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Wang C, Zhang W, Xu L, Tu J, Su S, Li Q, Zhang T, Zheng L, Wang H, Zhuang X, Tang X, Yuan Y, Meng G, Lu L, Xiao J, Wang Q, Jiang S. Discovery of a Double-Stapled Short Peptide as a Long-Acting HIV-1 Inactivator with Potential for Oral Bioavailability. J Med Chem 2024; 67:9991-10004. [PMID: 38888038 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.4c00150] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/20/2024]
Abstract
Different from most antiretroviral drugs that act as passive defenders to inhibit HIV-1 replication inside the host cell, virus inactivators can attack and inactivate HIV-1 virions without relying on their replication cycle. Herein, we describe the discovery of a hydrocarbon double-stapled helix peptide, termed D26. D26 is based on the HIV-1 gp41 protein lentiviral lytic peptide-3 motif (LLP3) sequence, which can efficiently inhibit HIV-1 infection and inactivate cell-free HIV-1 virions. It was noted that D26 was highly resistant to proteolytic degradation and exhibited a remarkably extended in vivo elimination half-life. Additionally, relative to its linear, nonstapled version, D26 exhibited much higher exposure in sanctuary sites for HIV-1. Amazingly, this lead compound also demonstrated detectable oral absorption. Thus, it can be concluded that D26 is a promising candidate for further development as a long-acting, orally applicable HIV-1 inactivator for the treatment of HIV-1 infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chao Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Toxicology and Medical Countermeasures, Beijing Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, 27 Tai-Ping Road, Beijing 100850, China
| | - Wenpeng Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Toxicology and Medical Countermeasures, Beijing Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, 27 Tai-Ping Road, Beijing 100850, China
| | - Ling Xu
- Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology (MOE/NHC/CAMS), Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Pathogenic Microorganisms and Infection, Shanghai Institute of Infectious Disease and Biosecurity, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fudan University, 131 Dong An Road, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Jiahuang Tu
- State Key Laboratory of Toxicology and Medical Countermeasures, Beijing Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, 27 Tai-Ping Road, Beijing 100850, China
| | - Shan Su
- Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology (MOE/NHC/CAMS), Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Pathogenic Microorganisms and Infection, Shanghai Institute of Infectious Disease and Biosecurity, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fudan University, 131 Dong An Road, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Qing Li
- State Key Laboratory of Toxicology and Medical Countermeasures, Beijing Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, 27 Tai-Ping Road, Beijing 100850, China
| | - Tao Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Toxicology and Medical Countermeasures, Beijing Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, 27 Tai-Ping Road, Beijing 100850, China
| | - Longbo Zheng
- State Key Laboratory of Toxicology and Medical Countermeasures, Beijing Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, 27 Tai-Ping Road, Beijing 100850, China
- Key Laboratory of Structure-based Drug Design & Discovery of the Ministry of Education, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang 110016, China
| | - Huan Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Toxicology and Medical Countermeasures, Beijing Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, 27 Tai-Ping Road, Beijing 100850, China
| | - Xiaomei Zhuang
- State Key Laboratory of Toxicology and Medical Countermeasures, Beijing Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, 27 Tai-Ping Road, Beijing 100850, China
| | - Xuan Tang
- Chengdu Sintanovo Biotechnology Co., Ltd., Chengdu 610000, China
| | - Yu Yuan
- Chengdu Sintanovo Biotechnology Co., Ltd., Chengdu 610000, China
| | - Guangpeng Meng
- Chengdu Sintanovo Biotechnology Co., Ltd., Chengdu 610000, China
| | - Lu Lu
- Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology (MOE/NHC/CAMS), Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Pathogenic Microorganisms and Infection, Shanghai Institute of Infectious Disease and Biosecurity, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fudan University, 131 Dong An Road, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Junhai Xiao
- State Key Laboratory of Toxicology and Medical Countermeasures, Beijing Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, 27 Tai-Ping Road, Beijing 100850, China
| | - Qian Wang
- Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology (MOE/NHC/CAMS), Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Pathogenic Microorganisms and Infection, Shanghai Institute of Infectious Disease and Biosecurity, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fudan University, 131 Dong An Road, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Shibo Jiang
- Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology (MOE/NHC/CAMS), Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Pathogenic Microorganisms and Infection, Shanghai Institute of Infectious Disease and Biosecurity, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fudan University, 131 Dong An Road, Shanghai 200032, China
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Geng X, Ding X, Zhu Y, Chong H, He Y. Characterization of novel HIV fusion-inhibitory lipopeptides with the M-T hook structure. Microbes Infect 2024:105366. [PMID: 38777106 DOI: 10.1016/j.micinf.2024.105366] [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: 04/03/2024] [Revised: 05/13/2024] [Accepted: 05/17/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024]
Abstract
Combination antiretroviral therapy (cART) has significantly improved the survival of HIV-infected individuals, but long-term treatment can cause side-effects and drug resistance; thus, the development of new antivirals is of importance. We previously identified an M-T hook structure and accordingly designed short-peptide fusion inhibitor 2P23, which mainly targets the gp41 pocket site and displays potent, broad-spectrum anti-HIV activity. In this study, we continuingly characterized the amino acid sequences of peptide and lipopeptide-based inhibitors containing the M-T hook residues. Among a group of lipopeptides, stearic acid (C18)-modified LP-25 and LP-29 exhibited greatly improved inhibitions against divergent HIV-1 subtypes and drug-resistant mutants. LP-25 and LP-29 were evaluated in rhesus macaques, and the ex vivo inhibition data demonstrated their potent, long-lasting in vivo anti-HIV activity, with LP-25 much better than LP-29. Both the lipopeptides displayed high α-helicity, thermostability and binding ability to a target-mimic peptide, and they were metabolically stable when treated with high temperature, proteolytic enzymes, human or monkey sera and human liver microsomes. Therefore, our studies have provided critical information for understanding the structure-activity relationship of HIV fusion inhibitors with the M-T hook structure and offered novel candidates for drug development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiuzhu Geng
- NHC Key Laboratory of Systems Biology of Pathogens, National Institute of Pathogen Biology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100730, China; Center for AIDS Research, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100730, China
| | - Xiaohui Ding
- NHC Key Laboratory of Systems Biology of Pathogens, National Institute of Pathogen Biology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100730, China; Center for AIDS Research, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100730, China
| | - Yuanmei Zhu
- NHC Key Laboratory of Systems Biology of Pathogens, National Institute of Pathogen Biology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100730, China; Center for AIDS Research, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100730, China
| | - Huihui Chong
- NHC Key Laboratory of Systems Biology of Pathogens, National Institute of Pathogen Biology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100730, China; Center for AIDS Research, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100730, China
| | - Yuxian He
- NHC Key Laboratory of Systems Biology of Pathogens, National Institute of Pathogen Biology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100730, China; Center for AIDS Research, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100730, China.
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3
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Li J, Li Q, Xia S, Tu J, Zheng L, Wang Q, Jiang S, Wang C. Design of MERS-CoV entry inhibitory short peptides based on helix-stabilizing strategies. Bioorg Med Chem Lett 2024; 97:129569. [PMID: 38008340 DOI: 10.1016/j.bmcl.2023.129569] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2023] [Revised: 11/01/2023] [Accepted: 11/23/2023] [Indexed: 11/28/2023]
Abstract
Interaction between Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) spike (S) protein heptad repeat-1 domain (HR1) and heptad repeat-2 domain (HR2) is critical for the MERS-CoV fusion process. This interaction is mediated by the α-helical region from HR2 and the hydrophobic groove in a central HR1 trimeric coiled coil. We sought to develop a short peptidomimetic to act as a MERS-CoV fusion inhibitor by reproducing the key recognition features of HR2 helix. This was achieved by the use of helix-stabilizing strategies, including substitution with unnatural helix-favoring amino acids, introduction of ion pair interactions, and conjugation of palmitic acid. The resulting 23-mer lipopeptide, termed AEEA-C16, inhibits MERS-CoV S protein-mediated cell-cell fusion at a low micromolar level comparable to that of the 36-mer HR2 peptide HR2P-M2. Collectively, our studies provide new insights into developing short peptide-based antiviral agents to treat MERS-CoV infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jichun Li
- College of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Engineering, Hebei University of Science and Technology, 26 Yuxiang Street, Shijiazhuang 050018, China; State Key Laboratory of Toxicology and Medical Countermeasures, Beijing Institute of Pharmacology & Toxicology, 27 Tai-Ping Road, Beijing 100850, China
| | - Qing Li
- State Key Laboratory of Toxicology and Medical Countermeasures, Beijing Institute of Pharmacology & Toxicology, 27 Tai-Ping Road, Beijing 100850, China
| | - Shuai Xia
- Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology of MOE/MOH/CAMS, Shanghai Institute of Infectious Disease and Biosecurity, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fudan University, 131 Dong An Road, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Jiahuang Tu
- State Key Laboratory of Toxicology and Medical Countermeasures, Beijing Institute of Pharmacology & Toxicology, 27 Tai-Ping Road, Beijing 100850, China
| | - Longbo Zheng
- Key Laboratory of Structure-based Drug Design & Discovery of the Ministry of Education, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang 110016, China
| | - Qian Wang
- Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology of MOE/MOH/CAMS, Shanghai Institute of Infectious Disease and Biosecurity, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fudan University, 131 Dong An Road, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Shibo Jiang
- Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology of MOE/MOH/CAMS, Shanghai Institute of Infectious Disease and Biosecurity, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fudan University, 131 Dong An Road, Shanghai 200032, China.
| | - Chao Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Toxicology and Medical Countermeasures, Beijing Institute of Pharmacology & Toxicology, 27 Tai-Ping Road, Beijing 100850, China.
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Xue S, Xu W, Wang L, Xu L, Calcul L, Teng P, Lu L, Jiang S, Cai J. Rational Design of Sulfonyl-γ-AApeptides as Highly Potent HIV-1 Fusion Inhibitors with Broad-Spectrum Activity. J Med Chem 2023; 66:13319-13331. [PMID: 37706450 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.3c01412] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/15/2023]
Abstract
The HIV-1 epidemic has significant social and economic implications for public health. Developing new antivirus drugs to eradicate drug resistance is still urgently needed. Herein, we demonstrated that sulfonyl-γ-AApeptides could be designed to mimic MTSC22EK, one potent HIV fusion inhibitor derived from CHR. The best two sequences revealed comparable activity to MTSC22EK in an authentic HIV-1 infection assay and exhibited broad-spectrum anti-HIV-1 activity to many HIV-1 clinical isolates. Furthermore, sulfonyl-γ-AApeptides show remarkable resistance to proteolysis and favorable permeability in PAMPA-GIT and PAMPA-BBB assays, suggesting that both sequences could control HIV-1 within the central nervous system and possess promising oral bioavailability. Mechanistic investigations suggest that these sulfonyl-γ-AApeptides function by mimicking the CHR of gp41 and tightly bind with NHR, thereby inhibiting the formation of the 6-HB structure necessary for HIV-1 fusion. Overall, our results suggest that sulfonyl-γ-AApeptides represent a new generation of anti-HIV-1 fusion inhibitors. Moreover, this design strategy could be adopted to modulate many of the PPIs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Songyi Xue
- Department of Chemistry, University of South Florida, 4202 E. Fowler Avenue, Tampa, Florida 33620, United States
| | - Wei Xu
- Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology (MOE/NHC/CAMS), School of Basic Medical Sciences, Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Pathogenic Microbes and Infection, Shanghai Institute of Infectious Disease and Biosecurity, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Lei Wang
- Department of Chemistry, University of South Florida, 4202 E. Fowler Avenue, Tampa, Florida 33620, United States
| | - Ling Xu
- Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology (MOE/NHC/CAMS), School of Basic Medical Sciences, Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Pathogenic Microbes and Infection, Shanghai Institute of Infectious Disease and Biosecurity, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Laurent Calcul
- Department of Chemistry, University of South Florida, 4202 E. Fowler Avenue, Tampa, Florida 33620, United States
| | - Peng Teng
- Department of Chemistry, University of South Florida, 4202 E. Fowler Avenue, Tampa, Florida 33620, United States
| | - Lu Lu
- Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology (MOE/NHC/CAMS), School of Basic Medical Sciences, Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Pathogenic Microbes and Infection, Shanghai Institute of Infectious Disease and Biosecurity, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Shibo Jiang
- Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology (MOE/NHC/CAMS), School of Basic Medical Sciences, Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Pathogenic Microbes and Infection, Shanghai Institute of Infectious Disease and Biosecurity, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Jianfeng Cai
- Department of Chemistry, University of South Florida, 4202 E. Fowler Avenue, Tampa, Florida 33620, United States
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5
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Su X, Huang Z, Xu W, Wang Q, Xing L, Lu L, Jiang S, Xia S. IgG Fc-Binding Peptide-Conjugated Pan-CoV Fusion Inhibitor Exhibits Extended In Vivo Half-Life and Synergistic Antiviral Effect When Combined with Neutralizing Antibodies. Biomolecules 2023; 13:1283. [PMID: 37759683 PMCID: PMC10526447 DOI: 10.3390/biom13091283] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2023] [Revised: 08/13/2023] [Accepted: 08/16/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
The peptide-based pan-coronavirus fusion inhibitor EK1 is in phase III clinical trials, and it has, thus far, shown good clinical application prospects against SARS-CoV-2 and its variants. To further improve its in vivo long-acting property, we herein developed an Fc-binding strategy by conjugating EK1 with human immunoglobulin G Fc-binding peptide (IBP), which can exploit the long half-life advantage of IgG in vivo. The newly engineered peptide IBP-EK1 showed potent and broad-spectrum inhibitory activity against SARS-CoV-2 and its variants, including various Omicron sublineages and other human coronaviruses (HCoVs) with low cytotoxicity. In mouse models, IBP-EK1 possessed potent prophylactic and therapeutic efficacy against lethal HCoV-OC43 challenge, and it showed good safety profile and low immunogenicity. More importantly, IBP-EK1 exhibited a significantly extended in vivo half-life in rhesus monkeys of up to 37.7 h, which is about 20-fold longer than that reported for EK1. Strikingly, IBP-EK1 displayed strong in vitro or ex vivo synergistic anti-HCoV effect when combined with monoclonal neutralizing antibodies, including REGN10933 or S309, suggesting that IBP-conjugated EK1 can be further developed as a long-acting, broad-spectrum anti-HCoV agent, either alone or in combination with neutralizing antibodies, to combat the current COVID-19 pandemic or future outbreaks caused by emerging and re-emerging highly pathogenic HCoVs.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Shibo Jiang
- Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology (MOE/NHC/CAMS), School of Basic Medical Sciences, Shanghai Institute of Infectious Disease and Biosecurity, Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Pathogenic Microbes and Infection, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China; (X.S.); (Z.H.); (W.X.); (Q.W.); (L.X.); (L.L.)
| | - Shuai Xia
- Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology (MOE/NHC/CAMS), School of Basic Medical Sciences, Shanghai Institute of Infectious Disease and Biosecurity, Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Pathogenic Microbes and Infection, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China; (X.S.); (Z.H.); (W.X.); (Q.W.); (L.X.); (L.L.)
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6
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Cong Z, Sun Y, Dang C, Yang C, Zhang J, Lu J, Chen T, Wei Q, Wang W, Xue J. TLR7 Agonist GS-9620 Combined with Nicotinamide Generate Viral Reactivation in Seronegative SHIV SF162P3-Infected Rhesus Monkeys. Biomedicines 2023; 11:1707. [PMID: 37371802 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines11061707] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2023] [Revised: 06/01/2023] [Accepted: 06/06/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Antiretroviral therapy is capable of inhibiting HIV replication, but it fails to completely achieve a cure due to HIV persistence. The commonly used HIV cure approach is the "shock and kill" strategy, which employs latency-reversing agents to trigger viral reactivation and boost cellular immunity. Finding the appropriate drug combination for the "shock and kill" strategy would greatly facilitate clinical trials. The toll-like receptor (TLR) 7 agonist GS-9620 and nicotinamide (NAM) are reported as potential latency-reversing agents. Herein, we found the absence of viral reactivation when SHIVSF162P3-aviremic rhesus macaques were treated with GS-9620 monotherapy. However, our findings demonstrate that viral blips emerged in half of the macaques treated with the combination therapy of GS-9620 and NAM. Notably, an increase in the reactivation of the replication-competent latent virus was measured in monkeys treated with the combination therapy. These findings suggest that the GS-9620 and NAM combination could be used as a multipronged HIV latency stimulation approach, with potential for optimizing antiviral therapy design.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhe Cong
- MOH Key Laboratory of Human Disease Comparative Medicine, Beijing Key Laboratory for Animal Models of Emerging and Remerging Infectious Diseases, Comparative Medicine Center, Institute of Laboratory Animal Science, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100021, China
- Center for AIDS Research, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100730, China
| | - Yuting Sun
- MOH Key Laboratory of Human Disease Comparative Medicine, Beijing Key Laboratory for Animal Models of Emerging and Remerging Infectious Diseases, Comparative Medicine Center, Institute of Laboratory Animal Science, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100021, China
- Zhejiang Cancer Hospital, Hangzhou Institute of Medicine (HIM), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou 310022, China
| | - Cui Dang
- MOH Key Laboratory of Human Disease Comparative Medicine, Beijing Key Laboratory for Animal Models of Emerging and Remerging Infectious Diseases, Comparative Medicine Center, Institute of Laboratory Animal Science, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100021, China
| | - Chenbo Yang
- MOH Key Laboratory of Human Disease Comparative Medicine, Beijing Key Laboratory for Animal Models of Emerging and Remerging Infectious Diseases, Comparative Medicine Center, Institute of Laboratory Animal Science, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100021, China
| | - Jingjing Zhang
- MOH Key Laboratory of Human Disease Comparative Medicine, Beijing Key Laboratory for Animal Models of Emerging and Remerging Infectious Diseases, Comparative Medicine Center, Institute of Laboratory Animal Science, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100021, China
| | - Jiahan Lu
- MOH Key Laboratory of Human Disease Comparative Medicine, Beijing Key Laboratory for Animal Models of Emerging and Remerging Infectious Diseases, Comparative Medicine Center, Institute of Laboratory Animal Science, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100021, China
| | - Ting Chen
- MOH Key Laboratory of Human Disease Comparative Medicine, Beijing Key Laboratory for Animal Models of Emerging and Remerging Infectious Diseases, Comparative Medicine Center, Institute of Laboratory Animal Science, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100021, China
| | - Qiang Wei
- MOH Key Laboratory of Human Disease Comparative Medicine, Beijing Key Laboratory for Animal Models of Emerging and Remerging Infectious Diseases, Comparative Medicine Center, Institute of Laboratory Animal Science, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100021, China
- Center for AIDS Research, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100730, China
| | - Wei Wang
- MOH Key Laboratory of Human Disease Comparative Medicine, Beijing Key Laboratory for Animal Models of Emerging and Remerging Infectious Diseases, Comparative Medicine Center, Institute of Laboratory Animal Science, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100021, China
| | - Jing Xue
- MOH Key Laboratory of Human Disease Comparative Medicine, Beijing Key Laboratory for Animal Models of Emerging and Remerging Infectious Diseases, Comparative Medicine Center, Institute of Laboratory Animal Science, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100021, China
- Center for AIDS Research, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100730, China
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Hu Y, Zhu Y, Yu Y, Liu N, Ju X, Ding Q, He Y. Design and characterization of novel SARS-CoV-2 fusion inhibitors with N-terminally extended HR2 peptides. Antiviral Res 2023; 212:105571. [PMID: 36868315 PMCID: PMC9977133 DOI: 10.1016/j.antiviral.2023.105571] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2023] [Revised: 02/18/2023] [Accepted: 02/23/2023] [Indexed: 03/05/2023]
Abstract
Development of potent and broad-spectrum antivirals against SARS-CoV-2 remains one of top priorities, especially in the case of that current vaccines cannot effectively prevent viral transmission. We previously generated a group of fusion-inhibitory lipopeptides, with one formulation being evaluated under clinical trials. In this study, we dedicated to characterize the extended N-terminal motif (residues 1161-1168) of the so-called spike (S) heptad repeat 2 (HR2) region. Alanine scanning analysis of this motif verified its critical roles in S protein-mediated cell-cell fusion. Using a panel of HR2 peptides with the N-terminal extensions, we identified a peptide termed P40, which contained four extended N-terminal residues (VDLG) and exhibited improved binding and antiviral activities, whereas the peptides with further extensions had no such effects. Then, we developed a new lipopeptide P40-LP by modifying P40 with cholesterol, which exhibited dramatically increased activities in inhibiting SARS-CoV-2 variants including divergent Omicron sublineages. Moreover, P40-LP displayed a synergistic effect with IPB24 lipopeptide that was designed containing the C-terminally extended residues, and it could effectively inhibit other human coronaviruses, including SARS-CoV, MERS-CoV, HCoV-229E, and HCoV-NL63. Taken together, our results have provided valuable insights for understanding the structure-function relationship of SARS-CoV-2 fusion protein and offered novel antiviral strategies to fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yue Hu
- NHC Key Laboratory of Systems Biology of Pathogens, Institute of Pathogen Biology and Center for AIDS Research, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100730, China
| | - Yuanmei Zhu
- NHC Key Laboratory of Systems Biology of Pathogens, Institute of Pathogen Biology and Center for AIDS Research, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100730, China
| | - Yanying Yu
- Center for Infectious Disease Research, School of Medicine, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
| | - Nian Liu
- NHC Key Laboratory of Systems Biology of Pathogens, Institute of Pathogen Biology and Center for AIDS Research, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100730, China
| | - Xiaohui Ju
- Center for Infectious Disease Research, School of Medicine, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
| | - Qiang Ding
- Center for Infectious Disease Research, School of Medicine, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China.
| | - Yuxian He
- NHC Key Laboratory of Systems Biology of Pathogens, Institute of Pathogen Biology and Center for AIDS Research, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100730, China.
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8
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Zhu Y, Hu Y, Liu N, Chong H, He Y. Potent inhibition of diverse Omicron sublineages by SARS-CoV-2 fusion-inhibitory lipopeptides. Antiviral Res 2022; 208:105445. [PMID: 36265805 PMCID: PMC9574594 DOI: 10.1016/j.antiviral.2022.105445] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2022] [Revised: 10/03/2022] [Accepted: 10/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
The emergence and rapid spreading of SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern (VOCs) have posed a great challenge to the efficacy of vaccines and therapeutic antibodies, calling for antivirals that can overcome viral evasion. We recently reported that SARS-CoV-2 fusion-inhibitory lipopeptides, IPB02V3 and IPB24, possessed the potent activities against divergent VOCs, including Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta, and the initial Omicron strain (B.1.1.529); however, multiple Omicron sublineages have emerged and BA.4/5 is now becoming predominant globally. In this study, we focused on characterizing the functionality of the spike (S) proteins derived from Omicron sublineages and their susceptibility to the inhibition of IPB02V3 and IPB24. We first found that the S proteins of BA.2, BA.2.12.1, BA.3, and BA.4/5 exhibited significantly increased cell fusion capacities compared to BA.1, whereas the pseudoviruses of BA.2.12.1, BA.3, and BA.4/5 had significantly increased infectivity relative to BA.1 or BA.2. Next, we verified that IPB02V3 and IPB24 also maintained their very high potent activities in inhibiting diverse Omicron sublineages, even with enhanced potencies relative to the inhibition on ancestral virus. Moreover, we demonstrated that evolved Omicron mutations in the inhibitor-binding heptad repeat 1 (HR1) site could impair the S protein-driven cell fusogenicity and infectivity, but none of single or combined mutations affected the antiviral activity of IPB02V3 and IPB24. Therefore, we believe that viral fusion inhibitors possess high potential to be developed as effective drugs for fighting SARS-CoV-2 variants including diverse Omicron sublineages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuanmei Zhu
- NHC Key Laboratory of Systems Biology of Pathogens, Institute of Pathogen Biology and Center for AIDS Research, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100730, China
| | - Yue Hu
- NHC Key Laboratory of Systems Biology of Pathogens, Institute of Pathogen Biology and Center for AIDS Research, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100730, China
| | - Nian Liu
- NHC Key Laboratory of Systems Biology of Pathogens, Institute of Pathogen Biology and Center for AIDS Research, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100730, China
| | - Huihui Chong
- NHC Key Laboratory of Systems Biology of Pathogens, Institute of Pathogen Biology and Center for AIDS Research, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100730, China
| | - Yuxian He
- NHC Key Laboratory of Systems Biology of Pathogens, Institute of Pathogen Biology and Center for AIDS Research, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100730, China.
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9
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Zhu Y, Dong X, Liu N, Wu T, Chong H, Lei X, Ren L, Wang J, He Y. SARS-CoV-2 fusion-inhibitory lipopeptides maintain high potency against divergent variants of concern (VOCs) including Omicron. Emerg Microbes Infect 2022; 11:1819-1827. [PMID: 35786417 PMCID: PMC9310806 DOI: 10.1080/22221751.2022.2098060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
The emergence of SARS-CoV-2 Omicron and other variants of concern (VOCs) has brought huge challenges to control the COVID-19 pandemic, calling for urgent development of effective vaccines and therapeutic drugs. In this study, we focused on characterizing the impacts of divergent VOCs on the antiviral activity of lipopeptide-based fusion inhibitors that we previously developed. First, we found that pseudoviruses bearing the S proteins of five VOCs (Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta, and Omicron) and one variant of interest (Lambda) exhibited greatly decreased infectivity relative to the wild-type (WT) strain or single D614G mutant, especially the Omicron pseudovirus. Differently, the most of variants exhibited an S protein with significantly enhanced cell fusion activity, whereas the S protein of Omicron still mediated decreased cell–cell fusion. Next, we verified that two lipopeptide-based fusion inhibitors, IPB02V3 and IPB24, maintained the highly potent activities in inhibiting various S proteins-driven cell fusion and pseudovirus infection. Surprisingly, both IPB02V3 and IPB24 lipopeptides displayed greatly increased potencies against the infection of authentic Omicron strain relative to the WT virus. The results suggest that Omicron variant evolves with a reduced cell fusion capacity and is more sensitive to the inhibition of fusion-inhibitory lipopeptides; thus, IPB02V3 and IPB24 can be further developed as potent, broad-spectrum antivirals for combating Omicron and the potential future outbreak of other emerging variants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuanmei Zhu
- NHC Key Laboratory of Systems Biology of Pathogens, Institute of Pathogen Biology and Center for AIDS Research, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100730, China
| | - Xiaojing Dong
- NHC Key Laboratory of Systems Biology of Pathogens, Institute of Pathogen Biology and Center for AIDS Research, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100730, China
| | - Nian Liu
- NHC Key Laboratory of Systems Biology of Pathogens, Institute of Pathogen Biology and Center for AIDS Research, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100730, China
| | - Tong Wu
- NHC Key Laboratory of Systems Biology of Pathogens, Institute of Pathogen Biology and Center for AIDS Research, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100730, China
| | - Huihui Chong
- NHC Key Laboratory of Systems Biology of Pathogens, Institute of Pathogen Biology and Center for AIDS Research, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100730, China
| | - Xiaobo Lei
- NHC Key Laboratory of Systems Biology of Pathogens, Institute of Pathogen Biology and Center for AIDS Research, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100730, China
| | - Lili Ren
- NHC Key Laboratory of Systems Biology of Pathogens, Institute of Pathogen Biology and Center for AIDS Research, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100730, China
| | - Jianwei Wang
- NHC Key Laboratory of Systems Biology of Pathogens, Institute of Pathogen Biology and Center for AIDS Research, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100730, China
| | - Yuxian He
- NHC Key Laboratory of Systems Biology of Pathogens, Institute of Pathogen Biology and Center for AIDS Research, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100730, China
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10
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Lv T, Cao W, Xue J, Wei Q, Qiu Z, Han Y, Li T. Therapeutic effect of (5R)-5-hydroxytriptolide (LLDT-8) in SIV infected rhesus monkeys. Int Immunopharmacol 2022; 110:108932. [PMID: 35716483 DOI: 10.1016/j.intimp.2022.108932] [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: 04/05/2022] [Revised: 06/04/2022] [Accepted: 06/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUNDS Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infections induce robust, generalized inflammatory responses and lead to pathological systemic immune activation. This abnormal immune status persists despite successful antiretroviral therapy (ART). Immune modulating strategies in conjunction with ART were tried to reduce abnormal immune activation. Previously, we demonstrated that Tripterygium Wilfordii Hook F has been shown immunosuppressive activity in HIV patients. (5R)-5-hydroxytriptolide (LLDT-8), a new analog of triptolide, and the most active ingredient of Tripterygium Wilfordii Hook F, has been shown to have lower cytotoxicity. However, the role of LLDT-8 in HIV or simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) needs to be explored. METHODS Six male adult Chinese rhesus monkeys were enrolled in our study. All of them were healthy and negative for SIV, and chronically SIVmac239 infected macaques were treated with LLDT-8 combined with ART (n = 4) or ART only (n = 2) after 14 weeks of infection. ART was determined at week 33, and LLDT-8 was continued until week 48. T cell immune activation and inflammation were compared during the period, and viral rebound time and reservoir were supervised after stopping ART. RESULTS The RNA level of the two groups continued to decline after initiating ART, RNA of 4 rhesus monkeys declined to the lower limit of detection at week 20. LLDT-8 administration combined with ART did not affect T cell activation and plasma levels of IL-6 and CRP. The viral load of all the macaques in both groups was rebounded 2 weeks after ART discontinuation. Furthermore, no significant decrease of SIV DNA was observed in the LLDT-8 treatment group. CONCLUSIONS LLDT-8 administration during chronic SIV infection had no effect on T cell activation and plasma levels; Furthermore, LLDT-8 may not contribute to suppression of viral rebound and reservoir. These results suggest that LLDT-8 is unlikely to reduce immune activation and viral persistence without additional interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tingxia Lv
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China; Department of Infectious Diseases, Beijing Friendship Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Wei Cao
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Jing Xue
- Beijing Key Laboratory for Animal Models of Emerging and Remerging Infectious Diseases, NHC Key Laboratory of Human Disease Comparative Medicine, Institute of Laboratory Animal Science, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Comparative Medicine Center, Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Qiang Wei
- Beijing Key Laboratory for Animal Models of Emerging and Remerging Infectious Diseases, NHC Key Laboratory of Human Disease Comparative Medicine, Institute of Laboratory Animal Science, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Comparative Medicine Center, Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Zhifeng Qiu
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Yang Han
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Taisheng Li
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China; Department of Basic Medical Sciences, School of Medicine, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China; Tsinghua-Peking Center for Life Sciences, Beijing, China.
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11
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Xiang R, Yu Z, Wang Y, Wang L, Huo S, Li Y, Liang R, Hao Q, Ying T, Gao Y, Yu F, Jiang S. Recent advances in developing small-molecule inhibitors against SARS-CoV-2. Acta Pharm Sin B 2022; 12:1591-1623. [PMID: 34249607 PMCID: PMC8260826 DOI: 10.1016/j.apsb.2021.06.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2021] [Revised: 06/13/2021] [Accepted: 06/23/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic caused by the novel SARS-CoV-2 virus has caused havoc across the entire world. Even though several COVID-19 vaccines are currently in distribution worldwide, with others in the pipeline, treatment modalities lag behind. Accordingly, researchers have been working hard to understand the nature of the virus, its mutant strains, and the pathogenesis of the disease in order to uncover possible drug targets and effective therapeutic agents. As the research continues, we now know the genome structure, epidemiological and clinical features, and pathogenic mechanism of SARS-CoV-2. Here, we summarized the potential therapeutic targets involved in the life cycle of the virus. On the basis of these targets, small-molecule prophylactic and therapeutic agents have been or are being developed for prevention and treatment of SARS-CoV-2 infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rong Xiang
- College of Life Sciences, Hebei Agricultural University, Baoding 071001, China
| | - Zhengsen Yu
- College of Life Sciences, Hebei Agricultural University, Baoding 071001, China
| | - Yang Wang
- College of Life Sciences, Hebei Agricultural University, Baoding 071001, China
| | - Lili Wang
- Research Center of Chinese Jujube, Hebei Agricultural University, Baoding 071001, China
| | - Shanshan Huo
- College of Life Sciences, Hebei Agricultural University, Baoding 071001, China
| | - Yanbai Li
- College of Life Sciences, Hebei Agricultural University, Baoding 071001, China
| | - Ruiying Liang
- College of Life Sciences, Hebei Agricultural University, Baoding 071001, China
| | - Qinghong Hao
- College of Life Sciences, Hebei Agricultural University, Baoding 071001, China
| | - Tianlei Ying
- Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology (MOE/NHC/CAMS), School of Basic Medical Sciences, Shanghai Institute of Infectious Diseases and Biosecurity, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Yaning Gao
- Beijing Pharma and Biotech Center, Beijing 100176, China,Corresponding authors. Tel.: +86 21 54237673, fax: +86 21 54237465 (Shibo Jiang); Tel.: +86 312 7528935, fax: +86 312 7521283 (Fei Yu); Tel.: +86 10 62896868; fax: +86 10 62899978, (Yanning Gao).
| | - Fei Yu
- College of Life Sciences, Hebei Agricultural University, Baoding 071001, China,Corresponding authors. Tel.: +86 21 54237673, fax: +86 21 54237465 (Shibo Jiang); Tel.: +86 312 7528935, fax: +86 312 7521283 (Fei Yu); Tel.: +86 10 62896868; fax: +86 10 62899978, (Yanning Gao).
| | - Shibo Jiang
- Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology (MOE/NHC/CAMS), School of Basic Medical Sciences, Shanghai Institute of Infectious Diseases and Biosecurity, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China,Corresponding authors. Tel.: +86 21 54237673, fax: +86 21 54237465 (Shibo Jiang); Tel.: +86 312 7528935, fax: +86 312 7521283 (Fei Yu); Tel.: +86 10 62896868; fax: +86 10 62899978, (Yanning Gao).
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12
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A Modified Fibronectin Type III Domain-Conjugated, Long-Acting Pan-Coronavirus Fusion Inhibitor with Extended Half-Life. Viruses 2022; 14:v14040655. [PMID: 35458385 PMCID: PMC9028128 DOI: 10.3390/v14040655] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2022] [Revised: 03/19/2022] [Accepted: 03/21/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic caused by infection of SARS-CoV-2 and its variants has posed serious threats to global public health, thus calling for the development of potent and broad-spectrum antivirals. We previously designed and developed a peptide-based pan-coronavirus (CoV) fusion inhibitor, EK1, which is effective against all human CoVs (HCoV) tested by targeting the HCoV S protein HR1 domain. However, its relatively short half-life may limit its clinical use. Therefore, we designed, constructed, and expressed a recombinant protein, FL-EK1, which consists of a modified fibronectin type III domain (FN3) with albumin-binding capacity, a flexible linker, and EK1. As with EK1, we found that FL-EK1 could also effectively inhibit infection of SARS-CoV-2 and its variants, as well as HCoV-OC43. Furthermore, it protected mice from infection by the SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant and HCoV-OC43. Importantly, the half-life of FL-EK1 (30 h) is about 15.7-fold longer than that of EK1 (1.8 h). These results suggest that FL-EK1 is a promising candidate for the development of a pan-CoV fusion inhibitor-based long-acting antiviral drug for preventing and treating infection by current and future SARS-CoV-2 variants, as well as other HCoVs.
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13
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Peptide-Based HIV Entry Inhibitors. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2022; 1366:15-26. [DOI: 10.1007/978-981-16-8702-0_2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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14
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Xue J, Chong H, Zhu Y, Zhang J, Tong L, Lu J, Chen T, Cong Z, Wei Q, He Y. Efficient treatment and pre-exposure prophylaxis in rhesus macaques by an HIV fusion-inhibitory lipopeptide. Cell 2021; 185:131-144.e18. [PMID: 34919814 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2021.11.032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2021] [Revised: 09/23/2021] [Accepted: 11/19/2021] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
Two HIV fusion-inhibitory lipopeptides (LP-97 and LP-98) were designed with highly potent, long-acting antiviral activity. Monotherapy using a low dose of LP-98 sharply reduced viral loads and maintained long-term viral suppression in 21 SHIVSF162P3-infected rhesus macaques. We found that five treated monkeys achieved potential posttreatment control (PTC) efficacy and had lower viral DNA in deep lymph nodes, whereas monkeys with a stable viral rebound had higher viral DNA in superficial lymph nodes. The tissues of PTC monkeys exhibited significantly decreased quantitative viral outgrowth and fewer PD-1+ central memory CD4+ T cells, and CD8+ T cells contributed to virologic control efficacy. Moreover, LP-98 administrated as a pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) provided complete protection against SHIVSF162P3 and SIVmac239 infections in 51 monkeys via intrarectal, intravaginal, or intravenous challenge. In conclusion, our lipopeptides exhibit high potential as an efficient HIV treatment or prevention strategy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Xue
- NHC Key Laboratory of Human Disease Comparative Medicine, Beijing Key Laboratory for Animal Models of Emerging and Remerging Infectious Diseases, Institute of Laboratory Animal Science, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Comparative Medicine Center, Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100021, China; Center for AIDS Research, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100730, China.
| | - Huihui Chong
- NHC Key Laboratory of Systems Biology of Pathogens, Institute of Pathogen Biology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100730, China; Center for AIDS Research, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100730, China
| | - Yuanmei Zhu
- NHC Key Laboratory of Systems Biology of Pathogens, Institute of Pathogen Biology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100730, China; Center for AIDS Research, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100730, China
| | - Jingjing Zhang
- NHC Key Laboratory of Human Disease Comparative Medicine, Beijing Key Laboratory for Animal Models of Emerging and Remerging Infectious Diseases, Institute of Laboratory Animal Science, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Comparative Medicine Center, Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100021, China
| | - Ling Tong
- NHC Key Laboratory of Human Disease Comparative Medicine, Beijing Key Laboratory for Animal Models of Emerging and Remerging Infectious Diseases, Institute of Laboratory Animal Science, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Comparative Medicine Center, Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100021, China
| | - Jiahan Lu
- NHC Key Laboratory of Human Disease Comparative Medicine, Beijing Key Laboratory for Animal Models of Emerging and Remerging Infectious Diseases, Institute of Laboratory Animal Science, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Comparative Medicine Center, Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100021, China
| | - Ting Chen
- NHC Key Laboratory of Human Disease Comparative Medicine, Beijing Key Laboratory for Animal Models of Emerging and Remerging Infectious Diseases, Institute of Laboratory Animal Science, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Comparative Medicine Center, Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100021, China
| | - Zhe Cong
- NHC Key Laboratory of Human Disease Comparative Medicine, Beijing Key Laboratory for Animal Models of Emerging and Remerging Infectious Diseases, Institute of Laboratory Animal Science, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Comparative Medicine Center, Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100021, China
| | - Qiang Wei
- NHC Key Laboratory of Human Disease Comparative Medicine, Beijing Key Laboratory for Animal Models of Emerging and Remerging Infectious Diseases, Institute of Laboratory Animal Science, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Comparative Medicine Center, Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100021, China; Center for AIDS Research, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100730, China
| | - Yuxian He
- NHC Key Laboratory of Systems Biology of Pathogens, Institute of Pathogen Biology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100730, China; Center for AIDS Research, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100730, China.
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15
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Yu D, Zhu Y, Jiao T, Wu T, Xiao X, Qin B, Chong H, Lei X, Ren L, Cui S, Wang J, He Y. Structure-based design and characterization of novel fusion-inhibitory lipopeptides against SARS-CoV-2 and emerging variants. Emerg Microbes Infect 2021; 10:1227-1240. [PMID: 34057039 PMCID: PMC8216258 DOI: 10.1080/22221751.2021.1937329] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2021] [Revised: 05/25/2021] [Accepted: 05/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
The ongoing pandemic of COVID-19, caused by SARS-CoV-2, has severely impacted the global public health and socio-economic stability, calling for effective vaccines and therapeutics. In this study, we continued our efforts to develop more efficient SARS-CoV-2 fusion inhibitors and achieved significant findings. First, we found that the membrane-proximal external region (MPER) sequence of SARS-CoV-2 spike fusion protein plays a critical role in viral infectivity and can serve as an ideal template for design of fusion-inhibitory peptides. Second, a panel of novel lipopeptides was generated with greatly improved activity in inhibiting SARS-CoV-2 fusion and infection. Third, we showed that the new inhibitors maintained the potent inhibitory activity against emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants, including those with the major mutations of the B.1.1.7 and B.1.351 strains circulating in the United Kingdom and South Africa, respectively. Fourth, the new inhibitors also cross-inhibited other human CoVs, including SARS-CoV, MERS-CoV, HCoV-229E, and HCoV-NL63. Fifth, the structural properties of the new inhibitors were characterized by circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy and crystallographic approach, which revealed the mechanisms underlying the high binding and inhibition. Combined, our studies provide important information for understanding the mechanism of SARS-CoV-2 fusion and a framework for the development of peptide therapeutics for the treatment of SARS-CoV-2 and other CoVs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danwei Yu
- NHC Key Laboratory of Systems Biology of Pathogens, Institute of Pathogen Biology and Center for AIDS Research, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
| | - Yuanmei Zhu
- NHC Key Laboratory of Systems Biology of Pathogens, Institute of Pathogen Biology and Center for AIDS Research, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
| | - Tao Jiao
- NHC Key Laboratory of Systems Biology of Pathogens, Institute of Pathogen Biology and Center for AIDS Research, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
| | - Tong Wu
- NHC Key Laboratory of Systems Biology of Pathogens, Institute of Pathogen Biology and Center for AIDS Research, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
| | - Xia Xiao
- NHC Key Laboratory of Systems Biology of Pathogens, Institute of Pathogen Biology and Center for AIDS Research, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
| | - Bo Qin
- NHC Key Laboratory of Systems Biology of Pathogens, Institute of Pathogen Biology and Center for AIDS Research, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
| | - Huihui Chong
- NHC Key Laboratory of Systems Biology of Pathogens, Institute of Pathogen Biology and Center for AIDS Research, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
| | - Xiaobo Lei
- NHC Key Laboratory of Systems Biology of Pathogens, Institute of Pathogen Biology and Center for AIDS Research, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
| | - Lili Ren
- NHC Key Laboratory of Systems Biology of Pathogens, Institute of Pathogen Biology and Center for AIDS Research, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
| | - Sheng Cui
- NHC Key Laboratory of Systems Biology of Pathogens, Institute of Pathogen Biology and Center for AIDS Research, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
| | - Jianwei Wang
- NHC Key Laboratory of Systems Biology of Pathogens, Institute of Pathogen Biology and Center for AIDS Research, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
| | - Yuxian He
- NHC Key Laboratory of Systems Biology of Pathogens, Institute of Pathogen Biology and Center for AIDS Research, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
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Cunha RF, Simões S, Carvalheiro M, Pereira JMA, Costa Q, Ascenso A. Novel Antiretroviral Therapeutic Strategies for HIV. Molecules 2021; 26:molecules26175305. [PMID: 34500737 PMCID: PMC8434305 DOI: 10.3390/molecules26175305] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2021] [Revised: 08/27/2021] [Accepted: 08/28/2021] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
When the first cases of HIV infection appeared in the 1980s, AIDS was a deadly disease without any therapeutic alternatives. Currently, there is still no cure for most cases mainly due to the multiple tissues that act as a reservoir for this virus besides the high viral mutagenesis that leads to an antiretroviral drug resistance. Throughout the years, multiple drugs with specific mechanisms of action on distinct targets have been approved. In this review, the most recent phase III clinical studies and other research therapies as advanced antiretroviral nanodelivery systems will be here discussed. Although the combined antiretroviral therapy is effective in reducing viral loading to undetectable levels, it also presents some disadvantages, such as usual side effects, high frequency of administration, and the possibility of drug resistance. Therefore, several new drugs, delivery systems, and vaccines have been tested in pre-clinical and clinical trials. Regarding drug delivery, an attempt to change the route of administration of some conventional antiretrovirals has proven to be successful and surpassed some issues related to patient compliance. Nanotechnology has brought a new approach to overcoming certain obstacles of formulation design including drug solubility and biodistribution. Overall, the encapsulation of antiretroviral drugs into nanosystems has shown improved drug release and pharmacokinetic profile.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rita F. Cunha
- Drug Delivery Research Unit, Research Institute for Medicines, iMed-ULisboa, Faculty of Pharmacy, Universidade de Lisboa, 1649-003 Lisboa, Portugal; (R.F.C.); (S.S.); (M.C.)
| | - Sandra Simões
- Drug Delivery Research Unit, Research Institute for Medicines, iMed-ULisboa, Faculty of Pharmacy, Universidade de Lisboa, 1649-003 Lisboa, Portugal; (R.F.C.); (S.S.); (M.C.)
| | - Manuela Carvalheiro
- Drug Delivery Research Unit, Research Institute for Medicines, iMed-ULisboa, Faculty of Pharmacy, Universidade de Lisboa, 1649-003 Lisboa, Portugal; (R.F.C.); (S.S.); (M.C.)
| | - José M. Azevedo Pereira
- Host-Pathogen Interactions Unit, Research Institute for Medicines, iMed-ULisboa, Faculty of Pharmacy, Universidade de Lisboa, 1649-003 Lisboa, Portugal; (J.M.A.P.); (Q.C.)
| | - Quirina Costa
- Host-Pathogen Interactions Unit, Research Institute for Medicines, iMed-ULisboa, Faculty of Pharmacy, Universidade de Lisboa, 1649-003 Lisboa, Portugal; (J.M.A.P.); (Q.C.)
| | - Andreia Ascenso
- Drug Delivery Research Unit, Research Institute for Medicines, iMed-ULisboa, Faculty of Pharmacy, Universidade de Lisboa, 1649-003 Lisboa, Portugal; (R.F.C.); (S.S.); (M.C.)
- Correspondence:
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Zhou YW, Xie Y, Tang LS, Pu D, Zhu YJ, Liu JY, Ma XL. Therapeutic targets and interventional strategies in COVID-19: mechanisms and clinical studies. Signal Transduct Target Ther 2021; 6:317. [PMID: 34446699 PMCID: PMC8390046 DOI: 10.1038/s41392-021-00733-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2021] [Revised: 06/27/2021] [Accepted: 07/14/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Owing to the limitations of the present efforts on drug discovery against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and the lack of the understanding of the biological regulation mechanisms underlying COVID-19, alternative or novel therapeutic targets for COVID-19 treatment are still urgently required. SARS-CoV-2 infection and immunity dysfunction are the two main courses driving the pathogenesis of COVID-19. Both the virus and host factors are potential targets for antiviral therapy. Hence, in this study, the current therapeutic strategies of COVID-19 have been classified into "target virus" and "target host" categories. Repurposing drugs, emerging approaches, and promising potential targets are the implementations of the above two strategies. First, a comprehensive review of the highly acclaimed old drugs was performed according to evidence-based medicine to provide recommendations for clinicians. Additionally, their unavailability in the fight against COVID-19 was analyzed. Next, a profound analysis of the emerging approaches was conducted, particularly all licensed vaccines and monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) enrolled in clinical trials against primary SARS-CoV-2 and mutant strains. Furthermore, the pros and cons of the present licensed vaccines were compared from different perspectives. Finally, the most promising potential targets were reviewed, and the update of the progress of treatments has been summarized based on these reviews.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu-Wen Zhou
- Department of Biotherapy, Cancer Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China
- Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, Cancer Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China
| | - Yao Xie
- Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, Cancer Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China
- Department of Dermatovenerology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China
| | - Lian-Sha Tang
- Department of Biotherapy, Cancer Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China
- Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, Cancer Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China
| | - Dan Pu
- Lung Cancer Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China
| | - Ya-Juan Zhu
- Department of Biotherapy, Cancer Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China
- Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, Cancer Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China
| | - Ji-Yan Liu
- Department of Biotherapy, Cancer Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China.
- Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, Cancer Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China.
| | - Xue-Lei Ma
- Department of Biotherapy, Cancer Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China.
- Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, Cancer Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China.
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Tong L, Cong Z, Tian L, Zhang J, Lu J, Lu Q, Chen T, Wang Y, Wei Q, Xue J. Stage-Dependent Within-Individual Comparison Reveals SIV-Specific Activation/Exhaustion Shift in Rhesus Macaques. Front Microbiol 2021; 12:704449. [PMID: 34349746 PMCID: PMC8326587 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.704449] [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] [Received: 05/03/2021] [Accepted: 06/21/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
It is challenging to trace the complicated individual-based variations of HIV-specific immunocompetence shift during the successful antiretroviral therapy (ART) era. Using eight rhesus monkeys simulating a longitudinal stage-dependent cohort (baseline-SIV acute infection-SIV suppression by ART-ART withdrawal), baseline immunocompetence monitoring for 28 days (SIV-negative stage, SN) was compared with host immunocompetence undergoing 90-day ART treatment (SIV-suppressed stage, SS) to reveal the SIV-specific immunity shift aroused by undetectable individual viral replication. During acute SIV infection for 98 days (SIV-emerged stage, SE), immune activation was compared with re-immune activation post ART for 49-day follow-up (SIV-rebounded stage, SR) to reveal the SIV-specific immune activation variation aroused by detectable individual viral replication. Individual immunocompetence was measured by co-expression of CD4, CD8, CD38, HLA-DR, CCR7, CD45RA, and PD-1 on T cells and a cytokine panel. Compared with SN, mild immune activation/exhaustion was characterized by increased CD38+ HLA-DR– CD4+/CD8+ T-cell subsets and PD-1+ memory CD4+/CD8+ T-cell subsets with three elevated cytokines (MIP-1β, IL-8, and IL-10) significantly emerged in SS. Compared with SE, SR produced more exhaustion characterized by increased PD-1+ CD4+ TCM cells and decreased PD-1+ CD4+ TEM cells with four elevated pro-inflammatory cytokines (IFN-γ, IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α). By such individualized stage-dependent comparison, the sustainable immune activation was found from activation/exhaustion shifted into exhaustion during the longitudinal viral persistence. Further, validated SIV accelerates host immunosenescence continuously independent of viral replication.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ling Tong
- Key Laboratory of Human Disease Comparative Medicine, Chinese Ministry of Health, Beijing Key Laboratory for Animal Models of Emerging and Remerging Infectious Diseases, Institute of Laboratory Animal Science, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Comparative Medicine Center, Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Zhe Cong
- Key Laboratory of Human Disease Comparative Medicine, Chinese Ministry of Health, Beijing Key Laboratory for Animal Models of Emerging and Remerging Infectious Diseases, Institute of Laboratory Animal Science, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Comparative Medicine Center, Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Long Tian
- Key Laboratory of Human Disease Comparative Medicine, Chinese Ministry of Health, Beijing Key Laboratory for Animal Models of Emerging and Remerging Infectious Diseases, Institute of Laboratory Animal Science, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Comparative Medicine Center, Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Jingjing Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Human Disease Comparative Medicine, Chinese Ministry of Health, Beijing Key Laboratory for Animal Models of Emerging and Remerging Infectious Diseases, Institute of Laboratory Animal Science, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Comparative Medicine Center, Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Jiahan Lu
- Key Laboratory of Human Disease Comparative Medicine, Chinese Ministry of Health, Beijing Key Laboratory for Animal Models of Emerging and Remerging Infectious Diseases, Institute of Laboratory Animal Science, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Comparative Medicine Center, Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Qiuhan Lu
- Key Laboratory of Human Disease Comparative Medicine, Chinese Ministry of Health, Beijing Key Laboratory for Animal Models of Emerging and Remerging Infectious Diseases, Institute of Laboratory Animal Science, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Comparative Medicine Center, Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Ting Chen
- Key Laboratory of Human Disease Comparative Medicine, Chinese Ministry of Health, Beijing Key Laboratory for Animal Models of Emerging and Remerging Infectious Diseases, Institute of Laboratory Animal Science, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Comparative Medicine Center, Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Yuhong Wang
- Department of Gerontology and Geriatrics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
| | - Qiang Wei
- Key Laboratory of Human Disease Comparative Medicine, Chinese Ministry of Health, Beijing Key Laboratory for Animal Models of Emerging and Remerging Infectious Diseases, Institute of Laboratory Animal Science, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Comparative Medicine Center, Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China.,Center for AIDS Research, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Jing Xue
- Key Laboratory of Human Disease Comparative Medicine, Chinese Ministry of Health, Beijing Key Laboratory for Animal Models of Emerging and Remerging Infectious Diseases, Institute of Laboratory Animal Science, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Comparative Medicine Center, Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China.,Center for AIDS Research, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
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19
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Gómara MJ, Pons R, Herrera C, Ziprin P, Haro I. Peptide Amphiphilic-Based Supramolecular Structures with Anti-HIV-1 Activity. Bioconjug Chem 2021; 32:1999-2013. [PMID: 34254794 PMCID: PMC8447191 DOI: 10.1021/acs.bioconjchem.1c00292] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
![]()
In a previous work,
we defined a novel HIV-1 fusion inhibitor peptide
(E1P47) with a broad spectrum of activity against viruses from different
clades, subtypes, and tropisms. With the aim to enhance its efficacy,
in the present work we address the design and synthesis of several
peptide amphiphiles (PAs) based on the E1P47 peptide sequence to target
the lipid rafts of the cell membrane where the cell–cell fusion
process takes place. We report the synthesis of novel PAs having a
hydrophobic moiety covalently attached to the peptide sequence through
a hydrophilic spacer of polyethylene glycol. Characterization of self-assembly
in condensed phase and aqueous solution as well as their interaction
with model membranes was analyzed by several biophysical methods.
Our results demonstrated that the length of the spacer of polyethylene
glycol, the position of the peptide conjugation as well as the type
of the hydrophobic residue determine the antiviral activity of the
construct. Peptide amphiphiles with one alkyl tail either in C-terminus
(C-PAmonoalkyl) or in N-terminus (N-PAmonoalkyl) showed the highest anti-HIV-1
activities in the cellular model of TZM-bl cells or in a preclinical
model of the human mucosal tissue explants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria J Gómara
- Unit of Synthesis and Biomedical Applications of Peptides, Institute of Advanced Chemistry of Catalonia (IQAC-CSIC), Jordi Girona, 18-26 08034 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Ramon Pons
- Physical Chemistry of Surfactant Systems, Institute of Advanced Chemistry of Catalonia (IQAC-CSIC), Jordi Girona, 18-26 08034 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Carolina Herrera
- Department of Medicine, Imperial College London, London W2 1PG, United Kingdom
| | - Paul Ziprin
- Department of Surgery and Cancer, St. Mary's Hospital, Imperial College London, London W2 1PG, United Kingdom
| | - Isabel Haro
- Unit of Synthesis and Biomedical Applications of Peptides, Institute of Advanced Chemistry of Catalonia (IQAC-CSIC), Jordi Girona, 18-26 08034 Barcelona, Spain
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20
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Wang Q, Su S, Xue J, Yu F, Pu J, Bi W, Xia S, Meng Y, Wang C, Yang W, Xu W, Zhu Y, Zheng Q, Qin C, Jiang S, Lu L. An amphipathic peptide targeting the gp41 cytoplasmic tail kills HIV-1 virions and infected cells. Sci Transl Med 2021; 12:12/546/eaaz2254. [PMID: 32493792 DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.aaz2254] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2019] [Accepted: 04/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
HIV-associated morbidity and mortality have markedly declined because of combinational antiretroviral therapy, but HIV readily mutates to develop drug resistance. Developing antivirals against previously undefined targets is essential to treat existing drug-resistant HIV strains. Some peptides derived from HIV-1 envelope glycoprotein (Env, gp120-gp41) have been shown to be effective in inhibiting HIV-1 infection. Therefore, we screened a peptide library from HIV-1 Env and identified a peptide from the cytoplasmic region, designated F9170, able to effectively inactivate HIV-1 virions and induce necrosis of HIV-1-infected cells, and reactivated latently infected cells. F9170 specifically targeted the conserved cytoplasmic tail of HIV-1 Env and effectively disrupted the integrity of the viral membrane. Short-term monoadministration of F9170 controlled viral loads to below the limit of detection in chronically SHIV-infected macaques. F9170 can enter the brain and lymph nodes, anatomic reservoirs for HIV latency. Therefore, F9170 shows promise as a drug candidate for HIV treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qian Wang
- Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology (MOE/NHC/CAMS), School of Basic Medical Sciences and Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center, Fudan University, 130 Dong An Rd., Xuhui District, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Shan Su
- Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology (MOE/NHC/CAMS), School of Basic Medical Sciences and Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center, Fudan University, 130 Dong An Rd., Xuhui District, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Jing Xue
- Key Laboratory of Human Disease Comparative Medicine, Chinese Ministry of Health, Beijing Key Laboratory for Animal Models of Emerging and Re-emerging Infectious Diseases, Institute of Laboratory Animal Science, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Comparative Medicine Center, Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100021, China
| | - Fei Yu
- College of Life and Science, Hebei Agricultural University, Baoding 071001, China
| | - Jing Pu
- Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology (MOE/NHC/CAMS), School of Basic Medical Sciences and Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center, Fudan University, 130 Dong An Rd., Xuhui District, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Wenwen Bi
- Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology (MOE/NHC/CAMS), School of Basic Medical Sciences and Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center, Fudan University, 130 Dong An Rd., Xuhui District, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Shuai Xia
- Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology (MOE/NHC/CAMS), School of Basic Medical Sciences and Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center, Fudan University, 130 Dong An Rd., Xuhui District, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Yu Meng
- Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology (MOE/NHC/CAMS), School of Basic Medical Sciences and Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center, Fudan University, 130 Dong An Rd., Xuhui District, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Cong Wang
- Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology (MOE/NHC/CAMS), School of Basic Medical Sciences and Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center, Fudan University, 130 Dong An Rd., Xuhui District, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Wenqian Yang
- Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology (MOE/NHC/CAMS), School of Basic Medical Sciences and Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center, Fudan University, 130 Dong An Rd., Xuhui District, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Wei Xu
- Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology (MOE/NHC/CAMS), School of Basic Medical Sciences and Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center, Fudan University, 130 Dong An Rd., Xuhui District, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Yun Zhu
- National Laboratory of Biomacromolecules, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Qinwen Zheng
- Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology (MOE/NHC/CAMS), School of Basic Medical Sciences and Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center, Fudan University, 130 Dong An Rd., Xuhui District, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Chuan Qin
- Key Laboratory of Human Disease Comparative Medicine, Chinese Ministry of Health, Beijing Key Laboratory for Animal Models of Emerging and Re-emerging Infectious Diseases, Institute of Laboratory Animal Science, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Comparative Medicine Center, Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100021, China.
| | - Shibo Jiang
- Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology (MOE/NHC/CAMS), School of Basic Medical Sciences and Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center, Fudan University, 130 Dong An Rd., Xuhui District, Shanghai 200032, China. .,Lindsley F. Kimball Research Institute, New York Blood Center, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Lu Lu
- Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology (MOE/NHC/CAMS), School of Basic Medical Sciences and Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center, Fudan University, 130 Dong An Rd., Xuhui District, Shanghai 200032, China.
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21
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Molecular mechanism of interaction between SARS-CoV-2 and host cells and interventional therapy. Signal Transduct Target Ther 2021; 6:233. [PMID: 34117216 PMCID: PMC8193598 DOI: 10.1038/s41392-021-00653-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 163] [Impact Index Per Article: 54.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2021] [Revised: 04/30/2021] [Accepted: 05/10/2021] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
The pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection has resulted in an unprecedented setback for global economy and health. SARS-CoV-2 has an exceptionally high level of transmissibility and extremely broad tissue tropism. However, the underlying molecular mechanism responsible for sustaining this degree of virulence remains largely unexplored. In this article, we review the current knowledge and crucial information about how SARS-CoV-2 attaches on the surface of host cells through a variety of receptors, such as ACE2, neuropilin-1, AXL, and antibody-FcγR complexes. We further explain how its spike (S) protein undergoes conformational transition from prefusion to postfusion with the help of proteases like furin, TMPRSS2, and cathepsins. We then review the ongoing experimental studies and clinical trials of antibodies, peptides, or small-molecule compounds with anti-SARS-CoV-2 activity, and discuss how these antiviral therapies targeting host-pathogen interaction could potentially suppress viral attachment, reduce the exposure of fusion peptide to curtail membrane fusion and block the formation of six-helix bundle (6-HB) fusion core. Finally, the specter of rapidly emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants deserves a serious review of broad-spectrum drugs or vaccines for long-term prevention and control of COVID-19 in the future.
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22
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Generation of HIV-resistant cells with a single-domain antibody: implications for HIV-1 gene therapy. Cell Mol Immunol 2021; 18:660-674. [PMID: 33462383 PMCID: PMC7812570 DOI: 10.1038/s41423-020-00627-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2020] [Accepted: 12/12/2020] [Indexed: 01/30/2023] Open
Abstract
The cure or functional cure of the "Berlin patient" and "London patient" indicates that infusion of HIV-resistant cells could be a viable treatment strategy. Very recently, we genetically linked a short-peptide fusion inhibitor with a glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI) attachment signal, rendering modified cells fully resistant to HIV infection. In this study, GPI-anchored m36.4, a single-domain antibody (nanobody) targeting the coreceptor-binding site of gp120, was constructed with a lentiviral vector. We verified that m36.4 was efficiently expressed on the plasma membrane of transduced TZM-bl cells and targeted lipid raft sites without affecting the expression of HIV receptors (CD4, CCR5, and CXCR4). Significantly, TZM-bl cells expressing GPI-m36.4 were highly resistant to infection with divergent HIV-1 subtypes and potently blocked HIV-1 envelope-mediated cell-cell fusion and cell-cell viral transmission. Furthermore, we showed that GPI-m36.4-modified human CEMss-CCR5 cells were nonpermissive to both CCR5- and CXCR4-tropic HIV-1 isolates and displayed a strong survival advantage over unmodified cells. It was found that GPI-m36.4 could also impair HIV-1 Env processing and viral infectivity in transduced cells, underlying a multifaceted mechanism of antiviral action. In conclusion, our studies characterize m36.4 as a powerful nanobody that can generate HIV-resistant cells, offering a novel gene therapy approach that can be used alone or in combination.
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23
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Jin H, Chong H, Zhu Y, Zhang M, Li X, Bazybek N, Wei Y, Gong F, He Y, Ma G. Preparation and evaluation of amphipathic lipopeptide-loaded PLGA microspheres as sustained-release system for AIDS prevention. Eng Life Sci 2020; 20:476-484. [PMID: 33204234 PMCID: PMC7645643 DOI: 10.1002/elsc.202000026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2020] [Revised: 05/27/2020] [Accepted: 06/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
At present, AIDS drugs are typical inhibitors that cannot achieve permanent effects. Therefore, the research of blocking HIV infection is essential. Especially for people in the high-risk environment, long-term prevention is important, because HIV can easily infect cells once the drug is interrupted. However, there is still no long-acting AIDS prevention drug approved. Hence, the purpose of this study is to prepare a fusion inhibitor loaded poly(d, l-lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) microspheres as a sustained-release system for long-term AIDS prevention. As the HIV membrane fusion inhibitor (LP-98) used in this research is amphiphilic lipopeptide, W1/O/W2 double-emulsion method was chosen, and premix membrane emulsification technique was used for controlling the uniformity of particle size. Several process parameters that can impact drug loading efficiency were summarized: the concentration of LP-98 and PLGA, and the preparation condition of primary emulsion. Finally, the microspheres with high loading efficiency (>8%) and encapsulation efficiency (>90%) were successfully prepared under optimum conditions. Pharmacokinetic studies showed that LP-98-loaded microspheres were capable to continuously release for 24 days in rats. This research can promote the application of sustained-release microspheres in AIDS prevention, and the embedding technique used in this study can also provide references for the loading of other amphipathic drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huijuan Jin
- State Key Laboratory of Biochemical EngineeringInstitute of Process EngineeringChinese Academy of SciencesBeijingP. R. China
- School of Chemical EngineeringUniversity of Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijingP. R. China
| | - Huihui Chong
- MOH Key Laboratory of Systems Biology of PathogensInstitute of Pathogen BiologyChinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical CollegeBeijingP. R. China
| | - Yuanmei Zhu
- MOH Key Laboratory of Systems Biology of PathogensInstitute of Pathogen BiologyChinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical CollegeBeijingP. R. China
| | - Mengqiu Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Biochemical EngineeringInstitute of Process EngineeringChinese Academy of SciencesBeijingP. R. China
- Wuhan Institute of TechnologyWuhanP. R. China
| | - Xun Li
- State Key Laboratory of Biochemical EngineeringInstitute of Process EngineeringChinese Academy of SciencesBeijingP. R. China
- School of Chemical EngineeringUniversity of Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijingP. R. China
| | - Nardana Bazybek
- State Key Laboratory of Biochemical EngineeringInstitute of Process EngineeringChinese Academy of SciencesBeijingP. R. China
- School of Chemical EngineeringUniversity of Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijingP. R. China
| | - Yi Wei
- State Key Laboratory of Biochemical EngineeringInstitute of Process EngineeringChinese Academy of SciencesBeijingP. R. China
| | - Fangling Gong
- State Key Laboratory of Biochemical EngineeringInstitute of Process EngineeringChinese Academy of SciencesBeijingP. R. China
| | - Yuxian He
- MOH Key Laboratory of Systems Biology of PathogensInstitute of Pathogen BiologyChinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical CollegeBeijingP. R. China
| | - Guanghui Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Biochemical EngineeringInstitute of Process EngineeringChinese Academy of SciencesBeijingP. R. China
- School of Chemical EngineeringUniversity of Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijingP. R. China
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24
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Outlaw VK, Bovier FT, Mears MC, Cajimat MN, Zhu Y, Lin MJ, Addetia A, Lieberman NAP, Peddu V, Xie X, Shi PY, Greninger AL, Gellman SH, Bente DA, Moscona A, Porotto M. Inhibition of Coronavirus Entry In Vitro and Ex Vivo by a Lipid-Conjugated Peptide Derived from the SARS-CoV-2 Spike Glycoprotein HRC Domain. mBio 2020; 11:e01935-20. [PMID: 33082259 PMCID: PMC7587434 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.01935-20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2020] [Accepted: 09/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The emergence of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus type 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the etiological agent of the 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19), has erupted into a global pandemic that has led to tens of millions of infections and hundreds of thousands of deaths worldwide. The development of therapeutics to treat infection or as prophylactics to halt viral transmission and spread is urgently needed. SARS-CoV-2 relies on structural rearrangements within a spike (S) glycoprotein to mediate fusion of the viral and host cell membranes. Here, we describe the development of a lipopeptide that is derived from the C-terminal heptad repeat (HRC) domain of SARS-CoV-2 S that potently inhibits infection by SARS-CoV-2. The lipopeptide inhibits cell-cell fusion mediated by SARS-CoV-2 S and blocks infection by live SARS-CoV-2 in Vero E6 cell monolayers more effectively than previously described lipopeptides. The SARS-CoV-2 lipopeptide exhibits broad-spectrum activity by inhibiting cell-cell fusion mediated by SARS-CoV-1 and Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) and blocking infection by live MERS-CoV in cell monolayers. We also show that the SARS-CoV-2 HRC-derived lipopeptide potently blocks the spread of SARS-CoV-2 in human airway epithelial (HAE) cultures, an ex vivo model designed to mimic respiratory viral propagation in humans. While viral spread of SARS-CoV-2 infection was widespread in untreated airways, those treated with SARS-CoV-2 HRC lipopeptide showed no detectable evidence of viral spread. These data provide a framework for the development of peptide therapeutics for the treatment of or prophylaxis against SARS-CoV-2 as well as other coronaviruses.IMPORTANCE SARS-CoV-2, the causative agent of COVID-19, continues to spread globally, placing strain on health care systems and resulting in rapidly increasing numbers of cases and mortalities. Despite the growing need for medical intervention, no FDA-approved vaccines are yet available, and treatment has been limited to supportive therapy for the alleviation of symptoms. Entry inhibitors could fill the important role of preventing initial infection and preventing spread. Here, we describe the design, synthesis, and evaluation of a lipopeptide that is derived from the HRC domain of the SARS-CoV-2 S glycoprotein that potently inhibits fusion mediated by SARS-CoV-2 S glycoprotein and blocks infection by live SARS-CoV-2 in both cell monolayers (in vitro) and human airway tissues (ex vivo). Our results highlight the SARS-CoV-2 HRC-derived lipopeptide as a promising therapeutic candidate for SARS-CoV-2 infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victor K Outlaw
- Department of Chemistry, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Francesca T Bovier
- Department of Pediatrics, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, New York, USA
- Center for Host-Pathogen Interaction, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, New York, USA
- Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli," Caserta, Italy
| | - Megan C Mears
- Galveston National Laboratory, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas, USA
- Department of Experimental Pathology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas, USA
| | - Maria N Cajimat
- Galveston National Laboratory, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas, USA
- Department of Experimental Pathology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas, USA
| | - Yun Zhu
- Department of Pediatrics, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, New York, USA
- Center for Host-Pathogen Interaction, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, New York, USA
- Beijing Pediatric Research Institute, Beijing Children's Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Michelle J Lin
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Amin Addetia
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Nicole A P Lieberman
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Vikas Peddu
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Xuping Xie
- Department of Pediatrics, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, New York, USA
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas, USA
| | - Pei-Yong Shi
- Department of Pediatrics, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, New York, USA
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas, USA
| | - Alexander L Greninger
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, Washington, USA
- Vaccine and Infectious Disease Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Samuel H Gellman
- Department of Chemistry, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Dennis A Bente
- Galveston National Laboratory, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas, USA
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas, USA
| | - Anne Moscona
- Department of Pediatrics, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, New York, USA
- Center for Host-Pathogen Interaction, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, New York, USA
- Department of Microbiology & Immunology, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, New York, USA
- Department of Physiology & Cellular Biophysics, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, New York, USA
| | - Matteo Porotto
- Department of Pediatrics, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, New York, USA
- Center for Host-Pathogen Interaction, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, New York, USA
- Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli," Caserta, Italy
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25
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Therapeutic Efficacy and Resistance Selection of a Lipopeptide Fusion Inhibitor in Simian Immunodeficiency Virus-Infected Rhesus Macaques. J Virol 2020; 94:JVI.00384-20. [PMID: 32404526 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.00384-20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2020] [Accepted: 05/08/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
We recently reported a group of lipopeptide-based membrane fusion inhibitors with potent antiviral activities against human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1), HIV-2, and simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV). In this study, the in vivo therapeutic efficacy of such a lipopeptide, LP-52, was evaluated in rhesus macaques chronically infected with pathogenic SIVmac239. In a pilot study with one monkey, monotherapy with low-dose LP-52 rapidly reduced the plasma viral loads to below the limit of detection and maintained viral suppression during three rounds of structurally interrupted treatment. The therapeutic efficacy of LP-52 was further verified in four infected monkeys; however, three out of the monkeys had viral rebounds under the LP-52 therapy. We next focused on characterizing SIV mutants responsible for the in vivo resistance. Sequence analyses revealed that a V562A or V562M mutation in the N-terminal heptad repeat (NHR) and a E657G mutation in the C-terminal heptad repeat (CHR) of SIV gp41 conferred high resistance to LP-52 and cross-resistance to the peptide drug T20 and two newly designed lipopeptides (LP-80 and LP-83). Moreover, we showed that the resistance mutations greatly reduced the stability of diverse fusion inhibitors with the NHR site, and V562A or V562M in combination with E657G could significantly impair the functionality of viral envelopes (Envs) to mediate SIVmac239 infection and decrease the thermostability of viral six-helical bundle (6-HB) core structure. In conclusion, the present data have not only facilitated the development of novel anti-HIV drugs that target the membrane fusion step, but also help our understanding of the mechanism of viral evolution to develop drug resistance.IMPORTANCE The anti-HIV peptide drug T20 (enfuvirtide) is the only membrane fusion inhibitor available for treatment of viral infection; however, it exhibits relatively weak antiviral activity, short half-life, and a low genetic barrier to inducing drug resistance. Design of lipopeptide-based fusion inhibitors with extremely potent and broad antiviral activities against divergent HIV-1, HIV-2, and SIV isolates have provided drug candidates for clinical development. Here, we have verified a high therapeutic efficacy for the lipopeptide LP-52 in SIVmac239-infected rhesus monkeys. The resistance mutations selected in vivo have also been characterized, providing insights into the mechanism of action of newly designed fusion inhibitors with a membrane-anchoring property. For the first time, the data show that HIV-1 and SIV can share a similar genetic pathway to develop resistance, and that a lipopeptide fusion inhibitor could have a same resistance profile as its template peptide.
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26
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Design of Potent Membrane Fusion Inhibitors against SARS-CoV-2, an Emerging Coronavirus with High Fusogenic Activity. J Virol 2020; 94:JVI.00635-20. [PMID: 32376627 PMCID: PMC7343218 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.00635-20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 147] [Impact Index Per Article: 36.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2020] [Accepted: 05/04/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19), caused by the emerging severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), has posed serious threats to global public health and economic and social stabilities, calling for the prompt development of therapeutics and prophylactics. In this study, we first verified that SARS-CoV-2 uses human angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) as a cell receptor and that its spike (S) protein mediates high membrane fusion activity. The heptad repeat 1 (HR1) sequence in the S2 fusion protein of SARS-CoV-2 possesses markedly increased α-helicity and thermostability, as well as a higher binding affinity with its corresponding heptad repeat 2 (HR2) site, than the HR1 sequence in S2 of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV). Then, we designed an HR2 sequence-based lipopeptide fusion inhibitor, termed IPB02, which showed highly potent activities in inhibiting SARS-CoV-2 S protein-mediated cell-cell fusion and pseudovirus transduction. IPB02 also inhibited the SARS-CoV pseudovirus efficiently. Moreover, the structure-activity relationship (SAR) of IPB02 was characterized with a panel of truncated lipopeptides, revealing the amino acid motifs critical for its binding and antiviral capacities. Therefore, the results presented here provide important information for understanding the entry pathway of SARS-CoV-2 and the design of antivirals that target the membrane fusion step.IMPORTANCE The COVID-19 pandemic, caused by SARS-CoV-2, presents a serious global public health emergency in urgent need of prophylactic and therapeutic interventions. The S protein of coronaviruses mediates viral receptor binding and membrane fusion, thus being considered a critical target for antivirals. Herein, we report that the SARS-CoV-2 S protein has evolved a high level of activity to mediate cell-cell fusion, significantly differing from the S protein of SARS-CoV that emerged previously. The HR1 sequence in the fusion protein of SARS-CoV-2 adopts a much higher helical stability than the HR1 sequence in the fusion protein of SARS-CoV and can interact with the HR2 site to form a six-helical bundle structure more efficiently, underlying the mechanism of the enhanced fusion capacity. Also, importantly, the design of membrane fusion inhibitors with high potencies against both SARS-CoV-2 and SARS-CoV has provided potential arsenals to combat the pandemic and tools to exploit the fusion mechanism.
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The Tryptophan-Rich Motif of HIV-1 gp41 Can Interact with the N-Terminal Deep Pocket Site: New Insights into the Structure and Function of gp41 and Its Inhibitors. J Virol 2019; 94:JVI.01358-19. [PMID: 31619552 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.01358-19] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2019] [Accepted: 10/09/2019] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Refolding of the HIV-1 gp41 N- and C-terminal heptad repeats (NHR and CHR, respectively) into a six-helix bundle (6-HB) juxtaposes viral and cellular membranes for fusion. The CHR-derived peptide T20 is the only clinically approved viral fusion inhibitor and has potent anti-HIV activity; however, its mechanism of action is not fully understood. In this study, we surprisingly found that T20 disrupted the α-helical conformation of the NHR-derived peptide N54 through its C-terminal tryptophan-rich motif (TRM) and that synthetic short peptides containing the TRM sequence, TRM8 and TRM12, disrupted the N54 helix in a dose-dependent manner. Interestingly, TRM8 efficiently interfered with the secondary structures of three overlapping NHR peptides (N44, N38, and N28) and interacted with N28, which contains mainly the deep NHR pocket-forming sequence, with high affinity, suggesting that TRM targeted the NHR pocket site to mediate the disruption. Unlike TRM8, the short peptide corresponding to the pocket-binding domain (PBD) of the CHR helix had no such disruptive effect, and the CHR peptide C34 could form a stable 6-HB with the NHR helix; however, addition of the TRM to the C terminus of C34 resulted in a peptide (C46) that destroyed the NHR helix. Although the TRM peptides alone had no anti-HIV activity and could not block the formation of 6-HB conformation, substitution of the TRM for the PBD in C34 resulted in a mutant inhibitor (C34TRM) with high binding and inhibitory capacities. Combined, the present data inform a new mode of action of T20 and the structure-function relationship of gp41.IMPORTANCE The HIV-1 Env glycoprotein mediates membrane fusion and is conformationally labile. Despite extensive efforts, the structural property of the native fusion protein gp41 is largely unknown, and the mechanism of action of the gp41-derived fusion inhibitor T20 remains elusive. Here, we report that T20 and its C-terminal tryptophan-rich motif (TRM) can efficiently impair the conformation of the gp41 N-terminal heptad repeat (NHR) coiled coil by interacting with the deep NHR pocket site. The TRM sequence has been verified to possess the ability to replace the pocket-binding domain of C34, a fusion inhibitor peptide with high anti-HIV potency. Therefore, our studies have not only facilitated understanding of the mechanism of action of T20 and developed novel HIV-1 fusion inhibitors but also provided new insights into the structural property of the prefusion state of gp41.
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A Membrane-Anchored Short-Peptide Fusion Inhibitor Fully Protects Target Cells from Infections of Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 (HIV-1), HIV-2, and Simian Immunodeficiency Virus. J Virol 2019; 93:JVI.01177-19. [PMID: 31462566 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.01177-19] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2019] [Accepted: 08/21/2019] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Emerging studies demonstrate that the antiviral activity of viral fusion inhibitor peptides can be dramatically improved when being chemically or genetically anchored to the cell membrane, where viral entry occurs. We previously reported that the short-peptide fusion inhibitor 2P23 and its lipid derivative possess highly potent antiviral activities against human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1), HIV-2, and simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV). To develop a sterilizing or functional-cure strategy, here we genetically linked 2P23 and two control peptides (HIV-1 fusion inhibitor C34 and hepatitis B virus [HBV] entry inhibitor 4B10) with a glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI) attachment signal. As expected, GPI-anchored inhibitors were efficiently expressed on the plasma membrane of transduced TZM-bl cells and primarily directed to the lipid raft site without interfering with the expression of CD4, CCR5, and CXCR4. GPI-anchored 2P23 (GPI-2P23) completely protected TZM-bl cells from infections of divergent HIV-1, HIV-2, and SIV isolates as well as a panel of enfuvirtide (T20)-resistant mutants. GPI-2P23 also rendered the cells resistant to viral envelope-mediated cell-cell fusion and cell-associated virion-mediated cell-cell transmission. Moreover, GPI-2P23-modified human CD4+ T cells (CEMss-CCR5) fully blocked both R5- and X4-tropic HIV-1 isolates and displayed a robust survival advantage over unmodified cells during HIV-1 infection. In contrast, it was found that GPI-anchored C34 was much less effective in inhibiting HIV-2, SIV, and T20-resistant HIV-1 mutants. Therefore, our studies have demonstrated that genetically anchoring a short-peptide fusion inhibitor to the target cell membrane is a viable strategy for gene therapy of both HIV-1 and HIV-2 infections.IMPORTANCE Antiretroviral therapy with multiple drugs in combination can efficiently suppress HIV replication and dramatically reduce the morbidity and mortality associated with AIDS-related illness; however, antiretroviral therapy cannot eradiate the HIV reservoirs, and lifelong treatment is required, which often results in cumulative toxicities, drug resistance, and a multitude of complications, thus necessitating the development of sterilizing-cure or functional-cure strategies. Here, we report that genetically anchoring the short-peptide fusion inhibitor 2P23 to the cell membrane can fully prevent infections from divergent HIV-1, HIV-2, and SIV isolates as well as a panel of enfuvirtide-resistant mutants. Membrane-bound 2P23 also effectively blocks HIV-1 Env-mediated cell-cell fusion and cell-associated virion-mediated cell-cell transmission, renders CD4+ T cells nonpermissive to infection, and confers a robust survival advantage over unmodified cells. Thus, our studies verify a powerful strategy to generate resistant cells for gene therapy of both the HIV-1 and HIV-2 infections.
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Conserved Residue Asn-145 in the C-Terminal Heptad Repeat Region of HIV-1 gp41 is Critical for Viral Fusion and Regulates the Antiviral Activity of Fusion Inhibitors. Viruses 2019; 11:v11070609. [PMID: 31277353 PMCID: PMC6669600 DOI: 10.3390/v11070609] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2019] [Revised: 06/29/2019] [Accepted: 06/29/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Entry of HIV-1 into target cells is mediated by its envelope (Env) glycoprotein composed of the receptor binding subunit gp120 and the fusion protein gp41. Refolding of the gp41 N- and C-terminal heptad repeats (NHR and CHR) into a six-helix bundle (6-HB) conformation drives the viral and cellular membranes in close apposition and generates huge amounts of energy to overcome the kinetic barrier leading to membrane fusion. In this study, we focused on characterizing the structural and functional properties of a single Asn-145 residue, which locates at the middle CHR site of gp41 and is extremely conserved among all the HIV-1, HIV-2, and simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) isolates. By mutational analysis, we found that Asn-145 plays critical roles for Env-mediated cell-cell fusion and HIV-1 entry. As determined by circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy and isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC), the substitution of Asn-145 with alanine (N145A) severely impaired the interactions between the NHR and CHR helices. Asn-145 was also verified to be important for the antiviral activity of CHR-derived peptide fusion inhibitors and served as a turn-point for the inhibitory potency. Intriguingly, Asn-145 could regulate the functionality of the M-T hook structure at the N-terminus of the inhibitors and displayed comparable activities with the C-terminal IDL anchor. Crystallographic studies further demonstrated the importance of Asn-145-mediated interhelical and intrahelical interactions in the 6-HB structure. Combined, the present results have provided valuable information for the structure-function relationship of HIV-1 gp41 and the structure-activity relationship of gp41-dependent fusion inhibitors.
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Design and Characterization of Cholesterylated Peptide HIV-1/2 Fusion Inhibitors with Extremely Potent and Long-Lasting Antiviral Activity. J Virol 2019; 93:JVI.02312-18. [PMID: 30867304 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.02312-18] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2018] [Accepted: 03/06/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
HIV infection requires lifelong treatment with multiple antiretroviral drugs in a combination, which ultimately causes cumulative toxicities and drug resistance, thus necessitating the development of novel antiviral agents. We recently found that enfuvirtide (T-20)-based lipopeptides conjugated with fatty acids have dramatically increased in vitro and in vivo anti-HIV activities. Herein, a group of cholesterol-modified fusion inhibitors were characterized with significant findings. First, novel cholesterylated inhibitors, such as LP-83 and LP-86, showed the most potent activity in inhibiting divergent human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1), HIV-2, and simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV). Second, the cholesterylated inhibitors were highly active to inhibit T-20-resistant mutants that still conferred high resistance to the fatty acid derivatives. Third, the cholesterylated inhibitors had extremely potent activity to block HIV envelope (Env)-mediated cell-cell fusion, especially a truncated minimum lipopeptide (LP-95), showing a greatly increased potency relative to its inhibition on virus infection. Fourth, the cholesterylated inhibitors efficiently bound to both the cellular and viral membranes to exert their antiviral activities. Fifth, the cholesterylated inhibitors displayed low cytotoxicity and binding capacity with human serum albumin. Sixth, we further demonstrated that LP-83 exhibited extremely potent and long-lasting anti-HIV activity in rhesus monkeys. Taken together, the present results help our understanding on the mechanism of action of lipopeptide-based viral fusion inhibitors and facilitate the development of novel anti-HIV drugs.IMPORTANCE The peptide drug enfuvirtide (T-20) remains the only membrane fusion inhibitor available for treatment of viral infection, which is used in combination therapy of HIV-1 infection; however, it exhibits relatively low antiviral activity and a genetic barrier to inducing resistance, calling for the continuous development for novel anti-HIV agents. In this study, we report cholesterylated fusion inhibitors showing the most potent and broad anti-HIV activities to date. The new inhibitors have been comprehensively characterized for their modes of action and druggability, including small size, low cytotoxicity, binding ability to human serum albumin (HSA), and, especially, extremely potent and long-lasting antiviral activity in rhesus monkeys. Therefore, the present studies have provided new drug candidates for clinical development, which can also be used as tools to probe the mechanisms of viral entry and inhibition.
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Su S, Rasquinha G, Du L, Wang Q, Xu W, Li W, Lu L, Jiang S. A Peptide-Based HIV-1 Fusion Inhibitor with Two Tail-Anchors and Palmitic Acid Exhibits Substantially Improved In Vitro and Ex Vivo Anti-HIV-1 Activity and Prolonged In Vivo Half-Life. Molecules 2019; 24:molecules24061134. [PMID: 30901967 PMCID: PMC6470885 DOI: 10.3390/molecules24061134] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2019] [Revised: 03/19/2019] [Accepted: 03/19/2019] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Enfuvirtide (T20) is the first U.S. FDA-approved HIV fusion inhibitor-based anti-HIV drug. Its clinical application is limited because of its low potency and short half-life. We previously reported that peptide HP23-E6-IDL, containing both N- and C-terminal anchor-tails, exhibited stronger potency and a better resistance profile than T20. Here we designed an analogous peptide, YIK, by introducing a mutation, T639I, and then a lipopeptide, YIK-C16, by adding palmitic acid (C16) at the C-terminus of YIK. We found that YIK-C16 was 4.4- and 3.6-fold more potent than HP23-E6-IDL and YIK against HIV-1IIIB infection and 13.3- and 10.5-fold more effective than HP23-E6-IDL and YIK against HIV-1Bal infection, respectively. Consistently, the ex vivo anti-HIV-1IIIB activity, as determined by the highest dilution-fold of the serum causing 50% inhibition of HIV-1 infection, of YIK-C16 in the sera of pretreated mice was remarkably higher than that of YIK or HP23-E6-IDL. The serum half-life (t1/2 = 5.9 h) of YIK-C16 was also significantly longer than that of YIK (t1/2 = 1.3 h) and HP23-E6-IDL (t1/2 = 1.0 h). These results suggest that the lipopeptide YIK-C16 shows promise for further development as a new anti-HIV drug with improved anti-HIV-1 activity and a prolonged half-life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shan Su
- Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology of MOE/MOH, School of Basic Medical Sciences and Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center, Fudan University, 130 Dong An Rd., Xuhui District, Shanghai 200032, China.
- Lindsley F. Kimball Research Institute, New York Blood Center, New York, NY 10065, USA.
| | - Giselle Rasquinha
- Lindsley F. Kimball Research Institute, New York Blood Center, New York, NY 10065, USA.
| | - Lanying Du
- Lindsley F. Kimball Research Institute, New York Blood Center, New York, NY 10065, USA.
| | - Qian Wang
- Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology of MOE/MOH, School of Basic Medical Sciences and Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center, Fudan University, 130 Dong An Rd., Xuhui District, Shanghai 200032, China.
| | - Wei Xu
- Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology of MOE/MOH, School of Basic Medical Sciences and Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center, Fudan University, 130 Dong An Rd., Xuhui District, Shanghai 200032, China.
| | - Weihua Li
- NHC Key Laboratory of Reproduction Regulation, Shanghai Institute of Planned Parenthood Research, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China.
| | - Lu Lu
- Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology of MOE/MOH, School of Basic Medical Sciences and Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center, Fudan University, 130 Dong An Rd., Xuhui District, Shanghai 200032, China.
| | - Shibo Jiang
- Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology of MOE/MOH, School of Basic Medical Sciences and Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center, Fudan University, 130 Dong An Rd., Xuhui District, Shanghai 200032, China.
- Lindsley F. Kimball Research Institute, New York Blood Center, New York, NY 10065, USA.
- NHC Key Laboratory of Reproduction Regulation, Shanghai Institute of Planned Parenthood Research, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China.
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