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Peng Y, Chen SY, Wang ZN, Zhou ZQ, Sun J, Zhang GA, Li J, Wang L, Zhao JC, Tang XX, Wang DY, Zhong NS. Dicoumarol is an effective post-exposure prophylactic for SARS-CoV-2 Omicron infection in human airway epithelium. Signal Transduct Target Ther 2023; 8:242. [PMID: 37301869 PMCID: PMC10256976 DOI: 10.1038/s41392-023-01511-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2023] [Revised: 05/08/2023] [Accepted: 05/17/2023] [Indexed: 06/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Repurposing existing drugs to inhibit SARS-CoV-2 infection in airway epithelial cells (AECs) is a quick way to find novel treatments for COVID-19. Computational screening has found dicoumarol (DCM), a natural anticoagulant, to be a potential SARS-CoV-2 inhibitor, but its inhibitory effects and possible working mechanisms remain unknown. Using air-liquid interface culture of primary human AECs, we demonstrated that DCM has potent antiviral activity against the infection of multiple Omicron variants (including BA.1, BQ.1 and XBB.1). Time-of-addition and drug withdrawal assays revealed that early treatment (continuously incubated after viral absorption) of DCM could markedly inhibit Omicron replication in AECs, but DCM did not affect the absorption, exocytosis and spread of viruses or directly eliminate viruses. Mechanistically, we performed single-cell sequencing analysis (a database of 77,969 cells from different airway locations from 10 healthy volunteers) and immunofluorescence staining, and showed that the expression of NAD(P)H quinone oxidoreductase 1 (NQO1), one of the known DCM targets, was predominantly localised in ciliated AECs. We further found that the NQO1 expression level was positively correlated with both the disease severity of COVID-19 patients and virus copy levels in cultured AECs. In addition, DCM treatment downregulated NQO1 expression and disrupted signalling pathways associated with SARS-CoV-2 disease outcomes (e.g., Endocytosis and COVID-19 signalling pathways) in cultured AECs. Collectively, we demonstrated that DCM is an effective post-exposure prophylactic for SARS-CoV-2 infection in the human AECs, and these findings could help physicians formulate novel treatment strategies for COVID-19.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yang Peng
- State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, National Clinical Research Center for Respiratory Disease, Guangzhou Institute of Respiratory Health, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
- Department of Otolaryngology, Infectious Diseases Translational Research Program, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Shi-Ying Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, National Clinical Research Center for Respiratory Disease, Guangzhou Institute of Respiratory Health, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Zhao-Ni Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, National Clinical Research Center for Respiratory Disease, Guangzhou Institute of Respiratory Health, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Zi-Qing Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, National Clinical Research Center for Respiratory Disease, Guangzhou Institute of Respiratory Health, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Jing Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, National Clinical Research Center for Respiratory Disease, Guangzhou Institute of Respiratory Health, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Gui-An Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, National Clinical Research Center for Respiratory Disease, Guangzhou Institute of Respiratory Health, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Jia Li
- State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, National Clinical Research Center for Respiratory Disease, Guangzhou Institute of Respiratory Health, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
- Guangzhou Laboratory, Guangzhou, China
| | - Lei Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, National Clinical Research Center for Respiratory Disease, Guangzhou Institute of Respiratory Health, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
- Guangzhou Laboratory, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jin-Cun Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, National Clinical Research Center for Respiratory Disease, Guangzhou Institute of Respiratory Health, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Xiao Xiao Tang
- State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, National Clinical Research Center for Respiratory Disease, Guangzhou Institute of Respiratory Health, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.
- Guangzhou Laboratory, Guangzhou, China.
| | - De-Yun Wang
- Department of Otolaryngology, Infectious Diseases Translational Research Program, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore.
| | - Nan-Shan Zhong
- State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, National Clinical Research Center for Respiratory Disease, Guangzhou Institute of Respiratory Health, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.
- Guangzhou Laboratory, Guangzhou, China.
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Kubiak JZ, Kloc M. Recent Progress in Research on COVID-19 Pathophysiology: Biomarkers, Repurposed Drugs, Viral Invasiveness, SARS-CoV-2 Genetic Diversity, the Crystal Structure of Viral Proteins, and the Molecular and Cellular Outcomes of COVID-19. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms232214194. [PMID: 36430672 PMCID: PMC9698337 DOI: 10.3390/ijms232214194] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2022] [Accepted: 11/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
COVID-19 is a disease caused by a novel zoonotic germ known as SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus [...].
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacek Z. Kubiak
- Dynamics and Mechanics of Epithelia Group, Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Genetics and Development of Rennes, University of Rennes, CNRS, UMR 6290, 35000 Rennes, France
- Laboratory of Molecular Oncology and Innovative Therapies, Department of Oncology, Military Institute of Medicine, 04-141 Warsaw, Poland
- Correspondence: (J.Z.K.); (M.K.)
| | - Malgorzata Kloc
- Transplant Immunology, The Houston Methodist Research Institute, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Department of Surgery, The Houston Methodist Hospital, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Department of Genetics, The University of Texas, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Correspondence: (J.Z.K.); (M.K.)
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