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García-Crespo C, de Ávila AI, Gallego I, Soria ME, Durán-Pastor A, Somovilla P, Martínez-González B, Muñoz-Flores J, Mínguez P, Salar-Vidal L, Esteban-Muñoz M, Cañar-Camacho E, Ferrer-Orta C, Zuñiga S, Sola I, Enjuanes L, Esteban J, Fernández-Roblas R, Gadea I, Gómez J, Verdaguer N, Domingo E, Perales C. Synergism between remdesivir and ribavirin leads to SARS-CoV-2 extinction in cell culture. Br J Pharmacol 2024; 181:2636-2654. [PMID: 38616133 DOI: 10.1111/bph.16344] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2023] [Revised: 01/08/2024] [Accepted: 01/12/2024] [Indexed: 04/16/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE There is a need for effective anti-COVID-19 treatments, mainly for individuals at risk of severe disease such as the elderly and the immunosuppressed. Drug repositioning has proved effective in identifying drugs that can find a new application for the control of coronavirus disease, in particular COVID-19. The purpose of the present study was to find synergistic antiviral combinations for COVID-19 based on lethal mutagenesis. EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH The effect of combinations of remdesivir and ribavirin on the infectivity of SARS-CoV-2 in cell culture has been tested. Viral populations were monitored by ultra-deep sequencing, and the decrease of infectivity as a result of the treatment was measured. KEY RESULTS Remdesivir and ribavirin exerted a synergistic inhibitory activity against SARS-CoV-2, quantified both by CompuSyn (Chou-Talalay method) and Synergy Finder (ZIP-score model). In serial passage experiments, virus extinction was readily achieved with remdesivir-ribavirin combinations at concentrations well below their cytotoxic 50 value, but not with the drugs used individually. Deep sequencing of treated viral populations showed that remdesivir, ribavirin, and their combinations evoked significant increases of the number of viral mutations and haplotypes, as well as modification of diversity indices that characterize viral quasi-species. CONCLUSION AND IMPLICATIONS SARS-CoV-2 extinction can be achieved by synergistic combination treatments based on lethal mutagenesis. In addition, the results offer prospects of triple drug treatments for effective SARS-CoV-2 suppression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlos García-Crespo
- Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa (CBM), CSIC-UAM, Campus de Cantoblanco, Madrid, Spain
| | - Ana Isabel de Ávila
- Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa (CBM), CSIC-UAM, Campus de Cantoblanco, Madrid, Spain
| | - Isabel Gallego
- Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa (CBM), CSIC-UAM, Campus de Cantoblanco, Madrid, Spain
| | - María Eugenia Soria
- Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa (CBM), CSIC-UAM, Campus de Cantoblanco, Madrid, Spain
- Department of Clinical Microbiology, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria-Fundación Jiménez Díaz University Hospital, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (IIS-FJD, UAM), Madrid, Spain
| | - Antoni Durán-Pastor
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, Centro Nacional de Biotecnología (CNB-CSIC), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Campus de Cantoblanco, Madrid, Spain
| | - Pilar Somovilla
- Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa (CBM), CSIC-UAM, Campus de Cantoblanco, Madrid, Spain
- Departamento de Biología Molecular, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Campus de Cantoblanco, Madrid, Spain
| | - Brenda Martínez-González
- Department of Clinical Microbiology, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria-Fundación Jiménez Díaz University Hospital, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (IIS-FJD, UAM), Madrid, Spain
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, Centro Nacional de Biotecnología (CNB-CSIC), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Campus de Cantoblanco, Madrid, Spain
| | | | - Pablo Mínguez
- Department of Genetics & Genomics, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria-Fundación Jiménez Díaz University Hospital, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (IIS-FJD, UAM), Madrid, Spain
- Centre for Biomedical Network Research on Rare Diseases (CIBERER), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
- Bioinformatics Unit, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria-Fundación Jiménez Díaz University Hospital, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (IIS-FJD, UAM), Madrid, Spain
| | - Llanos Salar-Vidal
- Department of Clinical Microbiology, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria-Fundación Jiménez Díaz University Hospital, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (IIS-FJD, UAM), Madrid, Spain
- Centre for Biomedical Network Research on Infectious Diseases (CIBERINFEC), Madrid, Spain
| | - Mario Esteban-Muñoz
- Department of Clinical Microbiology, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria-Fundación Jiménez Díaz University Hospital, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (IIS-FJD, UAM), Madrid, Spain
| | - Elizabeth Cañar-Camacho
- Department of Clinical Microbiology, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria-Fundación Jiménez Díaz University Hospital, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (IIS-FJD, UAM), Madrid, Spain
| | - Cristina Ferrer-Orta
- Institut de Biologia Molecular de Barcelona, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (IBMB-CSIC), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Sonia Zuñiga
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, Centro Nacional de Biotecnología (CNB-CSIC), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Campus de Cantoblanco, Madrid, Spain
| | - Isabel Sola
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, Centro Nacional de Biotecnología (CNB-CSIC), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Campus de Cantoblanco, Madrid, Spain
| | - Luis Enjuanes
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, Centro Nacional de Biotecnología (CNB-CSIC), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Campus de Cantoblanco, Madrid, Spain
| | - Jaime Esteban
- Department of Clinical Microbiology, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria-Fundación Jiménez Díaz University Hospital, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (IIS-FJD, UAM), Madrid, Spain
- Centre for Biomedical Network Research on Infectious Diseases (CIBERINFEC), Madrid, Spain
| | - Ricardo Fernández-Roblas
- Department of Clinical Microbiology, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria-Fundación Jiménez Díaz University Hospital, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (IIS-FJD, UAM), Madrid, Spain
- Centre for Biomedical Network Research on Infectious Diseases (CIBERINFEC), Madrid, Spain
| | - Ignacio Gadea
- Department of Clinical Microbiology, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria-Fundación Jiménez Díaz University Hospital, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (IIS-FJD, UAM), Madrid, Spain
- Centre for Biomedical Network Research on Infectious Diseases (CIBERINFEC), Madrid, Spain
| | - Jordi Gómez
- Instituto de Parasitología y Biomedicina 'López-Neyra' (CSIC), Parque Tecnológico Ciencias de la Salud, Armilla, Granada, Spain
| | - Nuria Verdaguer
- Institut de Biologia Molecular de Barcelona, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (IBMB-CSIC), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Esteban Domingo
- Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa (CBM), CSIC-UAM, Campus de Cantoblanco, Madrid, Spain
| | - Celia Perales
- Department of Clinical Microbiology, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria-Fundación Jiménez Díaz University Hospital, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (IIS-FJD, UAM), Madrid, Spain
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, Centro Nacional de Biotecnología (CNB-CSIC), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Campus de Cantoblanco, Madrid, Spain
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Shumyantseva VV, Bulko TV, Chistov AA, Kolesanova EF, Agafonova LE. Pharmacogenomic Studies of Antiviral Drug Favipiravir. Pharmaceutics 2024; 16:503. [PMID: 38675164 PMCID: PMC11053860 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics16040503] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2024] [Revised: 03/22/2024] [Accepted: 04/01/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024] Open
Abstract
In this work, we conducted a study of the interaction between DNA and favipiravir (FAV). This chemotherapeutic compound is an antiviral drug for the treatment of COVID-19 and other infections caused by RNA viruses. This paper examines the electroanalytical characteristics of FAV. The determined concentrations correspond to therapeutically significant ones in the range of 50-500 µM (R2 = 0.943). We have shown that FAV can be electro-oxidized around the potential of +0.96 V ÷ +0.98 V (vs. Ag/AgCl). A mechanism for electrochemical oxidation of FAV was proposed. The effect of the drug on DNA was recorded as changes in the intensity of electrochemical oxidation of heterocyclic nucleobases (guanine, adenine and thymine) using screen-printed graphite electrodes modified with single-walled carbon nanotubes and titanium oxide nanoparticles. In this work, the binding constants (Kb) of FAV/dsDNA complexes for guanine, adenine and thymine were calculated. The values of the DNA-mediated electrochemical decline coefficient were calculated as the ratio of the intensity of signals for the electrochemical oxidation of guanine, adenine and thymine in the presence of FAV to the intensity of signals for the electro-oxidation of these bases without drug (S, %). Based on the analysis of electrochemical parameters, values of binding constants and spectral data, intercalation was proposed as the principal mechanism of the antiviral drug FAV interaction with DNA. The interaction with calf thymus DNA also confirmed the intercalation mechanism. However, an additional mode of interaction, such as a damage effect together with electrostatic interactions, was revealed in a prolonged exposure of DNA to FAV.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victoria V. Shumyantseva
- Institute of Biomedical Chemistry, Pogodinskaya Street, 10, Build 8, Moscow 119121, Russia; (T.V.B.); (A.A.C.); (E.F.K.); (L.E.A.)
- Department of Biochemistry, Pirogov Russian National Research Medical University, Ostrovitianov Street, 1, Moscow 117997, Russia
| | - Tatiana V. Bulko
- Institute of Biomedical Chemistry, Pogodinskaya Street, 10, Build 8, Moscow 119121, Russia; (T.V.B.); (A.A.C.); (E.F.K.); (L.E.A.)
| | - Alexey A. Chistov
- Institute of Biomedical Chemistry, Pogodinskaya Street, 10, Build 8, Moscow 119121, Russia; (T.V.B.); (A.A.C.); (E.F.K.); (L.E.A.)
| | - Ekaterina F. Kolesanova
- Institute of Biomedical Chemistry, Pogodinskaya Street, 10, Build 8, Moscow 119121, Russia; (T.V.B.); (A.A.C.); (E.F.K.); (L.E.A.)
| | - Lyubov E. Agafonova
- Institute of Biomedical Chemistry, Pogodinskaya Street, 10, Build 8, Moscow 119121, Russia; (T.V.B.); (A.A.C.); (E.F.K.); (L.E.A.)
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3
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Kreins AY, Roux E, Pang J, Cheng I, Charles O, Roy S, Mohammed R, Owens S, Lowe DM, Brugha R, Williams R, Howley E, Best T, Davies EG, Worth A, Solas C, Standing JF, Goldstein RA, Rocha-Pereira J, Breuer J. Favipiravir induces HuNoV viral mutagenesis and infectivity loss with clinical improvement in immunocompromised patients. Clin Immunol 2024; 259:109901. [PMID: 38218209 DOI: 10.1016/j.clim.2024.109901] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2023] [Revised: 01/03/2024] [Accepted: 01/05/2024] [Indexed: 01/15/2024]
Abstract
Chronic human norovirus (HuNoV) infections in immunocompromised patients result in severe disease, yet approved antivirals are lacking. RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) inhibitors inducing viral mutagenesis display broad-spectrum in vitro antiviral activity, but clinical efficacy in HuNoV infections is anecdotal and the potential emergence of drug-resistant variants is concerning. Upon favipiravir (and nitazoxanide) treatment of four immunocompromised patients with life-threatening HuNoV infections, viral whole-genome sequencing showed accumulation of favipiravir-induced mutations which coincided with clinical improvement although treatment failed to clear HuNoV. Infection of zebrafish larvae demonstrated drug-associated loss of viral infectivity and favipiravir treatment showed efficacy despite occurrence of RdRp variants potentially causing favipiravir resistance. This indicates that within-host resistance evolution did not reverse loss of viral fitness caused by genome-wide accumulation of sequence changes. This off-label approach supports the use of mutagenic antivirals for treating prolonged RNA viral infections and further informs the debate surrounding their impact on virus evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra Y Kreins
- Infection, Immunity and Inflammation Research and Teaching Department, Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, University College London, London, United Kingdom; Department of Immunology and Gene Therapy, Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Foundation Trust, London, United Kingdom
| | - Emma Roux
- KU Leuven - Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Rega Institute, Laboratory of Virology and Chemotherapy, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Juanita Pang
- Infection, Immunity and Inflammation Research and Teaching Department, Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Iek Cheng
- Infection, Immunity and Inflammation Research and Teaching Department, Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, University College London, London, United Kingdom; Department of Pharmacy, Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Foundation Trust, London, United Kingdom
| | - Oscar Charles
- Infection, Immunity and Inflammation Research and Teaching Department, Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Sunando Roy
- Infection, Immunity and Inflammation Research and Teaching Department, Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Reem Mohammed
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Allergy and Immunology, King Faisal Specialist Hospital & Research Center, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Stephen Owens
- Department of Paediatric Allergy, Immunology and Infectious Diseases, The Newcastle Upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Newcastle, United Kingdom
| | - David M Lowe
- Immunology Department, Royal Free Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, London, United Kingdom; Institute of Immunity and Transplantation, University College London, London, UK
| | - Rossa Brugha
- Department of Cardiothoracic Transplantation, Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Foundation Trust, London, United Kingdom
| | - Rachel Williams
- Infection, Immunity and Inflammation Research and Teaching Department, Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Evey Howley
- Department of Immunology and Gene Therapy, Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Foundation Trust, London, United Kingdom
| | - Timothy Best
- Department of Microbiology, Virology and Infection Control, Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Foundation Trust, London, United Kingdom
| | - E Graham Davies
- Infection, Immunity and Inflammation Research and Teaching Department, Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, University College London, London, United Kingdom; Department of Immunology and Gene Therapy, Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Foundation Trust, London, United Kingdom
| | - Austen Worth
- Department of Immunology and Gene Therapy, Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Foundation Trust, London, United Kingdom
| | - Caroline Solas
- Unité des Virus Émergents IRD 190, INSERM 1207, Aix-Marseille Université, Marseille, France; APHM, Laboratoire de Pharmacocinétique et Toxicologie, Hôpital La Timone, Marseille, France
| | - Joseph F Standing
- Infection, Immunity and Inflammation Research and Teaching Department, Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, University College London, London, United Kingdom; Department of Pharmacy, Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Foundation Trust, London, United Kingdom
| | - Richard A Goldstein
- Division of Infection and Immunity, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Joana Rocha-Pereira
- KU Leuven - Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Rega Institute, Laboratory of Virology and Chemotherapy, Leuven, Belgium.
| | - Judith Breuer
- Infection, Immunity and Inflammation Research and Teaching Department, Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, University College London, London, United Kingdom; Institute of Immunity and Transplantation, University College London, London, UK.
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4
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Martínez-González B, Gallego I, Gregori J, Soria ME, Somovilla P, de Ávila AI, García-Crespo C, Durán-Pastor A, Briones C, Gómez J, Quer J, Domingo E, Perales C. Fitness-Dependent, Mild Mutagenic Activity of Sofosbuvir for Hepatitis C Virus. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 2023; 67:e0039423. [PMID: 37367486 PMCID: PMC10353389 DOI: 10.1128/aac.00394-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2023] [Accepted: 06/06/2023] [Indexed: 06/28/2023] Open
Abstract
The concept of a mild mutagen was coined to describe a minor mutagenic activity exhibited by some nucleoside analogues that potentiated their efficacy as antiretroviral agents. In the present study, we report the mild mutagen activity of sofosbuvir (SOF) for hepatitis C virus (HCV). Serial passages of HCV in human hepatoma cells, in the presence of SOF at a concentration well below its cytotoxic concentration 50 (CC50) led to pre-extinction populations whose mutant spectra exhibited a significant increase of C→U transitions, relative to populations passaged in the absence of SOF. This was reflected in an increase in several diversity indices that were used to characterize viral quasispecies. The mild mutagenic activity of SOF was largely absent when it was tested with isogenic HCV populations that displayed high replicative fitness. Thus, SOF can act as a mild mutagen for HCV, depending on HCV fitness. Possible mechanisms by which the SOF mutagenic activity may contribute to its antiviral efficacy are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brenda Martínez-González
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, Centro Nacional de Biotecnología (CNB-CSIC), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Madrid, Spain
- Department of Clinical Microbiology, IIS-Fundación Jiménez Díaz, Madrid, Spain
| | - Isabel Gallego
- Centro de Biología Molecular “Severo Ochoa” (CSIC-UAM), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Madrid, Spain
| | - Josep Gregori
- Liver Diseases-Viral Hepatitis, Liver Unit, Vall d’Hebron Institut de Recerca (VHIR), Barcelona, Spain
| | - María Eugenia Soria
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, Centro Nacional de Biotecnología (CNB-CSIC), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Madrid, Spain
- Department of Clinical Microbiology, IIS-Fundación Jiménez Díaz, Madrid, Spain
| | - Pilar Somovilla
- Centro de Biología Molecular “Severo Ochoa” (CSIC-UAM), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Madrid, Spain
- Departamento de Biología Molecular, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Ana Isabel de Ávila
- Centro de Biología Molecular “Severo Ochoa” (CSIC-UAM), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Madrid, Spain
| | - Carlos García-Crespo
- Centro de Biología Molecular “Severo Ochoa” (CSIC-UAM), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Madrid, Spain
| | - Antoni Durán-Pastor
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, Centro Nacional de Biotecnología (CNB-CSIC), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Madrid, Spain
| | | | - Jordi Gómez
- Instituto de Parasitología y Biomedicina ‘López-Neyra’ (CSIC), Parque Tecnológico Ciencias de la Salud, Granada, Spain
| | - Josep Quer
- Liver Diseases-Viral Hepatitis, Liver Unit, Vall d’Hebron Institut de Recerca (VHIR), Barcelona, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Hepáticas y Digestivas (CIBERehd) del Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
- Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Department, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), Bellaterra, Spain
| | - Esteban Domingo
- Centro de Biología Molecular “Severo Ochoa” (CSIC-UAM), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Madrid, Spain
| | - Celia Perales
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, Centro Nacional de Biotecnología (CNB-CSIC), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Madrid, Spain
- Department of Clinical Microbiology, IIS-Fundación Jiménez Díaz, Madrid, Spain
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5
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Franco EJ, Cella E, Tao X, Hanrahan KC, Azarian T, Brown AN. Favipiravir Suppresses Zika Virus (ZIKV) through Activity as a Mutagen. Microorganisms 2023; 11:1342. [PMID: 37317316 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms11051342] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2023] [Revised: 05/09/2023] [Accepted: 05/17/2023] [Indexed: 06/16/2023] Open
Abstract
In a companion paper, we demonstrated that the nucleoside analogue favipiravir (FAV) suppressed Zika virus (ZIKV) replication in three human-derived cell lines-HeLa, SK-N-MC, and HUH-7. Our results revealed that FAV's effect was most pronounced in HeLa cells. In this work, we aimed to explain variation in FAV activity, investigating its mechanism of action and characterizing host cell factors relevant to tissue-specific differences in drug effect. Using viral genome sequencing, we show that FAV therapy was associated with an increase in the number of mutations and promoted the production of defective viral particles in all three cell lines. Our findings demonstrate that defective viral particles made up a larger portion of the viral population released from HeLa cells both at increasing FAV concentrations and at increasing exposure times. Taken together, our companion papers show that FAV acts via lethal mutagenesis against ZIKV and highlight the host cell's influence on the activation and antiviral activity of nucleoside analogues. Furthermore, the information gleaned from these companion papers can be applied to gain a more comprehensive understanding of the activity of nucleoside analogues and the impact of host cell factors against other viral infections for which we currently have no approved antiviral therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Evelyn J Franco
- Institute for Therapeutic Innovation, Department of Medicine, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Orlando, FL 32827, USA
- Department of Pharmaceutics, College of Pharmacy, University of Florida, Orlando, FL 32827, USA
| | - Eleonora Cella
- Burnett School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL 32827, USA
| | - Xun Tao
- Department of Pharmaceutics, College of Pharmacy, University of Florida, Orlando, FL 32827, USA
| | - Kaley C Hanrahan
- Institute for Therapeutic Innovation, Department of Medicine, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Orlando, FL 32827, USA
| | - Taj Azarian
- Burnett School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL 32827, USA
| | - Ashley N Brown
- Institute for Therapeutic Innovation, Department of Medicine, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Orlando, FL 32827, USA
- Department of Pharmaceutics, College of Pharmacy, University of Florida, Orlando, FL 32827, USA
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Franco EJ, Hanrahan KC, Brown AN. Favipiravir Inhibits Zika Virus (ZIKV) Replication in HeLa Cells by Altering Viral Infectivity. Microorganisms 2023; 11:1097. [PMID: 37317071 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms11051097] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2023] [Revised: 04/18/2023] [Accepted: 04/20/2023] [Indexed: 06/16/2023] Open
Abstract
This study aims to evaluate the antiviral potential of the nucleoside analogue favipiravir (FAV) against ZIKV, an arbovirus for which there are no approved antiviral therapies, in three human-derived cell lines. HeLa (cervical), SK-N-MC (neuronal), and HUH-7 (liver) cells were infected with ZIKV and exposed to different concentrations of FAV. Viral supernatant was sampled daily, and infectious viral burden was quantified by plaque assay. Changes in ZIKV infectivity were quantified by calculating specific infectivity. FAV-related toxicities were also assessed for each cell line in both infected and uninfected cells. Our results demonstrate that FAV activity was most pronounced in HeLa cells, as substantial declines in infectious titers and viral infectivity were observed in this cell type. The decline in infectious virus occurred in an exposure-dependent manner and was more pronounced as FAV exposure times increased. Additionally, toxicity studies showed that FAV was not toxic to any of the three cell lines and, surprisingly, caused substantial improvements in the viability of infected HeLa cells. Although SK-N-MC and HUH-7 cells were susceptible to FAV's anti-ZIKV activity, similar effects on viral infectivity and improvements in cell viability with therapy were not observed. These results indicate that FAV's ability to substantially alter viral infectivity is host cell specific and suggest that the robust antiviral effect observed in HeLa cells is mediated through drug-induced losses of viral infectivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Evelyn J Franco
- Institute for Therapeutic Innovation, Department of Medicine, University of Florida College of Medicine, Orlando, FL 32827, USA
- Department of Pharmaceutics, University of Florida College of Pharmacy, Orlando, FL 32827, USA
| | - Kaley C Hanrahan
- Institute for Therapeutic Innovation, Department of Medicine, University of Florida College of Medicine, Orlando, FL 32827, USA
| | - Ashley N Brown
- Institute for Therapeutic Innovation, Department of Medicine, University of Florida College of Medicine, Orlando, FL 32827, USA
- Department of Pharmaceutics, University of Florida College of Pharmacy, Orlando, FL 32827, USA
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7
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Shannon A, Canard B. Kill or corrupt: Mechanisms of action and drug-resistance of nucleotide analogues against SARS-CoV-2. Antiviral Res 2023; 210:105501. [PMID: 36567022 PMCID: PMC9773703 DOI: 10.1016/j.antiviral.2022.105501] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2022] [Revised: 12/14/2022] [Accepted: 12/15/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Nucleoside/tide analogues (NAs) have long been used in the fight against viral diseases, and now present a promising option for the treatment of COVID-19. Once activated to the 5'-triphosphate state, NAs act by targeting the viral RNA-dependent RNA-polymerase for incorporation into the viral RNA genome. Incorporated analogues can either 'kill' (terminate) synthesis, or 'corrupt' (genetically or chemically) the RNA. Against coronaviruses, the use of NAs has been further complicated by the presence of a virally encoded exonuclease domain (nsp14) with proofreading and repair capacities. Here, we describe the mechanism of action of four promising anti-COVID-19 NAs; remdesivir, molnupiravir, favipiravir and bemnifosbuvir. Their distinct mechanisms of action best exemplify the concept of 'killers' and 'corruptors'. We review available data regarding their ability to be incorporated and excised, and discuss the specific structural features that dictate their overall potency, toxicity, and mutagenic potential. This should guide the synthesis of novel analogues, lend insight into the potential for resistance mutations, and provide a rational basis for upcoming combinations therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashleigh Shannon
- AFMB, CNRS, Aix-Marseille University, UMR 7257, Case 925, 163 Avenue de Luminy, 13288, Marseille, Cedex 09, France
| | - Bruno Canard
- AFMB, CNRS, Aix-Marseille University, UMR 7257, Case 925, 163 Avenue de Luminy, 13288, Marseille, Cedex 09, France.
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Atypical Mutational Spectrum of SARS-CoV-2 Replicating in the Presence of Ribavirin. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 2023; 67:e0131522. [PMID: 36602354 PMCID: PMC9872624 DOI: 10.1128/aac.01315-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
We report that ribavirin exerts an inhibitory and mutagenic activity on SARS-CoV-2-infecting Vero cells, with a therapeutic index higher than 10. Deep sequencing analysis of the mutant spectrum of SARS-CoV-2 replicating in the absence or presence of ribavirin indicated an increase in the number of mutations, but not in deletions, and modification of diversity indices, expected from a mutagenic activity. Notably, the major mutation types enhanced by replication in the presence of ribavirin were A→G and U→C transitions, a pattern which is opposite to the dominance of G→A and C→U transitions previously described for most RNA viruses. Implications of the inhibitory activity of ribavirin, and the atypical mutational bias produced on SARS-CoV-2, for the search for synergistic anti-COVID-19 lethal mutagen combinations are discussed.
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Quasispecies Fitness Partition to Characterize the Molecular Status of a Viral Population. Negative Effect of Early Ribavirin Discontinuation in a Chronically Infected HEV Patient. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms232314654. [PMID: 36498981 PMCID: PMC9739305 DOI: 10.3390/ijms232314654] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2022] [Revised: 11/11/2022] [Accepted: 11/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The changes occurring in viral quasispecies populations during infection have been monitored using diversity indices, nucleotide diversity, and several other indices to summarize the quasispecies structure in a single value. In this study, we present a method to partition quasispecies haplotypes into four fractions according to their fitness: the master haplotype, rare haplotypes at two levels (those present at <0.1%, and those at 0.1−1%), and a fourth fraction that we term emerging haplotypes, present at frequencies >1%, but less than that of the master haplotype. We propose that by determining the changes occurring in the volume of the four quasispecies fitness fractions together with those of the Hill number profile we will be able to visualize and analyze the molecular changes in the composition of a quasispecies with time. To develop this concept, we used three data sets: a technical clone of the complete SARS-CoV-2 spike gene, a subset of data previously used in a study of rare haplotypes, and data from a clinical follow-up study of a patient chronically infected with HEV and treated with ribavirin. The viral response to ribavirin mutagenic treatment was selection of a rich set of synonymous haplotypes. The mutation spectrum was very complex at the nucleotide level, but at the protein (phenotypic/functional) level the pattern differed, showing a highly prevalent master phenotype. We discuss the putative implications of this observation in relation to mutagenic antiviral treatment.
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10
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García-Crespo C, Vázquez-Sirvent L, Somovilla P, Soria ME, Gallego I, de Ávila AI, Martínez-González B, Durán-Pastor A, Domingo E, Perales C. Efficacy decrease of antiviral agents when administered to ongoing hepatitis C virus infections in cell culture. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:960676. [PMID: 35992670 PMCID: PMC9382109 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.960676] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2022] [Accepted: 07/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
We report a quantification of the decrease of effectiveness of antiviral agents directed to hepatitis C virus, when the agents are added during an ongoing infection in cell culture vs. when they are added at the beginning of the infection. Major determinants of the decrease of inhibitory activity are the time post-infection of inhibitor administration and viral replicative fitness. The efficacy decrease has been documented with antiviral assays involving the combination of the direct-acting antiviral agents, daclatasvir and sofosbuvir, and with the combination of the lethal mutagens, favipiravir and ribavirin. The results suggest that strict antiviral effectiveness assays in preclinical trials may involve the use of high fitness viral populations and the delayed administration of the agents, relative to infection onset.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlos García-Crespo
- Centro de Biología Molecular “Severo Ochoa” (CSIC-UAM), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Madrid, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Hepáticas y Digestivas (CIBERehd) del Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - Lucía Vázquez-Sirvent
- Centro de Biología Molecular “Severo Ochoa” (CSIC-UAM), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Madrid, Spain
- Department of Clinical Microbiology, IIS-Fundación Jiménez Díaz, UAM. Av. Reyes Católicos, Madrid, Spain
| | - Pilar Somovilla
- Centro de Biología Molecular “Severo Ochoa” (CSIC-UAM), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Madrid, Spain
- Departamento de Biología Molecular, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - María Eugenia Soria
- Centro de Biología Molecular “Severo Ochoa” (CSIC-UAM), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Madrid, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Hepáticas y Digestivas (CIBERehd) del Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
- Department of Clinical Microbiology, IIS-Fundación Jiménez Díaz, UAM. Av. Reyes Católicos, Madrid, Spain
| | - Isabel Gallego
- Centro de Biología Molecular “Severo Ochoa” (CSIC-UAM), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Madrid, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Hepáticas y Digestivas (CIBERehd) del Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - Ana Isabel de Ávila
- Centro de Biología Molecular “Severo Ochoa” (CSIC-UAM), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Madrid, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Hepáticas y Digestivas (CIBERehd) del Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - Brenda Martínez-González
- Department of Clinical Microbiology, IIS-Fundación Jiménez Díaz, UAM. Av. Reyes Católicos, Madrid, Spain
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, Centro Nacional de Biotecnología (CNB-CSIC), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Madrid, Spain
| | - Antoni Durán-Pastor
- Centro de Biología Molecular “Severo Ochoa” (CSIC-UAM), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Madrid, Spain
| | - Esteban Domingo
- Centro de Biología Molecular “Severo Ochoa” (CSIC-UAM), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Madrid, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Hepáticas y Digestivas (CIBERehd) del Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - Celia Perales
- Centro de Biología Molecular “Severo Ochoa” (CSIC-UAM), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Madrid, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Hepáticas y Digestivas (CIBERehd) del Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
- Department of Clinical Microbiology, IIS-Fundación Jiménez Díaz, UAM. Av. Reyes Católicos, Madrid, Spain
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, Centro Nacional de Biotecnología (CNB-CSIC), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Madrid, Spain
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11
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Ashour L. Roles of the ACE/Ang II/AT1R pathway, cytokine release, and alteration of tight junctions in COVID-19 pathogenesis. Tissue Barriers 2022; 11:2090792. [PMID: 35726726 PMCID: PMC10161962 DOI: 10.1080/21688370.2022.2090792] [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: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
This paper shows how SARS-CoV-2 alters tight junctions (TJs) in human organs. The effect of SARS-CoV-2 on the ACE/Ang II/AT1R pathway and immune cells culminates in the release of numerous pro-inflammatory mediators, leading to the presence of certain symptoms in COVID-19, such as acute lung injury (ALI), pulmonary hypertension, and pulmonary fibrosis. Furthermore, the cytokines released alter different TJs components. The study shows how the irregular release of pro-inflammatory cytokines leads to claudin disruption in various tissues of the body, resulting in different symptoms, such as alveolar fibrosis, pulmonary edema, conjunctivitis, altered fertility in males, gastrointestinal symptoms, Covid toes, and others. SARS-CoV-2 also alters occludin expression in the endothelial and blood-testis barriers (BTB) resulting in edema and altered fertility. Viral disruption of JAM-A leads to activation of the RhoA GTPase, which leads to ALI. Taken together, these results define ACE/Ang II/AT1R pathway receptors and tight junctional components as potential therapeutic targets in COVID-19.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laith Ashour
- Faculty of Medicine, Al-Balqa Applied University, Al-Salt, Jordan
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12
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Caufriez A, Tabernilla A, Van Campenhout R, Cooreman A, Leroy K, Sanz Serrano J, Kadam P, dos Santos Rodrigues B, Lamouroux A, Ballet S, Vinken M. Effects of Drugs Formerly Suggested for COVID-19 Repurposing on Pannexin1 Channels. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23105664. [PMID: 35628472 PMCID: PMC9146942 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23105664] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2022] [Revised: 05/12/2022] [Accepted: 05/17/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Although many efforts have been made to elucidate the pathogenesis of COVID-19, the underlying mechanisms are yet to be fully uncovered. However, it is known that a dysfunctional immune response and the accompanying uncontrollable inflammation lead to troublesome outcomes in COVID-19 patients. Pannexin1 channels are put forward as interesting drug targets for the treatment of COVID-19 due to their key role in inflammation and their link to other viral infections. In the present study, we selected a panel of drugs previously tested in clinical trials as potential candidates for the treatment of COVID-19 early on in the pandemic, including hydroxychloroquine, chloroquine, azithromycin, dexamethasone, ribavirin, remdesivir, favipiravir, lopinavir, and ritonavir. The effect of the drugs on pannexin1 channels was assessed at a functional level by means of measurement of extracellular ATP release. Immunoblot analysis and real-time quantitative reversetranscription polymerase chain reaction analysis were used to study the potential of the drugs to alter pannexin1 protein and mRNA expression levels, respectively. Favipiravir, hydroxychloroquine, lopinavir, and the combination of lopinavir with ritonavir were found to inhibit pannexin1 channel activity without affecting pannexin1 protein or mRNA levels. Thusthree new inhibitors of pannexin1 channels were identified that, though currently not being used anymore for the treatment of COVID-19 patients, could be potential drug candidates for other pannexin1-related diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anne Caufriez
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Laarbeeklaan 103, 1090 Brussels, Belgium; (A.C.); (A.T.); (R.V.C.); (A.C.); (K.L.); (J.S.S.); (P.K.); (B.d.S.R.)
- Departments of Chemistry and Bioengineering Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Pleinlaan 2, 1050 Brussels, Belgium; (A.L.); (S.B.)
| | - Andrés Tabernilla
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Laarbeeklaan 103, 1090 Brussels, Belgium; (A.C.); (A.T.); (R.V.C.); (A.C.); (K.L.); (J.S.S.); (P.K.); (B.d.S.R.)
| | - Raf Van Campenhout
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Laarbeeklaan 103, 1090 Brussels, Belgium; (A.C.); (A.T.); (R.V.C.); (A.C.); (K.L.); (J.S.S.); (P.K.); (B.d.S.R.)
| | - Axelle Cooreman
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Laarbeeklaan 103, 1090 Brussels, Belgium; (A.C.); (A.T.); (R.V.C.); (A.C.); (K.L.); (J.S.S.); (P.K.); (B.d.S.R.)
| | - Kaat Leroy
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Laarbeeklaan 103, 1090 Brussels, Belgium; (A.C.); (A.T.); (R.V.C.); (A.C.); (K.L.); (J.S.S.); (P.K.); (B.d.S.R.)
| | - Julen Sanz Serrano
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Laarbeeklaan 103, 1090 Brussels, Belgium; (A.C.); (A.T.); (R.V.C.); (A.C.); (K.L.); (J.S.S.); (P.K.); (B.d.S.R.)
| | - Prashant Kadam
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Laarbeeklaan 103, 1090 Brussels, Belgium; (A.C.); (A.T.); (R.V.C.); (A.C.); (K.L.); (J.S.S.); (P.K.); (B.d.S.R.)
| | - Bruna dos Santos Rodrigues
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Laarbeeklaan 103, 1090 Brussels, Belgium; (A.C.); (A.T.); (R.V.C.); (A.C.); (K.L.); (J.S.S.); (P.K.); (B.d.S.R.)
| | - Arthur Lamouroux
- Departments of Chemistry and Bioengineering Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Pleinlaan 2, 1050 Brussels, Belgium; (A.L.); (S.B.)
| | - Steven Ballet
- Departments of Chemistry and Bioengineering Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Pleinlaan 2, 1050 Brussels, Belgium; (A.L.); (S.B.)
| | - Mathieu Vinken
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Laarbeeklaan 103, 1090 Brussels, Belgium; (A.C.); (A.T.); (R.V.C.); (A.C.); (K.L.); (J.S.S.); (P.K.); (B.d.S.R.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +32-2477-4587
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13
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Caldwell HS, Pata JD, Ciota AT. The Role of the Flavivirus Replicase in Viral Diversity and Adaptation. Viruses 2022; 14:1076. [PMID: 35632818 PMCID: PMC9143365 DOI: 10.3390/v14051076] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2022] [Revised: 05/03/2022] [Accepted: 05/06/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Flaviviruses include several emerging and re-emerging arboviruses which cause millions of infections each year. Although relatively well-studied, much remains unknown regarding the mechanisms and means by which these viruses readily alternate and adapt to different hosts and environments. Here, we review a subset of the different aspects of flaviviral biology which impact host switching and viral fitness. These include the mechanism of replication and structural biology of the NS3 and NS5 proteins, which reproduce the viral genome; rates of mutation resulting from this replication and the role of mutational frequency in viral fitness; and the theory of quasispecies evolution and how it contributes to our understanding of genetic and phenotypic plasticity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haley S. Caldwell
- The Arbovirus Laboratory, Wadsworth Center, New York State Department of Health, Slingerlands, NY 12159, USA;
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, State University of New York at Albany, School of Public Health, Rensselaer, NY 12144, USA;
| | - Janice D. Pata
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, State University of New York at Albany, School of Public Health, Rensselaer, NY 12144, USA;
- Wadsworth Center, New York State Department of Health, Albany, NY 12208, USA
| | - Alexander T. Ciota
- The Arbovirus Laboratory, Wadsworth Center, New York State Department of Health, Slingerlands, NY 12159, USA;
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, State University of New York at Albany, School of Public Health, Rensselaer, NY 12144, USA;
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14
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Martínez-González B, Soria ME, Vázquez-Sirvent L, Ferrer-Orta C, Lobo-Vega R, Mínguez P, de la Fuente L, Llorens C, Soriano B, Ramos R, Cortón M, López-Rodríguez R, García-Crespo C, Gallego I, de Ávila AI, Gómez J, Enjuanes L, Salar-Vidal L, Esteban J, Fernandez-Roblas R, Gadea I, Ayuso C, Ruíz-Hornillos J, Verdaguer N, Domingo E, Perales C. SARS-CoV-2 Point Mutation and Deletion Spectra and Their Association with Different Disease Outcomes. Microbiol Spectr 2022; 10:e0022122. [PMID: 35348367 PMCID: PMC9045161 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.00221-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2022] [Accepted: 02/25/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Mutant spectra of RNA viruses are important to understand viral pathogenesis and response to selective pressures. There is a need to characterize the complexity of mutant spectra in coronaviruses sampled from infected patients. In particular, the possible relationship between SARS-CoV-2 mutant spectrum complexity and disease associations has not been established. In the present study, we report an ultradeep sequencing (UDS) analysis of the mutant spectrum of amplicons from the nsp12 (polymerase)- and spike (S)-coding regions of 30 nasopharyngeal isolates (diagnostic samples) of SARS-CoV-2 of the first COVID-19 pandemic wave (Madrid, Spain, April 2020) classified according to the severity of ensuing COVID-19. Low-frequency mutations and deletions, counted relative to the consensus sequence of the corresponding isolate, were overwhelmingly abundant. We show that the average number of different point mutations, mutations per haplotype, and several diversity indices was significantly higher in SARS-CoV-2 isolated from patients who developed mild disease than in those associated with moderate or severe disease (exitus). No such bias was observed with RNA deletions. Location of amino acid substitutions in the three-dimensional structures of nsp12 (polymerase) and S suggest significant structural or functional effects. Thus, patients who develop mild symptoms may be a richer source of genetic variants of SARS-CoV-2 than patients with moderate or severe COVID-19. IMPORTANCE The study shows that mutant spectra of SARS-CoV-2 from diagnostic samples differ in point mutation abundance and complexity and that significantly larger values were observed in virus from patients who developed mild COVID-19 symptoms. Mutant spectrum complexity is not a uniform trait among isolates. The nature and location of low-frequency amino acid substitutions present in mutant spectra anticipate great potential for phenotypic diversification of SARS-CoV-2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brenda Martínez-González
- Department of Clinical Microbiology, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria-Fundación Jiménez Díaz University Hospital, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (IIS-FJD, UAM), Madrid, Spain
| | - María Eugenia Soria
- Department of Clinical Microbiology, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria-Fundación Jiménez Díaz University Hospital, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (IIS-FJD, UAM), Madrid, Spain
- Centro de Biología Molecular “Severo Ochoa” (CSIC-UAM), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Madrid, Spain
| | - Lucía Vázquez-Sirvent
- Department of Clinical Microbiology, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria-Fundación Jiménez Díaz University Hospital, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (IIS-FJD, UAM), Madrid, Spain
| | - Cristina Ferrer-Orta
- Structural Biology Department, Institut de Biología Molecular de Barcelona CSIC, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Rebeca Lobo-Vega
- Department of Clinical Microbiology, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria-Fundación Jiménez Díaz University Hospital, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (IIS-FJD, UAM), Madrid, Spain
| | - Pablo Mínguez
- Department of Genetics & Genomics, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria-Fundación Jiménez Díaz University Hospital, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (IIS-FJD, UAM), Madrid, Spain
- Centre for Biomedical Network Research on Rare Diseases (CIBERER), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
- Bioinformatics Unit, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria-Fundación Jiménez Díaz University Hospital, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (IIS-FJD, UAM), Madrid, Spain
| | - Lorena de la Fuente
- Department of Genetics & Genomics, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria-Fundación Jiménez Díaz University Hospital, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (IIS-FJD, UAM), Madrid, Spain
- Centre for Biomedical Network Research on Rare Diseases (CIBERER), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
- Bioinformatics Unit, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria-Fundación Jiménez Díaz University Hospital, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (IIS-FJD, UAM), Madrid, Spain
| | - Carlos Llorens
- Biotechvana, “Scientific Park”, Universidad de Valencia, Valencia, Spain
| | - Beatriz Soriano
- Biotechvana, “Scientific Park”, Universidad de Valencia, Valencia, Spain
| | - Ricardo Ramos
- Unidad de Genómica, “Scientific Park of Madrid”, Campus de Cantoblanco, Madrid, Spain
| | - Marta Cortón
- Department of Genetics & Genomics, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria-Fundación Jiménez Díaz University Hospital, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (IIS-FJD, UAM), Madrid, Spain
- Centre for Biomedical Network Research on Rare Diseases (CIBERER), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - Rosario López-Rodríguez
- Department of Genetics & Genomics, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria-Fundación Jiménez Díaz University Hospital, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (IIS-FJD, UAM), Madrid, Spain
- Centre for Biomedical Network Research on Rare Diseases (CIBERER), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - Carlos García-Crespo
- Centro de Biología Molecular “Severo Ochoa” (CSIC-UAM), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Madrid, Spain
| | - Isabel Gallego
- Centro de Biología Molecular “Severo Ochoa” (CSIC-UAM), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Madrid, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Hepáticas y Digestivas (CIBERehd), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - Ana Isabel de Ávila
- Centro de Biología Molecular “Severo Ochoa” (CSIC-UAM), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Madrid, Spain
| | - Jordi Gómez
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Hepáticas y Digestivas (CIBERehd), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
- Instituto de Parasitología y Biomedicina ‘López-Neyra’ (CSIC), Parque Tecnológico Ciencias de la Salud, Granada, Spain
| | - Luis Enjuanes
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, Centro Nacional de Biotecnología (CNB-CSIC), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Madrid, Spain
| | - Llanos Salar-Vidal
- Department of Clinical Microbiology, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria-Fundación Jiménez Díaz University Hospital, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (IIS-FJD, UAM), Madrid, Spain
| | - Jaime Esteban
- Department of Clinical Microbiology, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria-Fundación Jiménez Díaz University Hospital, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (IIS-FJD, UAM), Madrid, Spain
| | - Ricardo Fernandez-Roblas
- Department of Clinical Microbiology, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria-Fundación Jiménez Díaz University Hospital, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (IIS-FJD, UAM), Madrid, Spain
| | - Ignacio Gadea
- Department of Clinical Microbiology, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria-Fundación Jiménez Díaz University Hospital, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (IIS-FJD, UAM), Madrid, Spain
| | - Carmen Ayuso
- Department of Genetics & Genomics, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria-Fundación Jiménez Díaz University Hospital, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (IIS-FJD, UAM), Madrid, Spain
- Centre for Biomedical Network Research on Rare Diseases (CIBERER), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - Javier Ruíz-Hornillos
- Allergy Unit, Hospital Infanta Elena, Valdemoro, Madrid, Spain
- Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria-Fundación Jiménez Díaz University Hospital, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (IIS-FJD, UAM), Madrid, Spain
- Faculty of Medicine, Universidad Francisco de Vitoria, Madrid, Spain
| | - Nuria Verdaguer
- Structural Biology Department, Institut de Biología Molecular de Barcelona CSIC, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Esteban Domingo
- Centro de Biología Molecular “Severo Ochoa” (CSIC-UAM), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Madrid, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Hepáticas y Digestivas (CIBERehd), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - Celia Perales
- Department of Clinical Microbiology, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria-Fundación Jiménez Díaz University Hospital, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (IIS-FJD, UAM), Madrid, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Hepáticas y Digestivas (CIBERehd), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, Centro Nacional de Biotecnología (CNB-CSIC), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Madrid, Spain
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15
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Lethal Mutagenesis of RNA Viruses and Approved Drugs with Antiviral Mutagenic Activity. Viruses 2022; 14:v14040841. [PMID: 35458571 PMCID: PMC9024455 DOI: 10.3390/v14040841] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2022] [Revised: 04/11/2022] [Accepted: 04/13/2022] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
In RNA viruses, a small increase in their mutation rates can be sufficient to exceed their threshold of viability. Lethal mutagenesis is a therapeutic strategy based on the use of mutagens, driving viral populations to extinction. Extinction catastrophe can be experimentally induced by promutagenic nucleosides in cell culture models. The loss of HIV infectivity has been observed after passage in 5-hydroxydeoxycytidine or 5,6-dihydro-5-aza-2′-deoxycytidine while producing a two-fold increase in the viral mutation frequency. Among approved nucleoside analogs, experiments with polioviruses and other RNA viruses suggested that ribavirin can be mutagenic, although its mechanism of action is not clear. Favipiravir and molnupiravir exert an antiviral effect through lethal mutagenesis. Both drugs are broad-spectrum antiviral agents active against RNA viruses. Favipiravir incorporates into viral RNA, affecting the G→A and C→U transition rates. Molnupiravir (a prodrug of β-d-N4-hydroxycytidine) has been recently approved for the treatment of SARS-CoV-2 infection. Its triphosphate derivative can be incorporated into viral RNA and extended by the coronavirus RNA polymerase. Incorrect base pairing and inefficient extension by the polymerase promote mutagenesis by increasing the G→A and C→U transition frequencies. Despite having remarkable antiviral action and resilience to drug resistance, carcinogenic risks and genotoxicity are important concerns limiting their extended use in antiviral therapy.
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16
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Konstantinova ID, L.Andronova V, Fateev IV, Esipov RS. Favipiravir and Its Structural Analogs: Antiviral Activity and Synthesis Methods. Acta Naturae 2022; 14:16-38. [PMID: 35923566 PMCID: PMC9307979 DOI: 10.32607/actanaturae.11652] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2021] [Accepted: 04/27/2022] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
1,4-Pyrazine-3-carboxamide-based antiviral compounds have been under intensive study for the last 20 years. One of these compounds, favipiravir (6-fluoro-3-hydroxypyrazine-2-carboxamide, T-705), is approved for use against the influenza infection in a number of countries. Now, favipiravir is being actively used against COVID-19. This review describes the in vivo metabolism of favipiravir, the mechanism of its antiviral activity, clinical findings, toxic properties, and the chemical synthesis routes for its production. We provide data on the synthesis and antiviral activity of structural analogs of favipiravir, including nucleosides and nucleotides based on them.
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Affiliation(s)
- I. D. Konstantinova
- Shemyakin and Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, 117997 Russia
| | - V. L.Andronova
- Shemyakin and Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, 117997 Russia
- FSBI «National Research Centre for Epidemiology and Microbiology named after the honorary academician N.F. Gamaleya» of the Ministry of Health of Russia, Moscow, 123098 Russia
| | - I. V. Fateev
- Shemyakin and Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, 117997 Russia
| | - R. S. Esipov
- Shemyakin and Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, 117997 Russia
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17
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Favipiravir Inhibits Hepatitis A Virus Infection in Human Hepatocytes. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23052631. [PMID: 35269774 PMCID: PMC8910232 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23052631] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2022] [Revised: 02/24/2022] [Accepted: 02/25/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Hepatitis A virus (HAV) is a causative agent of acute hepatitis and can occasionally induce acute liver failure. However, specific potent anti-HAV drug is not available on the market currently. Thus, we investigated several novel therapeutic drugs through a drug repositioning approach, targeting ribonucleic acid (RNA)-dependent RNA polymerase and RNA-dependent deoxyribonucleic acid polymerase. In the present study, we examined the anti-HAV activity of 18 drugs by measuring the HAV subgenomic replicon and HAV HA11-1299 genotype IIIA replication in human hepatoma cell lines, using a reporter assay and real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction, respectively. Mutagenesis of the HAV 5’ untranslated region was also examined by next-generation sequencing. These specific parameters were explored because lethal mutagenesis has emerged as a novel potential therapeutic approach to treat RNA virus infections. Favipiravir inhibited HAV replication in both Huh7 and PLC/PRF/5 cells, although ribavirin inhibited HAV replication in only Huh7 cells. Next-generation sequencing demonstrated that favipiravir could introduce nucleotide mutations into the HAV genome more than ribavirin. In conclusion, favipiravir could introduce nucleotide mutations into the HAV genome and work as an antiviral against HAV infection. Provided that further in vivo experiments confirm its efficacy, favipiravir would be useful for the treatment of severe HAV infection.
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18
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Enhancing the Antiviral Potency of Nucleobases for Potential Broad-Spectrum Antiviral Therapies. Viruses 2021; 13:v13122508. [PMID: 34960780 PMCID: PMC8705664 DOI: 10.3390/v13122508] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2021] [Revised: 11/29/2021] [Accepted: 12/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Broad-spectrum antiviral therapies hold promise as a first-line defense against emerging viruses by blunting illness severity and spread until vaccines and virus-specific antivirals are developed. The nucleobase favipiravir, often discussed as a broad-spectrum inhibitor, was not effective in recent clinical trials involving patients infected with Ebola virus or SARS-CoV-2. A drawback of favipiravir use is its rapid clearance before conversion to its active nucleoside-5′-triphosphate form. In this work, we report a synergistic reduction of flavivirus (dengue, Zika), orthomyxovirus (influenza A), and coronavirus (HCoV-OC43 and SARS-CoV-2) replication when the nucleobases favipiravir or T-1105 were combined with the antimetabolite 6-methylmercaptopurine riboside (6MMPr). The 6MMPr/T-1105 combination increased the C-U and G-A mutation frequency compared to treatment with T-1105 or 6MMPr alone. A further analysis revealed that the 6MMPr/T-1105 co-treatment reduced cellular purine nucleotide triphosphate synthesis and increased conversion of the antiviral nucleobase to its nucleoside-5′-monophosphate, -diphosphate, and -triphosphate forms. The 6MMPr co-treatment specifically increased production of the active antiviral form of the nucleobases (but not corresponding nucleosides) while also reducing levels of competing cellular NTPs to produce the synergistic effect. This in-depth work establishes a foundation for development of small molecules as possible co-treatments with nucleobases like favipiravir in response to emerging RNA virus infections.
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19
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Distinct Antiretroviral Mechanisms Elicited by a Viral Mutagen. J Mol Biol 2021; 433:167111. [PMID: 34153286 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2021.167111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2021] [Revised: 06/12/2021] [Accepted: 06/14/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
5-aza-cytidine (5-aza-C) has been shown to be a potent human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) mutagen that induces G-to-C hypermutagenesis by incorporation of the reduced form (i.e., 5-aza-dC, 5-aza-dCTP). Evidence to date suggests that this lethal mutagenesis is the primary antiretroviral mechanism for 5-aza-C. To investigate the breadth of application of 5-aza-C as an antiretroviral mutagen, we have conducted a comparative, parallel analysis of the antiviral mechanism of 5-aza-C between HIV-1 and gammaretroviruses - i.e., murine leukemia virus (MuLV) and feline leukemia virus (FeLV). Intriguingly, in contrast to the hallmark G-to-C hypermutagenesis observed with HIV-1, MuLV and FeLV did not reveal the presence of a significant increase in mutational burden, particularly that of G-to-C transversion mutations. The effect of 5-aza-dCTP on DNA synthesis revealed that while HIV-1 RT was not inhibited by 5-aza-dCTP even at 100 µM, 5-aza-dCTP was incorporated and significantly inhibited MuLV RT, generating pause sites and reducing the fully extended product. 5-aza-dCTP was found to be incorporated into DNA by MuLV RT or HIV-1 RT, but only acted as a non-obligate chain terminator for MuLV RT. This biochemical data provides an independent line of experimental evidence in support of the conclusion that HIV-1 and MuLV have distinct primary mechanisms of antiretroviral action with 5-aza-C. Taken together, our data provides striking evidence that an antiretroviral mutagen can have strong potency via distinct mechanisms of action among closely related viruses, unlinking antiviral activity from antiviral mechanism of action.
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20
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Shin CH, Kim KH, Jeeva S, Kang SM. Towards Goals to Refine Prophylactic and Therapeutic Strategies Against COVID-19 Linked to Aging and Metabolic Syndrome. Cells 2021; 10:1412. [PMID: 34204163 PMCID: PMC8227274 DOI: 10.3390/cells10061412] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2021] [Revised: 05/28/2021] [Accepted: 06/03/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) gave rise to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. A strong correlation has been demonstrated between worse COVID-19 outcomes, aging, and metabolic syndrome (MetS), which is primarily derived from obesity-induced systemic chronic low-grade inflammation with numerous complications, including type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). The majority of COVID-19 deaths occurs in people over the age of 65. Individuals with MetS are inclined to manifest adverse disease consequences and mortality from COVID-19. In this review, we examine the prevalence and molecular mechanisms underlying enhanced risk of COVID-19 in elderly people and individuals with MetS. Subsequently, we discuss current progresses in treating COVID-19, including the development of new COVID-19 vaccines and antivirals, towards goals to elaborate prophylactic and therapeutic treatment options in this vulnerable population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chong-Hyun Shin
- Center for Inflammation, Immunity & Infection, Institute for Biomedical Sciences, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA 30303, USA; (K.-H.K.); (S.J.)
| | | | | | - Sang-Moo Kang
- Center for Inflammation, Immunity & Infection, Institute for Biomedical Sciences, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA 30303, USA; (K.-H.K.); (S.J.)
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21
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Zhirnov OP, Chernyshova AI. Favipiravir: the hidden threat of mutagenic action. JOURNAL OF MICROBIOLOGY, EPIDEMIOLOGY AND IMMUNOBIOLOGY 2021. [DOI: 10.36233/0372-9311-114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
The antiviral drug favipiravir (FVP), which is a structural analogue of guanosine, undergoes chemical transformation in infected cells by cellular enzymes into a nucleotide form — favipiravir ribose triphosphate (FVPRTP). FVP-RTP is able to bind to viral RNA-dependent RNA polymerase and integrate into the viral RNA chain, causing a significant mutagenic effect through G→A and С→U transitions in the viral RNA genome. Besides the virus inhibiting effect, the increased synthesis of mutant virions under the action of FPV possess a threat of the emergence of novel threatening viral strains with high pathogenicity for humans and animals and acquired resistance to chemotherapeutic compound. There are three ways to minimize this mutagenic effect of FP. (1) Synthesis of new FPV modifications lacking the ability to integrate into the synthesized viral RNA molecule. (2) The combined use of FPV with antiviral chemotherapeutic drugs of a different mechanism of action directed at various viral and/or host cell targets. (3) Permanent application of high therapeutic doses of FPV under the strict medical control to enhance the lethal mutagenic effect on an infectious virus in the recipient organism to prevent the multiplication of its mutant forms.
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Affiliation(s)
- O. P. Zhirnov
- The Russian-German Academy of Medico-Social and Biotechnological Sciences;
The D.I. Ivanovsky Institute of Virology, The N.F. Gamaleya National Research Center of Epidemiology and Microbiology
| | - A. I. Chernyshova
- The D.I. Ivanovsky Institute of Virology, The N.F. Gamaleya National Research Center of Epidemiology and Microbiology;
The I.M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University (Sechenov University)
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22
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Population Disequilibrium as Promoter of Adaptive Explorations in Hepatitis C Virus. Viruses 2021; 13:v13040616. [PMID: 33916702 PMCID: PMC8067247 DOI: 10.3390/v13040616] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2021] [Revised: 03/24/2021] [Accepted: 03/30/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Replication of RNA viruses is characterized by exploration of sequence space which facilitates their adaptation to changing environments. It is generally accepted that such exploration takes place mainly in response to positive selection, and that further diversification is boosted by modifications of virus population size, particularly bottleneck events. Our recent results with hepatitis C virus (HCV) have shown that the expansion in sequence space of a viral clone continues despite prolonged replication in a stable cell culture environment. Diagnosis of the expansion was based on the quantification of diversity indices, the occurrence of intra-population mutational waves (variations in mutant frequencies), and greater individual residue variations in mutant spectra than those anticipated from sequence alignments in data banks. In the present report, we review our previous results, and show additionally that mutational waves in amplicons from the NS5A-NS5B-coding region are equally prominent during HCV passage in the absence or presence of the mutagenic nucleotide analogues favipiravir or ribavirin. In addition, by extending our previous analysis to amplicons of the NS3- and NS5A-coding region, we provide further evidence of the incongruence between amino acid conservation scores in mutant spectra from infected patients and in the Los Alamos National Laboratory HCV data banks. We hypothesize that these observations have as a common origin a permanent state of HCV population disequilibrium even upon extensive viral replication in the absence of external selective constraints or changes in population size. Such a persistent disequilibrium—revealed by the changing composition of the mutant spectrum—may facilitate finding alternative mutational pathways for HCV antiviral resistance. The possible significance of our model for other genetically variable viruses is discussed.
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23
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Españo E, Kim D, Kim J, Park SK, Kim JK. COVID-19 Antiviral and Treatment Candidates: Current Status. Immune Netw 2021; 21:e7. [PMID: 33728100 PMCID: PMC7937511 DOI: 10.4110/in.2021.21.e7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2021] [Revised: 01/27/2021] [Accepted: 01/31/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 has severely impacted global health and economy. There is currently no effective approved treatment for COVID-19; although vaccines have been granted emergency use authorization in several countries, they are currently only administered to high-risk individuals, thereby leaving a gap in virus control measures. The scientific and clinical communities and drug manufacturers have collaborated to speed up the discovery of potential therapies for COVID-19 by taking advantage of currently approved drugs as well as investigatory agents in clinical trials. In this review, we stratified some of these candidates based on their potential targets in the progression of COVID-19 and discuss some of the results of ongoing clinical evaluations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erica Españo
- Department of Pharmacy, Korea University College of Pharmacy, Sejong 30019, Korea
| | - Dajung Kim
- Department of Pharmacy, Korea University College of Pharmacy, Sejong 30019, Korea
| | - Jiyeon Kim
- Department of Pharmacy, Korea University College of Pharmacy, Sejong 30019, Korea
| | - Song-Kyu Park
- Department of Pharmacy, Korea University College of Pharmacy, Sejong 30019, Korea
| | - Jeong-Ki Kim
- Department of Pharmacy, Korea University College of Pharmacy, Sejong 30019, Korea
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24
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Łagocka R, Dziedziejko V, Kłos P, Pawlik A. Favipiravir in Therapy of Viral Infections. J Clin Med 2021; 10:E273. [PMID: 33451007 PMCID: PMC7828521 DOI: 10.3390/jcm10020273] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2020] [Revised: 01/08/2021] [Accepted: 01/09/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Favipiravir (FPV) is a novel antiviral drug acting as a competitive inhibitor of RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp), preventing viral transcription and replication. FPV was approved in Japan in 2014 for therapy of influenza unresponsive to standard antiviral therapies. FPV was also used in the therapy of Ebola virus disease (EVD) and severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection. In this review, we discuss the mechanisms of action, pharmacokinetic parameters, toxicity, and adverse effects of FPV, as well as clinical studies evaluating the use of FPV in the therapy of influenza virus (IV) infection, EVD, and SARS-CoV-2 infection, along with its effectiveness in treating other human RNA infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryta Łagocka
- Department of Conservative Dentistry and Endodontics, Pomeranian Medical University, 70-204 Szczecin, Poland;
| | - Violetta Dziedziejko
- Department of Biochemistry and Medical Chemistry, Pomeranian Medical University, 70-204 Szczecin, Poland; (V.D.); (P.K.)
| | - Patrycja Kłos
- Department of Biochemistry and Medical Chemistry, Pomeranian Medical University, 70-204 Szczecin, Poland; (V.D.); (P.K.)
| | - Andrzej Pawlik
- Department of Physiology, Pomeranian Medical University, 70-204 Szczecin, Poland
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25
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Jia X, Ganter B, Meier C. Improving properties of the nucleobase analogs T-705/T-1105 as potential antiviral. ANNUAL REPORTS IN MEDICINAL CHEMISTRY 2021; 57:1-47. [PMID: 34728864 PMCID: PMC8553380 DOI: 10.1016/bs.armc.2021.08.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
In this minireview we describe our work on the improvement of the nucleobase analogs Favipiravir (T-705) und its non-fluorinated derivative T-1105 as influenza and SARS-CoV-2 active compounds. Both nucleobases were converted into nucleotides and then included in our nucleotide prodrugs technologies cycloSal-monophosphates, DiPPro-nucleoside diphosphates and TriPPPro-nucleoside triphosphates. Particularly the DiPPro-derivatives of T-1105-RDP proved to be very active against influenza viruses. T-1105-derivatives in general were found to be more antivirally active as compared to their T-705 counterpart. This may be due to the low chemical stability of all ribosylated derivatives of T-705. The ribosyltriphosphate derivative of T-1105 was studied for the potential to act as a inhibitor of the SARS-CoV-2 RdRp and was found to be an extremely potent compound causing lethal mutagenesis. The pronucleotide technologies, the chemical synthesis, the biophysical properties and the biological effects of the compounds will be addressed as well.
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26
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Srinivasan K, Rao M. Understanding the clinical utility of favipiravir (T-705) in coronavirus disease of 2019: a review. Ther Adv Infect Dis 2021; 8:20499361211063016. [PMID: 34881025 PMCID: PMC8646822 DOI: 10.1177/20499361211063016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2021] [Accepted: 11/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
The coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19) has caused significant morbidity and mortality among infected individuals across the world. High transmissibility rate of the causative virus - Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) - has led to immense strain and bottlenecking of the health care system. While noteworthy advances in vaccine development have been made amid the current global pandemic, most therapeutic agents are repurposed from use in other viral infections and are being evaluated for efficacy in COVID-19. Favipiravir, an orally administered drug originally developed in Japan against emerging influenza viral strains, has been shown to have widespread application and safety across multiple ribonucleic acid (RNA) viral infections. With a strong affinity toward the viral RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp), favipiravir could be a promising therapy against SARS-CoV-2, by targeting downstream viral RNA replication. Initial trials for usage in COVID-19 have suggested that favipiravir administration during initial infection stages, in individuals with mild to moderate infection, has a strong potential to improve clinical outcomes. However, additional well-designed clinical trials are required to closely examine ideal timing of drug administration, dosage, and duration, to assess the role of favipiravir in COVID-19 therapy. This review provides evidence-based insights and throws light on the current clinical trials examining the efficacy of favipiravir in tackling COVID-19, including its mechanism, pharmacodynamics, and pharmacokinetics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kritika Srinivasan
- Department of Biomaterials and Pathology, Vilcek Institute, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Mana Rao
- Essen Medical Associates, 2015 Grand Concourse, Bronx, NY 10453, USA
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27
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Hashemian SM, Farhadi T, Velayati AA. A review on favipiravir: the properties, function, and usefulness to treat COVID-19. Expert Rev Anti Infect Ther 2020; 19:1029-1037. [PMID: 33372567 DOI: 10.1080/14787210.2021.1866545] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION At this time, there is no specific therapeutic or vaccine for treatment of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Hence, available drugs for treatment of other viral infections may be useful to treat COVID-19. AREAS COVERED The focus of the current review was studying the main characteristics of favipiravir and its usefulness to treat COVID-19. An electronic search was done by using Pubmed and Google scholar. EXPERT OPINION Based on the mechanism of action and safety of favipiravir, the drug may be a promising candidate for compassionate use against the SARS-CoV-2 infection. Favipiravir has a wide range of activity against many single-stranded RNA viruses, is well tolerated in humans and has a high barrier to resistance. However, high doses of the agent are necessary to obtain an efficient antiviral activity. Favipiravir is teratogen in pregnant women and associated with the hyperuricemia. Therefore, the administration of the drug should be well controlled. Investigating the antiviral prophylactic potency of favipiravir and search for its pro-drugs and/or analogs showing improved activity and/or safety are critical.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seyed MohammadReza Hashemian
- Clinical Tuberculosis and Epidemiology Research Center, National Research Institute of Tuberculosis and Lung Disease (NRITLD), Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.,Chronic Respiratory Diseases Research Center (CRDRC), National Research Institute of Tuberculosis and Lung Diseases (NRITLD), Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Tayebeh Farhadi
- Chronic Respiratory Diseases Research Center (CRDRC), National Research Institute of Tuberculosis and Lung Diseases (NRITLD), Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Ali Akbar Velayati
- Chronic Respiratory Diseases Research Center (CRDRC), National Research Institute of Tuberculosis and Lung Diseases (NRITLD), Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
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28
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Mendoza CA, Yamaoka S, Tsuda Y, Matsuno K, Weisend CM, Ebihara H. The NF-κB inhibitor, SC75741, is a novel antiviral against emerging tick-borne bandaviruses. Antiviral Res 2020; 185:104993. [PMID: 33296695 DOI: 10.1016/j.antiviral.2020.104993] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2020] [Revised: 11/12/2020] [Accepted: 12/03/2020] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome virus (SFTSV) and Heartland virus (HRTV) cause viral hemorrhagic fever-like illnesses in humans due to an aberrant host inflammatory response, which contributes to pathogenesis. Here, we established two separate minigenome (MG) systems based on the M-segment of SFTSV and HRTV. Following characterization of both systems for SFTSV and HRTV, we used them as a platform to screen potential compounds that inhibit viral RNA synthesis. We demonstrated that the NF-κB inhibitor, SC75741, reduces viral RNA synthesis of SFTSV and HRTV using our MG platform and validated these results using infectious SFTSV and HRTV. These results may lead to the use of MG systems as potential screening systems for the identification of antiviral compounds and yield novel insights into host-factors that could play role in bandavirus transcription and replication.
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Affiliation(s)
- Crystal A Mendoza
- Mayo Clinic Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Rochester, MN, 55905, USA
| | - Satoko Yamaoka
- Mayo Clinic, Department of Molecular Medicine, Rochester, MN, 55905, USA
| | - Yoshimi Tsuda
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Hokkaido, 060-8638, Japan
| | - Keita Matsuno
- Unit of Risk Analysis and Management, Hokkaido University Research Center for Zoonosis Control, Sapporo, Hokkaido, 001-0020, Japan; International Collaboration Unit, Research Center for Zoonosis Control, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Hokkaido, 001-0020, Japan
| | - Carla M Weisend
- Mayo Clinic, Department of Molecular Medicine, Rochester, MN, 55905, USA
| | - Hideki Ebihara
- Mayo Clinic, Department of Molecular Medicine, Rochester, MN, 55905, USA.
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29
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Shannon A, Selisko B, Le NTT, Huchting J, Touret F, Piorkowski G, Fattorini V, Ferron F, Decroly E, Meier C, Coutard B, Peersen O, Canard B. Rapid incorporation of Favipiravir by the fast and permissive viral RNA polymerase complex results in SARS-CoV-2 lethal mutagenesis. Nat Commun 2020; 11:4682. [PMID: 32943628 PMCID: PMC7499305 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-18463-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 169] [Impact Index Per Article: 42.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2020] [Accepted: 08/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The ongoing Corona Virus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), has emphasized the urgent need for antiviral therapeutics. The viral RNA-dependent-RNA-polymerase (RdRp) is a promising target with polymerase inhibitors successfully used for the treatment of several viral diseases. We demonstrate here that Favipiravir predominantly exerts an antiviral effect through lethal mutagenesis. The SARS-CoV RdRp complex is at least 10-fold more active than any other viral RdRp known. It possesses both unusually high nucleotide incorporation rates and high-error rates allowing facile insertion of Favipiravir into viral RNA, provoking C-to-U and G-to-A transitions in the already low cytosine content SARS-CoV-2 genome. The coronavirus RdRp complex represents an Achilles heel for SARS-CoV, supporting nucleoside analogues as promising candidates for the treatment of COVID-19.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashleigh Shannon
- Architecture et Fonction des Macromolécules Biologiques, CNRS and Aix-Marseille Université, UMR 7257, 13009, Marseille, France
| | - Barbara Selisko
- Architecture et Fonction des Macromolécules Biologiques, CNRS and Aix-Marseille Université, UMR 7257, 13009, Marseille, France
| | - Nhung-Thi-Tuyet Le
- Architecture et Fonction des Macromolécules Biologiques, CNRS and Aix-Marseille Université, UMR 7257, 13009, Marseille, France
| | - Johanna Huchting
- Faculty of Sciences, Department of Chemistry, Organic Chemistry, University of Hamburg, Martin-Luther-King-Platz 6, D-20146, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Franck Touret
- Unité des Virus Émergents (UVE: Aix-Marseille Univ - IRD 190 - Inserm 1207 - IHU Méditerranée Infection), Marseille, France
| | - Géraldine Piorkowski
- Unité des Virus Émergents (UVE: Aix-Marseille Univ - IRD 190 - Inserm 1207 - IHU Méditerranée Infection), Marseille, France
| | - Véronique Fattorini
- Architecture et Fonction des Macromolécules Biologiques, CNRS and Aix-Marseille Université, UMR 7257, 13009, Marseille, France
| | - François Ferron
- Architecture et Fonction des Macromolécules Biologiques, CNRS and Aix-Marseille Université, UMR 7257, 13009, Marseille, France
| | - Etienne Decroly
- Architecture et Fonction des Macromolécules Biologiques, CNRS and Aix-Marseille Université, UMR 7257, 13009, Marseille, France
| | - Chris Meier
- Faculty of Sciences, Department of Chemistry, Organic Chemistry, University of Hamburg, Martin-Luther-King-Platz 6, D-20146, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Bruno Coutard
- Unité des Virus Émergents (UVE: Aix-Marseille Univ - IRD 190 - Inserm 1207 - IHU Méditerranée Infection), Marseille, France
| | - Olve Peersen
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, 80523-1870, USA.
| | - Bruno Canard
- Architecture et Fonction des Macromolécules Biologiques, CNRS and Aix-Marseille Université, UMR 7257, 13009, Marseille, France.
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30
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Toots M, Plemper RK. Next-generation direct-acting influenza therapeutics. Transl Res 2020; 220:33-42. [PMID: 32088166 PMCID: PMC7102518 DOI: 10.1016/j.trsl.2020.01.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2019] [Revised: 01/22/2020] [Accepted: 01/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Influenza viruses are a major threat to human health globally. In addition to further improving vaccine prophylaxis, disease management through antiviral therapeutics constitutes an important component of the current intervention strategy to prevent advance to complicated disease and reduce case-fatality rates. Standard-of-care is treatment with neuraminidase inhibitors that prevent viral dissemination. In 2018, the first mechanistically new influenza drug class for the treatment of uncomplicated seasonal influenza in 2 decades was approved for human use. Targeting the PA endonuclease subunit of the viral polymerase complex, this class suppresses viral replication. However, the genetic barrier against viral resistance to both drug classes is low, pre-existing resistance is observed in circulating strains, and resistant viruses are pathogenic and transmit efficiently. Addressing the resistance problem has emerged as an important objective for the development of next-generation influenza virus therapeutics. This review will discuss the status of influenza therapeutics including the endonuclease inhibitor baloxavir marboxil after its first year of clinical use and evaluate a subset of direct-acting antiviral candidates in different stages of preclinical and clinical development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mart Toots
- Institute for Biomedical Sciences, Georgia State University, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Richard K Plemper
- Institute for Biomedical Sciences, Georgia State University, Atlanta, Georgia.
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Shannon A, Selisko B, Le NTT, Huchting J, Touret F, Piorkowski G, Fattorini V, Ferron F, Decroly E, Meier C, Coutard B, Peersen O, Canard B. Favipiravir strikes the SARS-CoV-2 at its Achilles heel, the RNA polymerase. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2020:2020.05.15.098731. [PMID: 32511380 PMCID: PMC7263509 DOI: 10.1101/2020.05.15.098731] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
The ongoing Corona Virus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), has emphasized the urgent need for antiviral therapeutics. The viral RNA-dependent-RNA-polymerase (RdRp) is a promising target with polymerase inhibitors successfully used for the treatment of several viral diseases. Here we show that Favipiravir exerts an antiviral effect as a nucleotide analogue through a combination of chain termination, slowed RNA synthesis and lethal mutagenesis. The SARS-CoV RdRp complex is at least 10-fold more active than any other viral RdRp known. It possesses both unusually high nucleotide incorporation rates and high-error rates allowing facile insertion of Favipiravir into viral RNA, provoking C-to-U and G-to-A transitions in the already low cytosine content SARS-CoV-2 genome. The coronavirus RdRp complex represents an Achilles heel for SARS-CoV, supporting nucleoside analogues as promising candidates for the treatment of COVID-19.
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Affiliation(s)
- A. Shannon
- Architecture et Fonction des Macromolécules Biologiques, CNRS and Aix-Marseille Université, UMR 7257, Polytech Case 925, 13009 Marseille, France
| | - B. Selisko
- Architecture et Fonction des Macromolécules Biologiques, CNRS and Aix-Marseille Université, UMR 7257, Polytech Case 925, 13009 Marseille, France
| | - NTT Le
- Architecture et Fonction des Macromolécules Biologiques, CNRS and Aix-Marseille Université, UMR 7257, Polytech Case 925, 13009 Marseille, France
| | - J. Huchting
- University of Hamburg, Faculty of Sciences, Department of Chemistry, Organic Chemistry, Martin-Luther-King-Platz 6, D-20146 Hamburg, Germany
| | - F. Touret
- Unité des Virus Émergents (UVE: Aix-Marseille Univ - IRD 190 - Inserm 1207 - IHU Méditerranée Infection), Marseille, France
| | - G. Piorkowski
- Unité des Virus Émergents (UVE: Aix-Marseille Univ - IRD 190 - Inserm 1207 - IHU Méditerranée Infection), Marseille, France
| | - V. Fattorini
- Architecture et Fonction des Macromolécules Biologiques, CNRS and Aix-Marseille Université, UMR 7257, Polytech Case 925, 13009 Marseille, France
| | - F. Ferron
- Architecture et Fonction des Macromolécules Biologiques, CNRS and Aix-Marseille Université, UMR 7257, Polytech Case 925, 13009 Marseille, France
| | - E. Decroly
- Architecture et Fonction des Macromolécules Biologiques, CNRS and Aix-Marseille Université, UMR 7257, Polytech Case 925, 13009 Marseille, France
| | - C Meier
- University of Hamburg, Faculty of Sciences, Department of Chemistry, Organic Chemistry, Martin-Luther-King-Platz 6, D-20146 Hamburg, Germany
| | - B. Coutard
- Unité des Virus Émergents (UVE: Aix-Marseille Univ - IRD 190 - Inserm 1207 - IHU Méditerranée Infection), Marseille, France
| | - O. Peersen
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523-1870, USA
| | - B. Canard
- Architecture et Fonction des Macromolécules Biologiques, CNRS and Aix-Marseille Université, UMR 7257, Polytech Case 925, 13009 Marseille, France
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32
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33
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De Clercq E. New Nucleoside Analogues for the Treatment of Hemorrhagic Fever Virus Infections. Chem Asian J 2019; 14:3962-3968. [PMID: 31389664 PMCID: PMC7159701 DOI: 10.1002/asia.201900841] [Citation(s) in RCA: 126] [Impact Index Per Article: 25.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2019] [Revised: 07/23/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Eight different compounds, all nucleoside analogues, could presently be considered as potential drug candidates for the treatment of Ebola virus (EBOV) and/or other hemorrhagic fever virus (HFV) infections. They can be considered as either (i) adenine analogues (3-deazaneplanocin A, galidesivir, GS-6620 and remdesivir) or (ii) guanine analogues containing the carboxamide entity (ribavirin, EICAR, pyrazofurin and favipiravir). All eight owe their mechanism of action to hydrogen bonded base pairing with either (i) uracil or (ii) cytosine. Four out of the eight compounds (galidesivir, GS-6620, remdesivir and pyrazofurin) are C-nucleosides, and two of them (GS-6620, remdesivir) also contain a phosphoramidate part. The C-nucleoside and phosphoramidate (and for the adenine analogues the 1'-cyano group as well) may be considered as essential attributes for their antiviral activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erik De Clercq
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and TransplantationRega Institute for Medical Research, KU LeuvenHerestraat 493000LeuvenBelgium
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34
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McDaniel YZ, Patterson SE, Mansky LM. Distinct dual antiviral mechanism that enhances hepatitis B virus mutagenesis and reduces viral DNA synthesis. Antiviral Res 2019; 170:104540. [PMID: 31247245 PMCID: PMC8191393 DOI: 10.1016/j.antiviral.2019.104540] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2019] [Revised: 06/17/2019] [Accepted: 06/18/2019] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Reverse transcriptase (RT) is an essential enzyme for the replication of retroviruses and hepadnaviruses. Current therapies do not eliminate the intracellular viral replication intermediate termed covalently closed circular (ccc) DNA, which has enhanced interest in hepatitis B virus (HBV) reverse transcription and cccDNA formation. The HBV cccDNA is generated as a plasmid-like episome in the host cell nucleus from the protein-linked relaxed circular (rc) DNA genome in incoming virions during HBV replication. The creation of the cccDNA via conversion from rcDNA remains not fully understood. Here, we sought to investigate whether viral mutagens can effect HBV replication. In particular, we investigated whether nucleoside analogs that act as viral mutagens with retroviruses could impact hepadnaviral DNA synthesis. We observed that a viral mutagen (e.g., 5-aza-2'-deoxycytidine, 5-aza-dC or 5-azacytidine, 5-aza-C) severely diminished the ability of a HBV vector to express a reporter gene following virus transfer and infection of target cells. As predicted, the treatment of 5-aza-dC or 5-aza-C elevated the HBV rcDNA mutation frequency, primarily by increasing the frequency of G-to-C transversion mutations. A reduction in rcDNA synthesis was also observed. Intriguingly, the cccDNA nick/gap region transcription was diminished by 5-aza-dC, but did not enhance viral mutagenesis. Taken together, our results demonstrate that viral mutagens can impact HBV reverse transcription, and propose a model in which viral mutagens can induce mutagenesis during rcDNA formation and diminish viral DNA synthesis during both rcDNA formation and the conversion of rcDNA to cccDNA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yumeng Z McDaniel
- Veterinary Medicine Graduate Program, University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, Minneapolis, MN, 55455, USA; Institute for Molecular Virology, University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, Minneapolis, MN, 55455, USA
| | - Steven E Patterson
- Institute for Molecular Virology, University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, Minneapolis, MN, 55455, USA; Center for Drug Design, University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, Minneapolis, MN, 55455, USA
| | - Louis M Mansky
- Veterinary Medicine Graduate Program, University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, Minneapolis, MN, 55455, USA; Institute for Molecular Virology, University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, Minneapolis, MN, 55455, USA; Division of Basic Sciences, University of Minnesota School of Dentistry, Minneapolis, MN, 55455, USA; Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, Minneapolis, MN, 55455, USA; Department of Microbiology & Immunology, University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, Minneapolis, MN, 55455, USA; Center for Drug Design, University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, Minneapolis, MN, 55455, USA.
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Synergistic lethal mutagenesis of hepatitis C virus. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 2019:AAC.01653-19. [PMID: 31570400 DOI: 10.1128/aac.01653-19] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Lethal mutagenesis is an antiviral approach that consists in extinguishing a virus by an excess of mutations acquired during replication in the presence of a mutagenic agent, often a nucleotide analogue. One of its advantages is its broad spectrum nature that renders the strategy potentially effective against emergent RNA viral infections. Here we describe synergistic lethal mutagenesis of hepatitis C virus (HCV) by a combination of favipiravir (T-705) and ribavirin. Synergy has been documented over a broad range of analogue concentrations using the Chou-Talalay method as implemented in the CompuSyn graphics, with average dose reduction index (DRI) above 1 (68.02±101.6 for favipiravir, and 5.83±6.07 for ribavirin), and average combination indices (CI) below 1 (0.52±0.28). Furthermore, analogue concentrations that individually did not extinguish high fitness HCV in ten serial infections, when used in combination they extinguished high fitness HCV in one to two passages. Although both analogues display a preference for G→A and C→U transitions, deep sequencing analysis of mutant spectra indicated a different preference of the two analogues for the mutation sites, thus unveiling a new possible synergy mechanism in lethal mutagenesis. Prospects of synergy among mutagenic nucleotides as a strategy to confront emerging viral infections are discussed.
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Lethal Mutagenesis of Rift Valley Fever Virus Induced by Favipiravir. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 2019; 63:AAC.00669-19. [PMID: 31085519 PMCID: PMC6658772 DOI: 10.1128/aac.00669-19] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2019] [Accepted: 05/08/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Rift Valley fever virus (RVFV) is an emerging, mosquito-borne, zoonotic pathogen with recurrent outbreaks taking a considerable toll in human deaths in many African countries, for which no effective treatment is available. In cell culture studies and with laboratory animal models, the nucleoside analogue favipiravir (T-705) has demonstrated great potential for the treatment of several seasonal, chronic, and emerging RNA virus infections in humans, suggesting applicability to control some viral outbreaks. Rift Valley fever virus (RVFV) is an emerging, mosquito-borne, zoonotic pathogen with recurrent outbreaks taking a considerable toll in human deaths in many African countries, for which no effective treatment is available. In cell culture studies and with laboratory animal models, the nucleoside analogue favipiravir (T-705) has demonstrated great potential for the treatment of several seasonal, chronic, and emerging RNA virus infections in humans, suggesting applicability to control some viral outbreaks. Treatment with favipiravir was shown to reduce the infectivity of Rift Valley fever virus both in cell cultures and in experimental animal models, but the mechanism of this protective effect is not understood. In this work, we show that favipiravir at concentrations well below the toxicity threshold estimated for cells is able to extinguish RVFV from infected cell cultures. Nucleotide sequence analysis has documented RVFV mutagenesis associated with virus extinction, with a significant increase in G to A and C to U transition frequencies and a decrease of specific infectivity, hallmarks of lethal mutagenesis.
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Abstract
Selection of viral mutants resistant to compounds used in therapy is a major determinant of treatment failure, a problem akin to antibiotic resistance in bacteria. In this scenario, mutagenic base and nucleoside analogs have entered the picture because they increase the mutation rate of viral populations to levels incompatible with their survival. This antiviral strategy is termed lethal mutagenesis. It has found a major impulse with the observation that some antiviral agents, which initially were considered only inhibitors of virus multiplication, may in effect exert part of their antiviral activity through mutagenesis. Here, we review the conceptual basis of lethal mutagenesis, the evidence of virus extinction through mutagenic nucleotide analogs and prospects for application in antiviral designs.
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38
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Espy N, Nagle E, Pfeffer B, Garcia K, Chitty AJ, Wiley M, Sanchez-Lockhart M, Bavari S, Warren T, Palacios G. T-705 induces lethal mutagenesis in Ebola and Marburg populations in macaques. Antiviral Res 2019; 170:104529. [PMID: 31195019 DOI: 10.1016/j.antiviral.2019.06.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2019] [Accepted: 06/02/2019] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
Nucleoside analogues (NA) disrupt RNA viral RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRP) function and fidelity for multiple viral families. The mechanism of action (MOA) of T-705 has been attributed alternatively or concurrently to chain termination and lethal mutagenesis depending on the viral species during in vitro studies. In this study, we evaluated the effect of T-705 on the viral population in non-human primates (NHPs) after challenge with Ebola virus (EBOV) or Marburg virus (MARV) to identify the predominant in vivo MOA. We used common virological assays in conjunction with deep sequencing to characterize T-705 effects. T-705 exhibited antiviral activity that was associated with a reduction in specific infectivity and an accumulation of low frequency nucleotide variants in plasma samples collected day 7 post infection. Stranded analysis of deep sequencing data to identify chain termination demonstrated no change in the transcriptional gradient in negative stranded viral reads and minimal changes in positive stranded viral reads in T-705 treated animals, questioning as a MOA in vivo. These findings indicate that lethal mutagenesis is a MOA of T-705 that may serve as an indication of therapeutic activity of NAs for evaluation in clinical settings. This study expands our understanding of MOAs of these compounds for the Filovirus family and provides further evidence that lethal mutagenesis could be a preponderant MOA for this class of therapeutic compounds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole Espy
- United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, Fort Detrick, Maryland, USA
| | - Elyse Nagle
- United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, Fort Detrick, Maryland, USA
| | - Brad Pfeffer
- United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, Fort Detrick, Maryland, USA
| | - Karla Garcia
- United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, Fort Detrick, Maryland, USA
| | - Alex J Chitty
- United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, Fort Detrick, Maryland, USA
| | - Michael Wiley
- United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, Fort Detrick, Maryland, USA
| | - Mariano Sanchez-Lockhart
- United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, Fort Detrick, Maryland, USA
| | - Sina Bavari
- United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, Fort Detrick, Maryland, USA
| | - Travis Warren
- United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, Fort Detrick, Maryland, USA
| | - Gustavo Palacios
- United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, Fort Detrick, Maryland, USA.
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Determining the Mutation Bias of Favipiravir in Influenza Virus Using Next-Generation Sequencing. J Virol 2019; 93:JVI.01217-18. [PMID: 30381482 PMCID: PMC6321902 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.01217-18] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2018] [Accepted: 10/21/2018] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
New antiviral drugs are needed as a first line of defense in the event of a novel influenza pandemic. Favipiravir is a broad-spectrum antiviral which is effective against influenza. The exact mechanism of how favipiravir works to inhibit influenza is still unclear. We used next-generation sequencing (NGS) to demonstrate that favipiravir causes mutations in influenza RNA. The greater depth of NGS sequence information over traditional sequencing methods allowed us to precisely determine the bias of particular mutations caused by favipiravir. NGS can also be used in a standard diagnostic pipeline to show that favipiravir is acting on the virus by revealing the mutation bias pattern typical to the drug. Our work will aid in testing whether viruses are resistant to favipiravir and may help demonstrate the effect of favipiravir on viruses in a clinical setting. This will be important if favipiravir is used during a future influenza pandemic. Favipiravir is a broad-spectrum antiviral drug that may be used to treat influenza. Previous research has identified that favipiravir likely acts as a mutagen, but the precise mutation bias that favipiravir induces in influenza virus RNAs has not been described. Here, we use next-generation sequencing (NGS) with barcoding of individual RNA molecules to accurately and quantitatively detect favipiravir-induced mutations and to sample orders of magnitude more mutations than would be possible through Sanger sequencing. We demonstrate that favipiravir causes mutations and show that favipiravir primarily acts as a guanine analogue and secondarily as an adenine analogue resulting in the accumulation of transition mutations. We also use a standard NGS pipeline to show that the mutagenic effect of favipiravir can be measured by whole-genome sequencing of virus. IMPORTANCE New antiviral drugs are needed as a first line of defense in the event of a novel influenza pandemic. Favipiravir is a broad-spectrum antiviral which is effective against influenza. The exact mechanism of how favipiravir works to inhibit influenza is still unclear. We used next-generation sequencing (NGS) to demonstrate that favipiravir causes mutations in influenza RNA. The greater depth of NGS sequence information over traditional sequencing methods allowed us to precisely determine the bias of particular mutations caused by favipiravir. NGS can also be used in a standard diagnostic pipeline to show that favipiravir is acting on the virus by revealing the mutation bias pattern typical to the drug. Our work will aid in testing whether viruses are resistant to favipiravir and may help demonstrate the effect of favipiravir on viruses in a clinical setting. This will be important if favipiravir is used during a future influenza pandemic.
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de la Higuera I, Ferrer-Orta C, Moreno E, de Ávila AI, Soria ME, Singh K, Caridi F, Sobrino F, Sarafianos SG, Perales C, Verdaguer N, Domingo E. Contribution of a Multifunctional Polymerase Region of Foot-and-Mouth Disease Virus to Lethal Mutagenesis. J Virol 2018; 92:e01119-18. [PMID: 30068642 PMCID: PMC6158410 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.01119-18] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2018] [Accepted: 07/23/2018] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Viral RNA-dependent RNA polymerases (RdRps) are major determinants of high mutation rates and generation of mutant spectra that mediate RNA virus adaptability. The RdRp of the picornavirus foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV), termed 3D, is a multifunctional protein that includes a nuclear localization signal (NLS) in its N-terminal region. Previous studies documented that some amino acid substitutions within the NLS altered nucleotide recognition and enhanced the incorporation of the mutagenic purine analogue ribavirin in viral RNA, but the mutants tested were not viable and their response to lethal mutagenesis could not be studied. Here we demonstrate that NLS amino acid substitution M16A of FMDV serotype C does not affect infectious virus production but accelerates ribavirin-mediated virus extinction. The mutant 3D displays polymerase activity, RNA binding, and copying processivity that are similar to those of the wild-type enzyme but shows increased ribavirin-triphosphate incorporation. Crystal structures of the mutant 3D in the apo and RNA-bound forms reveal an expansion of the template entry channel due to the replacement of the bulky Met by Ala. This is a major difference with other 3D mutants with altered nucleotide analogue recognition. Remarkably, two distinct loop β9-α11 conformations distinguish 3Ds that exhibit higher or lower ribavirin incorporation than the wild-type enzyme. This difference identifies a specific molecular determinant of ribavirin sensitivity of FMDV. Comparison of several polymerase mutants indicates that different domains of the molecule can modify nucleotide recognition and response to lethal mutagenesis. The connection of this observation with current views on quasispecies adaptability is discussed.IMPORTANCE The nuclear localization signal (NLS) of the foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV) polymerase includes residues that modulate the sensitivity to mutagenic agents. Here we have described a viable NLS mutant with an amino acid replacement that facilitates virus extinction by ribavirin. The corresponding polymerase shows increased incorporation of ribavirin triphosphate and local structural modifications that implicate the template entry channel. Specifically, comparison of the structures of ribavirin-sensitive and ribavirin-resistant FMDV polymerases has identified loop β9-α11 conformation as a determinant of sensitivity to ribavirin mutagenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Cristina Ferrer-Orta
- Structural Biology Unit, Institut de Biologia Molecular de Barcelona (IBMB-CSIC), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Elena Moreno
- Centro de Biología Molecular "Severo Ochoa" (CSIC-UAM), Cantoblanco, Madrid, Spain
| | - Ana Isabel de Ávila
- Centro de Biología Molecular "Severo Ochoa" (CSIC-UAM), Cantoblanco, Madrid, Spain
| | - María Eugenia Soria
- Centro de Biología Molecular "Severo Ochoa" (CSIC-UAM), Cantoblanco, Madrid, Spain
| | - Kamalendra Singh
- Christopher S. Bond Life Sciences Center and Department of Microbiology & Immunology, School of Medicine, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri, USA
| | - Flavia Caridi
- Centro de Biología Molecular "Severo Ochoa" (CSIC-UAM), Cantoblanco, Madrid, Spain
| | - Francisco Sobrino
- Centro de Biología Molecular "Severo Ochoa" (CSIC-UAM), Cantoblanco, Madrid, Spain
| | - Stefan G Sarafianos
- Christopher S. Bond Life Sciences Center and Department of Microbiology & Immunology, School of Medicine, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri, USA
| | - Celia Perales
- Centro de Biología Molecular "Severo Ochoa" (CSIC-UAM), Cantoblanco, Madrid, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Hepáticas y Digestivas (CIBERehd), Barcelona, Spain
- Liver Unit, Internal Medicine, Laboratory of Malalties Hepàtiques, Vall d'Hebron Institut de Recerca-Hospital Universitari Vall d'Hebron (VHIR-HUVH), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Nuria Verdaguer
- Structural Biology Unit, Institut de Biologia Molecular de Barcelona (IBMB-CSIC), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Esteban Domingo
- Centro de Biología Molecular "Severo Ochoa" (CSIC-UAM), Cantoblanco, Madrid, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Hepáticas y Digestivas (CIBERehd), Barcelona, Spain
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Gregori J, Soria ME, Gallego I, Guerrero-Murillo M, Esteban JI, Quer J, Perales C, Domingo E. Rare haplotype load as marker for lethal mutagenesis. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0204877. [PMID: 30281674 PMCID: PMC6169937 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0204877] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2018] [Accepted: 08/19/2018] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
RNA viruses replicate with a template-copying fidelity, which lies close to an extinction threshold. Increases of mutation rate by nucleotide analogues can drive viruses towards extinction. This transition is the basis of an antiviral strategy termed lethal mutagenesis. We have introduced a new diversity index, the rare haplotype load (RHL), to describe NS5B (polymerase) mutant spectra of hepatitis C virus (HCV) populations passaged in absence or presence of the mutagenic agents favipiravir or ribavirin. The increase in RHL is more prominent in mutant spectra whose expansions were due to nucleotide analogues than to multiple passages in absence of mutagens. Statistical tests for paired mutagenized versus non-mutagenized samples with 14 diversity indices show that RHL provides consistently the highest standardized effect of mutagenic treatment difference for ribavirin and favipiravir. The results indicate that the enrichment of viral quasispecies in very low frequency minority genomes can serve as a robust marker for lethal mutagenesis. The diagnostic value of RHL from deep sequencing data is relevant to experimental studies on enhanced mutagenesis of viruses, and to pharmacological evaluations of inhibitors suspected to have a mutagenic activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Josep Gregori
- Liver Unit, Liver Disease Laboratory-Viral Hepatitis, Internal Medicine Department, Vall d’Hebron Institut Recerca (VHIR)-Hospital Universitari Vall d’Hebron (HUVH), Barcelona, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Hepáticas y Digestivas (CIBERehd) del Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
- Roche Diagnostics, S.L., Sant Cugat del Vallés, Barcelona, Spain
| | - María Eugenia Soria
- Liver Unit, Liver Disease Laboratory-Viral Hepatitis, Internal Medicine Department, Vall d’Hebron Institut Recerca (VHIR)-Hospital Universitari Vall d’Hebron (HUVH), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Isabel Gallego
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Hepáticas y Digestivas (CIBERehd) del Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
- Centro de Biología Molecular “Severo Ochoa” (CSIC-UAM), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Campus de Cantoblanco, Madrid, Spain
| | - Mercedes Guerrero-Murillo
- Liver Unit, Liver Disease Laboratory-Viral Hepatitis, Internal Medicine Department, Vall d’Hebron Institut Recerca (VHIR)-Hospital Universitari Vall d’Hebron (HUVH), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Juan Ignacio Esteban
- Liver Unit, Liver Disease Laboratory-Viral Hepatitis, Internal Medicine Department, Vall d’Hebron Institut Recerca (VHIR)-Hospital Universitari Vall d’Hebron (HUVH), Barcelona, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Hepáticas y Digestivas (CIBERehd) del Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
- Universitat Autónoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Josep Quer
- Liver Unit, Liver Disease Laboratory-Viral Hepatitis, Internal Medicine Department, Vall d’Hebron Institut Recerca (VHIR)-Hospital Universitari Vall d’Hebron (HUVH), Barcelona, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Hepáticas y Digestivas (CIBERehd) del Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
- Universitat Autónoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- * E-mail: (CP); (JQ)
| | - Celia Perales
- Liver Unit, Liver Disease Laboratory-Viral Hepatitis, Internal Medicine Department, Vall d’Hebron Institut Recerca (VHIR)-Hospital Universitari Vall d’Hebron (HUVH), Barcelona, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Hepáticas y Digestivas (CIBERehd) del Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
- Centro de Biología Molecular “Severo Ochoa” (CSIC-UAM), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Campus de Cantoblanco, Madrid, Spain
- * E-mail: (CP); (JQ)
| | - Esteban Domingo
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Hepáticas y Digestivas (CIBERehd) del Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
- Centro de Biología Molecular “Severo Ochoa” (CSIC-UAM), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Campus de Cantoblanco, Madrid, Spain
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Extinction of Zika Virus and Usutu Virus by Lethal Mutagenesis Reveals Different Patterns of Sensitivity to Three Mutagenic Drugs. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 2018; 62:AAC.00380-18. [PMID: 29914957 PMCID: PMC6125542 DOI: 10.1128/aac.00380-18] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2018] [Accepted: 06/12/2018] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Flaviviruses constitute an increasing source of public health concern, with growing numbers of pathogens causing disease and geographic spread to temperate climates. Despite a large body of evidence supporting mutagenesis as a conceivable antiviral strategy, there are currently no data on the sensitivity to increased mutagenesis for Zika virus (ZIKV) and Usutu virus (USUV), two emerging flaviviral threats. Flaviviruses constitute an increasing source of public health concern, with growing numbers of pathogens causing disease and geographic spread to temperate climates. Despite a large body of evidence supporting mutagenesis as a conceivable antiviral strategy, there are currently no data on the sensitivity to increased mutagenesis for Zika virus (ZIKV) and Usutu virus (USUV), two emerging flaviviral threats. In this study, we demonstrate that both viruses are sensitive to three ribonucleosides, favipiravir, ribavirin, and 5-fluorouracil, that have shown mutagenic activity against other RNA viruses while remaining unaffected by a mutagenic deoxyribonucleoside. Serial cell culture passages of ZIKV in the presence of these compounds resulted in the rapid extinction of infectivity, suggesting elevated sensitivity to mutagenesis. USUV extinction was achieved when a 10-fold dilution was applied between every passage, but not in experiments involving undiluted virus, indicating an overall lower susceptibility than ZIKV. Although the two viruses are inhibited by the same three drugs, ZIKV is relatively more susceptive to serial passage in the presence of purine analogues (favipiravir and ribavirin), while USUV replication is suppressed more efficiently by 5-fluorouracil. These differences in sensitivity typically correlate with the increases in the mutation frequencies observed in each nucleoside treatment. These results are relevant to the development of efficient therapies based on lethal mutagenesis and support the rational selection of different mutagenic nucleosides for each pathogen. We will discuss the implications of these results to the fidelity of flavivirus replication and the design of antiviral therapies based on lethal mutagenesis.
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Resistance of high fitness hepatitis C virus to lethal mutagenesis. Virology 2018; 523:100-109. [PMID: 30107298 DOI: 10.1016/j.virol.2018.07.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2018] [Revised: 07/30/2018] [Accepted: 07/30/2018] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Viral fitness quantifies the degree of virus adaptation to a given environment. How viral fitness can influence the mutant spectrum complexity of a viral quasispecies subjected to lethal mutagenesis has not been investigated. Here we document that two high fitness hepatitis C virus populations display higher resistance to the mutagenic nucleoside analogues favipiravir and ribavirin than their parental, low fitness HCV. All populations, however, exhibited a mutation transition bias indicative of active mutagenesis. Resistance to the analogues was associated with a limited expansion of mutant spectrum complexity, as evidenced by several diversity indices used to characterize mutant spectra. The results are consistent with a replicative site-drug competition mechanism that was previously proposed for HCV fitness-associated resistance to non-mutagenic inhibitors. Other alternative, non-mutually exclusive mechanisms are considered. The results introduce viral fitness as a relevant parameter to evaluate the response of viruses to lethal mutagenesis, with implications for antiviral designs.
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Saccon E, Vitiello A, Trevisan M, Salata C, Palù G. Sixth European Seminar in Virology on Virus⁻Host Interaction at Single Cell and Organism Level. Viruses 2018; 10:v10080400. [PMID: 30060596 PMCID: PMC6116093 DOI: 10.3390/v10080400] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2018] [Accepted: 07/27/2018] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The 6th European Seminar in Virology (EuSeV) was held in Bertinoro, Italy, 22–24 June 2018, and brought together international scientists and young researchers working in the field of Virology. Sessions of the meeting included: virus–host-interactions at organism and cell level; virus evolution and dynamics; regulation; immunity/immune response; and disease and therapy. This report summarizes lectures by the invited speakers and highlights advances in the field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisa Saccon
- Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Padova, 35121 Padova PD, Italy.
| | - Adriana Vitiello
- Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Padova, 35121 Padova PD, Italy.
| | - Marta Trevisan
- Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Padova, 35121 Padova PD, Italy.
| | - Cristiano Salata
- Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Padova, 35121 Padova PD, Italy.
| | - Giorgio Palù
- Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Padova, 35121 Padova PD, Italy.
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Dulin D, Arnold JJ, van Laar T, Oh HS, Lee C, Perkins AL, Harki DA, Depken M, Cameron CE, Dekker NH. Signatures of Nucleotide Analog Incorporation by an RNA-Dependent RNA Polymerase Revealed Using High-Throughput Magnetic Tweezers. Cell Rep 2018; 21:1063-1076. [PMID: 29069588 PMCID: PMC5670035 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2017.10.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2017] [Revised: 09/20/2017] [Accepted: 10/02/2017] [Indexed: 11/04/2022] Open
Abstract
RNA viruses pose a threat to public health that is exacerbated by the dearth of antiviral therapeutics. The RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) holds promise as a broad-spectrum, therapeutic target because of the conserved nature of the nucleotide-substrate-binding and catalytic sites. Conventional, quantitative, kinetic analysis of antiviral ribonucleotides monitors one or a few incorporation events. Here, we use a high-throughput magnetic tweezers platform to monitor the elongation dynamics of a prototypical RdRp over thousands of nucleotide-addition cycles in the absence and presence of a suite of nucleotide analog inhibitors. We observe multiple RdRp-RNA elongation complexes; only a subset of which are competent for analog utilization. Incorporation of a pyrazine-carboxamide nucleotide analog, T-1106, leads to RdRp backtracking. This analysis reveals a mechanism of action for this antiviral ribonucleotide that is corroborated by cellular studies. We propose that induced backtracking represents a distinct mechanistic class of antiviral ribonucleotides. Several unique conformational states of an elongating RdRp exist Only one conformation incorporates nucleotide analogs with therapeutic potential An analog thought to be a chain terminator actually promotes RdRp backtracking Distinctive behavior of backtrack-inducing analog on virus variants in cell culture
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Affiliation(s)
- David Dulin
- Department of Bionanoscience, Kavli Institute of Nanoscience, Delft University of Technology, Van der Maasweg 9, 2629 HZ Delft, the Netherlands; Junior Research Group 2, Interdisciplinary Center for Clinical Research, Friedrich Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Hartmannstr. 14, 91052 Erlangen, Germany
| | - Jamie J Arnold
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
| | - Theo van Laar
- Department of Bionanoscience, Kavli Institute of Nanoscience, Delft University of Technology, Van der Maasweg 9, 2629 HZ Delft, the Netherlands
| | - Hyung-Suk Oh
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
| | - Cheri Lee
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
| | - Angela L Perkins
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| | - Daniel A Harki
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| | - Martin Depken
- Department of Bionanoscience, Kavli Institute of Nanoscience, Delft University of Technology, Van der Maasweg 9, 2629 HZ Delft, the Netherlands.
| | - Craig E Cameron
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA.
| | - Nynke H Dekker
- Department of Bionanoscience, Kavli Institute of Nanoscience, Delft University of Technology, Van der Maasweg 9, 2629 HZ Delft, the Netherlands.
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Nucleobases and corresponding nucleosides display potent antiviral activities against dengue virus possibly through viral lethal mutagenesis. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2018; 12:e0006421. [PMID: 29672522 PMCID: PMC5929572 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0006421] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2017] [Revised: 05/01/2018] [Accepted: 03/31/2018] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Dengue virus affects millions of people worldwide each year. To date, there is no drug for the treatment of dengue-associated disease. Nucleosides are effective antivirals and work by inhibiting the accurate replication of the viral genome. Nucleobases offer a cheaper alternative to nucleosides for broad antiviral applications. Metabolic activation of nucleobases involves condensation with 5-phosphoribosyl-1-pyrophosphate to give the corresponding nucleoside-5’-monophosphate. This could provide an alternative to phosphorylation of a nucleoside, a step that is often rate limiting and inefficient in activation of nucleosides. We evaluated more than 30 nucleobases and corresponding nucleosides for their antiviral activity against dengue virus. Five nucleobases and two nucleosides were found to induce potent antiviral effects not previously described. Our studies further revealed that nucleobases were usually more active with a better tissue culture therapeutic index than their corresponding nucleosides. The development of viral lethal mutagenesis, an antiviral approach that takes into account the quasispecies behavior of RNA viruses, represents an exciting prospect not yet studied in the context of dengue replication. Passage of the virus in the presence of the nucleobase 3a (T-1105) and corresponding nucleoside 3b (T-1106), favipiravir derivatives, induced an increase in apparent mutations, indicating lethal mutagenesis as a possible antiviral mechanism. A more concerted and widespread screening of nucleobase libraries is a very promising approach to identify dengue virus inhibitors including those that may act as viral mutagens. Dengue virus is a world-wide public health menace estimated to infect hundreds of millions of people per year. Vaccines to prevent dengue virus infection have had limited success due in part to the requirement to elicit effective immune responses against the four dengue serotypes. There is an urgent unmet need for anti-dengue virus therapies. Nucleosides are effective antiviral small molecules which usually work by inhibiting the accurate replication of the viral genome. Typically, nucleosides must be converted within the cell to their triphosphate form to inhibit virus replication, thus inefficient phosphorylation often leads to suboptimal activity. We screened a small library of nucleobases that require an activation pathway different from nucleosides to achieve the same active form. We identified some known and previously undescribed dengue virus nucleobase inhibitors and their corresponding nucleosides. Our investigation of the mechanism of action of one nucleobase and its corresponding nucleoside found evidence for enhanced mutagenesis of the dengue virus genome in the presence of the compounds in cell culture. A wide screening of nucleobases libraries is a promising strategy to discover dengue virus inhibitors including potential viral mutagens.
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Delang L, Abdelnabi R, Neyts J. Favipiravir as a potential countermeasure against neglected and emerging RNA viruses. Antiviral Res 2018. [PMID: 29524445 DOI: 10.1016/j.antiviral.2018.03.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 231] [Impact Index Per Article: 38.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Favipiravir, also known as T-705, is an antiviral drug that has been approved in 2014 in Japan to treat pandemic influenza virus infections. The drug is converted intracellularly into its active, phosphoribosylated form, which is recognized as a substrate by the viral RNA-dependent RNA polymerase. Interestingly, besides its anti-influenza virus activity, this molecule is also able to inhibit the replication of flavi-, alpha-, filo-, bunya-, arena-, noro-, and of other RNA viruses, which include neglected and (re)emerging viruses for which no antiviral therapy is currently available. We will discuss the potential of favipiravir as a broad-spectrum countermeasure against infections caused by such neglected RNA viruses. Favipiravir has already been used off-label to treat patients infected with the Ebola virus and the Lassa virus. Because of the particular set-up of the clinical trials during these outbreaks, clear conclusions on the efficacy of favipiravir could not be made. For several viruses, it was demonstrated that the barrier of resistance development against favipiravir is high. Favipiravir has been shown to be well tolerated in healthy volunteers and in influenza virus-infected patients; however, caution is needed because of the teratogenic risks of this molecule. Because of its antiviral activity against different RNA viruses and its high barrier for resistance, the potential of favipiravir as a broad-spectrum antiviral seems promising, but safety and potency issues should be overcome before this drug or similar molecules could be used to treat large patient groups.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leen Delang
- KU Leuven - University of Leuven, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Rega Institute for Medical Research, Laboratory of Virology and Chemotherapy, Herestraat 49, B-3000, Leuven, Belgium.
| | - Rana Abdelnabi
- KU Leuven - University of Leuven, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Rega Institute for Medical Research, Laboratory of Virology and Chemotherapy, Herestraat 49, B-3000, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Johan Neyts
- KU Leuven - University of Leuven, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Rega Institute for Medical Research, Laboratory of Virology and Chemotherapy, Herestraat 49, B-3000, Leuven, Belgium
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Guedj J, Piorkowski G, Jacquot F, Madelain V, Nguyen THT, Rodallec A, Gunther S, Carbonnelle C, Mentré F, Raoul H, de Lamballerie X. Antiviral efficacy of favipiravir against Ebola virus: A translational study in cynomolgus macaques. PLoS Med 2018; 15:e1002535. [PMID: 29584730 PMCID: PMC5870946 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pmed.1002535] [Citation(s) in RCA: 85] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2017] [Accepted: 02/14/2018] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Despite repeated outbreaks, in particular the devastating 2014-2016 epidemic, there is no effective treatment validated for patients with Ebola virus disease (EVD). Among the drug candidates is the broad-spectrum polymerase inhibitor favipiravir, which showed a good tolerance profile in patients with EVD (JIKI trial) but did not demonstrate a strong antiviral efficacy. In order to gain new insights into the antiviral efficacy of favipiravir and improve preparedness and public health management of future outbreaks, we assess the efficacy achieved by ascending doses of favipiravir in Ebola-virus-infected nonhuman primates (NHPs). METHODS AND FINDINGS A total of 26 animals (Macaca fascicularis) were challenged intramuscularly at day 0 with 1,000 focus-forming units of Ebola virus Gabon 2001 strain and followed for 21 days (study termination). This included 13 animals left untreated and 13 treated with doses of 100, 150, and 180 mg/kg (N = 3, 5, and 5, respectively) favipiravir administered intravenously twice a day for 14 days, starting 2 days before infection. All animals left untreated or treated with 100 mg/kg died within 10 days post-infection, while animals receiving 150 and 180 mg/kg had extended survival (P < 0.001 and 0.001, respectively, compared to untreated animals), leading to a survival rate of 40% (2/5) and 60% (3/5), respectively, at day 21. Favipiravir inhibited viral replication (molecular and infectious viral loads) in a drug-concentration-dependent manner (P values < 0.001), and genomic deep sequencing analyses showed an increase in virus mutagenesis over time. These results allowed us to identify that plasma trough favipiravir concentrations greater than 70-80 μg/ml were associated with reduced viral loads, lower virus infectivity, and extended survival. These levels are higher than those found in the JIKI trial, where patients had median trough drug concentrations equal to 46 and 26 μg/ml at day 2 and day 4 post-treatment, respectively, and suggest that the dosing regimen in the JIKI trial was suboptimal. The environment of a biosafety level 4 laboratory introduces a number of limitations, in particular the difficulty of conducting blind studies and performing detailed pharmacological assessments. Further, the extrapolation of the results to patients with EVD is limited by the fact that the model is fully lethal and that treatment initiation in patients with EVD is most often initiated several days after infection, when symptoms and high levels of viral replication are already present. CONCLUSIONS Our results suggest that favipiravir may be an effective antiviral drug against Ebola virus that relies on RNA chain termination and possibly error catastrophe. These results, together with previous data collected on tolerance and pharmacokinetics in both NHPs and humans, support a potential role for high doses of favipiravir for future human interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jérémie Guedj
- IAME, UMR 1137, INSERM, Université Paris Diderot, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Paris, France
- * E-mail:
| | - Géraldine Piorkowski
- UMR Émergence des Pathologies Virales, Aix-Marseille University, IRD 190, Inserm 1207, École des Hautes Études en Santé Publique, Marseille, France
| | | | - Vincent Madelain
- IAME, UMR 1137, INSERM, Université Paris Diderot, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Paris, France
| | - Thi Huyen Tram Nguyen
- IAME, UMR 1137, INSERM, Université Paris Diderot, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Paris, France
| | - Anne Rodallec
- UMR Émergence des Pathologies Virales, Aix-Marseille University, IRD 190, Inserm 1207, École des Hautes Études en Santé Publique, Marseille, France
- SMARTc Unit, U911 Cro2, Aix-Marseille University, Marseille, France
| | - Stephan Gunther
- Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany
| | | | - France Mentré
- IAME, UMR 1137, INSERM, Université Paris Diderot, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Paris, France
| | - Hervé Raoul
- Laboratoire P4 Inserm–Jean Mérieux, US003 Inserm, Lyon, France
| | - Xavier de Lamballerie
- UMR Émergence des Pathologies Virales, Aix-Marseille University, IRD 190, Inserm 1207, École des Hautes Études en Santé Publique, Marseille, France
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Jordan PC, Stevens SK, Deval J. Nucleosides for the treatment of respiratory RNA virus infections. Antivir Chem Chemother 2018; 26:2040206618764483. [PMID: 29562753 PMCID: PMC5890544 DOI: 10.1177/2040206618764483] [Citation(s) in RCA: 91] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2017] [Accepted: 02/07/2018] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Influenza virus, respiratory syncytial virus, human metapneumovirus, parainfluenza virus, coronaviruses, and rhinoviruses are among the most common viruses causing mild seasonal colds. These RNA viruses can also cause lower respiratory tract infections leading to bronchiolitis and pneumonia. Young children, the elderly, and patients with compromised cardiac, pulmonary, or immune systems are at greatest risk for serious disease associated with these RNA virus respiratory infections. In addition, swine and avian influenza viruses, together with severe acute respiratory syndrome-associated and Middle Eastern respiratory syndrome coronaviruses, represent significant pandemic threats to the general population. In this review, we describe the current medical need resulting from respiratory infections caused by RNA viruses, which justifies drug discovery efforts to identify new therapeutic agents. The RNA polymerase of respiratory viruses represents an attractive target for nucleoside and nucleotide analogs acting as inhibitors of RNA chain synthesis. Here, we present the molecular, biochemical, and structural fundamentals of the polymerase of the four major families of RNA respiratory viruses: Orthomyxoviridae, Pneumoviridae/Paramyxoviridae, Coronaviridae, and Picornaviridae. We summarize past and current efforts to develop nucleoside and nucleotide analogs as antiviral agents against respiratory virus infections. This includes molecules with very broad antiviral spectrum such as ribavirin and T-705 (favipiravir), and others targeting more specifically one or a few virus families. Recent advances in our understanding of the structure(s) and function(s) of respiratory virus polymerases will likely support the discovery and development of novel nucleoside analogs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul C Jordan
- Alios BioPharma, Inc., a Janssen Pharmaceutical Company of Johnson & Johnson, South San Francisco, USA
| | - Sarah K Stevens
- Alios BioPharma, Inc., a Janssen Pharmaceutical Company of Johnson & Johnson, South San Francisco, USA
| | - Jerome Deval
- Alios BioPharma, Inc., a Janssen Pharmaceutical Company of Johnson & Johnson, South San Francisco, USA
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Extinction of West Nile Virus by Favipiravir through Lethal Mutagenesis. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 2017; 61:AAC.01400-17. [PMID: 28848019 DOI: 10.1128/aac.01400-17] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2017] [Accepted: 08/24/2017] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Favipiravir is an antiviral agent effective against several RNA viruses. The drug has been shown to protect mice against experimental infection with a lethal dose of West Nile virus (WNV), a mosquito-borne flavivirus responsible for outbreaks of meningitis and encephalitis for which no antiviral therapy has been licensed; however, the mechanism of action of the drug is still not well understood. Here, we describe the potent in vitro antiviral activity of favipiravir against WNV, showing that it decreases virus-specific infectivity and drives the virus to extinction. Two passages of WNV in the presence of 1 mM favipiravir-a concentration that is more than 10-fold lower than its 50% cytotoxic concentration (CC50)-resulted in a significant increase in mutation frequency in the mutant spectrum and in a bias toward A→G and G→A transitions relative to the population passaged in the absence of the drug. These data, together with the fact that the drug is already licensed in Japan against influenza virus and in a clinical trial against Ebola virus, point to favipiravir as a promising antiviral agent to fight medically relevant flaviviral infections, such as that caused by WNV.
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