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Iyer K, Yan Z, Ross SR. Entry inhibitors as arenavirus antivirals. Front Microbiol 2024; 15:1382953. [PMID: 38650890 PMCID: PMC11033450 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2024.1382953] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2024] [Accepted: 03/25/2024] [Indexed: 04/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Arenaviruses belonging to the Arenaviridae family, genus mammarenavirus, are enveloped, single-stranded RNA viruses primarily found in rodent species, that cause severe hemorrhagic fever in humans. With high mortality rates and limited treatment options, the search for effective antivirals is imperative. Current treatments, notably ribavirin and other nucleoside inhibitors, are only partially effective and have significant side effects. The high lethality and lack of treatment, coupled with the absence of vaccines for all but Junín virus, has led to the classification of these viruses as Category A pathogens by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). This review focuses on entry inhibitors as potential therapeutics against mammarenaviruses, which include both New World and Old World arenaviruses. Various entry inhibition strategies, including small molecule inhibitors and neutralizing antibodies, have been explored through high throughput screening, genome-wide studies, and drug repurposing. Notable progress has been made in identifying molecules that target receptor binding, internalization, or fusion steps. Despite promising preclinical results, the translation of entry inhibitors to approved human therapeutics has faced challenges. Many have only been tested in in vitro or animal models, and a number of candidates showed efficacy only against specific arenaviruses, limiting their broader applicability. The widespread existence of arenaviruses in various rodent species and their potential for their zoonotic transmission also underscores the need for rapid development and deployment of successful pan-arenavirus therapeutics. The diverse pool of candidate molecules in the pipeline provides hope for the eventual discovery of a broadly effective arenavirus antiviral.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Susan R. Ross
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Illinois, College of Medicine, Chicago, IL, United States
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Saito T, Reyna RA, Taniguchi S, Littlefield K, Paessler S, Maruyama J. Vaccine Candidates against Arenavirus Infections. Vaccines (Basel) 2023; 11:635. [PMID: 36992218 PMCID: PMC10057967 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines11030635] [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: 01/18/2023] [Revised: 03/09/2023] [Accepted: 03/11/2023] [Indexed: 03/14/2023] Open
Abstract
The viral family Arenaviridae contains several members that cause severe, and often lethal, diseases in humans. Several highly pathogenic arenaviruses are classified as Risk Group 4 agents and must be handled in the highest biological containment facility, biosafety level-4 (BSL-4). Vaccines and treatments are very limited for these pathogens. The development of vaccines is crucial for the establishment of countermeasures against highly pathogenic arenavirus infections. While several vaccine candidates have been investigated, there are currently no approved vaccines for arenavirus infection except for Candid#1, a live-attenuated Junin virus vaccine only licensed in Argentina. Current platforms under investigation for use include live-attenuated vaccines, recombinant virus-based vaccines, and recombinant proteins. We summarize here the recent updates of vaccine candidates against arenavirus infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takeshi Saito
- Department of Pathology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555, USA
| | - Rachel A. Reyna
- Department of Pathology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555, USA
| | - Satoshi Taniguchi
- Department of Pathology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555, USA
| | - Kirsten Littlefield
- Department of Microbiology & Immunology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555, USA
| | - Slobodan Paessler
- Department of Pathology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555, USA
| | - Junki Maruyama
- Department of Pathology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555, USA
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Geldenhuys M, Weyer J, Kearney T, Markotter W. Host-Associated Distribution of Two Novel Mammarenaviruses in Rodents from Southern Africa. Viruses 2022; 15:99. [PMID: 36680139 PMCID: PMC9861163 DOI: 10.3390/v15010099] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2022] [Revised: 12/27/2022] [Accepted: 12/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Mammarenaviruses are hosted by several rodent species, a small number of which have been known to be zoonotic. Host surveillance among small mammals has identified a large diversity of previously undescribed mammarenaviruses. Intensified biosurveillance is warranted to better understand the diversity of these agents. Longitudinal host surveillance involving non-volant small mammals at a site in the Limpopo province, South Africa, was conducted. The study reports on the screening results of 563 samples for the presence of mammarenavirus RNA. PCR-positive samples were subjected to sequencing using Miseq amplicon sequencing. Sequences with close similarity to Mariental and Lunk viruses were identified from two rodent species, Micaelamys namaquensis and Mus minutoides. This represents the first description of these viruses from South Africa. The genomic sequences reported here partially satisfied the requirements put forward by the International Committee on the Taxonomy of Viruses' criteria for species delineation, suggesting that these may be new strains of existing species. The known distribution of these mammarenaviruses is thus expanded further south in Africa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marike Geldenhuys
- Centre for Viral Zoonoses, Department of Medical Virology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Pretoria, Pretoria 0001, South Africa
| | - Jacqueline Weyer
- Centre for Viral Zoonoses, Department of Medical Virology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Pretoria, Pretoria 0001, South Africa
- Centre for Emerging Zoonotic and Parasitic Diseases, National Institute for Communicable Diseases of the National Health Laboratory Services, Johannesburg 2131, South Africa
- Department of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, School of Pathology, University of Witwatersrand, Johannesburg 2131, South Africa
| | - Teresa Kearney
- Ditsong National Museum of Natural History, Pretoria 0001, South Africa
- Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria 0001, South Africa
| | - Wanda Markotter
- Centre for Viral Zoonoses, Department of Medical Virology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Pretoria, Pretoria 0001, South Africa
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Luna Virus and Helminths in Wild Mastomys natalensis in Two Contrasting Habitats in Zambia: Risk Factors and Evidence of Virus Dissemination in Semen. Pathogens 2022; 11:pathogens11111345. [DOI: 10.3390/pathogens11111345] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2022] [Revised: 11/08/2022] [Accepted: 11/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Transmission dynamics and the maintenance of mammarenaviruses in nature are poorly understood. Using metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) and RT-PCR, we investigated the presence of mammarenaviruses and co-infecting helminths in various tissues of 182 Mastomys natalensis rodents and 68 other small mammals in riverine and non-riverine habitats in Zambia. The Luna virus (LUAV) genome was the only mammarenavirus detected (7.7%; 14/182) from M. natalensis. Only one rodent from the non-riverine habitat was positive, while all six foetuses from one pregnant rodent carried LUAV. LUAV-specific mNGS reads were 24-fold higher in semen than in other tissues from males. Phylogenetically, the viruses were closely related to each other within the LUAV clade. Helminth infections were found in 11.5% (21/182) of M. natalensis. LUAV–helminth co-infections were observed in 50% (7/14) of virus-positive rodents. Juvenility (OR = 9.4; p = 0.018; 95% CI: 1.47–59.84), nematodes (OR = 15.5; p = 0.001; 95% CI: 3.11–76.70), cestodes (OR = 10.8; p = 0.025; 95% CI: 1.35–86.77), and being male (OR = 4.6; p = 0.036; 95% CI: 1.10–18.90) were associated with increased odds of LUAV RNA detection. The role of possible sexual and/or congenital transmission in the epidemiology of LUAV infections in rodents requires further study, along with the implications of possible helminth co-infection.
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Mapaco L, Crespin L, Rodrigues D, Gouy de Bellocq J, Bryja J, Bourgarel M, Missé D, Caron A, Fafetine J, Cappelle J, Liégeois F. Detection and genetic diversity of Mopeia virus in Mastomys natalensis from different habitats in the Limpopo National Park, Mozambique. INFECTION, GENETICS AND EVOLUTION : JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR EPIDEMIOLOGY AND EVOLUTIONARY GENETICS IN INFECTIOUS DISEASES 2022; 98:105204. [PMID: 34999003 DOI: 10.1016/j.meegid.2022.105204] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2021] [Revised: 12/15/2021] [Accepted: 01/02/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Mammarenaviruses have been a growing concern for public health in Africa since the 1970s when Lassa virus cases in humans were first described in west Africa. In southern Africa, a single outbreak of Lujo virus was reported to date in South Africa in 2008 with a case fatality rate of 80%. The natural reservoir of Lassa virus is Mastomys natalensis while for the Lujo virus the natural host has yet to be identified. Mopeia virus was described for the first time in M. natalensis in the central Mozambique in 1977 but few studies have been conducted in the region. In this study, rodents were trapped between March and November 2019in villages, croplands fields and mopane woodland forest. The aim was to assess the potential circulation and to evaluate the genetic diversity of mammarenaviruses in M. natalensis trapped in the Limpopo National Park and its buffer zone in Massingir district, Mozambique. A total of 534 M. natalensis were screened by RT-PCR and the overall proportion of positive individuals was 16.9%. No significant differences were detected between the sampled habitats (χ2 = 0.018; DF = 1; p = 0.893). The Mopeia virus (bootstrap value 91%) was the Mammarenavirus circulating in the study area sites, forming a specific sub-clade with eight different sub-clusters. We concluded that Mopeia virus circulates in all habitats investigated and it forms a different sub-clade to the one reported in central Mozambique in 1977.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lourenço Mapaco
- Agrarian Research Institute of Mozambique, Directorate of Animal Sciences, IIAM, P. O. Box 1922, Maputo, Mozambique; ASTRE, Univ Montpellier, CIRAD, INRA, Montpellier, France; CIRAD, UMR ASTRE, Montpellier, France
| | - Laurent Crespin
- Université Clermont Auvergne, INRAE, VetAgro Sup, UMR EPIA, 63122 Saint-Genès-Champanelle, France; Université Lyon, INRAE, VetAgro Sup, UMR EPIA, 69280 Marcy-L'Etoile, France
| | - Dércio Rodrigues
- Agrarian Research Institute of Mozambique, Directorate of Animal Sciences, IIAM, P. O. Box 1922, Maputo, Mozambique
| | - Joelle Gouy de Bellocq
- Institute of Vertebrate Biology, Czech Academy of Sciences, Květná 8, 603 65 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Josef Bryja
- Institute of Vertebrate Biology, Czech Academy of Sciences, Květná 8, 603 65 Brno, Czech Republic
| | | | - Dorothée Missé
- MIVEGEC, University of Montpellier, IRD, CNRS, 34394 Montpellier, France
| | - Alexandre Caron
- ASTRE, Univ Montpellier, CIRAD, INRA, Montpellier, France; Veterinary Faculty, UEM, P. O. Box 257, Maputo, Mozambique
| | - Jose Fafetine
- Veterinary Faculty, UEM, P. O. Box 257, Maputo, Mozambique
| | - Julien Cappelle
- ASTRE, Univ Montpellier, CIRAD, INRA, Montpellier, France; CIRAD, UMR ASTRE, Montpellier, France.
| | - Florian Liégeois
- MIVEGEC, University of Montpellier, IRD, CNRS, 34394 Montpellier, France; Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Zimbabwe, P.O. Box MP167, Harare, Zimbabwe.
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