1
|
Moll Hüther C, Ferreira VF, de Carvalho da Silva F, da Costa Santos W, Borella J, Barros de Almeida RD, Correia DM, Duarte GCA, Langaro AC, de Oliveira JR, Azeredo Silva J, Machado TDB, de Pinho CF, Reinert F, Pereira CR. Alkaloids (emetine and cephalin) production - affected by full sunlight stress in Carapichea ipecacuanha. Nat Prod Res 2024; 38:2296-2305. [PMID: 36787159 DOI: 10.1080/14786419.2023.2172723] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2022] [Revised: 12/27/2022] [Accepted: 01/15/2023] [Indexed: 02/15/2023]
Abstract
This study evaluated the responses of Carapichea ipecacuanha to sunlight stress-induced changes in the electron transport chain and its extended effects on alkaloid production (emetine and cephalin). The treatments consisted of: (i). 50, 70, and 90% shading (controls) and their respective exposure to full sunlight; besides, full sunlight (55 days of direct sun exposure). Photosynthetic pigments, chlorophyll a fluorescence transient, antioxidant enzymatic system, and quantification of cephalin and emetine were analyzed. Several changes in the Chl a fluorescence induction were observed, such as a decline in the quantum yield of the conversion of photochemical energy and photosynthetic performance and; an increase in emetine production of plants exposed to full sunlight. These results demonstrated that ipecac plants are extremely sensitive to full exposure to solar radiation, especially in periods with high temperatures, such as in summer, however with increment in emetine production.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Cristina Moll Hüther
- Program in Sciences Applied to Health Products, Faculty of Pharmacy, Fluminense Federal University, Niterói, RJ, Brazil
| | - Vitor Francisco Ferreira
- Program in Sciences Applied to Health Products, Faculty of Pharmacy, Fluminense Federal University, Niterói, RJ, Brazil
| | | | - Wilson da Costa Santos
- Program in Sciences Applied to Health Products, Faculty of Pharmacy, Fluminense Federal University, Niterói, RJ, Brazil
| | - Junior Borella
- Institute of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Rio Grande, Rio Grande, RS, Brazil
| | - Ramonn Diego Barros de Almeida
- Plant-Environment Interaction Laboratory, Department of Agricultural and Environmental Engineering, Fluminense Federal University, Niterói, RJ, Brazil
| | - Daniela Marques Correia
- Plant-Environment Interaction Laboratory, Department of Agricultural and Environmental Engineering, Fluminense Federal University, Niterói, RJ, Brazil
| | - Glauce Christian Alves Duarte
- Program in Sciences Applied to Health Products, Faculty of Pharmacy, Fluminense Federal University, Niterói, RJ, Brazil
| | - Ana Claudia Langaro
- Graduate Program in Agricultural and Environmental Engineering, Department of Agricultural and Environmental Engineering, Federal Rural University of Rio de Janeiro, Seropédica, RJ, Brazil
| | - Julia Ramos de Oliveira
- Plant-Environment Interaction Laboratory, Department of Agricultural and Environmental Engineering, Fluminense Federal University, Niterói, RJ, Brazil
| | - Jóice Azeredo Silva
- Plant-Environment Interaction Laboratory, Department of Agricultural and Environmental Engineering, Fluminense Federal University, Niterói, RJ, Brazil
| | - Thelma de Barros Machado
- Plant-Environment Interaction Laboratory, Department of Agricultural and Environmental Engineering, Fluminense Federal University, Niterói, RJ, Brazil
| | - Camila Ferreira de Pinho
- Graduate Program in Agricultural and Environmental Engineering, Department of Agricultural and Environmental Engineering, Federal Rural University of Rio de Janeiro, Seropédica, RJ, Brazil
| | - Fernanda Reinert
- Laboratory of Plant Physiology, Department of Botany, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | - Carlos Rodrigues Pereira
- Plant-Environment Interaction Laboratory, Department of Agricultural and Environmental Engineering, Fluminense Federal University, Niterói, RJ, Brazil
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Sidorenko VS, Cohen I, Dorjee K, Minetti CA, Remeta DP, Gao J, Potapova I, Wang HZ, Hearing J, Yen WY, Kim HK, Hashimoto K, Moriya M, Dickman KG, Yin X, Garcia-Diaz M, Chennamshetti R, Bonala R, Johnson F, Waldeck AL, Gupta R, Li C, Breslauer KJ, Grollman AP, Rosenquist TA. Mechanisms of antiviral action and toxicities of ipecac alkaloids: Emetine and dehydroemetine exhibit anti-coronaviral activities at non-cardiotoxic concentrations. Virus Res 2024; 341:199322. [PMID: 38228190 PMCID: PMC10831786 DOI: 10.1016/j.virusres.2024.199322] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2023] [Revised: 01/09/2024] [Accepted: 01/13/2024] [Indexed: 01/18/2024]
Abstract
The emergence of highly infectious pathogens with their potential for triggering global pandemics necessitate the development of effective treatment strategies, including broad-spectrum antiviral therapies to safeguard human health. This study investigates the antiviral activity of emetine, dehydroemetine (DHE), and congeneric compounds against SARS-CoV-2 and HCoV-OC43, and evaluates their impact on the host cell. Concurrently, we assess the potential cardiotoxicity of these ipecac alkaloids. Significantly, our data reveal that emetine and the (-)-R,S isomer of 2,3-dehydroemetine (designated in this paper as DHE4) reduce viral growth at nanomolar concentrations (i.e., IC50 ∼ 50-100 nM), paralleling those required for inhibition of protein synthesis, while calcium channel blocking activity occurs at elevated concentrations (i.e., IC50 ∼ 40-60 µM). Our findings suggest that the antiviral mechanisms primarily involve disruption of host cell protein synthesis and is demonstrably stereoisomer specific. The prospect of a therapeutic window in which emetine or DHE4 inhibit viral propagation without cardiotoxicity renders these alkaloids viable candidates in strategies worthy of clinical investigation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Viktoriya S Sidorenko
- Department of Pharmacological Sciences, Renaissance School of Medicine, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA
| | - Ira Cohen
- Department of Physiology, Renaissance School of Medicine, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York 11794, USA
| | - Kunchok Dorjee
- Division of Infectious Diseases, John Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21205, USA
| | - Conceição A Minetti
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Rutgers - The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, New Jersey 08854, USA
| | - David P Remeta
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Rutgers - The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, New Jersey 08854, USA
| | - Junyuan Gao
- Department of Physiology, Renaissance School of Medicine, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York 11794, USA
| | - Irina Potapova
- Department of Physiology, Renaissance School of Medicine, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York 11794, USA
| | - Hong Zhan Wang
- Department of Physiology, Renaissance School of Medicine, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York 11794, USA
| | - Janet Hearing
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Renaissance School of Medicine, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York 11794, USA
| | - Wan-Yi Yen
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Renaissance School of Medicine, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York 11794, USA
| | - Hwan Keun Kim
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Renaissance School of Medicine, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York 11794, USA
| | - Keiji Hashimoto
- Department of Pharmacological Sciences, Renaissance School of Medicine, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA
| | - Masaaki Moriya
- Department of Pharmacological Sciences, Renaissance School of Medicine, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA
| | - Kathleen G Dickman
- Department of Pharmacological Sciences, Renaissance School of Medicine, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA; Department of Medicine, Renaissance School of Medicine, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York 11794, USA
| | - Xingyu Yin
- Department of Pharmacological Sciences, Renaissance School of Medicine, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA
| | - Miguel Garcia-Diaz
- Department of Pharmacological Sciences, Renaissance School of Medicine, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA
| | - Rajesh Chennamshetti
- Department of Pharmacological Sciences, Renaissance School of Medicine, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA
| | - Radha Bonala
- Department of Pharmacological Sciences, Renaissance School of Medicine, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA
| | - Francis Johnson
- Department of Pharmacological Sciences, Renaissance School of Medicine, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA; Department of Chemistry, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York 11794, USA
| | - Amanda L Waldeck
- Department of Pharmacological Sciences, Renaissance School of Medicine, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA; Department of Pharmacy, Stony Brook University Hospital, Stony Brook, New York 11794, USA
| | - Ramesh Gupta
- ChemMaster International Inc., Happauge, New York 11788, USA
| | - Chaoping Li
- Chemistry Service Unit of Shanghai Haoyuan Chemexpress Co., Ltd., Shanghai, PR China 201203
| | - Kenneth J Breslauer
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Rutgers - The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, New Jersey 08854, USA; Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ 08901, USA
| | - Arthur P Grollman
- Department of Pharmacological Sciences, Renaissance School of Medicine, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA; Department of Medicine, Renaissance School of Medicine, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York 11794, USA
| | - Thomas A Rosenquist
- Department of Pharmacological Sciences, Renaissance School of Medicine, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Balsera-Manzanero M, Ghirga F, Ruiz-Molina A, Mori M, Pachón J, Botta B, Cordero E, Quaglio D, Sánchez-Céspedes J. Inhibition of adenovirus transport from the endosome to the cell nucleus by rotenone. Front Pharmacol 2024; 14:1293296. [PMID: 38273842 PMCID: PMC10808720 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2023.1293296] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2023] [Accepted: 12/27/2023] [Indexed: 01/27/2024] Open
Abstract
Regardless of the clinical impact of human adenovirus (HAdV) infections in the healthy population and its high morbidity in immunosuppressed patients, a specific treatment is still not yet available. In this study, we screened the CM1407 COST Action's chemical library, comprising 1,233 natural products to identify compounds that restrict HAdV infection. Among them, we identified rotenolone, a compound that significantly inhibited HAdV infection. Next, we selected four isoflavonoid-type compounds (e.g., rotenone, deguelin, millettone, and tephrosin), namely rotenoids, structurally related to rotenolone in order to evaluate and characterized in vitro their antiviral activities against HAdV and human cytomegalovirus (HCMV). Their IC50 values for HAdV ranged from 0.0039 µM for rotenone to 0.07 µM for tephrosin, with selective indices ranging from 164.1 for rotenone to 2,429.3 for deguelin. In addition, the inhibition of HCMV replication ranged from 50% to 92.1% at twice the IC50 concentrations obtained in the plaque assay for each compound against HAdV. Our results indicated that the mechanisms of action of rotenolone, deguelin, and tephrosin involve the late stages of the HAdV replication cycle. However, the antiviral mechanism of action of rotenone appears to involve the alteration of the microtubular polymerization, which prevents HAdV particles from reaching the nuclear membrane of the cell. These isoflavonoid-type compounds exert high antiviral activity against HAdV at nanomolar concentrations, and can be considered strong hit candidates for the development of a new class of broad-spectrum antiviral drugs.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- María Balsera-Manzanero
- Unidad Clínica de Enfermedades Infecciosas, Microbiología y Parasitología, Instituto de Biomedicina de Sevilla (IBiS), Hospital Universitario Virgen del Rocío/CSIC/Universidad de Sevilla, Sevilla, Spain
| | - Francesca Ghirga
- Department of Chemistry and Technology of Drugs, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Ana Ruiz-Molina
- Unidad Clínica de Enfermedades Infecciosas, Microbiología y Parasitología, Instituto de Biomedicina de Sevilla (IBiS), Hospital Universitario Virgen del Rocío/CSIC/Universidad de Sevilla, Sevilla, Spain
| | - Mattia Mori
- Department of Biotechnology, Chemistry and Pharmacy, University of Siena, Siena, Italy
| | - Jerónimo Pachón
- Instituto de Biomedicina de Sevilla (IBiS), Hospitales Universitarios Virgen del Rocío y Virgen Macarena/CSIC/Universidad de Sevilla, Sevilla, Spain
- Departamento de Medicina, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Sevilla, Sevilla, Spain
| | - Bruno Botta
- Department of Chemistry and Technology of Drugs, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Elisa Cordero
- Unidad Clínica de Enfermedades Infecciosas, Microbiología y Parasitología, Instituto de Biomedicina de Sevilla (IBiS), Hospital Universitario Virgen del Rocío/CSIC/Universidad de Sevilla, Sevilla, Spain
- Departamento de Medicina, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Sevilla, Sevilla, Spain
- CIBERINFEC, ISCIII—CIBER de Enfermedades Infecciosas, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - Deborah Quaglio
- Department of Chemistry and Technology of Drugs, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Javier Sánchez-Céspedes
- Unidad Clínica de Enfermedades Infecciosas, Microbiología y Parasitología, Instituto de Biomedicina de Sevilla (IBiS), Hospital Universitario Virgen del Rocío/CSIC/Universidad de Sevilla, Sevilla, Spain
- CIBERINFEC, ISCIII—CIBER de Enfermedades Infecciosas, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Huang J, Lei L, Cui M, Cheng A, Wang M, Liu M, Zhu D, Chen S, Zhao X, Yang Q, Wu Y, Zhang S, Ou X, Mao S, Gao Q, Sun D, Tian B, Yin Z, Jia R. miR-146b-5p promotes duck Tembusu virus replication by targeting RPS14. Poult Sci 2023; 102:102890. [PMID: 37441905 PMCID: PMC10362356 DOI: 10.1016/j.psj.2023.102890] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2023] [Revised: 06/12/2023] [Accepted: 06/17/2023] [Indexed: 07/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Duck Tembusu virus (DTMUV), belonging to the Flaviviridae family, is a major virus that affects duck health in China. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) play an important role in viral replication. However, little is known about the function of miRNAs during DTMUV infection. Here, the host miR-146b-5p was found to regulate DTMUV replication. When DTMUV infected duck embryo fibroblasts (DEFs), the expression levels of miR-146b-5p increased significantly over time. Moreover, the viral RNA copies, E protein expression levels and virus titers were all upregulated when miR-146b-5p was overexpressed in DEFs. The opposite results were also observed upon knockdown of miR-146b-5p in DEFs. To explore the mechanism by which miR-146b-5p promoted DTMUV replication, mass spectrometry, and RNA pull-down assays were employed. Ribosomal protein S14 (RPS14), a component of 40S ribosomal proteins, was identified to interact with miR-146b-5p. In addition, the relative mRNA expression levels of RPS14 gene were negatively modulated by miR-146b-5p. Subsequently, it was found that overexpression of RPS14 could decrease the replication of DTMUV, and the reverse results were also detected by knockdown of RPS14. In conclusion, this study revealed that miR-146b-5p promoted DTMUV replication by targeting RPS14, which provides a new mechanism by which DTMUV evades host defenses and a new direction for further antiviral strategies development.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Juan Huang
- Research Center of Avian Disease, College of Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan 611130, China; Key Laboratory of Animal Disease and Human Health of Sichuan Province, Chengdu, Sichuan 611130, China
| | - Lin Lei
- Research Center of Avian Disease, College of Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan 611130, China
| | - Min Cui
- Key Laboratory of Animal Disease and Human Health of Sichuan Province, Chengdu, Sichuan 611130, China
| | - Anchun Cheng
- Research Center of Avian Disease, College of Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan 611130, China; Key Laboratory of Animal Disease and Human Health of Sichuan Province, Chengdu, Sichuan 611130, China
| | - Mingshu Wang
- Research Center of Avian Disease, College of Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan 611130, China; Key Laboratory of Animal Disease and Human Health of Sichuan Province, Chengdu, Sichuan 611130, China
| | - Mafeng Liu
- Research Center of Avian Disease, College of Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan 611130, China; Key Laboratory of Animal Disease and Human Health of Sichuan Province, Chengdu, Sichuan 611130, China
| | - Dekang Zhu
- Research Center of Avian Disease, College of Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan 611130, China; Key Laboratory of Animal Disease and Human Health of Sichuan Province, Chengdu, Sichuan 611130, China
| | - Shun Chen
- Research Center of Avian Disease, College of Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan 611130, China; Key Laboratory of Animal Disease and Human Health of Sichuan Province, Chengdu, Sichuan 611130, China
| | - Xinxin Zhao
- Research Center of Avian Disease, College of Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan 611130, China; Key Laboratory of Animal Disease and Human Health of Sichuan Province, Chengdu, Sichuan 611130, China
| | - Qiao Yang
- Research Center of Avian Disease, College of Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan 611130, China; Key Laboratory of Animal Disease and Human Health of Sichuan Province, Chengdu, Sichuan 611130, China
| | - Ying Wu
- Research Center of Avian Disease, College of Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan 611130, China; Key Laboratory of Animal Disease and Human Health of Sichuan Province, Chengdu, Sichuan 611130, China
| | - Shaqiu Zhang
- Research Center of Avian Disease, College of Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan 611130, China; Key Laboratory of Animal Disease and Human Health of Sichuan Province, Chengdu, Sichuan 611130, China
| | - Xumin Ou
- Research Center of Avian Disease, College of Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan 611130, China; Key Laboratory of Animal Disease and Human Health of Sichuan Province, Chengdu, Sichuan 611130, China
| | - Sai Mao
- Research Center of Avian Disease, College of Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan 611130, China; Key Laboratory of Animal Disease and Human Health of Sichuan Province, Chengdu, Sichuan 611130, China
| | - Qun Gao
- Research Center of Avian Disease, College of Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan 611130, China; Key Laboratory of Animal Disease and Human Health of Sichuan Province, Chengdu, Sichuan 611130, China
| | - Di Sun
- Research Center of Avian Disease, College of Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan 611130, China; Key Laboratory of Animal Disease and Human Health of Sichuan Province, Chengdu, Sichuan 611130, China
| | - Bin Tian
- Research Center of Avian Disease, College of Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan 611130, China; Key Laboratory of Animal Disease and Human Health of Sichuan Province, Chengdu, Sichuan 611130, China
| | - Zhongqiong Yin
- Key Laboratory of Animal Disease and Human Health of Sichuan Province, Chengdu, Sichuan 611130, China
| | - Renyong Jia
- Research Center of Avian Disease, College of Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan 611130, China; Key Laboratory of Animal Disease and Human Health of Sichuan Province, Chengdu, Sichuan 611130, China.
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Raghav PK, Mann Z, Ahluwalia SK, Rajalingam R. Potential treatments of COVID-19: Drug repurposing and therapeutic interventions. J Pharmacol Sci 2023; 152:1-21. [PMID: 37059487 PMCID: PMC9930377 DOI: 10.1016/j.jphs.2023.02.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2022] [Revised: 01/31/2023] [Accepted: 02/10/2023] [Indexed: 02/17/2023] Open
Abstract
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The infection is caused when Spike-protein (S-protein) present on the surface of SARS-CoV-2 interacts with human cell surface receptor, Angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2). This binding facilitates SARS-CoV-2 genome entry into the human cells, which in turn causes infection. Since the beginning of the pandemic, many different therapies have been developed to combat COVID-19, including treatment and prevention. This review is focused on the currently adapted and certain other potential therapies for COVID-19 treatment, which include drug repurposing, vaccines and drug-free therapies. The efficacy of various treatment options is constantly being tested through clinical trials and in vivo studies before they are made medically available to the public.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Pawan Kumar Raghav
- Immunogenetics and Transplantation Laboratory, Department of Surgery, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.
| | | | - Simran Kaur Ahluwalia
- Amity Institute of Biotechnology, Amity University, Sector-125, Noida, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Raja Rajalingam
- Immunogenetics and Transplantation Laboratory, Department of Surgery, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Ghosh AK, Su YP, Forman M, Keyes RF, Smith BC, Hu X, Ferrer M, Arav-Boger R. Harnessing the Noncanonical Keap1-Nrf2 Pathway for Human Cytomegalovirus Control. J Virol 2023; 97:e0016023. [PMID: 36939350 PMCID: PMC10134830 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.00160-23] [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: 01/29/2023] [Accepted: 03/02/2023] [Indexed: 03/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Host-derived cellular pathways can provide an unfavorable environment for virus replication. These pathways have been a subject of interest for herpesviruses, including the betaherpesvirus human cytomegalovirus (HCMV). Here, we demonstrate that a compound, ARP101, induces the noncanonical sequestosome 1 (SQSTM1)/p62-Keap1-Nrf2 pathway for HCMV suppression. ARP101 increased the levels of both LC3 II and SQSTM1/p62 and induced phosphorylation of p62 at the C-terminal domain, resulting in its increased affinity for Keap1. ARP101 treatment resulted in Nrf2 stabilization and translocation into the nucleus, binding to specific promoter sites and transcription of antioxidant enzymes under the antioxidant response element (ARE), and HCMV suppression. Knockdown of Nrf2 recovered HCMV replication following ARP101 treatment, indicating the role of the Keap1-Nrf2 axis in HCMV inhibition by ARP101. SQSTM1/p62 phosphorylation was not modulated by the mTOR kinase or casein kinase 1 or 2, indicating ARP101 engages other kinases. Together, the data uncover a novel antiviral strategy for SQSTM1/p62 through the noncanonical Keap1-Nrf2 axis. This pathway could be further exploited, including the identification of the responsible kinases, to define the biological events during HCMV replication. IMPORTANCE Antiviral treatment for human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) is limited and suffers from the selection of drug-resistant viruses. Several cellular pathways have been shown to modulate HCMV replication. The autophagy receptor sequestosome 1 (SQSTM1)/p62 has been reported to interact with several HCMV proteins, particularly with components of HCMV capsid, suggesting it plays a role in viral replication. Here, we report on a new and unexpected role for SQSTM1/p62, in HCMV suppression. Using a small-molecule probe, ARP101, we show SQSTM1/p62 phosphorylation at its C terminus domain initiates the noncanonical Keap1-Nrf2 axis, leading to transcription of genes under the antioxidant response element, resulting in HCMV inhibition in vitro. Our study highlights the dynamic nature of SQSTM1/p62 during HCMV infection and how its phosphorylation activates a new pathway that can be exploited for antiviral intervention.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ayan K. Ghosh
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Infectious Disease, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Yu-Pin Su
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Infectious Disease, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Michael Forman
- Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Robert F. Keyes
- Department of Biochemistry, Program in Chemical Biology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Brian C. Smith
- Department of Biochemistry, Program in Chemical Biology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Xin Hu
- National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS), National Institutes of Health, Rockville, Maryland, USA
| | - Marc Ferrer
- National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS), National Institutes of Health, Rockville, Maryland, USA
| | - Ravit Arav-Boger
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Infectious Disease, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Infectious Disease, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Faisal S, Badshah SL, Kubra B, Emwas AH, Jaremko M. Alkaloids as potential antivirals. A comprehensive review. NATURAL PRODUCTS AND BIOPROSPECTING 2023; 13:4. [PMID: 36598588 PMCID: PMC9812014 DOI: 10.1007/s13659-022-00366-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2022] [Accepted: 12/01/2022] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
Alkaloids are a diverse group of natural phytochemicals. These phytochemicals in plants provide them protection against pests, and herbivorous organisms and also control their development. Numerous of these alkaloids have a variety of biological effects, and some have even been developed into medications with different medicinal properties. This review aims to provide a broad overview of the numerous naturally occurring alkaloids (isolated from both terrestrial and aquatic species) along with synthetically produced alkaloid compounds having prominent antiviral properties. Previous reviews on this subject have focused on the biological actions of both natural and synthetic alkaloids, but they have not gone into comprehensive detail about their antiviral properties. We reviewed here several antiviral alkaloids that have been described in the literature in different investigational environments i.e. (in-vivo, in-ovo, in-vitro, and in-silico), and found that these alkaloid compounds have significant antiviral properties against several infectious viruses. These alkaloids repressed and targeted various important stages of viral infection at non-toxic doses while some of the alkaloids reported here also exhibited comparable inhibitory activities to commercially used drugs. Overall, these anti-viral effects of alkaloids point to a high degree of specificity, implying that they could serve as effective and safe antiviral medicines if further pursued in medicinal and pharmacological investigations.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Shah Faisal
- Department of Chemistry, Islamia College University Peshawar, Peshawar, 25120, Pakistan
| | - Syed Lal Badshah
- Department of Chemistry, Islamia College University Peshawar, Peshawar, 25120, Pakistan.
| | - Bibi Kubra
- Department of Chemistry, Islamia College University Peshawar, Peshawar, 25120, Pakistan
| | - Abdul-Hamid Emwas
- Core Labs, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, 23955-6900, Saudi Arabia
| | - Mariusz Jaremko
- Division of Biological and Environmental Sciences and Engineering (BESE), Smart-Health Initiative (SHI) and Red Sea Research Center (RSRC), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, 23955-6900, Saudi Arabia.
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Snoussi M, Redissi A, Mosbah A, De Feo V, Adnan M, Aouadi K, Alreshidi M, Patel M, Kadri A, Noumi E. Emetine, a potent alkaloid for the treatment of SARS-CoV-2 targeting papain-like protease and non-structural proteins: pharmacokinetics, molecular docking and dynamic studies. J Biomol Struct Dyn 2022; 40:10122-10135. [PMID: 34254564 DOI: 10.1080/07391102.2021.1946715] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
The main objective of this study is to find out the anti-SARS-CoV-2 potential of emetine by using molecular docking and dynamic simulation approaches. Interestingly, molecular docking studies suggest that Emetine showed significant binding affinity toward Nsp15 (-10.8 kcal/mol) followed by Nsp12 (-9.5 kcal/mol), RNA-dependent RNA polymerase, RdRp (-9.5 kcal/mol), Nsp16 (-9.4 kcal/mol), Nsp10 (-9.2 kcal/mol), Papain-like protein (-9.0 kcal/mol), Nsp13 (-9.0 kcal/mol), Nsp14 (-8.9 kcal/mol) and Spike Protein Receptor Domain (-8.8 kcal/mol) and chymotrypsin-like protease, 3CLpro (-8.5 kcal/mol), respectively, which are essential for viral infection and replication. In addition, molecular dynamic simulation (MD) was also performed for 140 ns to explore the stability behavior of the main targets and inhibitor complexes as well as the binding mechanics of the ligand to the target proteins. The obtained MD results followed by absolute binding energy calculation confirm that the binding of emetine at the level of the various receptors is more stable. The complex EmetineNSP15, mechanistically was stabilized as follows: Emetine first binds to the monomer, after, binds to the second inducing the formation of a dimer which in turn leading to the formation of complex that simulation stabilizes it at a value less than 5 Å. Overall, supported by the powerful and good pharmacokinetic data of Emetine, our findings with clinical trials may be helpful to confirm that Emetine could be promoted in the prevention and eradication of COVID-19 by reducing the severity in the infected persons and therefore can open possible new strategies for drug repositioning. Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mejdi Snoussi
- Department of Biology, College of Science, University of Hail, Ha'il, Saudi Arabia.,Laboratory of Genetics, Biodiversity and Valorization of Bio-resources, Higher Institute of Biotechnology of Monastir, University of Monastir, Monastir, Tunisia
| | - Alaeddine Redissi
- ISBST, BVBGR-LR11ES31, Biotechpole Sidi Thabet, University of Manouba, Ariana, Tunisia
| | - Amor Mosbah
- ISBST, BVBGR-LR11ES31, Biotechpole Sidi Thabet, University of Manouba, Ariana, Tunisia
| | - Vincenzo De Feo
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Salerno, Salerno, Italy
| | - Mohd Adnan
- Department of Biology, College of Science, University of Hail, Ha'il, Saudi Arabia
| | - Kaïss Aouadi
- Department of Chemistry, College of Science, Qassim University, Buraidah, Saudi Arabia.,Faculty of Science of Monastir, Laboratory of Hetrocyclic Chemistry, Natural Products and Reactivity, University of Monastir, Monastir, Tunisia
| | - Mousa Alreshidi
- Department of Biology, College of Science, University of Hail, Ha'il, Saudi Arabia
| | - Mitesh Patel
- Bapalal Vaidya Botanical Research Centre, Department of Biosciences, Veer Narmad South Gujarat University, Surat, India
| | - Adel Kadri
- Faculty of Science of Sfax, Department of Chemistry, University of Sfax, Sfax, Tunisia.,Faculty of Science and Arts in Baljurashi, Albaha University, Al Bahah, Saudi Arabia
| | - Emira Noumi
- Department of Biology, College of Science, University of Hail, Ha'il, Saudi Arabia.,Laboratory of Bioresources: Integrative Biology and Valorization, (LR14-ES06), University of Monastir, Higher Institute of Biotechnology of Monastir, Monastir, Tunisia
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Strang BL. Toward inhibition of human cytomegalovirus replication with compounds targeting cellular proteins. J Gen Virol 2022; 103. [PMID: 36215160 DOI: 10.1099/jgv.0.001795] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Antiviral therapy for human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) currently relies upon direct-acting antiviral drugs. However, it is now well known that these drugs have shortcomings, which limit their use. Here I review the identification and investigation of compounds targeting cellular proteins that have anti-HCMV activity and could supersede those anti-HCMV drugs currently in use. This includes discussion of drug repurposing, for example the use of artemisinin compounds, and discussion of new directions to identify compounds that target cellular factors in HCMV-infected cells, for example screening of kinase inhibitors. In addition, I highlight developing areas such as the use of machine learning and emphasize how interaction with fields outside virology will be critical for development of anti-HCMV compounds.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Blair L Strang
- Institute for Infection & Immunity, St George's, University of London, London, UK
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Spirin P, Shyrokova E, Vedernikova V, Lebedev T, Prassolov V. Emetine in Combination with Chloroquine Induces Oncolytic Potential of HIV-1-Based Lentiviral Particles. Cells 2022; 11:cells11182829. [PMID: 36139404 PMCID: PMC9497060 DOI: 10.3390/cells11182829] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2022] [Revised: 09/02/2022] [Accepted: 09/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Chloroquine and Emetine are drugs used to treat human parasitic infections. In addition, it has been shown that these drugs have an antiviral effect. Both drugs were also found to cause a suppressive effect on the growth of cancer cells of different origins. Here, using the replication-deficient HIV-1-based lentiviral vector particles, we evaluated the ability of the combination of these drugs to reduce viral transduction efficiency. We showed that these drugs act synergistically to decrease cancer cell growth when added in combination with medium containing lentiviral particles. We found that the combination of these drugs with lentiviral particles decreases the viability of treated cells. Taken together, we state the oncolytic potential of the medium containing HIV-1-based particles provoked by the combination of Chloroquine and Emetine.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Pavel Spirin
- Department of Cancer Cell Biology, Engelhardt Institute of Molecular Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Vavilova 32, 119991 Moscow, Russia
- Center for Precision Genome Editing and Genetic Technologies for Biomedicine, Engelhardt Institute of Molecular Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Vavilova 32, 119991 Moscow, Russia
- Correspondence:
| | - Elena Shyrokova
- Department of Cancer Cell Biology, Engelhardt Institute of Molecular Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Vavilova 32, 119991 Moscow, Russia
- Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, National Research University, Institutskiy per. 9, 141701 Dolgoprudny, Russia
| | - Valeria Vedernikova
- Department of Cancer Cell Biology, Engelhardt Institute of Molecular Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Vavilova 32, 119991 Moscow, Russia
- Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, National Research University, Institutskiy per. 9, 141701 Dolgoprudny, Russia
| | - Timofey Lebedev
- Department of Cancer Cell Biology, Engelhardt Institute of Molecular Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Vavilova 32, 119991 Moscow, Russia
- Center for Precision Genome Editing and Genetic Technologies for Biomedicine, Engelhardt Institute of Molecular Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Vavilova 32, 119991 Moscow, Russia
| | - Vladimir Prassolov
- Department of Cancer Cell Biology, Engelhardt Institute of Molecular Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Vavilova 32, 119991 Moscow, Russia
- Center for Precision Genome Editing and Genetic Technologies for Biomedicine, Engelhardt Institute of Molecular Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Vavilova 32, 119991 Moscow, Russia
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Valipour M, Irannejad H, Emami S. Application of emetine in SARS-CoV-2 treatment: regulation of p38 MAPK signaling pathway for preventing emetine-induced cardiac complications. Cell Cycle 2022; 21:2379-2386. [DOI: 10.1080/15384101.2022.2100575] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Mehdi Valipour
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences Research Center, Faculty of Pharmacy, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran
| | - Hamid Irannejad
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences Research Center, Faculty of Pharmacy, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran
| | - Saeed Emami
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences Research Center, Faculty of Pharmacy, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Exploring the potential mechanism of emetine against coronavirus disease 2019 combined with lung adenocarcinoma: bioinformatics and molecular simulation analyses. BMC Cancer 2022; 22:687. [PMID: 35733175 PMCID: PMC9214478 DOI: 10.1186/s12885-022-09763-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2022] [Accepted: 06/08/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Patients with lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) may be more predisposed to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and have a poorer prognosis. Currently, there is still a lack of effective anti-LUAD/COVID-19 drugs. Thus, this study aimed to screen for an effective anti-LUAD/COVID-19 drug and explore the potential mechanisms. METHODS Firstly, we performed differentially expressed gene (DEG) analysis on LUAD transcriptome profiling data in The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), where intersections with COVID-19-related genes were screened out. Then, we conducted Cox proportional hazards analyses on these LUAD/COVID-19 DEGs to construct a risk score. Next, LUAD/COVID-19 DEGs were uploaded on Connectivity Map to obtain drugs for anti-LUAD/COVID-19. Finally, we used network pharmacology, molecular docking, and molecular dynamics (MD) simulation to explore the drug's therapeutic targets and potential mechanisms for anti-LUAD/COVID-19. RESULTS We identified 230 LUAD/COVID-19 DEGs and constructed a risk score containing 7 genes (BTK, CCL20, FURIN, LDHA, TRPA1, ZIC5, and SDK1) that could classify LUAD patients into two risk groups. Then, we screened emetine as an effective drug for anti-LUAD/COVID-19. Network pharmacology analyses identified 6 potential targets (IL6, DPP4, MIF, PRF1, SERPING1, and SLC6A4) for emetine in anti-LUAD/COVID-19. Molecular docking and MD simulation analyses showed that emetine exhibited excellent binding capacities to DDP4 and the main protease (Mpro) of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). CONCLUSIONS This study found that emetine may inhibit the entry and replication of SARS-CoV-2 and enhance tumor immunity by bounding to DDP4 and Mpro.
Collapse
|
13
|
Valipour M. Different Aspects of Emetine's Capabilities as a Highly Potent SARS-CoV-2 Inhibitor against COVID-19. ACS Pharmacol Transl Sci 2022; 5:387-399. [PMID: 35702393 PMCID: PMC9159504 DOI: 10.1021/acsptsci.2c00045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2022] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
In the global movement to find the appropriate agents to fight the coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19), emetine is one of the strongest anti-SARS-CoV-2 compounds with sub-micromolar EC50 values, identified in several studies and high-throughput screening efforts. The reported anti-SARS-CoV-2 mechanisms indicate the effect of this compound on both virus-based and host-based targets. In addition to having excellent antiviral effects, emetine can relieve COVID-19 patients by reducing inflammation through inhibitory activity against NF-κB by the mechanism of IκBα phosphorylation inhibition; it can also limit the lipopolysaccharide-induced expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines TNFα, IL-1β, and IL-6. Emetine also can well reduce pulmonary arterial hypertension as an important COVID-19 complication by modulating a variety of cellular processes such as the Rho-kinase/CyPA/Bsg signaling pathway. The therapeutic value of emetine for combating COVID-19 was highlighted when in vivo pharmacokinetic studies showed that the concentration of this compound in the lungs increases significantly higher than the EC50 of the drug. Despite its valuable therapeutic effects, emetine has some cardiotoxic effects that limit its use in high doses. However, high therapeutic capabilities make emetine a valuable lead compound that can be used for the design and development of less toxic anti-COVID-19 agents in the future. This Review provides a collection of information on the capabilities of emetine and its potential for the treatment of COVID-19, along with structural analysis which could be used for further research in the future.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mehdi Valipour
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry,
Faculty of Pharmacy, Mazandaran University
of Medical Sciences, 48175-866 Sari, Iran
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Hua Y, Dai X, Xu Y, Xing G, Liu H, Lu T, Chen Y, Zhang Y. Drug repositioning: Progress and challenges in drug discovery for various diseases. Eur J Med Chem 2022; 234:114239. [PMID: 35290843 PMCID: PMC8883737 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2022.114239] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2021] [Revised: 02/20/2022] [Accepted: 02/24/2022] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Compared with traditional de novo drug discovery, drug repurposing has become an attractive drug discovery strategy due to its low-cost and high efficiency. Through a comprehensive analysis of the candidates that have been identified with drug repositioning potentials, it is found that although some drugs do not show obvious advantages in the original indications, they may exert more obvious effects in other diseases. In addition, some drugs have a synergistic effect to exert better clinical efficacy if used in combination. Particularly, it has been confirmed that drug repositioning has benefits and values on the current public health emergency such as the COVID-19 pandemic, which proved the great potential of drug repositioning. In this review, we systematically reviewed a series of representative drugs that have been repositioned for different diseases and illustrated successful cases in each disease. Especially, the mechanism of action for the representative drugs in new indications were explicitly explored for each disease, we hope this review can provide important insights for follow-up research.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yi Hua
- Laboratory of Molecular Design and Drug Discovery, School of Science, China Pharmaceutical University, 639 Longmian Avenue, Nanjing, 211198, China
| | - Xiaowen Dai
- Laboratory of Molecular Design and Drug Discovery, School of Science, China Pharmaceutical University, 639 Longmian Avenue, Nanjing, 211198, China
| | - Yuan Xu
- Laboratory of Molecular Design and Drug Discovery, School of Science, China Pharmaceutical University, 639 Longmian Avenue, Nanjing, 211198, China
| | - Guomeng Xing
- Laboratory of Molecular Design and Drug Discovery, School of Science, China Pharmaceutical University, 639 Longmian Avenue, Nanjing, 211198, China
| | - Haichun Liu
- Laboratory of Molecular Design and Drug Discovery, School of Science, China Pharmaceutical University, 639 Longmian Avenue, Nanjing, 211198, China
| | - Tao Lu
- Laboratory of Molecular Design and Drug Discovery, School of Science, China Pharmaceutical University, 639 Longmian Avenue, Nanjing, 211198, China; State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, China Pharmaceutical University, 24 Tongjiaxiang, Nanjing, 210009, China
| | - Yadong Chen
- Laboratory of Molecular Design and Drug Discovery, School of Science, China Pharmaceutical University, 639 Longmian Avenue, Nanjing, 211198, China.
| | - Yanmin Zhang
- Laboratory of Molecular Design and Drug Discovery, School of Science, China Pharmaceutical University, 639 Longmian Avenue, Nanjing, 211198, China.
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Repurposing drugs targeting epidemic viruses. Drug Discov Today 2022; 27:1874-1894. [DOI: 10.1016/j.drudis.2022.04.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2021] [Revised: 03/01/2022] [Accepted: 04/07/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
|
16
|
Abookleesh FL, Al-Anzi BS, Ullah A. Potential Antiviral Action of Alkaloids. Molecules 2022; 27:molecules27030903. [PMID: 35164173 PMCID: PMC8839337 DOI: 10.3390/molecules27030903] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2021] [Revised: 01/24/2022] [Accepted: 01/26/2022] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Viral infections and outbreaks have become a major concern and are one of the main causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide. The development of successful antiviral therapeutics and vaccines remains a daunting challenge. The discovery of novel antiviral agents is a public health emergency, and extraordinary efforts are underway globally to identify safe and effective treatments for different viral diseases. Alkaloids are natural phytochemicals known for their biological activities, many of which have been intensively studied for their broad-spectrum of antiviral activities against different DNA and RNA viruses. The purpose of this review was to summarize the evidence supporting the efficacy of the antiviral activity of plant alkaloids at half-maximum effective concentration (EC50) or half-maximum inhibitory concentration (IC50) below 10 μM and describe the molecular sites most often targeted by natural alkaloids acting against different virus families. This review highlights that considering the devastating effects of virus pandemics on humans, plants, and animals, the development of high efficiency and low-toxicity antiviral drugs targeting these viruses need to be developed. Furthermore, it summarizes the current research status of alkaloids as the source of antiviral drug development, their structural characteristics, and antiviral targets. Overall, the influence of alkaloids at the molecular level suggests a high degree of specificity which means they could serve as potent and safe antiviral agents waiting for evaluation and exploitation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Frage L. Abookleesh
- Department of Agricultural, Food and Nutritional Science, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2R3, Canada;
| | - Bader S. Al-Anzi
- Department of Environment Technologies and Management, Kuwait University, P.O. Box 5969, Kuwait City 13060, Kuwait;
| | - Aman Ullah
- Department of Agricultural, Food and Nutritional Science, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2R3, Canada;
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +1-78-0-492-4845
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Zhang S, Lyons N, Koedam M, van de Peppel J, van Leeuwen JP, van der Eerden BCJ. Identification of small molecules as novel anti-adipogenic compounds based on Connectivity Map. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2022; 13:1017832. [PMID: 36589834 PMCID: PMC9800878 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2022.1017832] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2022] [Accepted: 11/29/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Several physiological and pathological conditions such as aging, obesity, diabetes, anorexia nervosa are associated with increased adipogenesis in the bone marrow. A lack of effective drugs hinder the improved treatment for aberrant accumulation of bone marrow adipocytes. Given the higher costs, longer duration and sometimes lack of efficacy in drug discovery, computational and experimental strategies have been used to identify previously approved drugs for the treatment of diseases, also known as drug repurposing. Here, we describe the method of small molecule-prioritization by employing adipocyte-specific genes using the connectivity map (CMap). We then generated transcriptomic profiles using human mesenchymal stromal cells under adipogenic differentiation with the treatment of prioritized compounds, and identified emetine and kinetin-riboside to have a potent inhibitory effect on adipogenesis. Overall, we demonstrated a proof-of-concept method to identify repurposable drugs capable of inhibiting adipogenesis, using the Connectivity Map.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Shuang Zhang
- Laboratory for Calcium and Bone Metabolism, Department of Internal Medicine, Erasmus MC, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, Netherlands
| | - Nicholas Lyons
- Broad Institute of Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, United States
| | - Marijke Koedam
- Laboratory for Calcium and Bone Metabolism, Department of Internal Medicine, Erasmus MC, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, Netherlands
| | - Jeroen van de Peppel
- Laboratory for Calcium and Bone Metabolism, Department of Internal Medicine, Erasmus MC, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, Netherlands
| | - Johannes P.T.M. van Leeuwen
- Laboratory for Calcium and Bone Metabolism, Department of Internal Medicine, Erasmus MC, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, Netherlands
| | - Bram C. J. van der Eerden
- Laboratory for Calcium and Bone Metabolism, Department of Internal Medicine, Erasmus MC, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, Netherlands
- *Correspondence: Bram C. J. van der Eerden,
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Falci Finardi N, Kim H, Hernandez LZ, Russell MRG, Ho CMK, Sreenu VB, Wenham HA, Merritt A, Strang BL. Identification and characterization of bisbenzimide compounds that inhibit human cytomegalovirus replication. J Gen Virol 2021; 102. [PMID: 34882533 PMCID: PMC8744270 DOI: 10.1099/jgv.0.001702] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The shortcomings of current anti-human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) drugs has stimulated a search for anti-HCMV compounds with novel targets. We screened collections of bioactive compounds and identified a range of compounds with the potential to inhibit HCMV replication. Of these compounds, we selected bisbenzimide compound RO-90-7501 for further study. We generated analogues of RO-90-7501 and found that one compound, MRT00210423, had increased anti-HCMV activity compared to RO-90-7501. Using a combination of compound analogues, microscopy and biochemical assays we found RO-90-7501 and MRT00210423 interacted with DNA. In single molecule microscopy experiments we found RO-90-7501, but not MRT00210423, was able to compact DNA, suggesting that compaction of DNA was non-obligatory for anti-HCMV effects. Using bioinformatics analysis, we found that there were many putative bisbenzimide binding sites in the HCMV DNA genome. However, using western blotting, quantitative PCR and electron microscopy, we found that at a concentration able to inhibit HCMV replication our compounds had little or no effect on production of certain HCMV proteins or DNA synthesis, but did have a notable inhibitory effect on HCMV capsid production. We reasoned that these effects may have involved binding of our compounds to the HCMV genome and/or host cell chromatin. Therefore, our data expand our understanding of compounds with anti-HCMV activity and suggest targeting of DNA with bisbenzimide compounds may be a useful anti-HCMV strategy.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nicole Falci Finardi
- Institute of Infection & Immunity, St George's, University of London, London, UK
| | - HyeongJun Kim
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, Edinburg, TX, USA.,Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Program, University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, Edinburg, TX, USA
| | - Lee Z Hernandez
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, Edinburg, TX, USA.,Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Program, University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, Edinburg, TX, USA.,Department of Physics, Applied Physics and Astronomy, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY, USA
| | | | - Catherine M-K Ho
- Institute of Infection & Immunity, St George's, University of London, London, UK
| | - Vattipally B Sreenu
- MRC - University of Glasgow Centre for Virus Research, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | - Hannah A Wenham
- Institute of Infection & Immunity, St George's, University of London, London, UK
| | - Andy Merritt
- Centre for Therapeutic Discovery, LifeArc, Stevenage, UK
| | - Blair L Strang
- Institute of Infection & Immunity, St George's, University of London, London, UK.,Department of Biological Chemistry & Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Singla RK, He X, Chopra H, Tsagkaris C, Shen L, Kamal MA, Shen B. Natural Products for the Prevention and Control of the COVID-19 Pandemic: Sustainable Bioresources. Front Pharmacol 2021; 12:758159. [PMID: 34925017 PMCID: PMC8671886 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2021.758159] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2021] [Accepted: 10/27/2021] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Background: The world has been unprecedentedly hit by a global pandemic which broke the record of deadly pandemics that faced humanity ever since its existence. Even kids are well-versed in the terminologies and basics of the SARS-CoV-2 virus and COVID-19 now. The vaccination program has been successfully launched in various countries, given that the huge global population of concern is still far behind to be vaccinated. Furthermore, the scarcity of any potential drug against the COVID-19-causing virus forces scientists and clinicians to search for alternative and complementary medicines on a war-footing basis. Aims and Objectives: The present review aims to cover and analyze the etiology and epidemiology of COVID-19, the role of intestinal microbiota and pro-inflammatory markers, and most importantly, the natural products to combat this deadly SARS-CoV-2 virus. Methods: A primary literature search was conducted through PubMed and Google Scholar using relevant keywords. Natural products were searched from January 2020 to November 2020. No timeline limit has been imposed on the search for the biological sources of those phytochemicals. Interactive mapping has been done to analyze the multi-modal and multi-target sources. Results and Discussion: The intestinal microbiota and the pro-inflammatory markers that can serve the prognosis, diagnosis, and treatment of COVID-19 were discussed. The literature search resulted in yielding 70 phytochemicals and ten polyherbal formulations which were scientifically analyzed against the SARS-CoV-2 virus and its targets and found significant. Retrospective analyses led to provide information about 165 biological sources that can also be screened if not done earlier. Conclusion: The interactive analysis mapping of biological sources with phytochemicals and targets as well as that of phytochemical class with phytochemicals and COVID-19 targets yielded insights into the multitarget and multimodal evidence-based complementary medicines.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Rajeev K. Singla
- Institutes for Systems Genetics, Frontiers Science Center for Disease-Related Molecular Network, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
- iGlobal Research and Publishing Foundation, New Delhi, India
| | - Xuefei He
- Institutes for Systems Genetics, Frontiers Science Center for Disease-Related Molecular Network, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Hitesh Chopra
- Chitkara College of Pharmacy, Chitkara University, Rajpura, India
| | | | - Li Shen
- Institutes for Systems Genetics, Frontiers Science Center for Disease-Related Molecular Network, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Mohammad Amjad Kamal
- West China School of Nursing/Institutes for Systems Genetics, Frontiers Science Center for Disease-related Molecular Network, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
- King Fahd Medical Research Center, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
- Enzymoics; Novel Global Community Educational Foundation, Hebersham, NSW, Australia
| | - Bairong Shen
- Institutes for Systems Genetics, Frontiers Science Center for Disease-Related Molecular Network, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
Wang Q, Zhou W, Wang B, Qin G, Liu F, Liu D, Han T. Efficacy of small-dose ganciclovir on cytomegalovirus infections in children and its effects on liver function and miR-UL112-3p expression. Exp Ther Med 2021; 22:912. [PMID: 34306186 DOI: 10.3892/etm.2021.10344] [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: 04/03/2020] [Accepted: 02/01/2021] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
The aim of the study was to explore the efficacy of small-dose ganciclovir on cytomegalovirus infections as well as its effects on the liver function and miR-UL112-3p of children. A total of 141 children infected with cytomegalovirus admitted to the Affiliated Hospital of Weifang Medical University from May 2015 to August 2017 were enrolled, of which 74 children were treated with small-dose ganciclovir as an observation group (Obs group), and the rest were treated with conventional-dose ganciclovir as a control group (Con group). The two groups were compared in efficacy after treatment, changes of liver function indexes [total bilirubin (TB), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), and aspartate aminotransferase (AST)] and miR-UL112-3p before and after treatment, and adverse reactions after treatment. A receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was drawn to analyze the value of miR-UL112-3p in predicating efficacy on cytomegalovirus infections in children, and Pearson's correlation analysis was carried out to analyze the correlation between miR-UL112-3p expression and TB, ALT and AST. The MV-DNA level between the two groups after treatment was compared. The two groups showed no significant difference in efficacy and adverse reactions (both P>0.05), and before treatment, there was also no significant difference between the two groups in miR-UL112-3p, TB, ALT, and AST, while after treatment, both groups showed lower levels of miR-UL112-3p, TB, ALT, and AST, and the Obs group showed significantly lower levels thereof than the Con group (all P<0.05). In addition, the area under the curve (AUC), specificity, and sensitivity of miR-UL112-3p in the ROC curve of the Obs group were 0.866, 73.77 and 84.62%, respectively, while the AUC, specificity, and sensitivity of the ROC of the Con group were 0.837, 75.44, and 90.00%, respectively. Furthermore, miR-UL112-3p was positively correlated with TB, ALT, and AST, respectively. The CMV-DNA level in the Obs group was lower than that in the Con group, but the difference was not significant, and the level of CMV-DNA was positively correlated with that of miR-UL112-3p. In conclusion, small-dose ganciclovir can better improve the liver function of the children, and downregulate miR-UL112-3p in them. The AUC, specificity, and sensitivity of miR-UL112-3p for predicting the efficacy of small-dose ganciclovir were 0.866, 73.77 and 84.62%, respectively, and the AUC, specificity, and sensitivityfor predicting the efficacy of conventional-dose ganciclovir were 0.837, 75.44 and 90.00%, respectively.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Qingxiu Wang
- Office of Hospital Infection Management, Affiliated Hospital of Weifang Medical University, Weifang, Shandong 261031, P.R. China
| | - Wenzeng Zhou
- Department of Child Rehabilitation, Zaozhuang Maternal and Child Health Hospital of Shandong Province, Zaozhuang, Shandong 277100, P.R. China
| | - Bin Wang
- Department of Child Rehabilitation, The Second People's Hospital of Liaocheng, Liaocheng, Shandong 252600, P.R. China
| | - Guoyun Qin
- Department of Pharmacy, Yidu Central Hospital, Weifang, Shandong 262500, P.R. China
| | - Feng'Ai Liu
- Department of Paediatrics, Haiyang People's Hospital of Shandong Province, Haiyang, Shandong 265100, P.R. China
| | - Dexiang Liu
- Department of Pediatrics, Laoling People's Hospital, Laoling, Shandong 253600, P.R. China
| | - Tengteng Han
- Department of Child Rehabilitation, Zaozhuang Maternal and Child Health Hospital of Shandong Province, Zaozhuang, Shandong 277100, P.R. China
| |
Collapse
|
21
|
Kumar R, Afsar M, Khandelwal N, Chander Y, Riyesh T, Dedar RK, Gulati BR, Pal Y, Barua S, Tripathi BN, Hussain T, Kumar N. Emetine suppresses SARS-CoV-2 replication by inhibiting interaction of viral mRNA with eIF4E. Antiviral Res 2021; 189:105056. [PMID: 33711336 PMCID: PMC7943376 DOI: 10.1016/j.antiviral.2021.105056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2020] [Revised: 02/23/2021] [Accepted: 02/27/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Emetine is a FDA-approved drug for the treatment of amebiasis. Previously we demonstrated the antiviral efficacy of emetine against some RNA and DNA viruses. In this study, we evaluated the in vitro antiviral efficacy of emetine against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and found it to be a low nanomolar (nM) inhibitor. Interestingly, emetine exhibited protective efficacy against lethal challenge with infectious bronchitis virus (IBV; a chicken coronavirus) in the embryonated chicken egg infection model. Emetine treatment led to a decrease in viral RNA and protein synthesis without affecting other steps of viral life cycle such as attachment, entry and budding. In a chromatin immunoprecipitation (CHIP) assay, emetine was shown to disrupt the binding of SARS-CoV-2 mRNA with eIF4E (eukaryotic translation initiation factor 4E, a cellular cap-binding protein required for initiation of protein translation). Further, molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulation studies suggested that emetine may bind to the cap-binding pocket of eIF4E, in a similar conformation as m7-GTP binds. Additionally, SARS-CoV-2 was shown to exploit ERK/MNK1/eIF4E signalling pathway for its effective replication in the target cells. Collectively our results suggest that further detailed evaluation of emetine as a potential treatment for COVID-19 may be warranted.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ram Kumar
- National Centre for Veterinary Type Cultures, ICAR-National Research Centre on Equines, Hisar, India
| | - Mohammad Afsar
- Department of Molecular Reproduction, Development and Genetics, Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, India
| | - Nitin Khandelwal
- National Centre for Veterinary Type Cultures, ICAR-National Research Centre on Equines, Hisar, India
| | - Yogesh Chander
- National Centre for Veterinary Type Cultures, ICAR-National Research Centre on Equines, Hisar, India
| | - Thachamvally Riyesh
- National Centre for Veterinary Type Cultures, ICAR-National Research Centre on Equines, Hisar, India
| | - Ramesh Kumar Dedar
- National Centre for Veterinary Type Cultures, ICAR-National Research Centre on Equines, Hisar, India
| | - Baldev R Gulati
- National Centre for Veterinary Type Cultures, ICAR-National Research Centre on Equines, Hisar, India
| | - Yash Pal
- National Centre for Veterinary Type Cultures, ICAR-National Research Centre on Equines, Hisar, India
| | - Sanjay Barua
- National Centre for Veterinary Type Cultures, ICAR-National Research Centre on Equines, Hisar, India
| | - Bhupendra N Tripathi
- National Centre for Veterinary Type Cultures, ICAR-National Research Centre on Equines, Hisar, India.
| | - Tanweer Hussain
- Department of Molecular Reproduction, Development and Genetics, Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, India.
| | - Naveen Kumar
- National Centre for Veterinary Type Cultures, ICAR-National Research Centre on Equines, Hisar, India.
| |
Collapse
|
22
|
Jheng JR, Chen YS, Horng JT. Regulation of the proteostasis network during enterovirus infection: A feedforward mechanism for EV-A71 and EV-D68. Antiviral Res 2021; 188:105019. [PMID: 33484748 DOI: 10.1016/j.antiviral.2021.105019] [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: 10/13/2020] [Revised: 01/12/2021] [Accepted: 01/16/2021] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
The proteostasis network guarantees successful protein synthesis, folding, transportation, and degradation. Mounting evidence has revealed that this network maintains proteome integrity and is linked to cellular physiology, pathology, and virus infection. Human enterovirus A71 (EV-A71) and EV-D68 are suspected causative agents of acute flaccid myelitis, a severe poliomyelitis-like neurologic syndrome with no known cure. In this context, further clarification of the molecular mechanisms underlying EV-A71 and EV-D68 infection is paramount. Here, we summarize the components of the proteostasis network that are intercepted by EV-A71 and EV-D68, as well as antivirals that target this network and may help develop improved antiviral drugs.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jia-Rong Jheng
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Kweishan, Taoyuan, Taiwan
| | - Yuan-Siao Chen
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Kweishan, Taoyuan, Taiwan
| | - Jim-Tong Horng
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Kweishan, Taoyuan, Taiwan; Research Center for Industry of Human Ecology and Graduate Institute of Health Industry Technology, Chang Gung University of Science and Technology, Taoyuan, Taiwan; Research Center for Emerging Viral Infections, College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Kweishan, Taoyuan, Taiwan; Molecular Infectious Disease Research Center, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Taoyuan, Taiwan.
| |
Collapse
|
23
|
Yousefi H, Mashouri L, Okpechi SC, Alahari N, Alahari SK. Repurposing existing drugs for the treatment of COVID-19/SARS-CoV-2 infection: A review describing drug mechanisms of action. Biochem Pharmacol 2021; 183:114296. [PMID: 33191206 PMCID: PMC7581400 DOI: 10.1016/j.bcp.2020.114296] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2020] [Revised: 10/14/2020] [Accepted: 10/16/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
The outbreak of a novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) has caused a major public health concern across the globe. SARS-CoV-2 is the seventh coronavirus that is known to cause human disease. As of September 2020, SARS-CoV-2 has been reported in 213 countries and more than 31 million cases have been confirmed, with an estimated mortality rate of ∼3%. Unfortunately, a drug or vaccine is yet to be discovered to treat COVID-19. Thus, repurposing of existing cancer drugs will be a novel approach in treating COVID-19 patients. These drugs target viral replication cycle, viral entry and translocation to the nucleus. Some can enhance innate antiviral immune response as well. Hence this review focuses on comprehensive list of 22 drugs that work against COVID-19 infection. These drugs include fingolimod, colchicine, N4-hydroxycytidine, remdesivir, methylprednisone, oseltamivir, icatibant, perphanizine, viracept, emetine, homoharringtonine, aloxistatin, ribavirin, valrubicin, famotidine, almitrine, amprenavir, hesperidin, biorobin, cromolyn sodium, and antibodies- tocilzumab and sarilumab. Also, we provide a list of 31 drugs that are predicted to function against SARS-CoV-2 infection. In summary, we provide succinct overview of various therapeutic modalities. Among these 53 drugs, based on various clinical trials and literature, remdesivir, nelfinavir, methylpredinosolone, colchicine, famotidine and emetine may be used for COVID-19. SIGNIFICANCE: It is of utmost important priority to develop novel therapies for COVID-19. Since the effect of SARS-CoV-2 is so severe, slowing the spread of diseases will help the health care system, especially the number of visits to Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of any country. Several clinical trials are in works around the globe. Moreover, NCI developed a recent and robust response to COVID-19 pandemic. One of the NCI's goals is to screen cancer related drugs for identification of new therapies for COVID-19. https://www.cancer.gov/news-events/cancer-currents-blog/2020/covid-19-cancer-nci-response?cid=eb_govdel.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hassan Yousefi
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA, USA
| | - Ladan Mashouri
- Department of Medical Sciences, University of Arkansas, Little Rock, AK, USA
| | - Samuel C Okpechi
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA, USA
| | - Nikhilesh Alahari
- Department of Biological Engineering, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA, USA
| | - Suresh K Alahari
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA, USA; Stanley Scott Cancer Research Center, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, LA, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
24
|
Clinical efficacy of low-dose emetine for patients with COVID-19: a real-world study. JOURNAL OF BIO-X RESEARCH 2020; 4:53-59. [PMID: 34254034 PMCID: PMC8237841 DOI: 10.1097/jbr.0000000000000076] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2020] [Accepted: 10/23/2020] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Objective: Emetine, an isoquinoline alkaloid that is enriched at high concentrations in the lung, has shown potent in vitro activity against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The aim of this study was to better understand the effectiveness of low-dose emetine for patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Methods: In this real-world study, 63 patients with mild or common COVID-19 were recruited from Wuhan Fangcang Shelter Hospital and five COVID-19-designated hospitals in Anhui Province, China from February to March 2020. Thirty-nine patients from Wuhan Fangcang Shelter Hospital were assigned to a pragmatic randomized controlled clinical trial, and 24 patients from the 5 COVID-19-designated hospitals in Anhui Province underwent a real-world study. The medication course of emetine was less than 10 days. The main symptoms and adverse reactions of all patients were observed and recorded. The primary outcome measure was the time required for a negative SARS-CoV-2 RNA result or the negative result rate on day 10. Secondary outcomes included axillary temperature, transcutaneous oxygen saturation, and respiratory frequency recovery. The study was approved by the Ethics Committee of The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University on February 20, 2019 (approval No. PJ2020-03-19) and was registered with the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry on February 20, 2019 (registration number: ChiCTR2000030022). Results: The oxygen saturation values were higher in the treatment group than in the control group on the first day after enrollment for patients treated at Fangcang Shelter Hospital. The axillary body temperature, respiratory rate, and oxygen saturation among patients in Fangcang Shelter Hospital were related to the time effect but not to the intervention measures. The respiratory rate and oxygen saturation of patients in the Anhui designated hospitals were related to the intervention measures but not to the time effect. The axillary body temperature of patients in Anhui designated hospitals was related to the time effect but not to the intervention measures. Conclusion: Our preliminary study shows that low-dose emetine combined with basic conventional antiviral drugs improves clinical symptoms in patients with mild and common COVID-19 without apparent adverse effects, suggesting that moderately increased doses of emetine may have good potential for treatment and prevention of COVID-19.
Collapse
|
25
|
Wang A, Sun Y, Liu Q, Wu H, Liu J, He J, Yu J, Chen QQ, Ge Y, Zhang Z, Hu C, Chen C, Qi Z, Zou F, Liu F, Hu J, Zhao M, Huang T, Wang B, Wang L, Wang W, Wang W, Ren T, Liu J, Sun Y, Fan S, Wu Q, Liang C, Sun L, Su B, Wei W, Liu Q. Low dose of emetine as potential anti-SARS-CoV-2 virus therapy: preclinical in vitro inhibition and in vivo pharmacokinetic evidences. MOLECULAR BIOMEDICINE 2020; 1:14. [PMID: 34765997 PMCID: PMC7700809 DOI: 10.1186/s43556-020-00018-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2020] [Accepted: 11/17/2020] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
The global pandemic of COVID-19 has attracted extensive drug searching interets for the new coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. Although currently several of clinically used "old" drugs have been repurposed to this new disease for the urgent clinical investigation, there is still great demand for more effective therapies for the anti-infections. Here we report the discovery that an "old" drug Emetine could potently inhibit SARS-CoV-2 virus replication and displayed virus entry blocking effect in Vero cells at low dose. In addition, Emetine could significantly reduce the lipopolysaccharide (LPS) induced interleukin-6 (IL-6) protein level and moderately reduce the tumor necrosis factor (TNF-α) protein level in the M1 polarized THP-1 macrophages. In vivo animal pharmacokinetics (PK) study revealed that Emetine was enriched in the lung tissue and had a long retention time (over 12 h). With 1 mg/kg single oral dose, the effective concentration of Emetine in lung was up to 1.8 μM (mice) and 1.6 μM (rats) at 12 h, which is over 200-fold higher than the EC50 of the drug. The potent in vitro antiviral replication efficacy and the high enrichment in target tissue, combining with the well documented safety profiles in human indicate that low dose of Emetine might be a potentially effective anti-SARS-CoV-2 infection therapy. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s43556-020-00018-9.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Aoli Wang
- Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Medical Physics and Technology, CAS Key Laboratory of High Magnetic Field and Ion Beam Physical Biology, Institute of Health and Medical Technology, Hefei Institutes of Physical Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei, Anhui 230031 P. R. China
- Hefei Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei, Anhui 230031 P. R. China
| | - Yong Sun
- Key Laboratory for Medical and Health of the 13th Five-Year Plan, Anhui Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Hefei, Anhui 230601 P. R. China
| | - Qingwang Liu
- Hefei Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei, Anhui 230031 P. R. China
- Precision Targeted Therapy Discovery Center, Institute of Technology Innovation, Hefei Institutes of Physical Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei, Anhui 230088 P. R. China
- Precision Medicine Research Laboratory of Anhui Province, Hefei, Anhui 230088 P. R. China
| | - Hong Wu
- Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Medical Physics and Technology, CAS Key Laboratory of High Magnetic Field and Ion Beam Physical Biology, Institute of Health and Medical Technology, Hefei Institutes of Physical Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei, Anhui 230031 P. R. China
- Hefei Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei, Anhui 230031 P. R. China
| | - Juan Liu
- Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Medical Physics and Technology, CAS Key Laboratory of High Magnetic Field and Ion Beam Physical Biology, Institute of Health and Medical Technology, Hefei Institutes of Physical Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei, Anhui 230031 P. R. China
- Hefei Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei, Anhui 230031 P. R. China
| | - Jun He
- Key Laboratory for Medical and Health of the 13th Five-Year Plan, Anhui Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Hefei, Anhui 230601 P. R. China
| | - Junling Yu
- Key Laboratory for Medical and Health of the 13th Five-Year Plan, Anhui Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Hefei, Anhui 230601 P. R. China
| | - Qing Qing Chen
- Key Laboratory for Medical and Health of the 13th Five-Year Plan, Anhui Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Hefei, Anhui 230601 P. R. China
| | - Yinglu Ge
- Key Laboratory for Medical and Health of the 13th Five-Year Plan, Anhui Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Hefei, Anhui 230601 P. R. China
| | - Zhuhui Zhang
- Key Laboratory for Medical and Health of the 13th Five-Year Plan, Anhui Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Hefei, Anhui 230601 P. R. China
| | - Chen Hu
- Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Medical Physics and Technology, CAS Key Laboratory of High Magnetic Field and Ion Beam Physical Biology, Institute of Health and Medical Technology, Hefei Institutes of Physical Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei, Anhui 230031 P. R. China
- Hefei Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei, Anhui 230031 P. R. China
| | - Cheng Chen
- Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Medical Physics and Technology, CAS Key Laboratory of High Magnetic Field and Ion Beam Physical Biology, Institute of Health and Medical Technology, Hefei Institutes of Physical Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei, Anhui 230031 P. R. China
- Hefei Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei, Anhui 230031 P. R. China
| | - Ziping Qi
- Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Medical Physics and Technology, CAS Key Laboratory of High Magnetic Field and Ion Beam Physical Biology, Institute of Health and Medical Technology, Hefei Institutes of Physical Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei, Anhui 230031 P. R. China
- Hefei Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei, Anhui 230031 P. R. China
| | - Fengming Zou
- Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Medical Physics and Technology, CAS Key Laboratory of High Magnetic Field and Ion Beam Physical Biology, Institute of Health and Medical Technology, Hefei Institutes of Physical Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei, Anhui 230031 P. R. China
- Hefei Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei, Anhui 230031 P. R. China
| | - Feiyang Liu
- Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Medical Physics and Technology, CAS Key Laboratory of High Magnetic Field and Ion Beam Physical Biology, Institute of Health and Medical Technology, Hefei Institutes of Physical Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei, Anhui 230031 P. R. China
- Hefei Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei, Anhui 230031 P. R. China
| | - Jie Hu
- Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Medical Physics and Technology, CAS Key Laboratory of High Magnetic Field and Ion Beam Physical Biology, Institute of Health and Medical Technology, Hefei Institutes of Physical Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei, Anhui 230031 P. R. China
- Hefei Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei, Anhui 230031 P. R. China
| | - Ming Zhao
- Precision Targeted Therapy Discovery Center, Institute of Technology Innovation, Hefei Institutes of Physical Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei, Anhui 230088 P. R. China
- Precision Medicine Research Laboratory of Anhui Province, Hefei, Anhui 230088 P. R. China
| | - Tao Huang
- Precision Targeted Therapy Discovery Center, Institute of Technology Innovation, Hefei Institutes of Physical Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei, Anhui 230088 P. R. China
- Precision Medicine Research Laboratory of Anhui Province, Hefei, Anhui 230088 P. R. China
| | - Beilei Wang
- Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Medical Physics and Technology, CAS Key Laboratory of High Magnetic Field and Ion Beam Physical Biology, Institute of Health and Medical Technology, Hefei Institutes of Physical Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei, Anhui 230031 P. R. China
- Hefei Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei, Anhui 230031 P. R. China
| | - Li Wang
- Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Medical Physics and Technology, CAS Key Laboratory of High Magnetic Field and Ion Beam Physical Biology, Institute of Health and Medical Technology, Hefei Institutes of Physical Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei, Anhui 230031 P. R. China
- Hefei Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei, Anhui 230031 P. R. China
| | - Wei Wang
- Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Medical Physics and Technology, CAS Key Laboratory of High Magnetic Field and Ion Beam Physical Biology, Institute of Health and Medical Technology, Hefei Institutes of Physical Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei, Anhui 230031 P. R. China
- Hefei Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei, Anhui 230031 P. R. China
- Precision Medicine Research Laboratory of Anhui Province, Hefei, Anhui 230088 P. R. China
| | - Wenchao Wang
- Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Medical Physics and Technology, CAS Key Laboratory of High Magnetic Field and Ion Beam Physical Biology, Institute of Health and Medical Technology, Hefei Institutes of Physical Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei, Anhui 230031 P. R. China
- Hefei Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei, Anhui 230031 P. R. China
| | - Tao Ren
- Precision Targeted Therapy Discovery Center, Institute of Technology Innovation, Hefei Institutes of Physical Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei, Anhui 230088 P. R. China
- Precision Medicine Research Laboratory of Anhui Province, Hefei, Anhui 230088 P. R. China
| | - Jing Liu
- Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Medical Physics and Technology, CAS Key Laboratory of High Magnetic Field and Ion Beam Physical Biology, Institute of Health and Medical Technology, Hefei Institutes of Physical Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei, Anhui 230031 P. R. China
- Hefei Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei, Anhui 230031 P. R. China
| | - Yehuan Sun
- Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Song Fan
- Department of Urology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Institute of Urology, Anhui Medical University, Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Genitourinary Diseases, Hefei, Anhui China
| | - Qibing Wu
- Department of Urology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Institute of Urology, Anhui Medical University, Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Genitourinary Diseases, Hefei, Anhui China
| | - Chaozhao Liang
- Department of Urology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Institute of Urology, Anhui Medical University, Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Genitourinary Diseases, Hefei, Anhui China
| | - Liangdan Sun
- Department of Dermatology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
- Key Laboratory of Dermatology (Anhui Medical University), Ministry of Education, Hefei, China
- Key Laboratory of Major Autoimmune Diseases, 218 Jixi Road, Hefei, 230022 Anhui China
| | - Bin Su
- Key Laboratory for Medical and Health of the 13th Five-Year Plan, Anhui Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Hefei, Anhui 230601 P. R. China
| | - Wei Wei
- Institute of Clinical Pharmacology, Anhui Medical University, Key Laboratory of Anti-Inflammatory and Immune Medicine, Ministry of Education, Anhui Collaborative Innovation Center of Anti-Inflammatory and Immune Medicine, Hefei, 230032 China
| | - Qingsong Liu
- Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Medical Physics and Technology, CAS Key Laboratory of High Magnetic Field and Ion Beam Physical Biology, Institute of Health and Medical Technology, Hefei Institutes of Physical Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei, Anhui 230031 P. R. China
- Hefei Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei, Anhui 230031 P. R. China
- Precision Targeted Therapy Discovery Center, Institute of Technology Innovation, Hefei Institutes of Physical Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei, Anhui 230088 P. R. China
- Precision Medicine Research Laboratory of Anhui Province, Hefei, Anhui 230088 P. R. China
- Institute of Physical Science and Information Technology, Anhui University, Hefei, Anhui 230601 P. R. China
| |
Collapse
|
26
|
Bleasel MD, Peterson GM. Emetine Is Not Ipecac: Considerations for Its Use as Treatment for SARS-CoV2. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2020; 13:E428. [PMID: 33261173 PMCID: PMC7760625 DOI: 10.3390/ph13120428] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2020] [Revised: 11/24/2020] [Accepted: 11/26/2020] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Emetine is a potent antiviral that acts on many viruses in the low-nM range, with several studies in animals and humans demonstrating antiviral activity. Historically, emetine was used to treat patients with Spanish influenza, in the last stages of the pandemic in the early 1900s. Some of these patients were "black" with cyanosis. Emetine rapidly reversed the cyanosis and other symptoms of this disease in 12-24 h. However, emetine also has been shown to have anti-inflammatory properties and it appears it is these anti-inflammatory properties that were responsible for the effects seen in patients with Spanish influenza. Emetine, in the past, has also been used in 10s to 100s of millions of people at a dose of ~60 mg daily to treat amoebiasis. Based on viral inhibition data we can calculate a likely SARS-CoV2 antiviral dose of ~1/10th the amoebiasis dose, which should dramatically reduce the risk of any side effects. While there are no anti-inflammatory dose response data available, based on the potential mode of action, the anti-inflammatory actions may also occur at low doses. This paper also examines the toxicity of emetine seen in clinical practice and that seen in the laboratory, and discusses the methods of administration aimed at reducing side effects if higher doses were found to be necessary. While emetine is a "pure drug" as it is extracted from ipecac, some of the differences between emetine and ipecac are also discussed.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Martin D. Bleasel
- School of Pharmacy and Pharmacology, University of Tasmania, Hobart, TAS 7001, Australia;
| | - Gregory M. Peterson
- School of Pharmacy and Pharmacology, University of Tasmania, Hobart, TAS 7001, Australia;
- School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Health, University of Canberra, Canberra, ACT 2617, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
27
|
Boregowda U, Gandhi D, Jain N, Khanna K, Gupta N. Comprehensive Literature Review and Evidence evaluation of Experimental Treatment in COVID 19 Contagion. CLINICAL MEDICINE INSIGHTS-CIRCULATORY RESPIRATORY AND PULMONARY MEDICINE 2020; 14:1179548420964140. [PMID: 35173507 PMCID: PMC8842399 DOI: 10.1177/1179548420964140] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2020] [Accepted: 09/05/2020] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Importance: Coronavirus 2019 pandemic (COVID 19) is caused by the Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS CoV-2) virus. The pandemic is affecting the livelihood of millions of people all over the world. At the time of preparing this report, the pandemic has affected 1 827 284 patients, with 113 031 deaths in 185 countries as per Johns Hopkins University. With no proven treatment for the disease, prevention of the disease in the community and healthcare setting is need of the hour. Objective: To perform a comprehensive literature search for preventive measures and experimental treatment options. In this review, we have focused our discussion on the risk of disease transmission, supportive treatment, and possible treatment options based on available evidence. Evidence Review: We performed a literature search on google scholar, PubMed, and society guidelines for literature related to COVID 19 and previous coronavirus pandemics. We included data review articles, observational studies, and controlled trials to synthesize the treatment options for COVID 19. Findings: In this article, we have extensively reviewed and discussed recommendations from various world organizations for the public and healthcare workers. We have also discussed currently available experimental treatments since there is no proven treatment for COVID 19. The best method of dealing with the current outbreak is to reduce the community spread and thus “flatten the curve.” Although Hydroxychloroquine, Remdesivir, Lopinavir/Ritonavir, and Azithromycin have been tried, passive immunity through convalescent serum and vaccine is still at an experimental stage. Patients with severe COVID 19 infections could be considered for this experimental treatment through various national randomized control trials, which may eventually lead to an evidence-based treatment strategy. Conclusions and Relevance: Awareness of currently available experimental treatment among healthcare providers and exploration of possible treatment options through evidence is need of the hour. We have discussed the most recently available literature and evidence behind experimental treatment in this article.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Umesha Boregowda
- Department of Internal Medicine, Bassett Medical Center, Cooperstown, NY, USA
| | - Darshan Gandhi
- Department of Diagnostic Radiology, St. Vincent’s Medical Center at Hartford Healthcare, Bridgeport, CT, USA
| | - Nitin Jain
- Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Ascension St. John Macomb and Oakland Hospitals, Warren & Madison Heights campuses, Troy, MI, USA
| | - Kanika Khanna
- Department of Radiology, Abdominal Imaging, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Henry Ford Hospital, Detroit, MI, USA
| | - Nishant Gupta
- Department of Radiology, Bassett Healthcare, Cooperstown, NY, USA
| |
Collapse
|
28
|
Sato T, Hirai Y, Su S, Zimo W, Yasuura N, Inui T, Funahashi M. Involvement of the area postrema and the nucleus tractus solitarius in the emetogenic action of emetine in rats. J Oral Biosci 2020; 62:310-314. [PMID: 33065316 DOI: 10.1016/j.job.2020.10.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2020] [Revised: 10/06/2020] [Accepted: 10/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES The aim of the present study was to demonstrate the effective dose of emetine for inducing nausea and/or emesis, and the effects of emetine on the excitability of central neurons in the area postrema (AP) and the nucleus tractus solitarius (NTS). METHODS Rats were used as experimental animals. We measured the conditioned taste aversion (CTA) induced by the intraperitoneal administration of emetine solution (0.03, 0.1, 0.3, 0.5, and 1.0 mM in saline) and that of only saline. We also performed immunohistochemical analyses of c-Fos expression in the area postrema and the NTS, to examine changes in the excitability of brainstem neurons that may be responsible for emetine-induced nausea and/or emesis. RESULTS The emetine-induced CTA occurred in a dose-dependent manner. The half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) of emetine on the saccharin preference was calculated to be 0.348 mM using the Hill equation. In the animals injected with emetine (0.5 and 1.0 mM), many c-Fos-like immunoreactive (Fos-ir) cells were observed in the area postrema and the NTS, while few Fos-ir cells were identified in the animals injected with saline. The average number of Fos-ir cells in the area postrema and the NTS was significantly larger in animals injected with emetine than in animals injected with saline. CONCLUSIONS The present study demonstrated a dose-responsive manner of emetine effects and emetine-induced upregulation of neuronal excitability in the area postrema and the NTS that form a part of the induction mechanisms of emetine-induced nausea and/or emesis.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Takanori Sato
- Oral Physiology, Department of Oral Functional Science, Faculty of Dental Medicine and Graduate School of Dental Medicine, Hokkaido University. Kita 13, Nishi 7, Kita-ku, Sapporo, 060-8586, Japan.
| | - Yoshiyuki Hirai
- Oral Physiology, Department of Oral Functional Science, Faculty of Dental Medicine and Graduate School of Dental Medicine, Hokkaido University. Kita 13, Nishi 7, Kita-ku, Sapporo, 060-8586, Japan.
| | - Shaoyi Su
- Oral Physiology, Department of Oral Functional Science, Faculty of Dental Medicine and Graduate School of Dental Medicine, Hokkaido University. Kita 13, Nishi 7, Kita-ku, Sapporo, 060-8586, Japan.
| | - Wei Zimo
- Oral Physiology, Department of Oral Functional Science, Faculty of Dental Medicine and Graduate School of Dental Medicine, Hokkaido University. Kita 13, Nishi 7, Kita-ku, Sapporo, 060-8586, Japan.
| | - Nanae Yasuura
- Oral Physiology, Department of Oral Functional Science, Faculty of Dental Medicine and Graduate School of Dental Medicine, Hokkaido University. Kita 13, Nishi 7, Kita-ku, Sapporo, 060-8586, Japan.
| | - Tadashi Inui
- Oral Physiology, Department of Oral Functional Science, Faculty of Dental Medicine and Graduate School of Dental Medicine, Hokkaido University. Kita 13, Nishi 7, Kita-ku, Sapporo, 060-8586, Japan.
| | - Makoto Funahashi
- Oral Physiology, Department of Oral Functional Science, Faculty of Dental Medicine and Graduate School of Dental Medicine, Hokkaido University. Kita 13, Nishi 7, Kita-ku, Sapporo, 060-8586, Japan.
| |
Collapse
|
29
|
Potential Antiviral Options against SARS-CoV-2 Infection. Viruses 2020; 12:v12060642. [PMID: 32545799 PMCID: PMC7354438 DOI: 10.3390/v12060642] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2020] [Revised: 06/09/2020] [Accepted: 06/11/2020] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
As of June 2020, the number of people infected with severe acute respiratory coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) continues to skyrocket, with more than 6.7 million cases worldwide. Both the World Health Organization (WHO) and United Nations (UN) has highlighted the need for better control of SARS-CoV-2 infections. However, developing novel virus-specific vaccines, monoclonal antibodies and antiviral drugs against SARS-CoV-2 can be time-consuming and costly. Convalescent sera and safe-in-man broad-spectrum antivirals (BSAAs) are readily available treatment options. Here, we developed a neutralization assay using SARS-CoV-2 strain and Vero-E6 cells. We identified the most potent sera from recovered patients for the treatment of SARS-CoV-2-infected patients. We also screened 136 safe-in-man broad-spectrum antivirals against the SARS-CoV-2 infection in Vero-E6 cells and identified nelfinavir, salinomycin, amodiaquine, obatoclax, emetine and homoharringtonine. We found that a combination of orally available virus-directed nelfinavir and host-directed amodiaquine exhibited the highest synergy. Finally, we developed a website to disseminate the knowledge on available and emerging treatments of COVID-19.
Collapse
|
30
|
Hassan STS. Shedding Light on the Effect of Natural Anti-Herpesvirus Alkaloids on SARS-CoV-2: A Treatment Option for COVID-19. Viruses 2020; 12:v12040476. [PMID: 32340120 PMCID: PMC7232216 DOI: 10.3390/v12040476] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2020] [Accepted: 04/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The whole world is currently facing an unseen enemy, called coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), which is causing a global pandemic. This disease is caused by a novel single-stranded enveloped RNA virus, known as the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2). Although huge efforts are being made to produce effective therapies to combat this disease, it continues to be one of the greatest challenges in medicine. There is no doubt that herpesviruses are one of the most important viruses that infect humans and animals, and infections induced by these pathogens have developed into a great threat to public health. According to the currently available evidence, the correlation between herpesviruses and coronaviruses is limited to the induced complications following the infections. For instance, the inflammation that is induced at the sites of infection could tie these viruses to each other in a relationship. Another example, bovine herpesvirus 1, which is an important pathogen of cattle, can cause a severe respiratory infection; the same way in which SARS-CoV-2 affects humans. Considering the current circumstances related to the COVID-19 crisis, this editorial paper, which belongs to the Special Issue “Recent Advances in Herpesviruses Research: What’s in the Pipeline?” aims to draw attention to some natural anti-herpesvirus alkaloid compounds, which have recently been proven to have excellent inhibitory efficacy against SARS-CoV-2 replication. Thus, this special focus is an attempt to hunt down various treatment options to combat COVID-19 based on repurposing drugs that are known to have multiple antiviral properties, including against herpesvirus.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sherif T S Hassan
- Department of Applied Ecology, Faculty of Environmental Sciences, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Kamýcká 129, 6-Suchdol, 16521 Prague, Czech Republic
| |
Collapse
|
31
|
Choy KT, Wong AYL, Kaewpreedee P, Sia SF, Chen D, Hui KPY, Chu DKW, Chan MCW, Cheung PPH, Huang X, Peiris M, Yen HL. Remdesivir, lopinavir, emetine, and homoharringtonine inhibit SARS-CoV-2 replication in vitro. Antiviral Res 2020; 178:104786. [PMID: 32251767 PMCID: PMC7127386 DOI: 10.1016/j.antiviral.2020.104786] [Citation(s) in RCA: 609] [Impact Index Per Article: 152.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2020] [Revised: 03/28/2020] [Accepted: 03/29/2020] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
An escalating pandemic by the novel SARS-CoV-2 virus is impacting global health and effective therapeutic options are urgently needed. We evaluated the in vitro antiviral effect of compounds that were previously reported to inhibit coronavirus replication and compounds that are currently under evaluation in clinical trials for SARS-CoV-2 patients. We report the antiviral effect of remdesivir, lopinavir, homorringtonine, and emetine against SARS-CoV-2 virus in Vero E6 cells with the estimated 50% effective concentration at 23.15 μM, 26.63 μM, 2.55 μM and 0.46 μM, respectively. Ribavirin or favipiravir that are currently evaluated under clinical trials showed no inhibition at 100 μM. Synergy between remdesivir and emetine was observed, and remdesivir at 6.25 μM in combination with emetine at 0.195 μM may achieve 64.9% inhibition in viral yield. Combinational therapy may help to reduce the effective concentration of compounds below the therapeutic plasma concentrations and provide better clinical benefits.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ka-Tim Choy
- School of Public Health, LKS Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Alvina Yin-Lam Wong
- School of Public Health, LKS Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Prathanporn Kaewpreedee
- School of Public Health, LKS Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Sin Fun Sia
- School of Public Health, LKS Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Dongdong Chen
- School of Public Health, LKS Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Kenrie Pui Yan Hui
- School of Public Health, LKS Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Daniel Ka Wing Chu
- School of Public Health, LKS Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Michael Chi Wai Chan
- School of Public Health, LKS Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Peter Pak-Hang Cheung
- Department of Chemistry, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Xuhui Huang
- Department of Chemistry, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Malik Peiris
- School of Public Health, LKS Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Hui-Ling Yen
- School of Public Health, LKS Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China.
| |
Collapse
|
32
|
Bleasel MD, Peterson GM. Emetine, Ipecac, Ipecac Alkaloids and Analogues as Potential Antiviral Agents for Coronaviruses. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2020; 13:E51. [PMID: 32245264 PMCID: PMC7151655 DOI: 10.3390/ph13030051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2020] [Revised: 03/19/2020] [Accepted: 03/20/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The COVID-19 coronavirus is currently spreading around the globe with limited treatment options available. This article presents the rationale for potentially using old drugs (emetine, other ipecac alkaloids or analogues) that have been used to treat amoebiasis in the treatment of COVID-19. Emetine had amongst the lowest reported half-maximal effective concentration (EC50) from over 290 agents screened for the Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) and severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) coronaviruses. While EC50 concentrations of emetine are achievable in the blood, studies show that concentrations of emetine can be almost 300 times higher in the lungs. Furthermore, based on the relative EC50s of emetine towards the coronaviruses compared with Entamoeba histolytica, emetine could be much more effective as an anti-coronavirus agent than it is against amoebiasis. This paper also discusses the known side effects of emetine and related compounds, how those side effects can be managed, and the optimal method of administration for the potential treatment of COVID-19. Given the serious and immediate threat that the COVID-19 coronavirus poses, our long history with emetine and the likely ability of emetine to reach therapeutic concentrations within the lungs, ipecac, emetine, and other analogues should be considered as potential treatment options, especially if in vitro studies confirm viral sensitivity.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Gregory M. Peterson
- School of Pharmacy and Pharmacology, University of Tasmania, Hobart Tasmania 7001, Australia;
| |
Collapse
|
33
|
Discovery and development of safe-in-man broad-spectrum antiviral agents. Int J Infect Dis 2020; 93:268-276. [PMID: 32081774 PMCID: PMC7128205 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijid.2020.02.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 131] [Impact Index Per Article: 32.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2020] [Revised: 02/07/2020] [Accepted: 02/11/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
We reviewed the discovery and development process of broad-spectrum antiviral agents. We summarized the information on 120 safe-in-man agents in a freely accessible database. Further studies will increase the number of broad-spectrum antivirals, expand the spectrum of their indications, and identify drug combinations for treatment of emerging and re-emerging viral infections.
Viral diseases are one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality in the world. Virus-specific vaccines and antiviral drugs are the most powerful tools to combat viral diseases. However, broad-spectrum antiviral agents (BSAAs, i.e. compounds targeting viruses belonging to two or more viral families) could provide additional protection of the general population from emerging and re-emerging viral diseases, reinforcing the arsenal of available antiviral options. Here, we review discovery and development of BSAAs and summarize the information on 120 safe-in-man agents in a freely accessible database (https://drugvirus.info/). Future and ongoing pre-clinical and clinical studies will increase the number of BSAAs, expand the spectrum of their indications, and identify drug combinations for treatment of emerging and re-emerging viral infections as well as co-infections.
Collapse
|
34
|
Emetine protects mice from enterovirus infection by inhibiting viral translation. Antiviral Res 2020; 173:104650. [DOI: 10.1016/j.antiviral.2019.104650] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2019] [Revised: 10/29/2019] [Accepted: 11/12/2019] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
|
35
|
Novel Antiviral Activities of Obatoclax, Emetine, Niclosamide, Brequinar, and Homoharringtonine. Viruses 2019; 11:v11100964. [PMID: 31635418 PMCID: PMC6832696 DOI: 10.3390/v11100964] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2019] [Revised: 10/17/2019] [Accepted: 10/18/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Viruses are the major causes of acute and chronic infectious diseases in the world. According to the World Health Organization, there is an urgent need for better control of viral diseases. Repurposing existing antiviral agents from one viral disease to another could play a pivotal role in this process. Here, we identified novel activities of obatoclax and emetine against herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2), echovirus 1 (EV1), human metapneumovirus (HMPV) and Rift Valley fever virus (RVFV) in cell cultures. Moreover, we demonstrated novel activities of emetine against influenza A virus (FLUAV), niclosamide against HSV-2, brequinar against human immunodeficiency virus 1 (HIV-1), and homoharringtonine against EV1. Our findings may expand the spectrum of indications of these safe-in-man agents and reinforce the arsenal of available antiviral therapeutics pending the results of further in vitro and in vivo tests.
Collapse
|
36
|
Cheng YS, Williamson PR, Zheng W. Improving therapy of severe infections through drug repurposing of synergistic combinations. Curr Opin Pharmacol 2019; 48:92-98. [PMID: 31454708 DOI: 10.1016/j.coph.2019.07.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2019] [Revised: 07/19/2019] [Accepted: 07/20/2019] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
Infections from multidrug resistant (MDR) pathogens and emerging viruses present challenges for effective clinical treatments. Drug repurposing and combination screens may provide therapies at a fraction of the time and cost of traditional methods of drug development. Synergistic combinations of two or three known compounds can increase therapeutic efficacy and reduce concentrations required for individual drugs, in turn, reducing the risk of drug toxicity. Using libraries of approved drugs, traditionally non-antibiotic compounds identified in repurposing screens can quickly move into clinical trials, since safety profiles have been previously established. Herein we summarize recent advances in identifying synergistic drug combinations and the use of drug screens for personalized medicine treatments of infections caused by MDR pathogens and emerging viruses.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yu-Shan Cheng
- National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institutes of Health, 9800 Medical Center Drive, Bethesda, MD 20892-3375, USA
| | - Peter R Williamson
- Laboratory of Clinical Immunology and Microbiology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States.
| | - Wei Zheng
- National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institutes of Health, 9800 Medical Center Drive, Bethesda, MD 20892-3375, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
37
|
High-Throughput Screening and Identification of Potent Broad-Spectrum Inhibitors of Coronaviruses. J Virol 2019; 93:JVI.00023-19. [PMID: 30918074 PMCID: PMC6613765 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.00023-19] [Citation(s) in RCA: 197] [Impact Index Per Article: 39.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2019] [Accepted: 03/17/2019] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Currently, there is no approved therapy to treat coronavirus infection; therefore, broad-spectrum inhibitors of emerging and endemic CoVs are needed. Based on our high-throughput screening assay using a compound library, we identified seven compounds with broad-spectrum efficacy against the replication of four CoVs in vitro. Additionally, one compound (lycorine) was found to protect BALB/c mice against HCoV-OC43-induced lethality by decreasing viral load in the central nervous system. This inhibitor might offer promising therapeutic possibilities for combatting novel CoV infections in the future. Coronaviruses (CoVs) act as cross-species viruses and have the potential to spread rapidly into new host species and cause epidemic diseases. Despite the severe public health threat of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus and Middle East respiratory syndrome CoV (MERS-CoV), there are currently no drugs available for their treatment; therefore, broad-spectrum inhibitors of emerging and endemic CoVs are urgently needed. To search for effective inhibitory agents, we performed high-throughput screening (HTS) of a 2,000-compound library of approved drugs and pharmacologically active compounds using the established genetically engineered human CoV OC43 (HCoV-OC43) strain expressing Renilla luciferase (rOC43-ns2Del-Rluc) and validated the inhibitors using multiple genetically distinct CoVs in vitro. We screened 56 hits from the HTS data and validated 36 compounds in vitro using wild-type HCoV-OC43. Furthermore, we identified seven compounds (lycorine, emetine, monensin sodium, mycophenolate mofetil, mycophenolic acid, phenazopyridine, and pyrvinium pamoate) as broad-spectrum inhibitors according to their strong inhibition of replication by four CoVs in vitro at low-micromolar concentrations. Additionally, we found that emetine blocked MERS-CoV entry according to pseudovirus entry assays and that lycorine protected BALB/c mice against HCoV-OC43-induced lethality by decreasing viral load in the central nervous system. This represents the first demonstration of in vivo real-time bioluminescence imaging to monitor the effect of lycorine on the spread and distribution of HCoV-OC43 in a mouse model. These results offer critical information supporting the development of an effective therapeutic strategy against CoV infection. IMPORTANCE Currently, there is no approved therapy to treat coronavirus infection; therefore, broad-spectrum inhibitors of emerging and endemic CoVs are needed. Based on our high-throughput screening assay using a compound library, we identified seven compounds with broad-spectrum efficacy against the replication of four CoVs in vitro. Additionally, one compound (lycorine) was found to protect BALB/c mice against HCoV-OC43-induced lethality by decreasing viral load in the central nervous system. This inhibitor might offer promising therapeutic possibilities for combatting novel CoV infections in the future.
Collapse
|
38
|
MacGibeny MA, Koyuncu OO, Wirblich C, Schnell MJ, Enquist LW. Retrograde axonal transport of rabies virus is unaffected by interferon treatment but blocked by emetine locally in axons. PLoS Pathog 2018; 14:e1007188. [PMID: 30028873 PMCID: PMC6070286 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1007188] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2018] [Revised: 08/01/2018] [Accepted: 06/28/2018] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Neuroinvasive viruses, such as alpha herpesviruses (αHV) and rabies virus (RABV), initially infect peripheral tissues, followed by invasion of the innervating axon termini. Virus particles must undergo long distance retrograde axonal transport to reach the neuron cell bodies in the peripheral or central nervous system (PNS/CNS). How virus particles hijack the axonal transport machinery and how PNS axons respond to and regulate infection are questions of significant interest. To track individual virus particles, we constructed a recombinant RABV expressing a P-mCherry fusion protein, derived from the virulent CVS-N2c strain. We studied retrograde RABV transport in the presence or absence of interferons (IFN) or protein synthesis inhibitors, both of which were reported previously to restrict axonal transport of αHV particles. Using neurons from rodent superior cervical ganglia grown in tri-chambers, we showed that axonal exposure to type I or type II IFN did not alter retrograde axonal transport of RABV. However, exposure of axons to emetine, a translation elongation inhibitor, blocked axonal RABV transport by a mechanism that was not dependent on protein synthesis inhibition. The minority of RABV particles that still moved retrograde in axons in the presence of emetine, moved with slower velocities and traveled shorter distances. Emetine's effect was specific to RABV, as transport of cellular vesicles was unchanged. These findings extend our understanding of how neuroinvasion is regulated in axons and point toward a role for emetine as an inhibitory modulator of RABV axonal transport.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Margaret A. MacGibeny
- Department of Molecular Biology and Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, United States of America
| | - Orkide O. Koyuncu
- Department of Molecular Biology and Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, United States of America
| | - Christoph Wirblich
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Matthias J. Schnell
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Lynn W. Enquist
- Department of Molecular Biology and Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, United States of America
| |
Collapse
|
39
|
Emetine inhibits Zika and Ebola virus infections through two molecular mechanisms: inhibiting viral replication and decreasing viral entry. Cell Discov 2018; 4:31. [PMID: 29872540 PMCID: PMC5986771 DOI: 10.1038/s41421-018-0034-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 108] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2018] [Revised: 04/13/2018] [Accepted: 04/23/2018] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
The re-emergence of Zika virus (ZIKV) and Ebola virus (EBOV) poses serious and continued threats to the global public health. Effective therapeutics for these maladies is an unmet need. Here, we show that emetine, an anti-protozoal agent, potently inhibits ZIKV and EBOV infection with a low nanomolar half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) in vitro and potent activity in vivo. Two mechanisms of action for emetine are identified: the inhibition of ZIKV NS5 polymerase activity and disruption of lysosomal function. Emetine also inhibits EBOV entry. Cephaeline, a desmethyl analog of emetine, which may be better tolerated in patients than emetine, exhibits a similar efficacy against both ZIKV and EBOV infections. Hence, emetine and cephaeline offer pharmaceutical therapies against both ZIKV and EBOV infection.
Collapse
|
40
|
Mercorelli B, Palù G, Loregian A. Drug Repurposing for Viral Infectious Diseases: How Far Are We? Trends Microbiol 2018; 26:865-876. [PMID: 29759926 PMCID: PMC7126639 DOI: 10.1016/j.tim.2018.04.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 159] [Impact Index Per Article: 26.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2018] [Revised: 04/06/2018] [Accepted: 04/19/2018] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Despite the recent advances in controlling some viral pathogens, most viral infections still lack specific treatment. Indeed, the need for effective therapeutic strategies to combat ‘old’, emergent, and re-emergent viruses is not paralleled by the approval of new antivirals. In the past years, drug repurposing combined with innovative approaches for drug validation, and with appropriate animal models, significantly contributed to the identification of new antiviral molecules and targets for therapeutic intervention. In this review, we describe the main strategies of drug repurposing in antiviral discovery, discuss the most promising candidates that could be repurposed to treat viral infections, and analyze the possible caveats of this trendy strategy of drug discovery. Repurposing existing drugs is an emerging strategy for expediting the approval of effective and safe therapeutics, such as for the treatment of orphan drug diseases. New indications for antiviral activity can be identified for molecules of different origins showing repurposing potential by acting against a previously known target or a new antiviral target. Innovative approaches for target validation (e.g., gene editing by CRISPR/Cas9) and new experimental models (e.g., organoids) allowed the identification of novel antiviral agents and the unraveling of molecular pathways underlying viral pathogenesis. Drug repurposing has successfully identified promising candidate drugs that can open new therapeutic avenues to counteract current viral pathogens and possible emerging viruses.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Giorgio Palù
- Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Padua, 35121 Padua, Italy
| | - Arianna Loregian
- Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Padua, 35121 Padua, Italy.
| |
Collapse
|
41
|
Westdorp KN, Terhune SS. Impact of RNA polymerase I inhibitor CX-5461 on viral kinase-dependent and -independent cytomegalovirus replication. Antiviral Res 2018; 153:33-38. [PMID: 29458130 DOI: 10.1016/j.antiviral.2018.02.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2017] [Revised: 02/11/2018] [Accepted: 02/13/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) infections cause congenital birth defects and disease in immunosuppressed individuals. Antiviral compounds can control infection yet their use is restricted due to concerns of toxicity and the emergence of drug resistant strains. We have evaluated the impact of an RNA Polymerase I (Pol I) inhibitor, CX-5461 on HCMV replication. CX-5461 inhibits Pol I-mediated ribosomal DNA transcription by binding G-quadruplex DNA structures and also activates cellular stress response pathways. The addition of CX-5461 at both early and late stages of the HCMV infection inhibited viral DNA synthesis and virus production. Interestingly, adding CX-5461 after the onset of viral DNA synthesis resulted in a greater reduction compared to continuous treatment starting early during infection. We observed an accompanying increase in cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor p21 in infected cells treated late but not early which likely explains the differences. Our previous studies demonstrated the importance of p21 in the antiviral activity of the HCMV kinase inhibitor, maribavir. Addition of CX-5461 increased the anti-HCMV activity of maribavir. Our data demonstrate that CX-5461 inhibits HCMV replication and synergizes with maribavir to disrupt infection.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kristen N Westdorp
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Marquette University and the Medical College of Wisconsin Department of Biomedical Engineering, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA
| | - Scott S Terhune
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Marquette University and the Medical College of Wisconsin Department of Biomedical Engineering, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
42
|
Cytomegalovirus Late Protein pUL31 Alters Pre-rRNA Expression and Nuclear Organization during Infection. J Virol 2017; 91:JVI.00593-17. [PMID: 28659485 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.00593-17] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2017] [Accepted: 06/24/2017] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
The replication cycle of human cytomegalovirus (CMV) leads to drastic reorganization of domains in the host cell nucleus. However, the mechanisms involved and how these domains contribute to infection are not well understood. Our recent studies defining the CMV-induced nuclear proteome identified several viral proteins of unknown functions, including a protein encoded by the UL31 gene. We set out to define the role of UL31 in CMV replication. UL31 is predicted to encode a 74-kDa protein, referred to as pUL31, containing a bipartite nuclear localization signal, an intrinsically disordered region overlapping arginine-rich motifs, and a C-terminal dUTPase-like structure. We observed that pUL31 is expressed with true late kinetics and is localized to nucleolin-containing nuclear domains. However, pUL31 is excluded from the viral nuclear replication center. Nucleolin is a marker of nucleoli, which are membrane-less regions involved in regulating ribosome biosynthesis and cellular stress responses. Other CMV proteins associate with nucleoli, and we demonstrate that pUL31 specifically interacts with the viral protein, pUL76. Coexpression of both proteins altered pUL31 localization and nucleolar organization. During infection, pUL31 colocalizes with nucleolin but not the transcriptional activator, UBF. In the absence of pUL31, CMV fails to reorganize nucleolin and UBF and exhibits a replication defect at a low multiplicity of infection. Finally, we observed that pUL31 is necessary and sufficient to reduce pre-rRNA levels, and this was dependent on the dUTPase-like motif in pUL31. Our studies demonstrate that CMV pUL31 functions in regulating nucleolar biology and contributes to the reorganization of nucleoli during infection.IMPORTANCE Nucleolar biology is important during CMV infection with the nucleolar protein, with nucleolin playing a role in maintaining the architecture of the viral nuclear replication center. However, the extent of CMV-mediated regulation of nucleolar biology is not well established. Proteins within nucleoli regulate ribosome biosynthesis and p53-dependent cellular stress responses that are capable of inducing cell cycle arrest and/or apoptosis, and they are proposed targets for cancer therapies. This study establishes that CMV protein pUL31 is necessary and sufficient to regulate nucleolar biology involving the reorganization of nucleolar proteins. Understanding these processes will help define approaches to stimulate cellular intrinsic stress responses that are capable of inhibiting CMV infection.
Collapse
|
43
|
Khandelwal N, Chander Y, Rawat KD, Riyesh T, Nishanth C, Sharma S, Jindal N, Tripathi BN, Barua S, Kumar N. Emetine inhibits replication of RNA and DNA viruses without generating drug-resistant virus variants. Antiviral Res 2017. [PMID: 28624461 DOI: 10.1016/j.antiviral.2017.06.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
At a noncytotoxic concentration, emetine was found to inhibit replication of DNA viruses [buffalopoxvirus (BPXV) and bovine herpesvirus 1 (BHV-1)] as well as RNA viruses [peste des petits ruminants virus (PPRV) and Newcastle disease virus (NDV)]. Using the time-of-addition and virus step-specific assays, we showed that emetine treatment resulted in reduced synthesis of viral RNA (PPRV and NDV) and DNA (BPXV and BHV-1) as well as inhibiting viral entry (NDV and BHV-1). In addition, emetine treatment also resulted in decreased synthesis of viral proteins. In a cell free endogenous viral polymerase assay, emetine was found to significantly inhibit replication of NDV, but not BPXV genome, suggesting that besides directly inhibiting specific viral polymerases, emetine may also target other factors essentially required for efficient replication of the viral genome. Moreover, emetine was found to significantly inhibit BPXV-induced pock lesions on chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) along with associated mortality of embryonated chicken eggs. At a lethal dose 50 (LD50) of 126.49 ng/egg and at an effective concentration 50 (EC50) of 3.03 ng/egg, the therapeutic index of the emetine against BPXV was determined to be 41.74. Emetine was also found to significantly delay NDV-induced mortality in chicken embryos associated with reduced viral titers. Further, emetine-resistant mutants were not observed upon long-term (P = 25) sequential passage of BPXV and NDV in cell culture. Collectively, we have extended the effective antiviral activity of emetine against diverse groups of DNA and RNA viruses and propose that emetine could provide significant therapeutic value against some of these viruses without inducing an antiviral drug-resistant phenotype.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nitin Khandelwal
- National Centre for Veterinary Type Cultures, ICAR-National Research Centre on Equines, Hisar, India
| | - Yogesh Chander
- National Centre for Veterinary Type Cultures, ICAR-National Research Centre on Equines, Hisar, India
| | - Krishan Dutt Rawat
- National Centre for Veterinary Type Cultures, ICAR-National Research Centre on Equines, Hisar, India
| | - Thachamvally Riyesh
- National Centre for Veterinary Type Cultures, ICAR-National Research Centre on Equines, Hisar, India
| | - Chikkahonnaiah Nishanth
- Department of Veterinary Public Health and Epidemiology, Lala Lajpat Rai University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Hisar, India
| | - Shalini Sharma
- Department of Veterinary Physiology and Biochemistry, Lala Lajpat Rai University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Hisar, India
| | - Naresh Jindal
- Department of Veterinary Public Health and Epidemiology, Lala Lajpat Rai University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Hisar, India
| | - Bhupendra N Tripathi
- National Centre for Veterinary Type Cultures, ICAR-National Research Centre on Equines, Hisar, India.
| | - Sanjay Barua
- National Centre for Veterinary Type Cultures, ICAR-National Research Centre on Equines, Hisar, India.
| | - Naveen Kumar
- National Centre for Veterinary Type Cultures, ICAR-National Research Centre on Equines, Hisar, India.
| |
Collapse
|
44
|
Arav-Boger R. Is drug repurposing the answer for cytomegalovirus treatment or prevention? Future Virol 2017. [DOI: 10.2217/fvl-2016-0125] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Medical progress has placed cytomegalovirus (CMV) as one of the most important viral pathogens for which treatment is limited and a vaccine is not yet available. The limited treatment options for CMV triggered efforts to discover new antivirals. Drug screening raised hope but also uncertainties as to whether drug repurposing may be a practical approach for infectious diseases in general and CMV in particular. I summarize here several of such agents as well as an approach to advance repurposing for CMV therapy.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ravit Arav-Boger
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Infectious Diseases, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA
| |
Collapse
|