TPVC), Leuven, Belgium
| | - Sebastiaan Ter Horst
- KU Leuven Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Rega Institute, Laboratory of Virology and Chemotherapy, Leuven, Belgium
- Cerba Research, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Joana Rocha-Pereira
- KU Leuven Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Rega Institute, Laboratory of Virology and Chemotherapy, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Greet Vanhoof
- Janssen Therapeutics Discovery, Janssen Pharmaceutica, NV, Beerse, Belgium
| | | | - Olivia Goethals
- Janssen Global Public Health, Janssen Pharmaceutica, NV, Beerse, Belgium
| | - Suzanne J F Kaptein
- KU Leuven Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Rega Institute, Laboratory of Virology and Chemotherapy, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Pieter Leyssen
- KU Leuven Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Rega Institute, Laboratory of Virology and Chemotherapy, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Johan Neyts
- KU Leuven Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Rega Institute, Laboratory of Virology and Chemotherapy, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Kai Dallmeier
- KU Leuven Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Rega Institute, Laboratory of Virology and Chemotherapy, Leuven, Belgium.
- Molecular Vaccinology and Vaccine Discovery group, Leuven, Belgium.
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5
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Kazakova E, Lane TR, Jones T, Puhl AC, Riabova O, Makarov V, Ekins S. 1-Sulfonyl-3-amino-1 H-1,2,4-triazoles as Yellow Fever Virus Inhibitors: Synthesis and Structure-Activity Relationship. ACS OMEGA 2023; 8:42951-42965. [PMID: 38024733 PMCID: PMC10653066 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.3c06106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2023] [Revised: 10/10/2023] [Accepted: 10/12/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023]
Abstract
Yellow fever virus (YFV) transmitted by infected mosquitoes causes an acute viral disease for which there are no approved small-molecule therapeutics. Our recently developed machine learning models for YFV inhibitors led to the selection of a new pyrazolesulfonamide derivative RCB16003 with acceptable in vitro activity. We report that the N-phenyl-1-(phenylsulfonyl)-1H-1,2,4-triazol-3-amine class, which was recently identified as active non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors against HIV-1, can also be repositioned as inhibitors of yellow fever virus replication. As compared to other Flaviviridae or Togaviridae family viruses tested, both compounds RCB16003 and RCB16007 demonstrate selectivity for YFV over related viruses, with only RCB16007 showing some inhibition of the West Nile virus (EC50 7.9 μM, CC50 17 μM, SI 2.2). We also describe the absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion (ADME) in vitro and pharmacokinetics (PK) for RCB16007 in mice. This compound had previously been shown to not inhibit hERG, and we now describe that it has good metabolic stability in mouse and human liver microsomes, low levels of CYP inhibition, high protein binding, and no indication of efflux in Caco-2 cells. A single-dose oral PK study in mice has a T1/2 of 3.4 h and Cmax of 1190 ng/mL, suggesting good availability and stability. We now propose that the N-phenyl-1-(phenylsulfonyl)-1H-1,2,4-triazol-3-amine class may be prioritized for in vivo efficacy testing against YFV.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena Kazakova
- Federal
Research Centre “Fundamentals of Biotechnology” of the
Russian Academy of Sciences (Research Centre of Biotechnology RAS), 33-2 Leninsky Prospect, 119071 Moscow, Russia
| | - Thomas R. Lane
- Collaborations
Pharmaceuticals, Inc., 840 Main Campus Drive, Lab 3510, Raleigh, North Carolina 27606, United States
| | - Thane Jones
- Collaborations
Pharmaceuticals, Inc., 840 Main Campus Drive, Lab 3510, Raleigh, North Carolina 27606, United States
| | - Ana C. Puhl
- Collaborations
Pharmaceuticals, Inc., 840 Main Campus Drive, Lab 3510, Raleigh, North Carolina 27606, United States
| | - Olga Riabova
- Federal
Research Centre “Fundamentals of Biotechnology” of the
Russian Academy of Sciences (Research Centre of Biotechnology RAS), 33-2 Leninsky Prospect, 119071 Moscow, Russia
| | - Vadim Makarov
- Federal
Research Centre “Fundamentals of Biotechnology” of the
Russian Academy of Sciences (Research Centre of Biotechnology RAS), 33-2 Leninsky Prospect, 119071 Moscow, Russia
| | - Sean Ekins
- Collaborations
Pharmaceuticals, Inc., 840 Main Campus Drive, Lab 3510, Raleigh, North Carolina 27606, United States
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6
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Ren H, Wang J, Tang H, Qian X, Xia B, Luo Z, Xu Z, Qi Z, Zhao P. Tiratricol inhibits yellow fever virus replication through targeting viral RNA-dependent RNA polymerase of NS5. Antiviral Res 2023; 219:105737. [PMID: 37879570 DOI: 10.1016/j.antiviral.2023.105737] [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: 07/06/2023] [Revised: 10/06/2023] [Accepted: 10/18/2023] [Indexed: 10/27/2023]
Abstract
Yellow fever virus (YFV) infection is a major public concern that threatens a large population in South America and Africa. No specific antiviral drugs are available for treating yellow fever. Here, we report that tiratricol (triiodothyroacetic acid, TRIAC), a clinically approved drug used to treat thyroid hormone resistance syndrome (THRS), is a potent YFV inhibitor both in host cells and in animal models.An in vitro study demonstrates that TRIAC remarkably suppresses viral RNA synthesis and protein expression in a dose-dependent manner in human hepatoma cell lines (Huh-7) with an EC50 value of 2.07 μM and a CC50 value of 385.77 μM respectively. The surface plasmon resonance assay and molecular docking analysis indicate that TRIAC hinders viral replication by binding to the RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) domain of viral nonstructural protein NS5, probably through interacting with the active sites of RdRp.The inhibitory effect of TRIAC in vivo is also confirmed in 3-week old C57BL/6 mice challenged with YFV infection, from which the survival of the mice as well as lesions and infection in their tissues and serum issignificantly promoted following oral administration of TRIAC (0.2 mg/kg/day). Additionally, TRIAC shows a broad-spectrum antiviral activity against multiple flaviviruses such as TBEV, WNV,ZIKV, andJEV in vitro. Our data demonstrate that the TH analogue TRIAC is an effective anti-YFV compound and may act as a potential therapeutic candidate for the treatment of YFV infection if its clinical importance is determined in patients in future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hao Ren
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Naval Medicine, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Medical Biodefense, Naval Medical University, Shanghai, China
| | - Jiaqi Wang
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Naval Medicine, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Medical Biodefense, Naval Medical University, Shanghai, China
| | - Hailin Tang
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Naval Medicine, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Medical Biodefense, Naval Medical University, Shanghai, China
| | - Xijing Qian
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Naval Medicine, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Medical Biodefense, Naval Medical University, Shanghai, China
| | - Binghui Xia
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Naval Medicine, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Medical Biodefense, Naval Medical University, Shanghai, China
| | - Zhenghan Luo
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Naval Medicine, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Medical Biodefense, Naval Medical University, Shanghai, China
| | - Zhenghao Xu
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Naval Medicine, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Medical Biodefense, Naval Medical University, Shanghai, China
| | - Zhongtian Qi
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Naval Medicine, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Medical Biodefense, Naval Medical University, Shanghai, China.
| | - Ping Zhao
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Naval Medicine, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Medical Biodefense, Naval Medical University, Shanghai, China.
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7
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Binderup A, Galli A, Fossat N, Fernandez-Antunez C, Mikkelsen LS, Rivera-Rangel LR, Scheel TKH, Fahnøe U, Bukh J, Ramirez S. Differential activity of nucleotide analogs against tick-borne encephalitis and yellow fever viruses in human cell lines. Virology 2023; 585:179-185. [PMID: 37356253 DOI: 10.1016/j.virol.2023.06.002] [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: 03/04/2023] [Revised: 05/25/2023] [Accepted: 06/05/2023] [Indexed: 06/27/2023]
Abstract
With no approved antiviral therapies, the continuous emergence and re-emergence of tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV) and yellow fever virus (YFV) is a rising concern. We performed head-to-head comparisons of the antiviral activity of available nucleos(t)ide analogs (nucs) using relevant human cell lines. Eight existing nucs inhibited TBEV and/or YFV with differential activity between cell lines and viruses. Remdesivir, uprifosbuvir and sofosbuvir were the most potent drugs against TBEV and YFV in liver cells, but they had reduced activity in neural cells, whereas galidesivir retained uniform activity across cell lines and viruses. Ribavirin, valopicitabine, molnupiravir and GS-6620 exhibited only moderate antiviral activity. We found antiviral activity for drugs previously reported as inactive, demonstrating the importance of using human cell lines and comparative experimental assays when screening the activity of nucs. The relatively high antiviral activity of remdesivir, sofosbuvir and uprifosbuvir against TBEV and YFV merits further investigation in clinical studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alekxander Binderup
- Copenhagen Hepatitis C Program (CO-HEP), Department of Infectious Diseases, Copenhagen University Hospital, Hvidovre and Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Andrea Galli
- Copenhagen Hepatitis C Program (CO-HEP), Department of Infectious Diseases, Copenhagen University Hospital, Hvidovre and Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Nicolas Fossat
- Copenhagen Hepatitis C Program (CO-HEP), Department of Infectious Diseases, Copenhagen University Hospital, Hvidovre and Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Carlota Fernandez-Antunez
- Copenhagen Hepatitis C Program (CO-HEP), Department of Infectious Diseases, Copenhagen University Hospital, Hvidovre and Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Lotte S Mikkelsen
- Copenhagen Hepatitis C Program (CO-HEP), Department of Infectious Diseases, Copenhagen University Hospital, Hvidovre and Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Lizandro René Rivera-Rangel
- Copenhagen Hepatitis C Program (CO-HEP), Department of Infectious Diseases, Copenhagen University Hospital, Hvidovre and Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Troels K H Scheel
- Copenhagen Hepatitis C Program (CO-HEP), Department of Infectious Diseases, Copenhagen University Hospital, Hvidovre and Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Ulrik Fahnøe
- Copenhagen Hepatitis C Program (CO-HEP), Department of Infectious Diseases, Copenhagen University Hospital, Hvidovre and Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Jens Bukh
- Copenhagen Hepatitis C Program (CO-HEP), Department of Infectious Diseases, Copenhagen University Hospital, Hvidovre and Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Santseharay Ramirez
- Copenhagen Hepatitis C Program (CO-HEP), Department of Infectious Diseases, Copenhagen University Hospital, Hvidovre and Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
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8
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van den Elsen K, Chew BLA, Ho JS, Luo D. Flavivirus nonstructural proteins and replication complexes as antiviral drug targets. Curr Opin Virol 2023; 59:101305. [PMID: 36870091 PMCID: PMC10023477 DOI: 10.1016/j.coviro.2023.101305] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2022] [Revised: 01/02/2023] [Accepted: 01/17/2023] [Indexed: 03/06/2023]
Abstract
Many flaviviruses are well-known pathogens, such as dengue, Zika, Japanese encephalitis, and yellow fever viruses. Among them, dengue viruses cause global epidemics and threaten billions of people. Effective vaccines and antivirals are in desperate need. In this review, we focus on the recent advances in understanding viral nonstructural (NS) proteins as antiviral drug targets. We briefly summarize the experimental structures and predicted models of flaviviral NS proteins and their functions. We highlight a few well-characterized inhibitors targeting these NS proteins and provide an update about the latest development. NS4B emerges as one of the most promising drug targets as novel inhibitors targeting NS4B and its interaction network are entering clinical studies. Studies aiming to elucidate the architecture and molecular basis of viral replication will offer new opportunities for novel antiviral discovery. Direct-acting agents against dengue and other pathogenic flaviviruses may be available very soon.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaïn van den Elsen
- Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Nanyang Technological University, EMB 03-07, 59 Nanyang Drive, Singapore 636921, Singapore; NTU Institute of Structural Biology, Nanyang Technological University, EMB 06-01, 59 Nanyang Drive, Singapore 636921, Singapore; Living Systems Institute, University of Exeter, Exeter EX4 4QD, UK
| | - Bing Liang Alvin Chew
- Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Nanyang Technological University, EMB 03-07, 59 Nanyang Drive, Singapore 636921, Singapore; NTU Institute of Structural Biology, Nanyang Technological University, EMB 06-01, 59 Nanyang Drive, Singapore 636921, Singapore
| | - Jun Sheng Ho
- Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Nanyang Technological University, EMB 03-07, 59 Nanyang Drive, Singapore 636921, Singapore; School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, 60 Nanyang Drive, Singapore 636921, Singapore
| | - Dahai Luo
- Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Nanyang Technological University, EMB 03-07, 59 Nanyang Drive, Singapore 636921, Singapore; NTU Institute of Structural Biology, Nanyang Technological University, EMB 06-01, 59 Nanyang Drive, Singapore 636921, Singapore.
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9
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Synthesis and evaluation of anti-yellow fever virus activity of new 6-aryl-3-R-amino-1,2,4-triazin-5(4H)-ones. Eur J Med Chem 2023; 248:115117. [PMID: 36657300 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2023.115117] [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: 11/08/2022] [Revised: 01/08/2023] [Accepted: 01/10/2023] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
Yellow fever disease is one of public health concerns in the tropics. Despite its significant medicinal and economic impact among large groups of the population, there is a lack of effective treatment against yellow fever. In this regard, here we describe the synthesis of a series of new 6-aryl-3-R-amino-1,2,4-triazin-5(4H)-ones and evaluation of their in vitro inhibitory activity against yellow fever virus. Among all tested compounds 4 derivatives possessing strong inhibitory activity at μM concentrations were identified. All the active compounds revealed a good toxicity profile. These facts make the compounds interesting candidates for further evaluation of their efficacy in the treatment of yellow fever virus infection in vivo.
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10
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Teli S, Teli P, Soni S, Sahiba N, Agarwal S. Synthetic aspects of 1,4- and 1,5-benzodiazepines using o-phenylenediamine: a study of past quinquennial. RSC Adv 2023; 13:3694-3714. [PMID: 36756601 PMCID: PMC9890949 DOI: 10.1039/d2ra06045k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2022] [Accepted: 01/09/2023] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Benzodiazepines, seven-membered heterocyclic compounds having two nitrogen atoms at different positions, are ruling scaffolds in the area of pharmaceutical industry. They act as cardinal moieties in organic synthesis as well as in medicinal chemistry. Among the different benzodiazepines, 1,4- and 1,5-benzodiazepines play a far-reaching role in the field of biological activities such as anticonvulsion, anti-anxiety, sedation, and hypnotics. In the past few decades, researchers have conducted a lot of work on these moieties and developed broad, valuable, and significant approaches for their synthesis. In this review article, we recapitulate the systematic synthetic strategies of 1,4- and 1,5-benzodiazepines using o-phenylenediamine as a precursor over the past five years (2018-2022). This article will be helpful for scientists and researchers to examine and explore novel and efficient methods for the synthesis of these biologically active moieties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sunita Teli
- Synthetic Organic Chemistry Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, MLSU Udaipur-313001 Rajasthan India
| | - Pankaj Teli
- Synthetic Organic Chemistry Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, MLSU Udaipur-313001 Rajasthan India
| | - Shivani Soni
- Synthetic Organic Chemistry Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, MLSU Udaipur-313001 Rajasthan India
| | - Nusrat Sahiba
- Synthetic Organic Chemistry Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, MLSU Udaipur-313001 Rajasthan India
| | - Shikha Agarwal
- Synthetic Organic Chemistry Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, MLSU Udaipur-313001 Rajasthan India
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11
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Qian X, Wu B, Tang H, Luo Z, Xu Z, Ouyang S, Li X, Xie J, Yi Z, Leng Q, Liu Y, Qi Z, Zhao P. Rifapentine is an entry and replication inhibitor against yellow fever virus both in vitro and in vivo. Emerg Microbes Infect 2022; 11:873-884. [PMID: 35249454 PMCID: PMC8942558 DOI: 10.1080/22221751.2022.2049983] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Yellow fever virus (YFV) infection is a major public concern that threatens a large population in South America and Africa. No specific anti-YFV drugs are available till now. Here, we report that rifapentine is a potent YFV inhibitor in various cell lines by high-throughput drugs screening, acting at both cell entry and replication steps. Kinetic test and binding assay suggest that rifapentine interferes the viral attachment to the target cells. The application of YFV replicon and surface plasmon resonance assay indicates that rifapentine suppresses viral replication by binding to the RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) domain of viral nonstructural protein NS5. Further molecular docking suggests that it might interact with the active centre of RdRp. Rifapentine significantly improves the survival rate, alleviates clinical signs, and reduces virus load and injury in targeted organs both in YFV-infected type I interferon receptor knockout A129−/− and wild-type C57 mice. The antiviral effect in vivo is robust during both prophylactic intervention and therapeutic treatment, and the activity is superior to sofosbuvir, a previously reported YFV inhibitor in mice. Our data show that rifapentine may serve as an effective anti-YFV agent, providing promising prospects in the development of YFV pharmacotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xijing Qian
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Naval Medicine, Naval Medical University, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
| | - Bingan Wu
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Naval Medicine, Naval Medical University, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
| | - Hailin Tang
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Naval Medicine, Naval Medical University, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhenghan Luo
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Naval Medicine, Naval Medical University, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhenghao Xu
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Naval Medicine, Naval Medical University, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
| | - Songying Ouyang
- Key Laboratory of Innate Immune Biology of Fujian Province, College of Life Sciences, Fujian Normal University, Fujian, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiangliang Li
- Key Laboratory of Innate Immune Biology of Fujian Province, College of Life Sciences, Fujian Normal University, Fujian, People's Republic of China
| | - Jianfeng Xie
- Fujian Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Fujian, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhigang Yi
- Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology and Department of Medical Microbiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
| | - Qibin Leng
- State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Diseases, Affiliated Cancer Hospital & Institute of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Yan Liu
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Naval Medicine, Naval Medical University, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhongtian Qi
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Naval Medicine, Naval Medical University, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
| | - Ping Zhao
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Naval Medicine, Naval Medical University, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
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Gupta NK, Jayakumar S, Huang WC, Leyssen P, Neyts J, Bachurin SO, Hwu JR, Tsay SC. Bis(Benzofuran-1,3- N, N-heterocycle)s as Symmetric and Synthetic Drug Leads against Yellow Fever Virus. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms232012675. [PMID: 36293531 PMCID: PMC9604066 DOI: 10.3390/ijms232012675] [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: 08/23/2022] [Revised: 10/14/2022] [Accepted: 10/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
The yellow fever virus (YFV) is an emerging RNA virus and has caused large outbreaks in Africa and Central and South America. The virus is often transmitted through infected mosquitoes and spreads from area to area because of international travel. Being an acute viral hemorrhagic disease, yellow fever can be prevented by an effective, safe, and reliable vaccine, but not be eliminated. Currently, there is no antiviral drug available for its cure. Thus, two series of novel bis(benzofuran−1,3-imidazolidin-4-one)s and bis(benzofuran−1,3-benzimidazole)s were designed and synthesized for the development of anti-YFV lead candidates. Among 23 new bis-conjugated compounds, 4 of them inhibited YFV strain 17D (Stamaril) on Huh-7 cells in the cytopathic effect reduction assays. These conjugates exhibited the most compelling efficacy and selectivity with an EC50 of <3.54 μM and SI of >15.3. The results are valuable for the development of novel antiviral drug leads against emerging diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nitesh K. Gupta
- Department of Chemistry, Frontier Research Center on Fundamental and Applied Sciences of Matters, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu 300044, Taiwan
| | - Srinivasan Jayakumar
- Department of Chemistry, Frontier Research Center on Fundamental and Applied Sciences of Matters, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu 300044, Taiwan
| | - Wen-Chieh Huang
- Department of Chemistry, Frontier Research Center on Fundamental and Applied Sciences of Matters, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu 300044, Taiwan
| | - Pieter Leyssen
- Rega Institute for Medical Research, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Minderbroedersstraat 10, B-3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Johan Neyts
- Rega Institute for Medical Research, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Minderbroedersstraat 10, B-3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Sergey O. Bachurin
- The Institute of Physiologically Active Compounds, Russian Academy of Sciences, Chernogolovka 142432, Russia
| | - Jih Ru Hwu
- Department of Chemistry, Frontier Research Center on Fundamental and Applied Sciences of Matters, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu 300044, Taiwan
- Department of Chemistry, National Central University, Jhongli City 320317, Taiwan
- Correspondence: (J.R.H.); (S.-C.T.)
| | - Shwu-Chen Tsay
- Department of Chemistry, Frontier Research Center on Fundamental and Applied Sciences of Matters, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu 300044, Taiwan
- Department of Chemistry, National Central University, Jhongli City 320317, Taiwan
- Correspondence: (J.R.H.); (S.-C.T.)
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13
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Flavivirus NS4B protein: Structure, function, and antiviral discovery. Antiviral Res 2022; 207:105423. [PMID: 36179934 DOI: 10.1016/j.antiviral.2022.105423] [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: 07/10/2022] [Revised: 09/16/2022] [Accepted: 09/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
Infections with mosquito-borne flaviviruses, such as Dengue virus, ZIKV virus, and West Nile virus, pose significant threats to public health. Flaviviruses cause about 400 million infections each year, leading to many forms of diseases, including fatal hemorrhagic, encephalitis, congenital abnormalities, and deaths. Currently, there are no clinically approved antiviral drugs for the treatment of flavivirus infections. The non-structural protein NS4B is an emerging target for drug discovery due to its multiple roles in the flaviviral life cycle. In this review, we summarize the latest knowledge on the structure and function of flavivirus NS4B, as well as the progress on antiviral compounds that target NS4B.
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14
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Desantis J, Felicetti T, Cannalire R. An overview on small molecules acting as broad spectrum-agents for yellow fever infection. Expert Opin Drug Discov 2022; 17:755-773. [PMID: 35638299 DOI: 10.1080/17460441.2022.2084529] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Yellow Fever virus (YFV) is a mosquito-borne flavivirus, endemic in 47 countries in Africa and South America, which causes febrile symptoms that can evolve in 15% of the patients to serious haemorrhagic conditions, liver injury, and multiorgan failure. Although a highly effective vaccine (YF-17D vaccine) is available, to date, no antiviral drugs have been approved for the prevention and treatment of YFV infections. AREAS COVERED This review article focuses on the description of viral targets that have been considered within YFV and flavivirus drug discovery studies and on the most relevant candidates reported so far that elicit broad-spectrum inhibition against relevant strains and mutants of YFV. EXPERT OPINION Considering the growing interest on (re)emerging vector-borne viral infections, it is expected that flavivirus drug discovery will quickly deliver potential candidates for clinical evaluation. Due to similarity among flaviviral targets, several candidates identified against different flaviviruses have shown broad-spectrum activity, thus exhibiting anti-YFV activity, as well. In this regard, it would be desirable to routinely include the assessment of antiviral activity against different YFV strains. On the other hand, the development of host targeting agents are still at an initial stage and deserve further focused efforts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jenny Desantis
- Department of Chemistry, Biology, and Biotechnology, University of Perugia, Via Elce di Sotto 8, 06123, Perugia, Italy
| | - Tommaso Felicetti
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Perugia, Via del Liceo 1, 06123, Perugia, Italy
| | - Rolando Cannalire
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Napoli "Federico II", Via D. Montesano 49, 80131, Napoli, Italy
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15
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Mishra R, Sharma AK, Kumar R, Baweja V, Mothsra P, Singh MK, Yadav SB. Solid support based synthesis of 1,5-benzodiazepines: A mini review. SYNTHETIC COMMUN 2022. [DOI: 10.1080/00397911.2021.2024855] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Ruby Mishra
- Department of Chemistry, Deshbandhu College, University of Delhi, India
| | - Atul Kumar Sharma
- Department of Chemistry, Deshbandhu College, University of Delhi, India
| | - Rajesh Kumar
- Department of Chemistry, R.D.S. College, B.R.A. Bihar University, India
| | - Varsha Baweja
- Department of Zoology, Deshbandhu College, University of Delhi, India
| | - Poonam Mothsra
- Department of Chemistry, Bhagini Nivedita College, University of Delhi, India
| | - Manoj K. Singh
- Rajkiya Engineering College, Banda, Atarra, Uttar Pradesh, India
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16
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Lin K, Good SS, Julander JG, Weight AE, Moussa A, Sommadossi JP. AT-752, a double prodrug of a guanosine nucleotide analog, inhibits yellow fever virus in a hamster model. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2022; 16:e0009937. [PMID: 35073319 PMCID: PMC8812913 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0009937] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2021] [Revised: 02/03/2022] [Accepted: 01/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Yellow fever virus (YFV) is a zoonotic pathogen re-emerging in parts of the world, causing a viral hemorrhagic fever associated with high mortality rates. While an effective vaccine is available, having an effective antiviral against YFV is critical against unexpected outbreaks, or when vaccination is not recommended. We have previously identified AT-281, the free base of AT-752, an orally available double prodrug of a guanosine nucleotide analog, as a potent inhibitor of YFV in vitro, with a 50% effective concentration (EC50) of 0.31 μM. In hamsters infected with YFV (Jimenez strain), viremia rose about 4 log10-fold and serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) 2-fold compared to sham-infected animals. Treatment with 1000 mg/kg AT-752 for 7 days, initiated 4 h prior to viral challenge, reduced viremia to below the limit of detection by day 4 post infection (pi) and returned ALT to normal levels by day 6 pi. When treatment with AT-752 was initiated 2 days pi, the virus titer and ALT dropped >2 log10 and 53% by day 4 and 6 pi, respectively. In addition, at 21 days pi, 70–100% of the infected animals in the treatment groups survived compared to 0% of the untreated group (p<0.001). Moreover, in vivo formation of the active triphosphate metabolite AT-9010 was measured in the animal tissues, with the highest concentrations in liver and kidney, organs that are vulnerable to the virus. The demonstrated in vivo activity of AT-752 suggests that it is a promising compound for clinical development in the treatment of YFV infection. Yellow fever virus (YFV) is transmitted by mosquitoes, and its infection can lead to a lethal viral hemorrhagic fever associated with liver damage. While an effective vaccine is available, in places where the vaccination rate is low, in the event of an unexpected outbreak, or where vaccination is not recommended individually, having an effective antiviral treatment is critical. We previously reported that the nucleotide analog prodrug AT-752 potently inhibited the YFV in cultured cells. Here we showed that in hamsters infected with YFV, oral treatment with 1000 mg/kg AT-752 for 7 days reduced the production of infectious virus particles in the blood, and decreased serum alanine aminotransferase, a marker of liver damage, to levels measured in uninfected animals. In addition, at 21 days after infection, 70–100% of the infected animals in the treatment groups survived compared to 0% in the untreated group. Moreover, the amount of the active metabolite formed from AT-752 was highest in the livers and kidneys of the treated animals, organs that are targeted by the virus. These results suggest that AT-752 is a promising compound to develop for the treatment of YFV infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kai Lin
- Atea Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Steven S Good
- Atea Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Justin G Julander
- Institute for Antiviral Research, Utah State University, Logan, Utah, United States of America
| | - Abbie E Weight
- Institute for Antiviral Research, Utah State University, Logan, Utah, United States of America
| | - Adel Moussa
- Atea Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
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17
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Gao Z, Zhang X, Zhang L, Wu S, Ma J, Wang F, Zhou Y, Dai X, Bullitt E, Du Y, Guo JT, Chang J. A yellow fever virus NS4B inhibitor not only suppresses viral replication, but also enhances the virus activation of RIG-I-like receptor-mediated innate immune response. PLoS Pathog 2022; 18:e1010271. [PMID: 35061864 PMCID: PMC8809586 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1010271] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2021] [Revised: 02/02/2022] [Accepted: 01/11/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Flavivirus infection of cells induces massive rearrangements of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) membrane to form viral replication organelles (ROs) which segregates viral RNA replication intermediates from the cytoplasmic RNA sensors. Among other viral nonstructural (NS) proteins, available evidence suggests for a prominent role of NS4B, an ER membrane protein with multiple transmembrane domains, in the formation of ROs and the evasion of the innate immune response. We previously reported a benzodiazepine compound, BDAA, which specifically inhibited yellow fever virus (YFV) replication in cultured cells and in vivo in hamsters, with resistant mutation mapped to P219 of NS4B protein. In the following mechanistic studies, we found that BDAA specifically enhances YFV induced inflammatory cytokine response in association with the induction of dramatic structural alteration of ROs and exposure of double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) in virus-infected cells. Interestingly, the BDAA-enhanced cytokine response in YFV-infected cells is attenuated in RIG-I or MAD5 knockout cells and completely abolished in MAVS knockout cells. However, BDAA inhibited YFV replication at a similar extent in the parent cells and cells deficient of RIG-I, MDA5 or MAVS. These results thus provided multiple lines of biological evidence to support a model that BDAA interaction with NS4B may impair the integrity of YFV ROs, which not only inhibits viral RNA replication, but also promotes the release of viral RNA from ROs, which consequentially activates RIG-I and MDA5. Although the innate immune enhancement activity of BDAA is not required for its antiviral activity in cultured cells, its dual antiviral mechanism is unique among all the reported antiviral agents thus far and warrants further investigation in animal models in future. Emergence and re-emergence of yellow fever (YF) caused by the yellow fever virus (YFV) infection have posed a global public health threat in previously non-epidemic as well as endemic regions. The approximately 30% of mortality rate makes the outbreaks particularly devastating. In addition to the vaccination campaign and mosquito controls, antiviral drugs are important components in the toolbox for combating YF outbreaks. However, only two nucleotide analogue drugs developed for the treatment of other RNA virus infections are currently repurposed for the treatment of YF with uncertain clinical efficacy. BDAA is a benzodiazepine compound discovered as a potent YFV-specific antiviral agent in our laboratory. The work reported herein further demonstrates that BDAA interaction with the YFV NS4B protein may impair the integrity of viral RNA replication organelles, which not only inhibits viral RNA replication, but also results in the leakage of viral RNA into the cytoplasm to activate RIG-I-like RNA receptors and enhances the innate antiviral immune response. The unprecedented antiviral mechanism of BDAA highlights the essential role of the NS4B protein in viral RNA replication and the evasion of host cellular innate immunity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhao Gao
- Baruch S. Blumberg Institute, Doylestown, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Xuexiang Zhang
- Baruch S. Blumberg Institute, Doylestown, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Lin Zhang
- Baruch S. Blumberg Institute, Doylestown, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Shuo Wu
- Baruch S. Blumberg Institute, Doylestown, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Julia Ma
- Baruch S. Blumberg Institute, Doylestown, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Fuxuan Wang
- Baruch S. Blumberg Institute, Doylestown, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Yan Zhou
- Bioinformatics and Biostatistics Facility, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Xinghong Dai
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Case Western Reserve University, School of Medicine, Cleveland, Ohio, United States of America
| | - Esther Bullitt
- Department of Physiology & Biophysics, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Yanming Du
- Baruch S. Blumberg Institute, Doylestown, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Ju-Tao Guo
- Baruch S. Blumberg Institute, Doylestown, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Jinhong Chang
- Baruch S. Blumberg Institute, Doylestown, Pennsylvania, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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18
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INMI1 Zika Virus NS4B Antagonizes the Interferon Signaling by Suppressing STAT1 Phosphorylation. Viruses 2021; 13:v13122448. [PMID: 34960717 PMCID: PMC8705506 DOI: 10.3390/v13122448] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2021] [Revised: 11/22/2021] [Accepted: 12/02/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The evasion of the Interferon response has important implications in Zika virus (ZIKV) disease. Mutations in ZIKV viral protein NS4B, associated with modulation of the interferon (IFN) system, have been linked to increased pathogenicity in animal models. In this study, we unravel ZIKV NS4B as antagonist of the IFN signaling cascade. Firstly, we reported the genomic characterization of NS4B isolated from a strain of the 2016 outbreak, ZIKV Brazil/2016/INMI1, and we predicted its membrane topology. Secondly, we analyzed its phylogenetic correlation with other flaviviruses, finding a high similarity with dengue virus 2 (DEN2) strains; in particular, the highest conservation was found when NS4B was aligned with the IFN inhibitory domain of DEN2 NS4B. Hence, we asked whether ZIKV NS4B was also able to inhibit the IFN signaling cascade, as reported for DEN2 NS4B. Our results showed that ZIKV NS4B was able to strongly inhibit the IFN stimulated response element and the IFN-γ-activated site transcription, blocking IFN-I/-II responses. mRNA expression levels of the IFN stimulated genes ISG15 and OAS1 were also strongly reduced in presence of NS4B. We found that the viral protein was acting by suppressing the STAT1 phosphorylation and consequently blocking the nuclear transport of both STAT1 and STAT2.
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19
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Gawandi SJ, Desai VG, Joshi S, Shingade S, Pissurlenkar RR. Assessment of elementary derivatives of 1,5-benzodiazepine as anticancer agents with synergy potential. Bioorg Chem 2021; 117:105331. [PMID: 34689084 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioorg.2021.105331] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2021] [Revised: 08/26/2021] [Accepted: 09/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Herein, we designed and synthesized 1,5-benzodiazepines as a lead molecule for anticancer activity and as potent synergistic activity with drug Methotrexate. Working under the framework of green chemistry principles, series of 1,5-benzodiazepine derivatives (3a-3a1) were synthesized using biocatalyst i.e. thiamine hydrochloride under solvent free neat heat conditions. These compounds were screened for in vitro anti cancer activity against couple of cancer cell lines (HeLa and HEPG2) and normal human cell line HEK-293 via MTT assay. The IC50 values for the compounds were in the range 0.067 to 0.35 µM, better than Paclitaxel and compatible with the drug Methotrexate. Compound 3x was found to be influential against both the cell lines with IC50 values of 0.067 ± 0.002 µM against HeLa and 0.087 ± 0.003 µM against HEPG2 cell line, having activity as compatible to the standard drug Methotrexate. Bioinformatic analysis showed that these compounds are good tyrosine kinase inhibitors which was then proved using enzyme inhibition assay. The studies of apoptosis revealed late apoptotic mode of cell death for the compounds against HEPG2 cancer cell line using flow cytometry method. Synergistic studies of compound 3x and drug Methotrexate showed that the combination was highly active against cancer HeLa and HEPG2 cell line with IC50 value 0.046 ± 0.002 µM and 0.057 ± 0.002 µM respectively, which was well supported by apoptosis pathway. Further the compounds proved its scope as DNA intercalating agents, as its molecular docking and DNA binding studies revealed that the compounds would fit well into the DNA strands.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sinthiya J Gawandi
- Department of Chemistry, Dnyanprassarak Mandal's College & Research Centre, Assagao, Bardez, 403507, India
| | - Vidya G Desai
- Department of Chemistry, Dnyanprassarak Mandal's College & Research Centre, Assagao, Bardez, 403507, India.
| | - Shrinivas Joshi
- Novel Drug Design and Discovery Laboratory, Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, S.E.T.'s College of Pharmacy, Sangolli Rayanna Nagar, Dharwad 580 002, Karnataka, India
| | - Sunil Shingade
- SSPM's V P College of Pharmacy, Madkhol, Sawantwadi, Sindhudurg, Maharashtra
| | - Raghuvir R Pissurlenkar
- (Bio) Molecular Simulations Group, Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Goa College of Pharmacy, Panaji, Goa, India
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20
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Dong S, Dimopoulos G. Antiviral Compounds for Blocking Arboviral Transmission in Mosquitoes. Viruses 2021; 13:v13010108. [PMID: 33466915 PMCID: PMC7830659 DOI: 10.3390/v13010108] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2020] [Revised: 01/06/2021] [Accepted: 01/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Mosquito-borne arthropod-borne viruses (arboviruses) such as the dengue virus (DENV), Zika virus (ZIKV), and chikungunya virus (CHIKV) are important human pathogens that are responsible for significant global morbidity and mortality. The recent emergence and re-emergence of mosquito-borne viral diseases (MBVDs) highlight the urgent need for safe and effective vaccines, therapeutics, and vector-control approaches to prevent MBVD outbreaks. In nature, arboviruses circulate between vertebrate hosts and arthropod vectors; therefore, disrupting the virus lifecycle in mosquitoes is a major approach for combating MBVDs. Several strategies were proposed to render mosquitoes that are refractory to arboviral infection, for example, those involving the generation of genetically modified mosquitoes or infection with the symbiotic bacterium Wolbachia. Due to the recent development of high-throughput screening methods, an increasing number of drugs with inhibitory effects on mosquito-borne arboviruses in mammalian cells were identified. These antivirals are useful resources that can impede the circulation of arboviruses between arthropods and humans by either rendering viruses more vulnerable in humans or suppressing viral infection by reducing the expression of host factors in mosquitoes. In this review, we summarize recent advances in small-molecule antiarboviral drugs in mammalian and mosquito cells, and discuss how to use these antivirals to block the transmission of MBVDs.
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21
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Gao Z, Zhang L, Ma J, Jurado A, Hong SH, Guo JT, Rice CM, MacDonald MR, Chang J. Development of antibody-based assays for high throughput discovery and mechanistic study of antiviral agents against yellow fever virus. Antiviral Res 2020; 182:104907. [PMID: 32798604 PMCID: PMC7426275 DOI: 10.1016/j.antiviral.2020.104907] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2020] [Revised: 08/03/2020] [Accepted: 08/04/2020] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Despite the availability of a highly effective yellow fever virus (YFV) vaccine, outbreaks of yellow fever frequently occur in Africa and South America with significant mortality, highlighting the pressing need for antiviral drugs to manage future outbreaks. To support the discovery and development of antiviral drugs against YFV, we characterized a panel of rabbit polyclonal antibodies against the three YFV structural proteins and five non-structural proteins and demonstrated these antibody reagents in conjunction with viral RNA metabolic labeling, double-stranded RNA staining and membrane floatation assays as powerful tools for investigating YFV polyprotein processing, replication complex formation, viral RNA synthesis and high throughput discovery of antiviral drugs. Specifically, the proteolytic processing of the viral polyprotein can be analyzed by Western blot assays. The predominant nuclear localization of NS5 protein as well as the relationship between intracellular viral non-structural protein distribution and foci of YFV RNA replication can be revealed by immunofluorescence staining and membrane flotation assays. Using an antibody against YFV NS4B protein as an example, in-cell western and high-content imaging assays have been developed for high throughput discovery of antiviral agents. A synergistic antiviral effect of an YFV NS4B-targeting antiviral agent BDAA and a NS5 RNA-dependent RNA polymerase inhibitor (Sofosbuvir) was also demonstrated with the high-content imaging assay. Apparently, the antibody-based assays established herein not only facilitate the discovery and development of antiviral agents against YFV, but also provide valuable tools to dissect the molecular mechanism by which the antiviral agents inhibit YFV replication.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhao Gao
- Baruch S. Blumberg Institute, Hepatitis B Foundation, Doylestown, PA, USA
| | - Lin Zhang
- Baruch S. Blumberg Institute, Hepatitis B Foundation, Doylestown, PA, USA
| | - Julia Ma
- Baruch S. Blumberg Institute, Hepatitis B Foundation, Doylestown, PA, USA
| | - Andrea Jurado
- The Laboratory of Virology and Infectious Disease, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Seon-Hui Hong
- The Laboratory of Virology and Infectious Disease, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Ju-Tao Guo
- Baruch S. Blumberg Institute, Hepatitis B Foundation, Doylestown, PA, USA
| | - Charles M Rice
- The Laboratory of Virology and Infectious Disease, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Margaret R MacDonald
- The Laboratory of Virology and Infectious Disease, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Jinhong Chang
- Baruch S. Blumberg Institute, Hepatitis B Foundation, Doylestown, PA, USA.
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22
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Ramanathan HN, Zhang S, Douam F, Mar KB, Chang J, Yang PL, Schoggins JW, Ploss A, Lindenbach BD. A Sensitive Yellow Fever Virus Entry Reporter Identifies Valosin-Containing Protein (VCP/p97) as an Essential Host Factor for Flavivirus Uncoating. mBio 2020; 11:e00467-20. [PMID: 32291299 PMCID: PMC7157815 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.00467-20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2020] [Accepted: 03/16/2020] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
While the basic mechanisms of flavivirus entry and fusion are understood, little is known about the postfusion events that precede RNA replication, such as nucleocapsid disassembly. We describe here a sensitive, conditionally replication-defective yellow fever virus (YFV) entry reporter, YFVΔSK/Nluc, to quantitively monitor the translation of incoming, virus particle-delivered genomes. We validated that YFVΔSK/Nluc gene expression can be neutralized by YFV-specific antisera and requires known flavivirus entry pathways and cellular factors, including clathrin- and dynamin-mediated endocytosis, endosomal acidification, YFV E glycoprotein-mediated fusion, and cellular LY6E and RPLP1 expression. The initial round of YFV translation was shown to require cellular ubiquitylation, consistent with recent findings that dengue virus capsid protein must be ubiquitylated in order for nucleocapsid uncoating to occur. Importantly, translation of incoming YFV genomes also required valosin-containing protein (VCP)/p97, a cellular ATPase that unfolds and extracts ubiquitylated client proteins from large complexes. RNA transfection and washout experiments showed that VCP/p97 functions at a postfusion, pretranslation step in YFV entry. Finally, VCP/p97 activity was required by other flaviviruses in mammalian cells and by YFV in mosquito cells. Together, these data support a critical role for VCP/p97 in the disassembly of incoming flavivirus nucleocapsids during a postfusion step in virus entry.IMPORTANCE Flaviviruses are an important group of RNA viruses that cause significant human disease. The mechanisms by which flavivirus nucleocapsids are disassembled during virus entry remain unclear. Here, we used a yellow fever virus entry reporter, which expresses a sensitive reporter enzyme but does not replicate, to show that nucleocapsid disassembly requires the cellular protein-disaggregating enzyme valosin-containing protein, also known as p97.
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Affiliation(s)
- Harish N Ramanathan
- Department of Microbial Pathogenesis, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Shuo Zhang
- Department of Microbial Pathogenesis, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Florian Douam
- Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, USA
| | - Katrina B Mar
- Department of Microbiology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, USA
| | - Jinhong Chang
- Department of Experimental Therapeutics, The Baruch S. Blumberg Institute, Doylestown, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Priscilla L Yang
- Department of Microbiology and the Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - John W Schoggins
- Department of Microbiology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, USA
| | - Alexander Ploss
- Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, USA
| | - Brett D Lindenbach
- Department of Microbial Pathogenesis, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
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Non-sedating benzodiazepines cause paralysis and tissue damage in the parasitic blood fluke Schistosoma mansoni. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2019; 13:e0007826. [PMID: 31730614 PMCID: PMC6881066 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0007826] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2019] [Revised: 11/27/2019] [Accepted: 10/03/2019] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Parasitic flatworm infections (e.g. tapeworms and fluke worms) are treated by a limited number of drugs. In most cases, control is reliant upon praziquantel (PZQ) monotherapy. However, PZQ is ineffective against sexually immature parasites, and there have also been several concerning reports on cestode and trematode infections with poor PZQ cure-rates, emphasizing the need for alternative therapies to treat these infections. We have revisited a series of benzodiazepines given the anti-schistosomal activity of meclonazepam (MCLZ). MCLZ was discovered in the 1970's but was not brought to market due to dose-limiting sedative side effects. However, in the decades since there have been advances in our understanding of the benzodiazepine GABAA receptor sub-types that drive sedation and the development of sub-type selective, non-sedating ligands. Additionally, the sequencing of flatworm genomes reveals that parasitic trematodes and cestodes have lost GABAAR-like ligand gated anion channels, indicating that MCLZ's anti-parasitic target is distinct from the human receptors that drive sedation. Therefore, we have screened a library of classical and non-sedating 1,4-benzodiazepines against Schistosoma mansoni and identified a series of imidazobenzodiazepines that immobilize worms in vitro. One of these hits, Xhe-II-048 also disrupted the parasite tegument, resulting in extensive vacuole formation beneath the apical membrane. The hit compound series identified has a dramatically lower (~1000×) affinity for the human central benzodiazepine binding site and is a promising starting point for the development of novel anti-schistosomal benzodiazepines with minimal host side-effects.
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Disease Resurgence, Production Capability Issues and Safety Concerns in the Context of an Aging Population: Is There a Need for a New Yellow Fever Vaccine? Vaccines (Basel) 2019; 7:vaccines7040179. [PMID: 31717289 PMCID: PMC6963298 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines7040179] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2019] [Revised: 10/28/2019] [Accepted: 11/05/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Yellow fever is a potentially fatal, mosquito-borne viral disease that appears to be experiencing a resurgence in endemic areas in Africa and South America and spreading to non-endemic areas despite an effective vaccine. This trend has increased the level of concern about the disease and the potential for importation to areas in Asia with ecological conditions that can sustain yellow fever virus transmission. In this article, we provide a broad overview of yellow fever burden of disease, natural history, treatment, vaccine, prevention and control initiatives, and vaccine and therapeutic agent development efforts.
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Yellow Fever: Integrating Current Knowledge with Technological Innovations to Identify Strategies for Controlling a Re-Emerging Virus. Viruses 2019; 11:v11100960. [PMID: 31627415 PMCID: PMC6832525 DOI: 10.3390/v11100960] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2019] [Revised: 09/30/2019] [Accepted: 10/11/2019] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Yellow fever virus (YFV) represents a re-emerging zoonotic pathogen, transmitted by mosquito vectors to humans from primate reservoirs. Sporadic outbreaks of YFV occur in endemic tropical regions, causing a viral hemorrhagic fever (VHF) associated with high mortality rates. Despite a highly effective vaccine, no antiviral treatments currently exist. Therefore, YFV represents a neglected tropical disease and is chronically understudied, with many aspects of YFV biology incompletely defined including host range, host–virus interactions and correlates of host immunity and pathogenicity. In this article, we review the current state of YFV research, focusing on the viral lifecycle, host responses to infection, species tropism and the success and associated limitations of the YFV-17D vaccine. In addition, we highlight the current lack of available treatments and use publicly available sequence and structural data to assess global patterns of YFV sequence diversity and identify potential drug targets. Finally, we discuss how technological advances, including real-time epidemiological monitoring of outbreaks using next-generation sequencing and CRISPR/Cas9 modification of vector species, could be utilized in future battles against this re-emerging pathogen which continues to cause devastating disease.
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Zhang X, Liu B, Tang L, Su Q, Hwang N, Sehgal M, Cheng J, Ma J, Zhang X, Tan Y, Zhou Y, Duan Z, DeFilippis VR, Viswanathan U, Kulp J, Du Y, Guo JT, Chang J. Discovery and Mechanistic Study of a Novel Human-Stimulator-of-Interferon-Genes Agonist. ACS Infect Dis 2019; 5:1139-1149. [PMID: 31060350 DOI: 10.1021/acsinfecdis.9b00010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Stimulator of interferon genes (STING) is an integral ER-membrane protein that can be activated by 2'3'-cGAMP synthesized by cyclic guanosine monophosphate-adenosine monophosphate synthase (cGAS) upon binding of double-stranded DNA. It activates interferon (IFN) and inflammatory cytokine responses to defend against infection by microorganisms. Pharmacologic activation of STING has been demonstrated to induce an antiviral state and boost antitumor immunity. We previously reported a cell-based high-throughput-screening assay that allowed for identification of small-molecule cGAS-STING-pathway agonists. We report herein a compound, 6-bromo-N-(naphthalen-1-yl)benzo[d][1,3]dioxole-5-carboxamide (BNBC), that induces a proinflammatory cytokine response in a human-STING-dependent manner. Specifically, we showed that BNBC induced type I and III IFN dominant cytokine responses in primary human fibroblasts and peripheral-blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). BNBC also induced cytokine response in PBMC-derived myeloid dendritic cells and promoted their maturation, suggesting that STING-agonist treatment could potentially regulate the activation of CD4+ and CD8+ T lymphocytes. As anticipated, treatment of primary human fibroblast cells with BNBC induced an antiviral state that inhibited the infection of several kinds of flaviviruses. Taken together, our results indicate that BNBC is a human-STING agonist that not only induces innate antiviral immunity against a broad spectrum of viruses but may also stimulate the activation of adaptive immune responses, which is important for the treatment of chronic viral infections and tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaohui Zhang
- Department of Experimental Medicine, Baruch S. Blumberg Institute, 3805 Old Easton Road, Doylestown, Pennsylvania 18902, United States
- Artificial Liver Center, Beijing Youan Hospital, Capital Medical University, 8 Xitoutiao, Fengtai, Beijing 100069, China
| | - Bowei Liu
- Department of Experimental Medicine, Baruch S. Blumberg Institute, 3805 Old Easton Road, Doylestown, Pennsylvania 18902, United States
- Department of Gastroenterology, Henan Provincial People’s Hospital, People’s Hospital of Zhengzhou University, 7 Weiwu Road, Jinshui, Zhengzhou, Henan 450016, China
| | - Liudi Tang
- Microbiology and Immunology Graduate Program, Drexel University College of Medicine, 2900 West Queen Lane, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19129, United States
| | - Qing Su
- Department of Experimental Medicine, Baruch S. Blumberg Institute, 3805 Old Easton Road, Doylestown, Pennsylvania 18902, United States
| | - Nicky Hwang
- Department of Experimental Medicine, Baruch S. Blumberg Institute, 3805 Old Easton Road, Doylestown, Pennsylvania 18902, United States
| | - Mohit Sehgal
- Department of Experimental Medicine, Baruch S. Blumberg Institute, 3805 Old Easton Road, Doylestown, Pennsylvania 18902, United States
| | - Junjun Cheng
- Department of Experimental Medicine, Baruch S. Blumberg Institute, 3805 Old Easton Road, Doylestown, Pennsylvania 18902, United States
| | - Julia Ma
- Department of Experimental Medicine, Baruch S. Blumberg Institute, 3805 Old Easton Road, Doylestown, Pennsylvania 18902, United States
| | - Xuexiang Zhang
- Department of Experimental Medicine, Baruch S. Blumberg Institute, 3805 Old Easton Road, Doylestown, Pennsylvania 18902, United States
| | - Yinfei Tan
- Genomics Facilities, Fox Chase Cancer Center, 333 Cottman Avenue, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19111, United States
| | - Yan Zhou
- Bioinformatics and Biostatistics Facility, Fox Chase Cancer Center, 333 Cottman Avenue, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19111, United States
| | - Zhongping Duan
- Artificial Liver Center, Beijing Youan Hospital, Capital Medical University, 8 Xitoutiao, Fengtai, Beijing 100069, China
| | - Victor R. DeFilippis
- Vaccine and Gene Therapy Institute, Oregon Health and Science University, 505 Northwest 185th Avenue, Beaverton, Oregon 97006, United States
| | - Usha Viswanathan
- Department of Experimental Medicine, Baruch S. Blumberg Institute, 3805 Old Easton Road, Doylestown, Pennsylvania 18902, United States
| | - John Kulp
- Department of Experimental Medicine, Baruch S. Blumberg Institute, 3805 Old Easton Road, Doylestown, Pennsylvania 18902, United States
| | - Yanming Du
- Department of Experimental Medicine, Baruch S. Blumberg Institute, 3805 Old Easton Road, Doylestown, Pennsylvania 18902, United States
| | - Ju-Tao Guo
- Department of Experimental Medicine, Baruch S. Blumberg Institute, 3805 Old Easton Road, Doylestown, Pennsylvania 18902, United States
| | - Jinhong Chang
- Department of Experimental Medicine, Baruch S. Blumberg Institute, 3805 Old Easton Road, Doylestown, Pennsylvania 18902, United States
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Ponduri R, Kumar P, Vadali LR. Synthesis and Antimicrobial Activity of New Isoxazolyl Benzo[1, 4] diazepine-5-one Derivatives. ChemistrySelect 2018. [DOI: 10.1002/slct.201802371] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Rajasekhar Ponduri
- JNTU−H College of Engineering; CCST, IST Kukatpally; Hyderabad - 500085, Telangana State India
- Mylan Laboratories Limited Bollaram, Jinnaram (Mandal), Medak (Dist); Hyderabad, Telangana State India
| | - Pramod Kumar
- JNTU−H College of Engineering; CCST, IST Kukatpally; Hyderabad - 500085, Telangana State India
| | - Lakshmana Rao Vadali
- Mylan Laboratories Limited Bollaram, Jinnaram (Mandal), Medak (Dist); Hyderabad, Telangana State India
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Klitting R, Fischer C, Drexler JF, Gould EA, Roiz D, Paupy C, de Lamballerie X. What Does the Future Hold for Yellow Fever Virus? (II). Genes (Basel) 2018; 9:E425. [PMID: 30134625 PMCID: PMC6162518 DOI: 10.3390/genes9090425] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2018] [Revised: 08/13/2018] [Accepted: 08/16/2018] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
As revealed by the recent resurgence of yellow fever virus (YFV) activity in the tropical regions of Africa and South America, YFV control measures need urgent rethinking. Over the last decade, most reported outbreaks occurred in, or eventually reached, areas with low vaccination coverage but that are suitable for virus transmission, with an unprecedented risk of expansion to densely populated territories in Africa, South America and Asia. As reflected in the World Health Organization's initiative launched in 2017, it is high time to strengthen epidemiological surveillance to monitor accurately viral dissemination, and redefine vaccination recommendation areas. Vector-control and immunisation measures need to be adapted and vaccine manufacturing must be reconciled with an increasing demand. We will have to face more yellow fever (YF) cases in the upcoming years. Hence, improving disease management through the development of efficient treatments will prove most beneficial. Undoubtedly, these developments will require in-depth descriptions of YFV biology at molecular, physiological and ecological levels. This second section of a two-part review describes the current state of knowledge and gaps regarding the molecular biology of YFV, along with an overview of the tools that can be used to manage the disease at the individual, local and global levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raphaëlle Klitting
- Unité des Virus Émergents (UVE: Aix-Marseille Univ⁻IRD 190⁻Inserm 1207⁻IHU Méditerranée Infection), 13385 Marseille CEDEX 05, France.
| | - Carlo Fischer
- Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, Institute of Virology, 10117 Berlin, Germany.
- German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), 38124 Braunschweig, Germany.
| | - Jan F Drexler
- Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, Institute of Virology, 10117 Berlin, Germany.
- German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), 38124 Braunschweig, Germany.
- Martsinovsky Institute of Medical Parasitology, Tropical and Vector Borne Diseases, Sechenov University, 119991 Moscow, Russia.
| | - Ernest A Gould
- Unité des Virus Émergents (UVE: Aix-Marseille Univ⁻IRD 190⁻Inserm 1207⁻IHU Méditerranée Infection), 13385 Marseille CEDEX 05, France.
| | - David Roiz
- UMR Maladies Infectieuses et Vecteurs: Écologie, Génétique Évolution et Contrôle (MIVEGEC: IRD, CNRS, Univ. Montpellier), 34394 Montpellier, France.
| | - Christophe Paupy
- UMR Maladies Infectieuses et Vecteurs: Écologie, Génétique Évolution et Contrôle (MIVEGEC: IRD, CNRS, Univ. Montpellier), 34394 Montpellier, France.
| | - Xavier de Lamballerie
- Unité des Virus Émergents (UVE: Aix-Marseille Univ⁻IRD 190⁻Inserm 1207⁻IHU Méditerranée Infection), 13385 Marseille CEDEX 05, France.
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Bray M, Andrei G, Ballana E, Carter K, Durantel D, Gentry B, Janeba Z, Moffat J, Oomen CJ, Tarbet B, Riveira-Muñoz E, Esté JA. Meeting report: 31 st International Conference on Antiviral Research. Antiviral Res 2018; 158:88-102. [PMID: 30086336 PMCID: PMC7113893 DOI: 10.1016/j.antiviral.2018.08.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2018] [Accepted: 08/01/2018] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
The 31st International Conference on Antiviral Research (ICAR) was held in Porto, Portugal from June 11–15, 2018. In this report, volunteer rapporteurs provide their summaries of scientific presentations, hoping to effectively convey the speakers' goals and the results and conclusions of their talks. This report provides an overview of the invited keynote and award lectures and highlights of short oral presentations, from the perspective of experts in antiviral research. Of note, a session on human cytomegalovirus included an update on the introduction to the clinic of letermovir for the prevention of CMV infection and disease. The 31st ICAR successfully promoted new discoveries in antiviral research and drug development. The 32nd ICAR will be held in Baltimore, Maryland, USA, May 6–10, 2019. The 31st ICAR was held in Porto, Portugal, June 11–15, 2018. This article provides an overview of the invited keynote and award lectures and highlights of short oral presentations. ICAR provided an interdisciplinary forum to review recent developments in all areas of antiviral research. The 32nd ICAR will be held in Baltimore, Maryland, USA, May 6–10, 2019.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Graciela Andrei
- KU Leuven, Rega Institute for Medical Research, Laboratory of Virology and Chemotherapy, B-3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Ester Ballana
- AIDS Research Institute - Irsicaixa, Hospital Germans Trias i Pujol, Universitat Autónoma de Barcelona, Badalona, Spain
| | | | - David Durantel
- Cancer Research Centre of Lyon (CRCL), INSERM, U1052, UMR_5286 CNRS/University of Lyon, Lyon, France
| | - Brian Gentry
- Drake University College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Des Moines, IA, USA
| | - Zlatko Janeba
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Flemingovo nam. 2, CZ-16610 Prague 6, Czech Republic
| | | | - Clasien J Oomen
- Virology Division, Dept. of Infectious Diseases & Immunology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Bart Tarbet
- Institute for Antiviral Research, Utah State University, Logan, UT, USA
| | - Eva Riveira-Muñoz
- AIDS Research Institute - Irsicaixa, Hospital Germans Trias i Pujol, Universitat Autónoma de Barcelona, Badalona, Spain.
| | - José A Esté
- AIDS Research Institute - Irsicaixa, Hospital Germans Trias i Pujol, Universitat Autónoma de Barcelona, Badalona, Spain.
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The Dengue Virus Replication Complex: From RNA Replication to Protein-Protein Interactions to Evasion of Innate Immunity. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2018; 1062:115-129. [PMID: 29845529 DOI: 10.1007/978-981-10-8727-1_9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Viruses from the Flavivirus family are the causative agents of dengue fever, Zika, Japanese encephalitis, West Nile encephalitis or Yellow fever and constitute major or emerging public health problems. A better understanding of the flavivirus replication cycle is likely to offer new opportunities for the design of antiviral therapies to treat severe conditions provoked by these viruses, but it should also help reveal fundamental biological mechanisms of the host cell. During virus replication, RNA synthesis is mediated by a dynamic and membrane-bound multi-protein assembly, named the replication complex (RC). The RC is composed of both viral and host-cell proteins that assemble within vesicles composed of the endoplasmic reticulum membrane, near the nucleus. At the heart of the flavivirus RC lies NS4B, a viral integral membrane protein that plays a role in virulence and in down-regulating the innate immune response. NS4B binds to the NS2B-NS3 protease-helicase, which itself interacts with the NS5 methyl-transferase polymerase. We present an overview of recent structural and functional data that augment our understanding of how viral RNA is replicated by dengue virus. We focus on structural data that illuminate the various roles played by proteins NS2B-NS3, NS4B and NS5. By participating in viral RNA cap methylation, the NS5 methyltransferase enables the virus to escape the host cell innate immune response. We present the molecular basis for this activity. We summarize what we know about the network of interactions established by NS2B-NS3, NS4B and NS5 (their "interactome"). This leads to a working model that is captured in the form of a rather naïve "cartoon", which we hope will be refined towards an atomic model in the near future.
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Ma J, Zhang X, Soloveva V, Warren T, Guo F, Wu S, Lu H, Guo J, Su Q, Shen H, Solon E, Comunale MA, Mehta A, Guo JT, Bavari S, Du Y, Block TM, Chang J. Enhancing the antiviral potency of ER α-glucosidase inhibitor IHVR-19029 against hemorrhagic fever viruses in vitro and in vivo. Antiviral Res 2017; 150:112-122. [PMID: 29253498 DOI: 10.1016/j.antiviral.2017.12.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2017] [Revised: 12/04/2017] [Accepted: 12/12/2017] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Targeting host functions essential for viral replication has been considered as a broad spectrum and resistance-refractory antiviral approach. However, only a few host functions have, thus far, been validated as broad-spectrum antiviral targets in vivo. ER α-glucosidases I and II have been demonstrated to be essential for the morphogenesis of many enveloped viruses, including members from four families of viruses causing hemorrhagic fever. In vivo antiviral efficacy of various iminosugar-based ER α-glucosidase inhibitors has been reported in animals infected with Dengue, Japanese encephalitis, Ebola, Marburg and influenza viruses. Herein, we established Huh7.5-derived cell lines with ER α-glucosidase I or II knockout using CRISPR/Cas9 and demonstrated that the replication of Dengue, Yellow fever and Zika viruses was reduced by only 1-2 logs in the knockout cell lines. The results clearly indicate that only a partial suppression of viral replication can possibly be achieved with a complete inhibition of ER-α-glucosidases I or II by their inhibitors. We therefore explore to improve the antiviral efficacy of a lead iminosugar IHVR-19029 through combination with another broad-spectrum antiviral agent, favipiravir (T-705). Indeed, combination of IHVR-19029 and T-705 synergistically inhibited the replication of Yellow fever and Ebola viruses in cultured cells. Moreover, in a mouse model of Ebola virus infection, combination of sub-optimal doses of IHVR-19029 and T-705 significantly increased the survival rate of infected animals. We have thus proved the concept of combinational therapeutic strategy for the treatment of viral hemorrhagic fevers with broad spectrum host- and viral- targeting antiviral agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia Ma
- Baruch S. Blumberg Institute, Hepatitis B Foundation, Doylestown, PA, USA
| | - Xuexiang Zhang
- Baruch S. Blumberg Institute, Hepatitis B Foundation, Doylestown, PA, USA
| | - Veronica Soloveva
- United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases (USAMRIID), Fort Detrick, MD, USA
| | - Travis Warren
- United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases (USAMRIID), Fort Detrick, MD, USA
| | - Fang Guo
- Baruch S. Blumberg Institute, Hepatitis B Foundation, Doylestown, PA, USA
| | - Shuo Wu
- Baruch S. Blumberg Institute, Hepatitis B Foundation, Doylestown, PA, USA
| | - Huagang Lu
- Baruch S. Blumberg Institute, Hepatitis B Foundation, Doylestown, PA, USA
| | - Jia Guo
- Baruch S. Blumberg Institute, Hepatitis B Foundation, Doylestown, PA, USA
| | - Qing Su
- Baruch S. Blumberg Institute, Hepatitis B Foundation, Doylestown, PA, USA
| | | | | | | | - Anand Mehta
- Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Ju-Tao Guo
- Baruch S. Blumberg Institute, Hepatitis B Foundation, Doylestown, PA, USA
| | - Sina Bavari
- United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases (USAMRIID), Fort Detrick, MD, USA
| | - Yanming Du
- Baruch S. Blumberg Institute, Hepatitis B Foundation, Doylestown, PA, USA
| | - Timothy M Block
- Baruch S. Blumberg Institute, Hepatitis B Foundation, Doylestown, PA, USA
| | - Jinhong Chang
- Baruch S. Blumberg Institute, Hepatitis B Foundation, Doylestown, PA, USA.
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Screening of FDA-Approved Drugs for Inhibitors of Japanese Encephalitis Virus Infection. J Virol 2017; 91:JVI.01055-17. [PMID: 28814523 PMCID: PMC5640845 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.01055-17] [Citation(s) in RCA: 82] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2017] [Accepted: 08/11/2017] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV), an arthropod-borne flavivirus, is a major cause of acute viral encephalitis in humans. No approved drug is available for the specific treatment of JEV infections, and the available vaccines are not effective against all clinical JEV isolates. In the study described here, a high-throughput screening of an FDA-approved drug library for inhibitors of JEV was performed. Five hit drugs that inhibited JEV infection with a selective index of >10 were identified. The antiviral activities of these five hit drugs against other flavivirus, including Zika virus, were also validated. As three of the five hit drugs were calcium inhibitors, additional types of calcium inhibitors that confirmed that calcium is essential for JEV infection, most likely during viral replication, were utilized. Adaptive mutant analysis uncovered that replacement of Q130, located in transmembrane domain 3 of the nonstructural NS4B protein, which is relatively conserved in flaviviruses, with R or K conferred JEV resistance to manidipine, a voltage-gated Ca2+ channel (VGCC) inhibitor, without an apparent loss of the viral growth profile. Furthermore, manidipine was indicated to protect mice against JEV-induced lethality by decreasing the viral load in the brain, while it abrogated the histopathological changes associated with JEV infection. This study provides five antiflavivirus candidates and identifies cytoplasmic calcium to be a novel antiviral target for the treatment of JEV infection. The findings reported here provide therapeutic possibilities for combating infections caused by flaviviruses. IMPORTANCE No approved therapy for the treatment of Japanese encephalitis virus infection is currently available. Repurposing of approved drugs would accelerate the development of a therapeutic stratagem. In this study, we screened a library of FDA-approved drugs and identified five hit drugs, especially calcium inhibitors, exerting antiflavivirus activity that blocked viral replication. The in vivo efficacy and toxicity of manidipine were investigated with a mouse model of JEV infection, and the viral target was identified by generating an adaptive mutant.
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Liu B, Tang L, Zhang X, Ma J, Sehgal M, Cheng J, Zhang X, Zhou Y, Du Y, Kulp J, Guo JT, Chang J. A cell-based high throughput screening assay for the discovery of cGAS-STING pathway agonists. Antiviral Res 2017; 147:37-46. [PMID: 28982551 DOI: 10.1016/j.antiviral.2017.10.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2017] [Revised: 09/28/2017] [Accepted: 10/01/2017] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
Stimulator of interferon genes (STING) is an endoplasmic reticulum transmembrane protein that serves as a molecular hub for activation of interferon and inflammatory cytokine response by multiple cellular DNA sensors. Not surprisingly, STING has been demonstrated to play an important role in host defense against microorganisms and pharmacologic activation of STING is considered as an attractive strategy to treat viral diseases and boost antitumor immunity. In light of this we established a HepAD38-derived reporter cell line that expresses firefly luciferase in response to the activation of cyclic GMP-AMP synthase (cGAS)-STING pathway for high throughput screening (HTS) of small molecular human STING agonists. This cell-based reporter assay required only 4 h treatment with a reference STING agonist to induce a robust luciferase signal and was demonstrated to have an excellent performance in HTS format. By screening 16,000 compounds, a dispiro diketopiperzine (DSDP) compound was identified to induce cytokine response in a manner dependent on the expression of functional human STING, but not mouse STING. Moreover, we showed that DSDP induced an interferon-dominant cytokine response in human skin fibroblasts and peripheral blood mononuclear cells, which in turn potently suppressed the replication of yellow fever virus, dengue virus and Zika virus. We have thus established a robust cell-based assay system suitable for rapid discovery and mechanistic analyses of cGAS-STING pathway agonists. Identification of DSDP as a human STING agonist enriches the pipelines of STING-targeting drug development for treatment of viral infections and cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bowei Liu
- Baruch S. Blumberg Institute, Hepatitis B Foundation, Doylestown, PA, USA; Department of Gastroenterology, Henan Provincial People's Hospital, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, China
| | - Liudi Tang
- Microbiology and Immunology Graduate Program, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Xiaohui Zhang
- Baruch S. Blumberg Institute, Hepatitis B Foundation, Doylestown, PA, USA; Artificial Liver Center, Beijing You'an Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Julia Ma
- Baruch S. Blumberg Institute, Hepatitis B Foundation, Doylestown, PA, USA
| | - Mohit Sehgal
- Baruch S. Blumberg Institute, Hepatitis B Foundation, Doylestown, PA, USA
| | - Junjun Cheng
- Baruch S. Blumberg Institute, Hepatitis B Foundation, Doylestown, PA, USA
| | - Xuexiang Zhang
- Baruch S. Blumberg Institute, Hepatitis B Foundation, Doylestown, PA, USA
| | - Yan Zhou
- Biostatistics and Bioinformatics Facility, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Yanming Du
- Baruch S. Blumberg Institute, Hepatitis B Foundation, Doylestown, PA, USA
| | - John Kulp
- Baruch S. Blumberg Institute, Hepatitis B Foundation, Doylestown, PA, USA
| | - Ju-Tao Guo
- Baruch S. Blumberg Institute, Hepatitis B Foundation, Doylestown, PA, USA.
| | - Jinhong Chang
- Baruch S. Blumberg Institute, Hepatitis B Foundation, Doylestown, PA, USA.
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Discovery and Mechanistic Study of Benzamide Derivatives That Modulate Hepatitis B Virus Capsid Assembly. J Virol 2017; 91:JVI.00519-17. [PMID: 28566379 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.00519-17] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2017] [Accepted: 05/19/2017] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is a global public health problem. Although the currently approved medications can reliably reduce the viral load and prevent the progression of liver diseases, they fail to cure the viral infection. In an effort toward discovery of novel antiviral agents against HBV, a group of benzamide (BA) derivatives that significantly reduced the amount of cytoplasmic HBV DNA were discovered. The initial lead optimization efforts identified two BA derivatives with improved antiviral activity for further mechanistic studies. Interestingly, similar to our previously reported sulfamoylbenzamides (SBAs), the BAs promote the formation of empty capsids through specific interaction with HBV core protein but not other viral and host cellular components. Genetic evidence suggested that both SBAs and BAs inhibited HBV nucleocapsid assembly by binding to the heteroaryldihydropyrimidine (HAP) pocket between core protein dimer-dimer interfaces. However, unlike SBAs, BA compounds uniquely induced the formation of empty capsids that migrated more slowly in native agarose gel electrophoresis from A36V mutant than from the wild-type core protein. Moreover, we showed that the assembly of chimeric capsids from wild-type and drug-resistant core proteins was susceptible to multiple capsid assembly modulators. Hence, HBV core protein is a dominant antiviral target that may suppress the selection of drug-resistant viruses during core protein-targeting antiviral therapy. Our studies thus indicate that BAs are a chemically and mechanistically unique type of HBV capsid assembly modulators and warranted for further development as antiviral agents against HBV.IMPORTANCE HBV core protein plays essential roles in many steps of the viral replication cycle. In addition to packaging viral pregenomic RNA (pgRNA) and DNA polymerase complex into nucleocapsids for reverse transcriptional DNA replication to take place, the core protein dimers, existing in several different quaternary structures in infected hepatocytes, participate in and regulate HBV virion assembly, capsid uncoating, and covalently closed circular DNA (cccDNA) formation. It is anticipated that small molecular core protein assembly modulators may disrupt one or multiple steps of HBV replication, depending on their interaction with the distinct quaternary structures of core protein. The discovery of novel core protein-targeting antivirals, such as benzamide derivatives reported here, and investigation of their antiviral mechanism may lead to the identification of antiviral therapeutics for the cure of chronic hepatitis B.
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