Antiviral Effects of Clinically-Relevant Interferon-α and Ribavirin Regimens against Dengue Virus in the Hollow Fiber Infection Model (HFIM)

Antiviral activity of pimecrolimus against dengue virus type 2 infection in vitro and in vivo

Dengue virus (DENV) infection is a public health concern in several countries and is associated with severe diseases, such as dengue hemorrhagic fever and dengue shock syndrome. DENVs are transmitted to humans via the bites of infected Aedes mosquitoes, and no antiviral therapeutics are currently available. In this work, we aimed to identify antiviral drugs against DENV type 2 (DENV2) infections and selected pimecrolimus as a potential antiviral drug candidate. Pimecrolimus significantly inhibited DENV2-mediated cell death and replication in vitro. We also confirmed a decrease in the number of plaques formed as well as in the envelope protein levels of DENV2. The time-of-addition and course experiments revealed that pimecrolimus inhibited DENV2 infection during the early stages of the virus replication cycle. In an experimental mouse model, orally administered pimecrolimus alleviated body weight loss and lethality caused by DENV2 infection, which we used as readouts of the drug's antiviral potency. Furthermore, pimecrolimus significantly inhibited the DENV2 load and ameliorated focal necrosis in the liver and spleen. Taken together, our in vitro and in vivo findings suggest that pimecrolimus is a promising antiviral drug candidate for the treatment of DENV2 infection.

Broad-Spectrum Antiviral Activity of Influenza A Defective Interfering Particles against Respiratory Syncytial, Yellow Fever, and Zika Virus Replication In Vitro

New broadly acting and readily available antiviral agents are needed to combat existing and emerging viruses. Defective interfering particles (DIPs) of influenza A virus (IAV) are regarded as promising options for the prevention and treatment of IAV infections. Interestingly, IAV DIPs also inhibit unrelated viral infections by stimulating antiviral innate immunity. Here, we tested the ability of IAV DIPs to suppress respiratory syncytial, yellow fever and Zika virus infections in vitro. In human lung (A549) cells, IAV DIP co-infection inhibited the replication and spread of all three viruses. In contrast, we observed no antiviral activity in Vero cells, which are deficient in the production of interferon (IFN), demonstrating its importance for the antiviral effect. Further, in A549 cells, we observed an enhanced type-I and type-III IFN response upon co-infection that appears to explain the antiviral potential of IAV DIPs. Finally, a lack of antiviral activity in the presence of the Janus kinase 1/2 (JAK1/2) inhibitor ruxolitinib was detected. This revealed a dependency of the antiviral activity on the JAK/signal transducers and activators of transcription (STAT) signaling pathway. Overall, this study supports the notion that IAV DIPs may be used as broad-spectrum antivirals to treat infections with a variety of IFN-sensitive viruses, particularly respiratory viruses.

Combination Therapy with UV-4B and Molnupiravir Enhances SARS-CoV-2 Suppression

The host targeting antiviral, UV-4B, and the RNA polymerase inhibitor, molnupiravir, are two orally available, broad-spectrum antivirals that have demonstrated potent activity against SARS-CoV-2 as monotherapy. In this work, we evaluated the effectiveness of UV-4B and EIDD-1931 (molnupiravir's main circulating metabolite) combination regimens against the SARS-CoV-2 beta, delta, and omicron BA.2 variants in a human lung cell line. Infected ACE2 transfected A549 (ACE2-A549) cells were treated with UV-4B and EIDD-1931 both as monotherapy and in combination. Viral supernatant was sampled on day three when viral titers peaked in the no-treatment control arm, and levels of infectious virus were measured by plaque assay. The drug-drug effect interaction between UV-4B and EIDD-1931 was also defined using the Greco Universal Response Surface Approach (URSA) model. Antiviral evaluations demonstrated that treatment with UV-4B plus EIDD-1931 enhanced antiviral activity against all three variants relative to monotherapy. These results were in accordance with those obtained from the Greco model, as these identified the interaction between UV-4B and EIDD-1931 as additive against the beta and omicron variants and synergistic against the delta variant. Our findings highlight the anti-SARS-CoV-2 potential of UV-4B and EIDD-1931 combination regimens, and present combination therapy as a promising therapeutic strategy against SARS-CoV-2.

Specific sequence mutations in a long-lasting rhIFN-α2b version reduce in vitro and in vivo immunogenicity and increase in vitro protein stability

For decades, recombinant human interferon alpha (rhIFN-α2b) has been used to treat emerging and chronic viral diseases. However, rhIFN-α2b is immunogenic and has a short in vivo half-life. To solve these limitations, two long-lasting hyperglycosylated proteins with reduced immunogenicity were developed and designated as 4N-IFN(VAR1) and 4N-IFN(VAR3). Here, we continue to study the relevant characteristics of these therapeutic candidates. Thus, we demonstrated that both de-immunized IFN versions elicited significantly lower neutralizing antibody responses than the original molecule in HLA-DR1 transgenic mice, confirming our previous in vitro protein immunogenicity data. Also, we found that these biobetters exhibited remarkable stability when exposed to different physical factors that the protein product may encounter during its production process and storage, such as low pH, thermal stress, and repeated freezing/thawing cycles. Taking into consideration our previous and present results, 4N-IFN(VAR1) and 4N-IFN-4N(VAR3) appear to be valuable candidates for the treatment of human viral diseases.

Applications of the hollow-fibre infection model (HFIM) in viral infection studies

Conventional cell culture systems involve growing cells in stationary cultures in the presence of growth medium containing various types of supplements. At confluency, the cells are divided and further expanded in new culture dishes. This passage from confluent monolayer to sparse cultures does not reflect normal physiological conditions and represents quite a drastic physiological change that may affect the natural cell physiobiology. Hollow-fibre bioreactors were in part developed to overcome these limitations and since their inception, they have widely been used in production of monoclonal antibodies and recombinant proteins. These bioreactors are increasingly used to study antibacterial drug effects via simulation of in vivo pharmacokinetic profiles. The use of the hollow-fibre infection model (HFIM) in viral infection studies is less well developed and in this review we have analysed and summarized the current available literature on the use of these bioreactors, with an emphasis on viruses. Our work has demonstrated that this system can be applied for viral expansion, studies of drug resistance mechanisms, and studies of pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic (PK/PD) of antiviral compounds. These platforms could therefore have great applications in large-scale vaccine development, and in studies of mechanisms driving antiviral resistance, since the HFIM could recapitulate the same resistance mechanisms and mutations observed in vivo in clinic. Furthermore, some dosage and spacing regimens evaluated in the HFIM system, as allowing maximal viral suppression, are in line with clinical practice and highlight this 'in vivo-like' system as a powerful tool for experimental validation of in vitro-predicted antiviral activities.

Discovery of 3-chlorobenzyl-linked 1,9-diazaspiro[5.5]undecane derivatives, a lead for dengue virus type 2 infection

Dengue virus is a worldwide health threat with 400 million yearly infections. Given a lack in specific therapeutics, the current work reports DENV2 inhibitory activity in newly designed compounds that are more potent than the standard drug ribavirin.

Development of highly stable and de-immunized versions of recombinant alpha interferon: Promising candidates for the treatment of chronic and emerging viral diseases

Human interferon alpha (hIFN-α) administration constitutes the current FDA approved therapy for chronic Hepatitis B and C virus infections. Additionally, hIFN-α treatment efficacy was recently demonstrated in patients with COVID-19. Thus, hIFN-α constitutes a therapeutic alternative for those countries where vaccination is inaccessible and for people who did not respond effectively to vaccination. However, hIFN-α2b exhibits a short plasma half-life resulting in the occurrence of severe side effects. To optimize the cytokine's pharmacokinetic profile, we developed a hyperglycosylated IFN, referred to as GMOP-IFN.

Given the significant number of reports showing neutralizing antibodies (NAb) formation after hIFN-α administration, here we applied the DeFT (De-immunization of Functional Therapeutics) approach to develop functional, de-immunized versions of GMOP-IFN. Two GMOP-IFN variants exhibited significantly reduced ex vivo immunogenicity and null antiproliferative activity, while preserving antiviral function. The results obtained in this work indicate that the new de-immunized GMOP-IFN variants constitute promising candidates for antiviral therapy.

Tenovin-1 inhibited dengue virus replication through SIRT2

Dengue fever is a common arbovirus disease, which has been spread to the entire tropical world. At present, effective drugs for the treatment of dengue fever have not yet appeared, and the dengue vaccines studied in various countries have also experienced severe adverse reactions. Thus it is urgent to find new chemicals against dengue virus. Now we found Sirtuins (SIRTs) were increased during dengue virus infection and tenovin-1, a SIRT1/2 inhibitor, showed an impressive antiviral ability in vitro. In BHK-21 cells, tenovin-1 inhibited the replication of DENV2 with an EC50 at 3.41 ± 1.10 μM, also inhibited other three types of dengue viruses with EC50 at 0.97 ± 1.11 μM, 1.81 ± 1.08 μM, 3.81 ± 1.34 μM respectively. Moreover, the cytopathic effect-induced DENV2 was largely improved by tenovin-1 treatment and the release of progeny viruses was inhibited by tenovin-1 treatment. At the same time, the viral protein level and mRNA level were decreased with tenovin-1 treatment after dengue virus infection. From the drug-addition assay, the tenovin-1 played its antiviral after viral infection, which indicated tenovin-1 was not a microbicide. Apart from its antiviral effect, tenovin-1 inhibited the inflammatory response caused by DENV2, reducing the release of inflammatory factors during viral infection. The antiviral effect of tenovin-1 was abrogated with SIRT agonist or SIRT2 knockdown treatment, which indicated the effect of tenovin-1 was on-target. In conclusion, tenovin-1 was proved to be a promising compound against flavivirus infection through SIRT2, which should be pay more attention for further study.

Strategy, Progress, and Challenges of Drug Repurposing for Efficient Antiviral Discovery

Emerging or re-emerging viruses are still major threats to public health. Prophylactic vaccines represent the most effective way to prevent virus infection; however, antivirals are more promising for those viruses against which vaccines are not effective enough or contemporarily unavailable. Because of the slow pace of novel antiviral discovery, the high disuse rates, and the substantial cost, repurposing of the well-characterized therapeutics, either approved or under investigation, is becoming an attractive strategy to identify the new directions to treat virus infections. In this review, we described recent progress in identifying broad-spectrum antivirals through drug repurposing. We defined the two major categories of the repurposed antivirals, direct-acting repurposed antivirals (DARA) and host-targeting repurposed antivirals (HTRA). Under each category, we summarized repurposed antivirals with potential broad-spectrum activity against a variety of viruses and discussed the possible mechanisms of action. Finally, we proposed the potential investigative directions of drug repurposing.

Antiviral Evaluation of UV-4B and Interferon-Alpha Combination Regimens against Dengue Virus

Dengue virus (DENV) is a flavivirus associated with clinical manifestations ranging in severity from self-limiting dengue fever, to the potentially life threatening condition, severe dengue. There are currently no approved antiviral therapies for the treatment of DENV. Here, we evaluated the antiviral potential of four broad-spectrum antivirals, UV-4B, interferon-alpha (IFN), sofosbuvir (SOF), and favipiravir (FAV) against DENV serotype 2 as mono- and combination therapy in cell lines that are physiologically relevant to human infection. Cell lines derived from human liver (HUH-7), neurons (SK-N-MC), and skin (HFF-1) were infected with DENV and treated with UV-4B, IFN, SOF, or FAV. Viral supernatant was sampled daily and infectious viral burden was quantified by plaque assay on Vero cells. Drug effect on cell proliferation in uninfected and infected cells was also assessed. UV-4B inhibited DENV in HUH-7, SK-N-MC, and HFF-1 cells yielding EC₅₀ values of 23.75, 49.44, and 37.38 µM, respectively. Clinically achievable IFN concentrations substantially reduced viral burden in HUH-7 (EC₅₀ = 102.7 IU/mL), SK-N-MC (EC₅₀ = 86.59 IU/mL), and HFF-1 (EC₅₀ = 163.1 IU/mL) cells. SOF potently inhibited DENV in HUH-7 cells but failed to produce the same effect in SK-N-MC and HFF-1 cells. Finally, FAV provided minimal suppression in HUH-7 and SK-N-MC cells, but was ineffective in HFF-1 cells. The two most potent anti-DENV agents, UV-4B and IFN, were also assessed in combination. UV-4B + IFN treatment enhanced antiviral activity in HUH-7, SK-N-MC, and HFF-1 cells relative to monotherapy. Our results demonstrate the antiviral potential of UV-4B and IFN against DENV in multiple physiologically relevant cell types.

Poliovirus-nonsusceptible Vero cell line for the World Health Organization global action plan

Polio or poliomyelitis is a disabling and life-threatening disease caused by poliovirus (PV). As a consequence of global polio vaccination efforts, wild PV serotypes 2 and 3 have been eradicated around the world, and wild PV serotype 1-transmitted cases have been largely eliminated except for limited regions. However, vaccine-derived PV, pathogenically reverted live PV vaccine strains, has become a serious issue. For the global eradication of polio, the World Health Organization is conducting the third edition of the Global Action Plan, which is requesting stringent control of potentially PV-infected materials. To facilitate the mission, we generated a PV-nonsusceptible Vero cell subline, which may serve as an ideal replacement of standard Vero cells to isolate emerging/re-emerging viruses without the risk of generating PV-infected materials.

Cytokine Signature of Dengue Patients at Different Severity of the Disease

Clinical presentations of dengue fever (DF) are diverse and non-specific, causing unpredictable progression and outcomes. Its progression and severity have been associated with cytokine levels alteration. In this study, dengue patients were classified into groups following the 2009 WHO dengue classification scheme to investigate the cytokine signature at different severity of the disease: dengue without warning sign symptoms (A); dengue with warning signs (B); severe dengue (C); other fever (OF) and healthy (Healthy). We analyzed 23 different cytokines simultaneously, namely IL-1b, IL-2, IL-4, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, IL-12p70, IL-17A, IL-33, CD14, CD54, CD62E, CD62L, CD62p, CD106, CD121b, CD154, CD178, GM-CSF, IFN-g, MIF, ST2 and TNF from patients admitted to National Cheng Kung University Hospital during the 2015 Taiwan dengue outbreak. Cytokines TNF, CD54, CD62E, CD62L, CD62P, GM-CSF, IL-1b, IL-2, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, IL-12p70, IL-17A, INF-g and MIF were elevated while CD106, CD154, IL-4 and L-33 were decreased when compared to the control. IL-10 demonstrated to be a potential diagnostic marker for DF (H and A group; AUC = 0.944, H and OF group; AUC = 0.969). CD121b demonstrated to be predictive of the SD (A and B group; AUC = 0.744, B and C group; AUC = 0.775). Our results demonstrate the cytokine profile changes during the progression of dengue and highlight possible biomarkers for optimizing effective intervention strategies.

Antiviral Effects of Polyphenols from Marine Algae

The disease-preventive and medicinal properties of plant polyphenolic compounds have long been known. As active ingredients, they are used to prevent and treat many noncommunicable diseases. In recent decades, marine macroalgae have attracted the attention of biotechnologists and pharmacologists as a promising and almost inexhaustible source of polyphenols. This heterogeneous group of compounds contains many biopolymers with unique structure and biological properties that exhibit high anti-infective activity. In the present review, the authors focus on the antiviral potential of polyphenolic compounds (phlorotannins) from marine algae and consider the mechanisms of their action as well as other biological properties of these compounds that have effects on the progress and outcome of viral infections. Effective nutraceuticals, to be potentially developed on the basis of algal polyphenols, can also be used in the complex therapy of viral diseases. It is necessary to extend in vivo studies on laboratory animals, which subsequently will allow proceeding to clinical tests. Polyphenolic compounds have a great potential as active ingredients to be used for the creation of new antiviral pharmaceutical substances.

Ribavirin inhibits Chandipura virus replication in Vero cells

Chandipura virus (CHPV) is an emerging tropical pathogen in India. The virus has been reported to be associated with an acute encephalitis syndrome in young children with a case fatality rate of 55% to 75%. Clinical management with symptomatic treatment is the only option available to treat infected patients. No vaccines are available for prophylaxis. In light of the prophylactic limitations, antiviral therapy would play an important role in control of CHPV infection. In the present study, ribavirin (RBV), an antiviral drug widely accepted for human use and having an antiviral effect on many RNA and DNA viruses, was tested against the CHPV. A screening assay that scores for the virus-mediated plaque formation in the cultured Vero cells was used. RBV exhibited 50% inhibitory concentration (IC50 ) at 89.84 ± 1.8 µM. The drug was very effective when the cells were treated either within an hour postinfection or 4 to 6 hours before infection. The plaque morphology was different in RBV treated cells; the plaques were smaller in size as compared with the plaques in the virus infected cells. The study reports the antiviral activity of RBV against CHPV, and hence, suggests the possible utility of RBV in CHPV infected patients to mitigate the disease. A further clinical trial is needed before introducing the drug for human use against CHPV infection.

Role of Platelet Cytokines in Dengue Virus Infection

Platelets are anucleated blood cells derived from bone marrow megakaryocytes and play a crucial role in hemostasis and thrombosis. Platelets contain specialized storage organelles, called alpha-granules, contents of which are rich in cytokines such as C-X-C Motif Chemokine Ligand (CXCL) 1/4/7, (C-C motif) ligand (CCL) 5/3, CXCL8 (also called as interleukin 8, IL-8), and transforming growth factor β (TGF-β). Activation of platelets lead to degranulation and release of contents into the plasma. Platelet activation is a common event in many viral infections including human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), H1N1 influenza, Hepatitis C virus (HCV), Ebola virus (EBV), and Dengue virus (DENV). The cytokines CXCL8, CCL5 (also known as Regulated on Activation, Normal T Expressed and Secreted, RANTES), tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α), CXCL1/5 and CCL3 released, promote development of a pro-inflammatory state along with the recruitment of other immune cells to the site of infection. Platelets also interact with Monocytes and Neutrophils and facilitate their activation to release different cytokines which further enhances inflammation. Upon activation, platelets also secrete factors such as CXCL4 (also known as platelet factor, PF4), CCL5 and fibrinopeptides which are critical regulators of replication and propagation of several viruses in the host. Studies suggest that CXCL4 can both inhibit as well as enhance HIV1 infection. Data from our lab show that CXCL4 inhibits interferon (IFN) pathway and promotes DENV replication in monocytes in vitro and in patients significantly. Inhibition of CXCL4 mediated signaling results in increased IFN production and suppressed DENV and JEV replication in monocytes. In this review, we discuss the role of platelets in viral disease progression with a focus on dengue infection.

Dengue and Zika Viruses: Epidemiological History, Potential Therapies, and Promising Vaccines

Dengue virus (DENV), which can lead to fatal hemorrhagic fever, affects 390 million people worldwide. The closely related Zika virus (ZIKV) causes microcephaly in newborns and Guillain-Barré syndrome in adults. Both viruses are mostly transmitted by Aedes albopictus and Aedes aegypti mosquitoes, which, due to globalization of trade and travel alongside climate change, are spreading worldwide, paving the way to DENV and ZIKV transmission and the occurrence of new epidemics. Local outbreaks have already occurred in temperate climates, even in Europe. As there are no specific treatments, these viruses are an international public health concern. Here, we analyze and discuss DENV and ZIKV outbreaks history, clinical and pathogenesis features, and modes of transmission, supplementing with information on advances on potential therapies and restraining measures. Taking advantage of the knowledge of the structure and biological function of the capsid (C) protein, a relatively conserved protein among flaviviruses, within a genus that includes DENV and ZIKV, we designed and patented a new drug lead, pep14-23 (WO2008/028939A1). It was demonstrated that it inhibits the interaction of DENV C protein with the host lipid system, a process essential for viral replication. Such an approach can be used to develop new therapies for related viruses, such as ZIKV.

Antiviral Effect of Lithium Chloride and Diammonium Glycyrrhizinate on Porcine Deltacoronavirus In Vitro

Porcine deltacoronavirus (PDCoV) is an emerging global swine virus that has a propensity for interspecies transmission. It was identified in Hong Kong in 2012. Given that neither specific antiviral drugs nor vaccines are available for newly emerging porcine deltacoronavirus, searching for effective antiviral drugs is a high priority. In this study, lithium chloride (LiCl) and diammonium glycyrrhizinate (DG), which are host-acting antivirals (HAAs), were tested against PDCoV. We found that LiCl and DG inhibited PDCoV replication in LLC-PK1 cells in a dose-dependent manner. The antiviral effects of LiCl and DG occurred at the early stage of PDCoV replication, and DG also inhibited virus attachment to the cells. Moreover, both drugs inhibited PDCoV-induced apoptosis in LLC-PK1 cells. This study suggests LiCl and DG as new drugs for the treatment of PDCoV infection.