1
|
Biswas S, Mita MA, Afrose S, Hasan MR, Shimu MSS, Zaman S, Saleh MA. An in silico approach to develop potential therapies against Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV). Heliyon 2024; 10:e25837. [PMID: 38379969 PMCID: PMC10877303 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e25837] [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: 05/25/2023] [Revised: 02/02/2024] [Accepted: 02/02/2024] [Indexed: 02/22/2024] Open
Abstract
A deadly respiratory disease Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) is caused by a perilous virus known as MERS-CoV, which has a severe impact on human health. Currently, there is no approved vaccine, prophylaxis, or antiviral therapeutics for preventing MERS-CoV infection. Due to its inexorable and integral role in the maturation and replication of the MERS-CoV virus, the 3C-like protease is unavoidly a viable therapeutic target. In this study, 2369 phytoconstituents were enlisted from Japanese medicinal plants, and these compounds were screened against 3C-like protease to identify feasible inhibitors. The best three compounds were identified as Kihadanin B, Robustaflavone, and 3-beta-O- (trans-p-Coumaroyl) maslinic acid, with binding energies of -9.8, -9.4, and -9.2 kcal/mol, respectively. The top three potential candidates interacted with several active site residues in the targeted protein, including Cys145, Met168, Glu169, Ala171, and Gln192. The best three compounds were assessed by in silico technique to determine their drug-likeness properties, and they exhibited the least harmful features and the greatest drug-like qualities. Various descriptors, such as solvent-accessible surface area, root-mean-square fluctuation, root-mean-square deviation, hydrogen bond, and radius of gyration, validated the stability and firmness of the protein-ligand complexes throughout the 100ns molecular dynamics simulation. Moreover, the top three compounds exhibited better binding energy along with better stability and firmness than the inhibitor (Nafamostat), which was further confirmed by the binding free energy calculation. Therefore, this computational investigation could aid in the development of efficient therapeutics for life-threatening MERS-CoV infections.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Suvro Biswas
- Microbiology Laboratory, Department of Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, University of Rajshahi, Rajshahi, 6205, Bangladesh
| | - Mohasana Akter Mita
- Department of Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, University of Rajshahi, Rajshahi, 6205, Bangladesh
| | - Shamima Afrose
- Department of Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, University of Rajshahi, Rajshahi, 6205, Bangladesh
| | - Md. Robiul Hasan
- Department of Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, University of Rajshahi, Rajshahi, 6205, Bangladesh
| | | | - Shahriar Zaman
- Microbiology Laboratory, Department of Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, University of Rajshahi, Rajshahi, 6205, Bangladesh
| | - Md. Abu Saleh
- Microbiology Laboratory, Department of Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, University of Rajshahi, Rajshahi, 6205, Bangladesh
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Juárez-Mercado KE, Gómez-Hernández MA, Salinas-Trujano J, Córdova-Bahena L, Espitia C, Pérez-Tapia SM, Medina-Franco JL, Velasco-Velázquez MA. Identification of SARS-CoV-2 Main Protease Inhibitors Using Chemical Similarity Analysis Combined with Machine Learning. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2024; 17:240. [PMID: 38399455 PMCID: PMC10892746 DOI: 10.3390/ph17020240] [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: 01/13/2024] [Revised: 02/05/2024] [Accepted: 02/08/2024] [Indexed: 02/25/2024] Open
Abstract
SARS-CoV-2 Main Protease (Mpro) is an enzyme that cleaves viral polyproteins translated from the viral genome, which is critical for viral replication. Mpro is a target for anti-SARS-CoV-2 drug development. Herein, we performed a large-scale virtual screening by comparing multiple structural descriptors of reference molecules with reported anti-coronavirus activity against a library with >17 million compounds. Further filtering, performed by applying two machine learning algorithms, identified eighteen computational hits as anti-SARS-CoV-2 compounds with high structural diversity and drug-like properties. The activities of twelve compounds on Mpro's enzymatic activity were evaluated by fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) assays. Compound 13 (ZINC13878776) significantly inhibited SARS-CoV-2 Mpro activity and was employed as a reference for an experimentally hit expansion. The structural analogues 13a (ZINC4248385), 13b (ZNC13523222), and 13c (ZINC4248365) were tested as Mpro inhibitors, reducing the enzymatic activity of recombinant Mpro with potency as follows: 13c > 13 > 13b > 13a. Then, their anti-SARS-CoV-2 activities were evaluated in plaque reduction assays using Vero CCL81 cells. Subtoxic concentrations of compounds 13a, 13c, and 13b displayed in vitro antiviral activity with IC50 in the mid micromolar range. Compounds 13a-c could become lead compounds for the development of new Mpro inhibitors with improved activity against anti-SARS-CoV-2.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Milton Abraham Gómez-Hernández
- School of Medicine, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City 04510, Mexico
- Graduate Program in Biomedical Sciences, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City 04510, Mexico
| | - Juana Salinas-Trujano
- Research and Development in Biotherapeutics Unit (UDIBI), National School of Biological Sciences, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Mexico City 11350, Mexico
- National Laboratory for Specialized Services of Investigation, Development and Innovation (I+D+i) for Pharma Chemicals and Biotechnological Products, LANSEIDI-FarBiotech-CONACHyT, Mexico City 11350, Mexico
| | - Luis Córdova-Bahena
- School of Medicine, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City 04510, Mexico
- National Council of Humanities, Science and Technology (CONAHCYT), Mexico City 03940, Mexico
| | - Clara Espitia
- Immunology Department, Institute for Biomedical Research, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City 04510, Mexico
| | - Sonia Mayra Pérez-Tapia
- Research and Development in Biotherapeutics Unit (UDIBI), National School of Biological Sciences, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Mexico City 11350, Mexico
- National Laboratory for Specialized Services of Investigation, Development and Innovation (I+D+i) for Pharma Chemicals and Biotechnological Products, LANSEIDI-FarBiotech-CONACHyT, Mexico City 11350, Mexico
- Immunology Department, National School of Biological Sciences, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Mexico City 11350, Mexico
| | - José L. Medina-Franco
- DIFACQUIM Research Group, School of Chemistry, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City 04510, Mexico
| | | |
Collapse
|
3
|
Yang J, Song Y, Jin W, Xia K, Burnett GC, Qiao W, Bates JT, Pomin VH, Wang C, Qiao M, Linhardt RJ, Dordick JS, Zhang F. Sulfated Glycans Inhibit the Interaction of MERS-CoV Receptor Binding Domain with Heparin. Viruses 2024; 16:237. [PMID: 38400013 PMCID: PMC10892611 DOI: 10.3390/v16020237] [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: 12/29/2023] [Revised: 01/27/2024] [Accepted: 01/30/2024] [Indexed: 02/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) is a zoonotic virus with high contagion and mortality rates. Heparan sulfate proteoglycans (HSPGs) are ubiquitously expressed on the surface of mammalian cells. Owing to its high negatively charged property, heparan sulfate (HS) on the surface of host cells is used by many viruses as cofactor to facilitate viral attachment and initiate cellular entry. Therefore, inhibition of the interaction between viruses and HS could be a promising target to inhibit viral infection. In the current study, the interaction between the receptor-binding domain (RBD) of MERS-CoV and heparin was exploited to assess the inhibitory activity of various sulfated glycans such as glycosaminoglycans, marine-sourced glycans (sulfated fucans, fucosylated chondroitin sulfates, fucoidans, and rhamnan sulfate), pentosan polysulfate, and mucopolysaccharide using Surface Plasmon Resonance. We believe this study provides valuable insights for the development of sulfated glycan-based inhibitors as potential antiviral agents.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jiyuan Yang
- The Key Laboratory of Molecular Microbiology and Technology, Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, China; (J.Y.); (W.Q.); (M.Q.)
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Center for Biotechnology and Interdisciplinary Studies, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY 12180, USA; (Y.S.); (K.X.); (C.W.); (R.J.L.)
| | - Yuefan Song
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Center for Biotechnology and Interdisciplinary Studies, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY 12180, USA; (Y.S.); (K.X.); (C.W.); (R.J.L.)
| | - Weihua Jin
- College of Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310014, China;
| | - Ke Xia
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Center for Biotechnology and Interdisciplinary Studies, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY 12180, USA; (Y.S.); (K.X.); (C.W.); (R.J.L.)
| | - Grace C. Burnett
- Department of Cell & Molecular Biology, The University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS 39216, USA; (G.C.B.); (J.T.B.)
| | - Wanjin Qiao
- The Key Laboratory of Molecular Microbiology and Technology, Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, China; (J.Y.); (W.Q.); (M.Q.)
| | - John T. Bates
- Department of Cell & Molecular Biology, The University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS 39216, USA; (G.C.B.); (J.T.B.)
| | - Vitor H. Pomin
- Department of BioMolecular Sciences, Research Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, The University of Mississippi, Oxford, MS 38677, USA;
| | - Chunyu Wang
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Center for Biotechnology and Interdisciplinary Studies, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY 12180, USA; (Y.S.); (K.X.); (C.W.); (R.J.L.)
| | - Mingqiang Qiao
- The Key Laboratory of Molecular Microbiology and Technology, Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, China; (J.Y.); (W.Q.); (M.Q.)
| | - Robert J. Linhardt
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Center for Biotechnology and Interdisciplinary Studies, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY 12180, USA; (Y.S.); (K.X.); (C.W.); (R.J.L.)
- Departments of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY 12180, USA
| | - Jonathan S. Dordick
- Departments of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY 12180, USA
| | - Fuming Zhang
- Departments of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY 12180, USA
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Janin YL. On the origins of SARS-CoV-2 main protease inhibitors. RSC Med Chem 2024; 15:81-118. [PMID: 38283212 PMCID: PMC10809347 DOI: 10.1039/d3md00493g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2023] [Accepted: 10/13/2023] [Indexed: 01/30/2024] Open
Abstract
In order to address the world-wide health challenge caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the 3CL protease/SARS-CoV-2 main protease (SARS-CoV-2-Mpro) coded by its nsp5 gene became one of the biochemical targets for the design of antiviral drugs. In less than 3 years of research, 4 inhibitors of SARS-CoV-2-Mpro have actually been authorized for COVID-19 treatment (nirmatrelvir, ensitrelvir, leritrelvir and simnotrelvir) and more such as EDP-235, FB-2001 and STI-1558/Olgotrelvir or five undisclosed compounds (CDI-988, ASC11, ALG-097558, QLS1128 and H-10517) are undergoing clinical trials. This review is an attempt to picture this quite unprecedented medicinal chemistry feat and provide insights on how these cysteine protease inhibitors were discovered. Since many series of covalent SARS-CoV-2-Mpro inhibitors owe some of their origins to previous work on other proteases, we first provided a description of various inhibitors of cysteine-bearing human caspase-1 or cathepsin K, as well as inhibitors of serine proteases such as human dipeptidyl peptidase-4 or the hepatitis C protein complex NS3/4A. This is then followed by a description of the results of the approaches adopted (repurposing, structure-based and high throughput screening) to discover coronavirus main protease inhibitors.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yves L Janin
- Structure et Instabilité des Génomes (StrInG), Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, INSERM, CNRS, Alliance Sorbonne Université 75005 Paris France
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Kandeel M. An overview of the recent progress in Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV) drug discovery. Expert Opin Drug Discov 2023; 18:385-400. [PMID: 36971501 DOI: 10.1080/17460441.2023.2192921] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/29/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION The Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) has remained a public health concern since it first emerged in 2012. Although many potential treatments for MERS-CoV have been developed and tested, none have had complete success in stopping the spread of this deadly disease. MERS-CoV replication comprises attachment, entry, fusion and replication steps. Targeting these events may lead to the creation of medications that effectively treat MERS-CoV infection. AREAS COVERED This review updates the research on the development of inhibitors of MERS-CoV. The main topics are MERS-CoV‒related proteins and host cell proteins that are involved in viral protein activation and infection. EXPERT OPINION Research on discovering drugs that can inhibit MERS-CoV started at a slow pace, and although efforts have steadily increased, clinical trials for new drugs specifically targeting MERS-CoV have not been extensive enough. The explosion in efforts to find new medications for the SARS-CoV-2 virus indirectly enhanced the volume of data on MERS-CoV inhibition by including MERS-CoV in drug assays. The appearance of COVID-19 completely transformed the data available on MERS-CoV inhibition. Despite the fact that new infected cases are constantly being diagnosed, there are currently no approved vaccines for or inhibitors of MERS-CoV.
Collapse
|
6
|
Pozzi C, Vanet A, Francesconi V, Tagliazucchi L, Tassone G, Venturelli A, Spyrakis F, Mazzorana M, Costi MP, Tonelli M. Antitarget, Anti-SARS-CoV-2 Leads, Drugs, and the Drug Discovery-Genetics Alliance Perspective. J Med Chem 2023; 66:3664-3702. [PMID: 36857133 PMCID: PMC10005815 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.2c01229] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/02/2023]
Abstract
The most advanced antiviral molecules addressing major SARS-CoV-2 targets (Main protease, Spike protein, and RNA polymerase), compared with proteins of other human pathogenic coronaviruses, may have a short-lasting clinical efficacy. Accumulating knowledge on the mechanisms underlying the target structural basis, its mutational progression, and the related biological significance to virus replication allows envisaging the development of better-targeted therapies in the context of COVID-19 epidemic and future coronavirus outbreaks. The identification of evolutionary patterns based solely on sequence information analysis for those targets can provide meaningful insights into the molecular basis of host-pathogen interactions and adaptation, leading to drug resistance phenomena. Herein, we will explore how the study of observed and predicted mutations may offer valuable suggestions for the application of the so-called "synthetic lethal" strategy to SARS-CoV-2 Main protease and Spike protein. The synergy between genetics evidence and drug discovery may prioritize the development of novel long-lasting antiviral agents.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Cecilia Pozzi
- Department of Biotechnology, Chemistry and Pharmacy,
University of Siena, via Aldo Moro 2, 53100 Siena,
Italy
| | - Anne Vanet
- Université Paris Cité,
CNRS, Institut Jacques Monod, F-75013 Paris,
France
| | - Valeria Francesconi
- Department of Pharmacy, University of
Genoa, viale Benedetto XV n.3, 16132 Genoa, Italy
| | - Lorenzo Tagliazucchi
- Department of Life Science, University of
Modena and Reggio Emilia, via Campi 103, 41125 Modena,
Italy
- Doctorate School in Clinical and Experimental Medicine
(CEM), University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Via Campi 287,
41125 Modena, Italy
| | - Giusy Tassone
- Department of Biotechnology, Chemistry and Pharmacy,
University of Siena, via Aldo Moro 2, 53100 Siena,
Italy
| | - Alberto Venturelli
- Department of Life Science, University of
Modena and Reggio Emilia, via Campi 103, 41125 Modena,
Italy
| | - Francesca Spyrakis
- Department of Drug Science and Technology,
University of Turin, Via Giuria 9, 10125 Turin,
Italy
| | - Marco Mazzorana
- Diamond Light Source, Harwell Science and
Innovation Campus, Didcot, Oxfordshire OX11 0DE,
U.K.
| | - Maria P. Costi
- Department of Life Science, University of
Modena and Reggio Emilia, via Campi 103, 41125 Modena,
Italy
| | - Michele Tonelli
- Department of Pharmacy, University of
Genoa, viale Benedetto XV n.3, 16132 Genoa, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Ali Dahhas M, M Alkahtani H, Malik A, Almehizia AA, Bakheit AH, Akber Ansar S, AlAbdulkarim AS, S Alrasheed L, Alsenaidy MA. Screening and identification of potential MERS-CoV papain-like protease (PLpro) inhibitors; Steady-state kinetic and Molecular dynamic studies. Saudi Pharm J 2023; 31:228-244. [PMID: 36540698 PMCID: PMC9756750 DOI: 10.1016/j.jsps.2022.12.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2022] [Revised: 12/11/2022] [Accepted: 12/12/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
MERS-CoV belongs to the coronavirus group. Recent years have seen a rash of coronavirus epidemics. In June 2012, MERS-CoV was discovered in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, with 2,591 MERSA cases confirmed by lab tests by the end of August 2022 and 894 deaths at a case-fatality ratio (CFR) of 34.5% documented worldwide. Saudi Arabia reported the majority of these cases, with 2,184 cases and 813 deaths (CFR: 37.2%), necessitating a thorough understanding of the molecular machinery of MERS-CoV. To develop antiviral medicines, illustrative investigation of the protein in coronavirus subunits are required to increase our understanding of the subject. In this study, recombinant expression and purification of MERS-CoV (PLpro), a primary goal for the development of 22 new inhibitors, were completed using a high throughput screening methodology that employed fragment-based libraries in conjunction with structure-based virtual screening. Compounds 2, 7, and 20, showed significant biological activity. Moreover, a docking analysis revealed that the three compounds had favorable binding mood and binding free energy. Molecular dynamic simulation demonstrated the stability of compound 2 (2-((Benzimidazol-2-yl) thio)-1-arylethan-1-ones) the strongest inhibitory activity against the PLpro enzyme. In addition, disubstitutions at the meta and para locations are the only substitutions that may boost the inhibitory action against PLpro. Compound 2 was chosen as a MERS-CoV PLpro inhibitor after passing absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion studies; however, further investigations are required.
Collapse
Key Words
- 3CLpro, 3-Chymotrypsin -like Protease
- ADMET, Absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion and toxicity
- CFR, Case fatality rate
- DTT, Dithiothreitol
- Drug Design
- Drug Discovery
- E. coli, Escherichia coli
- EDTA, Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid
- HCoV-, Human Coronavirus
- HIA, Human intestinal absorption
- His-tag, Histidine tag
- IPTG, Isopropyl b-D-1-thiogalactopyranoside
- Inhibitors
- Kan, Kanamicyn
- LB, Luria–Bertani
- MD, Molecular dynamic
- MERS-CoV PLpro Inhibitors
- MOE, Molecular Operating Environment
- MPLpro, MERS papain-like protease
- Molecular Docking
- Molecular dynamic simulation
- Ni-NTA, Nickel-nitrilotri
- Nonstructural proteins
- PLIF, Protein- ligand interaction fingerprint
- Papain-like protease
- Protease
- RMSD, Root Mean Square Deviation
- RMSF, Root Mean Square Fluctuation
- pp1a, Polyprotein 1a
- pp1b, Polyprotein 1b
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mohammed Ali Dahhas
- Department of Pharmaceutics, College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, P.O. Box 2457, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia
| | - Hamad M Alkahtani
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Department Chairman, P.O. Box 2457, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia
| | - Ajamaluddin Malik
- Department of Biochemistry, College of Science, King Saud University. King Saud University, PO Box 2455, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia
| | | | - Ahmed H Bakheit
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Department Chairman, P.O. Box 2457, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia
| | - Siddique Akber Ansar
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Department Chairman, P.O. Box 2457, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia
| | - Abdullah S AlAbdulkarim
- Department of Pharmaceutics, College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, P.O. Box 2457, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia
| | - Lamees S Alrasheed
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Department Chairman, P.O. Box 2457, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia
| | - Mohammad A Alsenaidy
- Department of Pharmaceutics, College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, P.O. Box 2457, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Nandi R, Bhowmik D, Srivastava R, Prakash A, Kumar D. Discovering potential inhibitors against SARS-CoV-2 by targeting Nsp13 Helicase. J Biomol Struct Dyn 2022; 40:12062-12074. [PMID: 34455933 DOI: 10.1080/07391102.2021.1970024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
The rise in the incidence of COVID-19 as a result of SARS-CoV-2 infection has threatened public health globally. Till now, there have been no proper prophylactics available to fight COVID-19, necessitating the advancement and evolution of effective curative against SARS-CoV-2. This study aimed at the nonstructural protein 13 (nsp13) helicase as a promising target for drug development against COVID-19. A unique collection of nucleoside analogs was screened against the SARS-CoV-2 helicase protein, for which a molecular docking experiment was executed to depict the selected ligand's binding affinity with the SARS-CoV-2 helicase proteins. Simultaneously, molecular dynamic simulations were performed to examine the protein's binding site's conformational stability, flexibility, and interaction with the ligands. Key nucleoside ligands were selected for pharmacokinetic analysis based on their docking scores. Selected ligands (cordycepin and pritelivir) showed excellent pharmacokinetics and were well stabilized at the proteins' binding site throughout the MD simulation. We have also performed binding free energy analysis or the binding characteristics of ligands with Nsp13 by using MM-PBSA and MM-GBSA. Free energy calculation by MM-PBSA and MM-GBSA analysis suggests that pritelivir may work as viable therapeutics for efficient drug advancement against SARS-CoV-2 Nsp13 helicase, potentially arresting the SARS-CoV-2 replication.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Rajat Nandi
- Department of Microbiology, Assam University, Silchar, Assam, India
| | - Deep Bhowmik
- Department of Microbiology, Assam University, Silchar, Assam, India
| | - Rakesh Srivastava
- School of Computational and Integrative Sciences, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, Delhi, India
| | - Amresh Prakash
- Amity Institute of Integrative Sciences and Health, Amity University Haryana, Gurgaon, Haryana, India
| | - Diwakar Kumar
- Department of Microbiology, Assam University, Silchar, Assam, India
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Paxlovid: Mechanism of Action, Synthesis, and In Silico Study. BIOMED RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2022; 2022:7341493. [PMID: 35845944 PMCID: PMC9283023 DOI: 10.1155/2022/7341493] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2022] [Revised: 05/26/2022] [Accepted: 06/15/2022] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
In this work, the discovery and description of PF-07321332, a major bioavailable oral SARS-CoV-2 protease inhibitor with in vitro human coronavirus antiviral activity, and excellent selection of off-target and in vivo immune profiles are reported. Various drugs and novel compound candidates for the treatment of the COVID-19 pandemic have been developed. PF-07321332 (or nirmatrelvir) is a new oral antiviral drug developed by Pfizer. In response to the pandemic, Pfizer has developed the COVID vaccine and in 2022 will launch its new major anti-SARS-Cov-2 protease inhibitor (PI). The combination of ritonavir and nirmatrelvir is under study in phase III of the clinical trial with a brand name Paxlovid. Paxlovid is an active 3Cl protease inhibitor. Paxlovid exerts its antiviral efficacy by inhibiting a necessary protease in the viral replication procedure. Proteases of coronavirus cleave several sites in the viral polyprotein where pyrrolidone was replaced by flexible glutamine. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, there is high demand for synthesis and development of this novel drug. Herein, we report the synthetic route and the mechanism of action was recently published on nirmatrelvir. Also, a comparison of the performance of two new oral antiviruses (molnupiravir and nirmatrelvir) for the treatment of COVID-19 is described. This review will be helpful for different disciplines such as biochemistry, organic chemistry, medicinal chemistry, and pharmacology.
Collapse
|
10
|
Wu WL, Chiang CY, Lai SC, Yu CY, Huang YL, Liao HC, Liao CL, Chen HW, Liu SJ. Monoclonal antibody targeting the conserved region of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein to overcome viral variants. JCI Insight 2022; 7:157597. [PMID: 35290246 PMCID: PMC9089791 DOI: 10.1172/jci.insight.157597] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2021] [Accepted: 03/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Most therapeutic mAbs target the receptor-binding domain (RBD) of the spike protein of SARS-CoV-2. Unfortunately, the RBD is a hot spot for mutations in SARS-CoV-2 variants, which will lead to loss of the neutralizing function of current therapeutic mAbs. Universal mAbs for different variants are necessary. We identified mAbs that recognized the S2 region of the spike protein, which is identical in different variants. The mAbs could neutralize SARS-CoV-2 infection and protect animals from SARS-CoV-2 challenge. After cloning the variable region of the light chain and heavy chain, the variable region sequences were humanized to select a high-affinity humanized mAb, hMab5.17. hMab5.17 protected animals from SARS-CoV-2 challenge and neutralized SARS-CoV-2 variant infection. We further identified the linear epitope of the mAb, which is not mutated in any variant of concern. These data suggest that a mAb recognizing the S2 region of the spike protein will be a potential universal therapeutic mAb for COVID-19.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Wan-Ling Wu
- National Institute of Infectious Diseases and Vaccinology, National Health Research Institutes, Miaoli, Taiwan
| | - Chen-Yi Chiang
- National Institute of Infectious Diseases and Vaccinology, National Health Research Institutes, Miaoli, Taiwan
| | - Szu-Chia Lai
- Institute of Preventive Medicine, National Defense Medical Center, New Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Chia-Yi Yu
- National Institute of Infectious Diseases and Vaccinology, National Health Research Institutes, Miaoli, Taiwan
| | - Yu-Ling Huang
- National Institute of Infectious Diseases and Vaccinology, National Health Research Institutes, Miaoli, Taiwan
| | - Hung-Chun Liao
- National Institute of Infectious Diseases and Vaccinology, National Health Research Institutes, Miaoli, Taiwan
| | - Ching-Len Liao
- National Institute of Infectious Diseases and Vaccinology, National Health Research Institutes, Miaoli, Taiwan
| | - Hsin-Wei Chen
- National Institute of Infectious Diseases and Vaccinology, National Health Research Institutes, Miaoli, Taiwan
| | - Shih-Jen Liu
- National Institute of Infectious Diseases and Vaccinology, National Health Research Institutes, Miaoli, Taiwan
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Cannalire R, Cerchia C, Beccari AR, Di Leva FS, Summa V. Targeting SARS-CoV-2 Proteases and Polymerase for COVID-19 Treatment: State of the Art and Future Opportunities. J Med Chem 2022; 65:2716-2746. [PMID: 33186044 PMCID: PMC7688049 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.0c01140] [Citation(s) in RCA: 123] [Impact Index Per Article: 61.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
The newly emerged coronavirus, called SARS-CoV-2, is the causing pathogen of pandemic COVID-19. The identification of drugs to treat COVID-19 and other coronavirus diseases is an urgent global need, thus different strategies targeting either virus or host cell are still under investigation. Direct-acting agents, targeting protease and polymerase functionalities, represent a milestone in antiviral therapy. The 3C-like (or Main) protease (3CLpro) and the nsp12 RNA-dependent RNA-polymerase (RdRp) are the best characterized SARS-CoV-2 targets and show the highest degree of conservation across coronaviruses fostering the identification of broad-spectrum inhibitors. Coronaviruses also possess a papain-like protease, another essential enzyme, still poorly characterized and not equally conserved, limiting the identification of broad-spectrum agents. Herein, we provide an exhaustive comparative analysis of SARS-CoV-2 proteases and RdRp with respect to other coronavirus homologues. Moreover, we highlight the most promising inhibitors of these proteins reported so far, including the possible strategies for their further development.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Rolando Cannalire
- Department
of Pharmacy, University of Naples “Federico
II”, via D. Montesano 49, 80131 Napoli, Italy
| | - Carmen Cerchia
- Department
of Pharmacy, University of Naples “Federico
II”, via D. Montesano 49, 80131 Napoli, Italy
| | | | - Francesco Saverio Di Leva
- Department
of Pharmacy, University of Naples “Federico
II”, via D. Montesano 49, 80131 Napoli, Italy
| | - Vincenzo Summa
- Department
of Pharmacy, University of Naples “Federico
II”, via D. Montesano 49, 80131 Napoli, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Cannalire R, Cerchia C, Beccari AR, Di Leva FS, Summa V. Targeting SARS-CoV-2 Proteases and Polymerase for COVID-19 Treatment: State of the Art and Future Opportunities. J Med Chem 2022. [PMID: 33186044 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.0c01140/suppl_file/jm0c01140_si_001.pdf] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
The newly emerged coronavirus, called SARS-CoV-2, is the causing pathogen of pandemic COVID-19. The identification of drugs to treat COVID-19 and other coronavirus diseases is an urgent global need, thus different strategies targeting either virus or host cell are still under investigation. Direct-acting agents, targeting protease and polymerase functionalities, represent a milestone in antiviral therapy. The 3C-like (or Main) protease (3CLpro) and the nsp12 RNA-dependent RNA-polymerase (RdRp) are the best characterized SARS-CoV-2 targets and show the highest degree of conservation across coronaviruses fostering the identification of broad-spectrum inhibitors. Coronaviruses also possess a papain-like protease, another essential enzyme, still poorly characterized and not equally conserved, limiting the identification of broad-spectrum agents. Herein, we provide an exhaustive comparative analysis of SARS-CoV-2 proteases and RdRp with respect to other coronavirus homologues. Moreover, we highlight the most promising inhibitors of these proteins reported so far, including the possible strategies for their further development.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Rolando Cannalire
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Naples "Federico II", via D. Montesano 49, 80131 Napoli, Italy
| | - Carmen Cerchia
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Naples "Federico II", via D. Montesano 49, 80131 Napoli, Italy
| | - Andrea R Beccari
- Dompé Farmaceutici SpA, via Campo di Pile, 67100 L'Aquila, Italy
| | - Francesco Saverio Di Leva
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Naples "Federico II", via D. Montesano 49, 80131 Napoli, Italy
| | - Vincenzo Summa
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Naples "Federico II", via D. Montesano 49, 80131 Napoli, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Abstract
Viral proteases are diverse in structure, oligomeric state, catalytic mechanism, and substrate specificity. This chapter focuses on proteases from viruses that are relevant to human health: human immunodeficiency virus subtype 1 (HIV-1), hepatitis C (HCV), human T-cell leukemia virus type 1 (HTLV-1), flaviviruses, enteroviruses, and coronaviruses. The proteases of HIV-1 and HCV have been successfully targeted for therapeutics, with picomolar FDA-approved drugs currently used in the clinic. The proteases of HTLV-1 and the other virus families remain emerging therapeutic targets at different stages of the drug development process. This chapter provides an overview of the current knowledge on viral protease structure, mechanism, substrate recognition, and inhibition. Particular focus is placed on recent advances in understanding the molecular basis of diverse substrate recognition and resistance, which is essential toward designing novel protease inhibitors as antivirals.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jacqueto Zephyr
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, United States
| | - Nese Kurt Yilmaz
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, United States
| | - Celia A Schiffer
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, United States.
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Ullrich S, Sasi VM, Mahawaththa MC, Ekanayake KB, Morewood R, George J, Shuttleworth L, Zhang X, Whitefield C, Otting G, Jackson C, Nitsche C. Challenges of short substrate analogues as SARS-CoV-2 main protease inhibitors. Bioorg Med Chem Lett 2021; 50:128333. [PMID: 34418570 PMCID: PMC8378659 DOI: 10.1016/j.bmcl.2021.128333] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2021] [Revised: 08/09/2021] [Accepted: 08/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Specific anti-coronaviral drugs complementing available vaccines are urgently needed to fight the COVID-19 pandemic. Given its high conservation across the betacoronavirus genus and dissimilarity to human proteases, the SARS-CoV-2 main protease (Mpro) is an attractive drug target. SARS-CoV-2 Mpro inhibitors have been developed at unprecedented speed, most of them being substrate-derived peptidomimetics with cysteine-modifying warheads. In this study, Mpro has proven resistant towards the identification of high-affinity short substrate-derived peptides and peptidomimetics without warheads. 20 cyclic and linear substrate analogues bearing natural and unnatural residues, which were predicted by computational modelling to bind with high affinity and designed to establish structure-activity relationships, displayed no inhibitory activity at concentrations as high as 100 μM. Only a long linear peptide covering residues P6 to P5' displayed moderate inhibition (Ki = 57 µM). Our detailed findings will inform current and future drug discovery campaigns targeting Mpro.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sven Ullrich
- Research School of Chemistry, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia
| | - Vishnu M Sasi
- Research School of Chemistry, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia
| | - Mithun C Mahawaththa
- Research School of Chemistry, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia
| | - Kasuni B Ekanayake
- Research School of Chemistry, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia
| | - Richard Morewood
- Research School of Chemistry, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia
| | - Josemon George
- Research School of Chemistry, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia
| | - Laura Shuttleworth
- Research School of Chemistry, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia
| | - Xiaobai Zhang
- Research School of Chemistry, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia
| | - Cassidy Whitefield
- Research School of Chemistry, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia
| | - Gottfried Otting
- Research School of Chemistry, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia
| | - Colin Jackson
- Research School of Chemistry, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia
| | - Christoph Nitsche
- Research School of Chemistry, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia.
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Wang S, Sun Q, Xu Y, Pei J, Lai L. A transferable deep learning approach to fast screen potential antiviral drugs against SARS-CoV-2. Brief Bioinform 2021; 22:6291517. [PMID: 34081143 PMCID: PMC8195169 DOI: 10.1093/bib/bbab211] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2021] [Revised: 04/29/2021] [Accepted: 05/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic calls for rapid development of effective treatments. Although various drug repurpose approaches have been used to screen the FDA-approved drugs and drug candidates in clinical phases against SARS-CoV-2, the coronavirus that causes this disease, no magic bullets have been found until now. In this study, we used directed message passing neural network to first build a broad-spectrum anti-beta-coronavirus compound prediction model, which gave satisfactory predictions on newly reported active compounds against SARS-CoV-2. Then, we applied transfer learning to fine-tune the model with the recently reported anti-SARS-CoV-2 compounds and derived a SARS-CoV-2 specific prediction model COVIDVS-3. We used COVIDVS-3 to screen a large compound library with 4.9 million drug-like molecules from ZINC15 database and recommended a list of potential anti-SARS-CoV-2 compounds for further experimental testing. As a proof-of-concept, we experimentally tested seven high-scored compounds that also demonstrated good binding strength in docking studies against the 3C-like protease of SARS-CoV-2 and found one novel compound that can inhibit the enzyme. Our model is highly efficient and can be used to screen large compound databases with millions or more compounds to accelerate the drug discovery process for the treatment of COVID-19.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Shiwei Wang
- Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Peking University, Beijing 100871, PR China
| | - Qi Sun
- College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Peking University, Beijing 100871, PR China
| | - Youjun Xu
- College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Peking University, Beijing 100871, PR China
| | - Jianfeng Pei
- Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Peking University, Beijing 100871, PR China
| | - Luhua Lai
- College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Peking University, Beijing 100871, PR China
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Sisakht M, Mahmoodzadeh A, Darabian M. Plant-derived chemicals as potential inhibitors of SARS-CoV-2 main protease (6LU7), a virtual screening study. Phytother Res 2021; 35:3262-3274. [PMID: 33759279 PMCID: PMC8251402 DOI: 10.1002/ptr.7041] [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: 04/28/2020] [Revised: 01/22/2021] [Accepted: 01/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
SARS-CoV-2 has caused millions of infections and more than 700,000 deaths. Taking the urgent need to find new therapeutics for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), a dataset of plant-based natural compounds was selected for the screening of antiviral activity. The viral 3-chymotrypsin-like cysteine protease (Mpro, 3CLpro) was selected as the target. Molecular docking was performed on 2,845 phytochemicals to estimate the spatial affinity for the active sites of the enzyme. The ADMET screening was used for the pharmacological and physicochemical properties of the hit compounds. Nelfinavir and Lopinavir were used as control for binding energy comparison. The top 10 hits, based on the binding energy (Kcal/mol), were Ginkgolide M (-11.2), Mezerein (-11), Tubocurarine (-10.9), Gnidicin (-10.4), Glycobismine A (-10.4), Sciadopitysin Z-10.2), Gnididin (-9.2), Glycobismine A (-10.4), Sciadopitysin (-10.2), Gnididin (-9.20, Emetine (-8.7), Vitexin (-8.3), Calophyllolide (-8.3), and 6-(3,3-Dimethylallyl)galangin (-7.9). The binding energy for nelfinavir and lopinavir were - 9.1 and - 8.4, respectively. Interestingly, some of these natural products were previously shown to possess antiviral properties against various viruses, such as HIV, Zika, and Ebola viruses. Herein, we suggest several phytochemicals as the inhibitors of the main protease of SARS-CoV-2 that could be used in the fight against COVID-19.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mohsen Sisakht
- Biochemistry DepartmentShiraz University of Medical SciencesShirazIran
| | - Amir Mahmoodzadeh
- Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences Vice Chancellor for Research and Technology, Medical Biology Research Center, Health Technology InstituteKermanshahIran
| | - Maryam Darabian
- Shiraz Medical School, Department of Radiology, Faculty of Paramedical SciencesShiraz University of Medical SciencesShirazIran
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Kamat S, Kumari M. Repurposing Chloroquine Against Multiple Diseases With Special Attention to SARS-CoV-2 and Associated Toxicity. Front Pharmacol 2021; 12:576093. [PMID: 33912030 PMCID: PMC8072386 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2021.576093] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2020] [Accepted: 02/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Chloroquine and its derivatives have been used since ages to treat malaria and have also been approved by the FDA to treat autoimmune diseases. The drug employs pH-dependent inhibition of functioning and signalling of the endosome, lysosome and trans-Golgi network, immunomodulatory actions, inhibition of autophagy and interference with receptor binding to treat cancer and many viral diseases. The ongoing pandemic of COVID-19 has brought the whole world on the knees, seeking an urgent hunt for an anti-SARS-CoV-2 drug. Chloroquine has shown to inhibit receptor binding of the viral particles, interferes with their replication and inhibits "cytokine storm". Though multiple modes of actions have been employed by chloroquine against multiple diseases, viral diseases can provide an added advantage to establish the anti-SARS-CoV-2 mechanism, the in vitro and in vivo trials against SARS-CoV-2 have yielded mixed results. The toxicological effects and dosage optimization of chloroquine have been studied for many diseases, though it needs a proper evaluation again as chloroquine is also associated with several toxicities. Moreover, the drug is inexpensive and is readily available in many countries. Though much of the hope has been created by chloroquine and its derivatives against multiple diseases, repurposing it against SARS-CoV-2 requires large scale, collaborative, randomized and unbiased clinical trials to avoid false promises. This review summarizes the use and the mechanism of chloroquine against multiple diseases, its side-effects, mechanisms and the different clinical trials ongoing against "COVID-19".
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Madhuree Kumari
- Department of Biochemistry, Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, India
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Kaur R, Kumar K. Synthetic and medicinal perspective of quinolines as antiviral agents. Eur J Med Chem 2021; 215:113220. [PMID: 33609889 PMCID: PMC7995244 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2021.113220] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2020] [Revised: 12/17/2020] [Accepted: 01/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
In current scenario, various heterocycles have come up exhibiting crucial role in various medicinal agents which are valuable for mankind. Out of diverse range of heterocycle, quinoline scaffold have been proved to play an important role in broad range of biological activities. Several drug molecules bearing a quinoline molecule with useful anticancer, antibacterial activities etc have been marketed such as chloroquine, saquinavir etc. Owing to their broad spectrum biological role, various synthetic strategies such as Skraup reaction, Combes reaction etc. has been developed by the researchers all over the world. But still the synthetic methods are associated with various limitations as formation of side products, use of expensive metal catalysts. Thus, several efforts to develop an efficient and cost effective synthetic protocol are still carried out till date. Moreover, quinoline scaffold displays remarkable antiviral activity. Therefore, in this review we have made an attempt to describe recent synthetic protocols developed by various research groups along with giving a complete explanation about the role of quinoline derivatives as antiviral agent. Quinoline derivatives were found potent against various strains of viruses like zika virus, enterovirus, herpes virus, human immunodeficiency virus, ebola virus, hepatitis C virus, SARS virus and MERS virus etc.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ramandeep Kaur
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Indo-Soviet Friendship College of Pharmacy (ISFCP), Moga, Punjab, 142001, India
| | - Kapil Kumar
- School of Pharmacy and Technology Management, SVKM's NMIMS, Hyderabad, Telangana, 509301, India.
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Murgolo N, Therien AG, Howell B, Klein D, Koeplinger K, Lieberman LA, Adam GC, Flynn J, McKenna P, Swaminathan G, Hazuda DJ, Olsen DB. SARS-CoV-2 tropism, entry, replication, and propagation: Considerations for drug discovery and development. PLoS Pathog 2021; 17:e1009225. [PMID: 33596266 PMCID: PMC7888651 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1009225] [Citation(s) in RCA: 126] [Impact Index Per Article: 42.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Since the initial report of the novel Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) emanating from Wuhan, China, Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has spread globally. While the effects of SARS-CoV-2 infection are not completely understood, there appears to be a wide spectrum of disease ranging from mild symptoms to severe respiratory distress, hospitalization, and mortality. There are no Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved treatments for COVID-19 aside from remdesivir; early efforts to identify efficacious therapeutics for COVID-19 have mainly focused on drug repurposing screens to identify compounds with antiviral activity against SARS-CoV-2 in cellular infection systems. These screens have yielded intriguing hits, but the use of nonhuman immortalized cell lines derived from non-pulmonary or gastrointestinal origins poses any number of questions in predicting the physiological and pathological relevance of these potential interventions. While our knowledge of this novel virus continues to evolve, our current understanding of the key molecular and cellular interactions involved in SARS-CoV-2 infection is discussed in order to provide a framework for developing the most appropriate in vitro toolbox to support current and future drug discovery efforts.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas Murgolo
- Department of Genetics and Pharmacogenomics, Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, New Jersey, United States of America
| | - Alex G. Therien
- Exploratory Science Center, Merck & Co., Inc., Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Bonnie Howell
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Vaccines, Merck & Co., Inc., West Point, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Daniel Klein
- Department of Computational and Structural Chemistry, Merck & Co., Inc., West Point, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Kenneth Koeplinger
- Department of Pharmacokinetics, Merck & Co., Inc., West Point, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Linda A. Lieberman
- Exploratory Science Center, Merck & Co., Inc., Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Gregory C. Adam
- Department of Quantitative Biosciences, Merck & Co., Inc., West Point, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Jessica Flynn
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Vaccines, Merck & Co., Inc., West Point, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Philip McKenna
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Vaccines, Merck & Co., Inc., West Point, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Gokul Swaminathan
- Exploratory Science Center, Merck & Co., Inc., Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Daria J. Hazuda
- Discovery Biology & Translational Medicine, Merck & Co., Inc., West Point, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - David B. Olsen
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Vaccines, Merck & Co., Inc., West Point, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
Drug Repurposing: Dipeptidyl Peptidase IV (DPP4) Inhibitors as Potential Agents to Treat SARS-CoV-2 (2019-nCoV) Infection. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2021; 14:ph14010044. [PMID: 33430081 PMCID: PMC7827924 DOI: 10.3390/ph14010044] [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: 12/20/2020] [Revised: 01/02/2021] [Accepted: 01/06/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
The current outbreak of severe acute respiratory distress syndrome (SARS) or nCOVID-19 pandemic, caused by the coronavirus-2 (CoV-2), continues to wreak havoc globally. As novel vaccines are being discovered and developed, small molecule drugs still constitute a viable treatment option for SARS-CoV-2 infections due to their advantages such as superior patient compliance for oral therapies, reduced manufacturing costs and ease of large scale distribution due to better stability and storage profiles. Discovering new drugs for SARS-CoV-2 infections is a time consuming and expensive proposition. In this regard, drug repurposing is an appealing approach which can provide rapid access to therapeutics with proven record of safety and efficacy. We investigated the drug repurposing potential of a library of dipeptidyl peptidase 4 (DPP4) inhibitors which are currently marketed for type-2 diabetes as treatment option for SARS-CoV-2 infections. These computational studies led to the identification of three marketed DPP4 inhibitors; gemigliptin, linagliptin and evogliptin as potential inhibitors of SARS-CoV-2 Mpro viral cysteine protease. In addition, our computational modeling shows that these drugs have the potential to inhibit other viral cysteine proteases from the beta coronavirus family, including the SAR-CoV Mpro and MERS-CoV CLpro suggesting their potential to be repurposed as broad-spectrum antiviral agents.
Collapse
|
21
|
Murugan NA, Raja KMP, Saraswathi NT. Peptide-Based Antiviral Drugs. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2021; 1322:261-284. [PMID: 34258744 DOI: 10.1007/978-981-16-0267-2_10] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Three types of chemical entities, namely, small organic molecules (organics), peptides, and biologics, are mainly used as drug candidates for the treatment of various diseases. Even though the peptide drugs are known since 1920 in association with the clinical use of insulin, only a limited number of peptides are currently used for therapeutics due to various disadvantages associated with them such as limited serum and blood stability, oral bioavailability, and permeability. Since, through chemical modifications and structure tuning, many of these limitations can be overcome, peptide-based drugs are gaining attention in pharmaceutical research. As of today, there are more than 60 peptide-based drugs approved by FDA, and over 150 peptides are in the advanced clinical studies. In this book chapter, the peptide-based lead compounds and drugs available for treating various viral diseases and their advantages and disadvantages when compared to small molecules drugs are discussed.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- N Arul Murugan
- Department of Theoretical Chemistry and Biology, School of Chemistry, Biotechnology and Health, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden.
| | - K Muruga Poopathi Raja
- Chemical Biology and Biophysics Laboratory, Department of Physical Chemistry, School of Chemistry, Madurai Kamaraj University, Madurai, Tamilnadu, India.
| | - N T Saraswathi
- School of Chemical & Biotechnology, Sastra Deemed University, Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu, India
| |
Collapse
|
22
|
Batalha PN, Forezi LSM, Lima CGS, Pauli FP, Boechat FCS, de Souza MCBV, Cunha AC, Ferreira VF, da Silva FDC. Drug repurposing for the treatment of COVID-19: Pharmacological aspects and synthetic approaches. Bioorg Chem 2021; 106:104488. [PMID: 33261844 PMCID: PMC7676325 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioorg.2020.104488] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2020] [Revised: 10/20/2020] [Accepted: 11/16/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
In December 2019, a new variant of SARS-CoV emerged, the so-called acute severe respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). This virus causes the new coronavirus disease (COVID-19) and has been plaguing the world owing to its unprecedented spread efficiency, which has resulted in a huge death toll. In this sense, the repositioning of approved drugs is the fastest way to an effective response to a pandemic outbreak of this scale. Considering these facts, in this review we provide a comprehensive and critical discussion on the chemical aspects surrounding the drugs currently being studied as candidates for COVID-19 therapy. We intend to provide the general chemical community with an overview on the synthetic/biosynthetic pathways related to such molecules, as well as their mechanisms of action against the evaluated viruses and some insights on the pharmacological interactions involved in each case. Overall, the review aims to present the chemical aspects of the main bioactive molecules being considered to be repositioned for effective treatment of COVID-19 in all phases, from the mildest to the most severe.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Pedro N Batalha
- Universidade Federal Fluminense, Departamento de Química Orgânica, Instituto de Química, Campus do Valonguinho, CEP 24020-150 Niterói, RJ, Brazil.
| | - Luana S M Forezi
- Universidade Federal Fluminense, Departamento de Química Orgânica, Instituto de Química, Campus do Valonguinho, CEP 24020-150 Niterói, RJ, Brazil
| | - Carolina G S Lima
- Universidade Federal Fluminense, Departamento de Química Orgânica, Instituto de Química, Campus do Valonguinho, CEP 24020-150 Niterói, RJ, Brazil
| | - Fernanda P Pauli
- Universidade Federal Fluminense, Departamento de Química Orgânica, Instituto de Química, Campus do Valonguinho, CEP 24020-150 Niterói, RJ, Brazil
| | - Fernanda C S Boechat
- Universidade Federal Fluminense, Departamento de Química Orgânica, Instituto de Química, Campus do Valonguinho, CEP 24020-150 Niterói, RJ, Brazil
| | - Maria Cecília B V de Souza
- Universidade Federal Fluminense, Departamento de Química Orgânica, Instituto de Química, Campus do Valonguinho, CEP 24020-150 Niterói, RJ, Brazil
| | - Anna C Cunha
- Universidade Federal Fluminense, Departamento de Química Orgânica, Instituto de Química, Campus do Valonguinho, CEP 24020-150 Niterói, RJ, Brazil
| | - Vitor F Ferreira
- Universidade Federal Fluminense, Faculdade de Farmácia, Departamento de Tecnologia Farmacêutica, CEP 24241-000 Niterói, RJ, Brazil.
| | - Fernando de C da Silva
- Universidade Federal Fluminense, Departamento de Química Orgânica, Instituto de Química, Campus do Valonguinho, CEP 24020-150 Niterói, RJ, Brazil.
| |
Collapse
|
23
|
Li C, Chu H, Liu X, Chiu MC, Zhao X, Wang D, Wei Y, Hou Y, Shuai H, Cai J, Chan JFW, Zhou J, Yuen KY. Human coronavirus dependency on host heat shock protein 90 reveals an antiviral target. Emerg Microbes Infect 2020; 9:2663-2672. [PMID: 33179566 PMCID: PMC7751432 DOI: 10.1080/22221751.2020.1850183] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Rapid accumulation of viral proteins in host cells render viruses highly dependent on cellular chaperones including heat shock protein 90 (Hsp90). Three highly pathogenic human coronaviruses, including MERS-CoV, SARS-CoV and SARS-CoV-2, have emerged in the past 2 decades. However, there is no approved antiviral agent against these coronaviruses. We inspected the role of Hsp90 for coronavirus propagation. First, an Hsp90 inhibitor, 17-AAG, significantly suppressed MERS-CoV propagation in cell lines and physiological-relevant human intestinal organoids. Second, siRNA depletion of Hsp90β, but not Hsp90α, significantly restricted MERS-CoV replication and abolished virus spread. Third, Hsp90β interaction with MERS-CoV nucleoprotein (NP) was revealed in a co-immunoprecipitation assay. Hsp90β is required to maintain NP stability. Fourth, 17-AAG substantially inhibited the propagation of SARS-CoV and SARS-CoV-2. Collectively, Hsp90 is a host dependency factor for human coronavirus MERS-CoV, SARS-CoV and SARS-COV-2. Hsp90 inhibitors can be repurposed as a potent and broad-spectrum antiviral against human coronaviruses.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Cun Li
- State Key Laboratory of Emerging Infectious Diseases, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, People's Republic of China.,Department of Microbiology, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, People's Republic of China
| | - Hin Chu
- State Key Laboratory of Emerging Infectious Diseases, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, People's Republic of China.,Department of Microbiology, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiaojuan Liu
- Department of Microbiology, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, People's Republic of China
| | - Man Chun Chiu
- Department of Microbiology, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiaoyu Zhao
- Department of Microbiology, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, People's Republic of China
| | - Dong Wang
- Department of Microbiology, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, People's Republic of China
| | - Yuxuan Wei
- Department of Microbiology, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, People's Republic of China
| | - Yuxin Hou
- Department of Microbiology, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, People's Republic of China
| | - Huiping Shuai
- Department of Microbiology, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, People's Republic of China
| | - Jianpiao Cai
- Department of Microbiology, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, People's Republic of China
| | - Jasper Fuk-Woo Chan
- State Key Laboratory of Emerging Infectious Diseases, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, People's Republic of China.,Department of Microbiology, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, People's Republic of China.,Carol Yu Centre for Infection, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, People's Republic of China
| | - Jie Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Emerging Infectious Diseases, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, People's Republic of China.,Department of Microbiology, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, People's Republic of China
| | - Kwok Yung Yuen
- State Key Laboratory of Emerging Infectious Diseases, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, People's Republic of China.,Department of Microbiology, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, People's Republic of China.,Carol Yu Centre for Infection, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, People's Republic of China
| |
Collapse
|
24
|
Gahlawat A, Kumar N, Kumar R, Sandhu H, Singh IP, Singh S, Sjöstedt A, Garg P. Structure-Based Virtual Screening to Discover Potential Lead Molecules for the SARS-CoV-2 Main Protease. J Chem Inf Model 2020; 60:5781-5793. [PMID: 32687345 PMCID: PMC7409927 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jcim.0c00546] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2020] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
The COVID-19 disease is caused by a new strain of the coronavirus family (SARS-CoV-2), and it has affected at present millions of people all over the world. The indispensable role of the main protease (Mpro) in viral replication and gene expression makes this enzyme an attractive drug target. Therefore, inhibition of SARS-CoV-2 Mpro as a proposition to halt virus ingression is being pursued by scientists globally. Here we carried out a study with two objectives: the first being to perform comparative protein sequence and 3D structural analysis to understand the effect of 12 point mutations on the active site. Among these, two mutations, viz., Ser46 and Phe134, were found to cause a significant change at the active sites of SARS-CoV-2. The Ser46 mutation present at the entrance of the S5 subpocket of SARS-CoV-2 increases the contribution of other two hydrophilic residues, while the Phe134 mutation, present in the catalytic cysteine loop, can cause an increase in catalytic efficiency of Mpro by facilitating fast proton transfer from the Cys145 to His41 residue. It was observed that active site remained conserved among Mpro of both SARS-CoVs, except at the entrance of the S5 subpocket, suggesting sustenance of substrate specificity. The second objective was to screen the inhibitory effects of three different data sets (natural products, coronaviruses main protease inhibitors, and FDA-approved drugs) using a structure-based virtual screening approach. A total of 73 hits had a combo score >2.0. Eight different structural scaffold classes were identified, such as one/two tetrahydropyran ring(s), dipeptide/tripeptide/oligopeptide, large (approximately 20 atoms) cyclic peptide, and miscellaneous. The screened hits showed key interactions with subpockets of the active site. Further, molecular dynamics studies of selected screened compounds confirmed their perfect fitting into the subpockets of the active site. This study suggests promising structures that can fit into the SARS-CoV-2 Mpro active site and also offers direction for further lead optimization and rational drug design.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Anuj Gahlawat
- Department of Pharmacoinformatics,
National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and
Research (NIPER), S.A.S. Nagar 160062, Punjab,
India
| | - Navneet Kumar
- Department of Pharmacoinformatics,
National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and
Research (NIPER), S.A.S. Nagar 160062, Punjab,
India
| | - Rajender Kumar
- Department of Clinical Microbiology
and Laboratory for Molecular Infection Medicine Sweden (MIMS),
Umeå University, SE-90185
Umeå, Sweden
| | - Hardeep Sandhu
- Department of Pharmacoinformatics,
National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and
Research (NIPER), S.A.S. Nagar 160062, Punjab,
India
| | - Inder Pal Singh
- Department of Natural Products,
National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and
Research (NIPER), S.A.S. Nagar 160062, Punjab,
India
| | - Saranjit Singh
- Department of Pharmaceutical Analysis,
National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and
Research (NIPER), S.A.S. Nagar 160062, Punjab,
India
| | - Anders Sjöstedt
- Department of Clinical Microbiology
and Laboratory for Molecular Infection Medicine Sweden (MIMS),
Umeå University, SE-90185
Umeå, Sweden
| | - Prabha Garg
- Department of Pharmacoinformatics,
National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and
Research (NIPER), S.A.S. Nagar 160062, Punjab,
India
| |
Collapse
|
25
|
Choudhry N, Zhao X, Xu D, Zanin M, Chen W, Yang Z, Chen J. Chinese Therapeutic Strategy for Fighting COVID-19 and Potential Small-Molecule Inhibitors against Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). J Med Chem 2020; 63:13205-13227. [PMID: 32845145 PMCID: PMC7489051 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.0c00626] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has led to more than 20 million people infected worldwide with an average mortality rate of 3.6%. This virus poses major challenges to public health, as it not only is highly contagious but also can be transmitted by asymptomatic infected individuals. COVID-19 is clinically difficult to manage due to a lack of specific antiviral drugs or vaccines. In this article, Chinese therapy strategies for treating COVID-19 patients, including current applications of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), are comprehensively reviewed. Furthermore, 72 small molecules from natural products and TCM with reported antiviral activity against human coronaviruses (CoVs) are identified from published literature, and their potential applications in combating SARS-CoV-2 are discussed. Among these, the clinical efficacies of some accessible drugs such as remdesivir (RDV) and favipiravir (FPV) for COVID-19 are emphatically summarized. We hope this review provides a foundation for managing the worsening pandemic and developing antivirals against SARS-CoV-2.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Namrta Choudhry
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of
Veterinary Pharmaceutics Development and Safety Evaluation, Guangdong
Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, College of Veterinary
Medicine, South China Agricultural
University, Guangzhou 510642,
China
| | - Xin Zhao
- Guangdong Institute of
Analysis (China National Analytical Center,
Guangzhou), Guangzhou 510070,
China
| | - Dan Xu
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of
Veterinary Pharmaceutics Development and Safety Evaluation, Guangdong
Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, College of Veterinary
Medicine, South China Agricultural
University, Guangzhou 510642,
China
| | - Mark Zanin
- State Key Laboratory of Respiratory
Disease, National Clinical Research Center for Respiratory Disease,
Guangzhou Institute of Respiratory Health, First
Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical
University, Guangzhou 510120,
China
- School of Public Health,
The University of Hong Kong, 7
Sassoon Road, Pokfulam, Hong Kong, SAR, China
| | - Weisan Chen
- Department of Biochemistry and
Genetics, La Trobe Institute for Molecular Science, La
Trobe University, Melbourne, Victoria 3086,
Australia
| | - Zifeng Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Respiratory
Disease, National Clinical Research Center for Respiratory Disease,
Guangzhou Institute of Respiratory Health, First
Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical
University, Guangzhou 510120,
China
| | - Jianxin Chen
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of
Veterinary Pharmaceutics Development and Safety Evaluation, Guangdong
Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, College of Veterinary
Medicine, South China Agricultural
University, Guangzhou 510642,
China
| |
Collapse
|
26
|
Parvathaneni V, Gupta V. Utilizing drug repurposing against COVID-19 - Efficacy, limitations, and challenges. Life Sci 2020; 259:118275. [PMID: 32818545 PMCID: PMC7430345 DOI: 10.1016/j.lfs.2020.118275] [Citation(s) in RCA: 72] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2020] [Revised: 08/10/2020] [Accepted: 08/10/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
The recent outbreak of Coronavirus disease (COVID-19), first in Eastern Asia and then essentially across the world has been declared a pandemic by the WHO. COVID-19 is caused by a novel virus SARS-CoV2 (2019-nCoV), against which there is currently no vaccine available; and current antiviral therapies have failed, causing a very high mortality rate. Drug repurposing i.e. utilizing an approved drug for different indication, offers a time- and cost-efficient alternative for making new therapies available to patients. Although there are several reports presenting novel approaches to treat COVID-19, still an attentive review of previous scientific literature is essential to overcome their failure to exhibit efficacy. There is an urgent need to provide a comprehensive outlook toward utilizing drug repurposing as a tool for discovery of new therapies against COVID-19. In this article, we aim to provide a to-the-point review of current literature regarding efficacy of repurposed drugs against COVID-19 and other respiratory infections caused by coronaviruses. We have briefly discussed COVID-19 epidemiology, and then have discussed drug repurposing approaches and examples, specific to respiratory viruses. Limitations of utilization of repurposed drug molecules such as dosage regimen and associated challenges such as localized delivery in respiratory tract have also been discussed in detail.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Vineela Parvathaneni
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, St. John's University, Queens, NY 11439, USA
| | - Vivek Gupta
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, St. John's University, Queens, NY 11439, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
27
|
Lee JY, Shin YS, Lee J, Kwon S, Jin YH, Jang MS, Kim S, Song JH, Kim HR, Park CM. Identification of 4-anilino-6-aminoquinazoline derivatives as potential MERS-CoV inhibitors. Bioorg Med Chem Lett 2020; 30:127472. [PMID: 32781216 PMCID: PMC7414322 DOI: 10.1016/j.bmcl.2020.127472] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2020] [Revised: 07/27/2020] [Accepted: 08/04/2020] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
New therapies for treating coronaviruses are urgently needed. A series of 4-anilino-6-aminoquinazoline derivatives were synthesized and evaluated to show high anti-MERS-CoV activities. N4-(3-Chloro-4-fluorophenyl)-N6-(3-methoxybenzyl)quinazoline-4,6-diamine (1) has been identified in a random screen as a hit compound for inhibiting MERS-CoV infection. Throughout optimization process, compound 20 was found to exhibit high inhibitory effect (IC50 = 0.157 μM, SI = 25) with no cytotoxicity and moderate in vivo PK properties.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jun Young Lee
- Center for Convergent Research of Emerging Virus Infection (CEVI), Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology, 141 Gajeong-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 34114, South Korea
| | - Young Sup Shin
- Center for Convergent Research of Emerging Virus Infection (CEVI), Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology, 141 Gajeong-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 34114, South Korea
| | - Jihye Lee
- Zoonotic Virus Laboratory, Institut Pasteur Korea, Seongnam-si, Gyeonggi-do 13488, South Korea
| | - Sunoh Kwon
- Center for Convergent Research of Emerging Virus Infection (CEVI), Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology, 141 Gajeong-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 34114, South Korea; Herbal Medicine Research Division, Korea Institute of Oriental Medicine, Daejeon 34054, South Korea
| | - Young-Hee Jin
- Center for Convergent Research of Emerging Virus Infection (CEVI), Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology, 141 Gajeong-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 34114, South Korea; KM Application Center, Korea Institute of Oriental Medicine, Dong-gu, Daegu 41062, South Korea
| | - Min Seong Jang
- Center for Convergent Research of Emerging Virus Infection (CEVI), Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology, 141 Gajeong-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 34114, South Korea; Department of Non-Clinical Studies, Korea Institute of Toxicology, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 34114, South Korea
| | - Seungtaek Kim
- Zoonotic Virus Laboratory, Institut Pasteur Korea, Seongnam-si, Gyeonggi-do 13488, South Korea
| | - Jong Hwan Song
- Center for Convergent Research of Emerging Virus Infection (CEVI), Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology, 141 Gajeong-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 34114, South Korea
| | - Hyoung Rae Kim
- Center for Convergent Research of Emerging Virus Infection (CEVI), Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology, 141 Gajeong-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 34114, South Korea
| | - Chul Min Park
- Center for Convergent Research of Emerging Virus Infection (CEVI), Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology, 141 Gajeong-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 34114, South Korea.
| |
Collapse
|
28
|
Pagliari F, Marafioti MG, Genard G, Candeloro P, Viglietto G, Seco J, Tirinato L. ssRNA Virus and Host Lipid Rearrangements: Is There a Role for Lipid Droplets in SARS-CoV-2 Infection? Front Mol Biosci 2020; 7:578964. [PMID: 33134318 PMCID: PMC7579428 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2020.578964] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2020] [Accepted: 09/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Since its appearance, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has immediately alarmed the World Health Organization for its very high contagiousness and the complexity of patient clinical profiles. The worldwide scientific community is today gathered in a massive effort in order to develop safe vaccines and effective therapies in the shortest possible time. Every day, new pieces of SARS-CoV-2 infective puzzle are disclosed. Based on knowledge gained with other related coronaviruses and, more in general, on single-strand RNA viruses, we highlight underexplored molecular routes in which lipids and lipid droplets (LDs) might serve essential functions in viral infections. In fact, both lipid homeostasis and the pathways connected to lipids seem to be fundamental in all phases of the coronavirus infection. This review aims at describing potential roles for lipid and LDs in host-virus interactions and suggesting LDs as new and central cellular organelles to be investigated as potential targets against SARS-CoV-2 infection.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Francesca Pagliari
- Biomedical Physics in Radiation Oncology, German Cancer Research Center, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Maria Grazia Marafioti
- Biomedical Physics in Radiation Oncology, German Cancer Research Center, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Geraldine Genard
- Biomedical Physics in Radiation Oncology, German Cancer Research Center, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Patrizio Candeloro
- BioNEM Laboratory, Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, Magna Graecia University, Catanzaro, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Viglietto
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, Magna Graecia University, Catanzaro, Italy
| | - Joao Seco
- Biomedical Physics in Radiation Oncology, German Cancer Research Center, Heidelberg, Germany.,Department of Physics and Astronomy, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Luca Tirinato
- Biomedical Physics in Radiation Oncology, German Cancer Research Center, Heidelberg, Germany.,BioNEM Laboratory, Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, Magna Graecia University, Catanzaro, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
29
|
Cao J, Wang L, Yu C, Wang K, Wang W, Yan J, Li Y, Yang Y, Wang X, Wang J. Development of an antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity reporter assay for measuring anti-Middle East Respiratory Syndrome antibody bioactivity. Sci Rep 2020; 10:16615. [PMID: 33024203 PMCID: PMC7538987 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-73960-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2020] [Accepted: 09/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Middle East Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) is a highly virulent pathogen that causes Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS). Anti-MERS-CoV antibodies play an integral role in the prevention and treatment against MERS-CoV infections. Bioactivity is a key quality attribute of therapeutic antibodies, and high accuracy and precision are required. The major methods for evaluating the antiviral effect of antiviral antibodies include neutralization assays using live viruses or pseudoviruses are highly variable. Recent studies have demonstrated that the antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC) activity of antiviral antibodies is more consistent with the virus clearance effect in vivo than neutralization activity. However, no reports evaluating the ADCC activity of anti-MERS antibodies have been published to date. Here, we describe the development of a robust and reliable cell-based reporter gene assay for the determination of ADCC activity of anti-MERS antibodies using 293T/MERS cells stably expressing the spike protein of MERS-CoV (MERS-S) as target cells and the engineered Jurkat/NFAT-luc/FcγRIIIa stably expressing FcγRIIIA and NFAT reporter gene as effector cells. According to the ICH-Q2 analytical method guidelines, we carefully optimized the experimental conditions and assessed the performance of our assay. In addition, we found that the ADCC activity of afucosylated anti-MERS antibodies is higher than their fucosylated counterparts. The establishment of this ADCC determination system provides a novel method for evaluating the bioactivity of anti-MERS antibodies and improving ADCC activity through modification of N-glycosylation of the Fc segment.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Junxia Cao
- Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Health for Research on Quality and Standardization of Biotech Products, National Institutes for Food and Drug Control, No. 31, Huotuo Road, Biomedical Base, Daxing District, Beijing, 102629, China.,Department of Physiology and Pathopysiology, Capital Medical University, Youanmen, Fengtai District, Beijing, 100069, China
| | - Lan Wang
- Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Health for Research on Quality and Standardization of Biotech Products, National Institutes for Food and Drug Control, No. 31, Huotuo Road, Biomedical Base, Daxing District, Beijing, 102629, China
| | - Chuanfei Yu
- Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Health for Research on Quality and Standardization of Biotech Products, National Institutes for Food and Drug Control, No. 31, Huotuo Road, Biomedical Base, Daxing District, Beijing, 102629, China
| | - Kaiqin Wang
- Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Health for Research on Quality and Standardization of Biotech Products, National Institutes for Food and Drug Control, No. 31, Huotuo Road, Biomedical Base, Daxing District, Beijing, 102629, China
| | - Wenbo Wang
- Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Health for Research on Quality and Standardization of Biotech Products, National Institutes for Food and Drug Control, No. 31, Huotuo Road, Biomedical Base, Daxing District, Beijing, 102629, China
| | - Jinghua Yan
- CAS Key Laboratory of Pathogenic Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Microbiology, Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
| | - Yan Li
- CAS Key Laboratory of Pathogenic Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Microbiology, Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
| | - Yalan Yang
- Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Health for Research on Quality and Standardization of Biotech Products, National Institutes for Food and Drug Control, No. 31, Huotuo Road, Biomedical Base, Daxing District, Beijing, 102629, China
| | - Xiaomin Wang
- Department of Physiology and Pathopysiology, Capital Medical University, Youanmen, Fengtai District, Beijing, 100069, China.
| | - Junzhi Wang
- Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Health for Research on Quality and Standardization of Biotech Products, National Institutes for Food and Drug Control, No. 31, Huotuo Road, Biomedical Base, Daxing District, Beijing, 102629, China.
| |
Collapse
|
30
|
Ullrich S, Nitsche C. The SARS-CoV-2 main protease as drug target. Bioorg Med Chem Lett 2020; 30:127377. [PMID: 32738988 PMCID: PMC7331567 DOI: 10.1016/j.bmcl.2020.127377] [Citation(s) in RCA: 436] [Impact Index Per Article: 109.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2020] [Revised: 06/27/2020] [Accepted: 06/29/2020] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
The unprecedented pandemic of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is threatening global health. The virus emerged in late 2019 and can cause a severe disease associated with significant mortality. Several vaccine development and drug discovery campaigns are underway. The SARS-CoV-2 main protease is considered a promising drug target, as it is dissimilar to human proteases. Sequence and structure of the main protease are closely related to those from other betacoronaviruses, facilitating drug discovery attempts based on previous lead compounds. Covalently binding peptidomimetics and small molecules are investigated. Various compounds show antiviral activity in infected human cells.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sven Ullrich
- Research School of Chemistry, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia
| | - Christoph Nitsche
- Research School of Chemistry, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia.
| |
Collapse
|
31
|
Peng M. Outbreak of COVID-19: An emerging global pandemic threat. Biomed Pharmacother 2020; 129:110499. [PMID: 32768974 PMCID: PMC7334916 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2020.110499] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2020] [Revised: 06/28/2020] [Accepted: 07/02/2020] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Since the first outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection in Wuhan, Hubei, China in December 2019, it is now recognized as a pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO) as more than 200 countries and territories worldwide are affected with an increasing incidence. The SARS-CoV-2 infection results in a spectrum of non-specific signs and symptoms, ranging from asymptomatic infection, to flu-like illness such as fever, cough, dry cough and fatigue, to pneumonia, acute respiratory distress syndrome, and even multi-organ failures with high morbidity and mortality. SARS-CoV-2 is mainly transmitted through respiratory droplets that infected people exhale during incubation and onset period. By 12 June 2020, over 7.5 million confirmed cases of Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) with more than 421,000 deaths in the world have been reported to the WHO. No specific medication is approved to treat COVID-19, raising the urgent need for antiviral drug development. By 12 June 2020, there are over 1000 clinical trials registered in clinicaltrials.gov for treatment of COVID-19. This review summarizes the epidemiology, virology, clinical presentation, pathophysiology, diagnosis, and particularly the antiviral drugs currently under clinical trials for treatment of SARS-CoV-2 infection, together with the challenges and perspectives of this disease are also discussed.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Minhua Peng
- Shenzhen International Institute for Biomedical Research, 518116 Shenzhen, Guangdong, China; Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 518055 Shenzhen, Guangdong, China.
| |
Collapse
|
32
|
Hussman JP. Cellular and Molecular Pathways of COVID-19 and Potential Points of Therapeutic Intervention. Front Pharmacol 2020; 11:1169. [PMID: 32848776 PMCID: PMC7406916 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2020.01169] [Citation(s) in RCA: 92] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2020] [Accepted: 07/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
With the objective of linking early findings relating to the novel SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus with potentially informative findings from prior research literature and to promote investigation toward therapeutic response, a coherent cellular and molecular pathway is proposed for COVID-19. The pathway is consistent with a broad range of observed clinical features and biological markers and captures key mediators of pathophysiology. In this proposed pathway, membrane fusion and cytoplasmic entry of SARS-CoV-2 virus via ACE2 and TMPRSS2-expressing respiratory epithelial cells, including pulmonary type-II pneumocytes, provoke an initial immune response featuring inflammatory cytokine production coupled with a weak interferon response, particularly in IFN-λ-dependent epithelial defense. Differentiation of non-classic pathogenic T-cells and pro-inflammatory intermediate monocytes contributes to a skewed inflammatory profile, mediated by membrane-bound immune receptor subtypes (e.g., FcγRIIA) and downstream signaling pathways (e.g., NF-κB p65 and p38 MAPK), followed by chemotactic infiltration of monocyte-derived macrophages and neutrophils into lung tissue. Endothelial barrier degradation and capillary leakage contribute to alveolar cell damage. Inflammatory cytokine release, delayed neutrophil apoptosis, and NETosis contribute to pulmonary thrombosis and cytokine storm. These mechanisms are concordant with observed clinical markers in COVID-19, including high expression of inflammatory cytokines on the TNF-α/IL-6 axis, elevated neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), diffuse alveolar damage via cell apoptosis in respiratory epithelia and vascular endothelia, elevated lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and CRP, high production of neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs), depressed platelet count, and thrombosis. Although certain elements are likely to be revised as new findings emerge, the proposed pathway suggests multiple points of investigation for potential therapeutic interventions. Initial candidate interventions include prophylaxis to augment epithelial defense (e.g., AT1 receptor blockade, type III and type I interferons, melatonin, calcitriol, camostat, and lopinavir) and to reduce viral load (e.g., remdesivir, ivermectin, emetine, Abelson kinase inhibitors, dopamine D2 antagonists, and selective estrogen receptor modulators). Additional interventions focus on tempering inflammatory signaling and injury (e.g., dexamethasone, doxycycline, Ang1-7, estradiol, alpha blockers, and DHA/EPA, pasireotide), as well as inhibitors targeted toward molecular mediators of the maladaptive COVID-19 immune response (e.g., IL-6, TNF-α, IL-17, JAK, and CDK9).
Collapse
|
33
|
Min JS, Kim GW, Kwon S, Jin YH. A Cell-Based Reporter Assay for Screening Inhibitors of MERS Coronavirus RNA-Dependent RNA Polymerase Activity. J Clin Med 2020; 9:E2399. [PMID: 32727069 PMCID: PMC7465106 DOI: 10.3390/jcm9082399] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2020] [Revised: 07/14/2020] [Accepted: 07/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS), and coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) are emerging zoonotic diseases caused by coronavirus (CoV) infections. The viral RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) has been suggested as a valuable target for antiviral therapeutics because the sequence homology of CoV RdRp is highly conserved. We established a cell-based reporter assay for MERS-CoV RdRp activity to test viral polymerase inhibitors. The cell-based reporter system was composed of the bicistronic reporter construct and the MERS-CoV nsp12 plasmid construct. Among the tested nine viral polymerase inhibitors, ribavirin, sofosbuvir, favipiravir, lamivudine, zidovudine, valacyclovir, vidarabine, dasabuvir, and remdesivir, only remdesivir exhibited a dose-dependent inhibition. Meanwhile, the Z-factor and Z'-factor of this assay for screening inhibitors of MERS-CoV RdRp activity were 0.778 and 0.782, respectively. Ribavirin and favipiravir did not inhibit the MERS-CoV RdRp activity, and non-nucleoside HCV RdRp inhibitor, dasabuvir, partially inhibited MERS-CoV RdRp activity. Taken together, the cell-based reporter assay for MERS-CoV RdRp activity confirmed remdesivir as a direct inhibitor of MERS-CoV RdRp in cells. A cell-based MERS-CoV RdRp activity reporter assay is reliable and accurate for screening MERS-CoV RdRp-specific inhibitors. It may provide a valuable platform for developing antiviral drugs for emerging CoV infections.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jung Sun Min
- Herbal Medicine Research Division, Korea Institute of Oriental Medicine, Daejeon 34054, Korea; (J.S.M.); (G.-W.K.)
- Center for Convergent Research of Emerging Virus Infection, Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology, Daejeon 34114, Korea
| | - Geon-Woo Kim
- Herbal Medicine Research Division, Korea Institute of Oriental Medicine, Daejeon 34054, Korea; (J.S.M.); (G.-W.K.)
- Center for Convergent Research of Emerging Virus Infection, Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology, Daejeon 34114, Korea
| | - Sunoh Kwon
- Herbal Medicine Research Division, Korea Institute of Oriental Medicine, Daejeon 34054, Korea; (J.S.M.); (G.-W.K.)
- Center for Convergent Research of Emerging Virus Infection, Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology, Daejeon 34114, Korea
| | - Young-Hee Jin
- Center for Convergent Research of Emerging Virus Infection, Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology, Daejeon 34114, Korea
- KM Application Center, Korea Institute of Oriental Medicine, Daegu 41062, Korea
| |
Collapse
|
34
|
Zolfaghari Emameh R, Nosrati H, Eftekhari M, Falak R, Khoshmirsafa M. Expansion of Single Cell Transcriptomics Data of SARS-CoV Infection in Human Bronchial Epithelial Cells to COVID-19. Biol Proced Online 2020; 22:16. [PMID: 32754004 PMCID: PMC7377208 DOI: 10.1186/s12575-020-00127-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2020] [Accepted: 06/21/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is the causative agent of coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) that was emerged as a new member of coronaviruses since December 2019 in Wuhan, China and then after was spread in all continentals. Since SARS-CoV-2 has shown about 77.5% similarity to SARS-CoV, the transcriptome and immunological regulations of SARS-CoV-2 was expected to have high percentage of overlap with SARS-CoV. Results In this study, we applied the single cell transcriptomics data of human bronchial epithelial cells (2B4 cell line) infected with SARS-CoV, which was annotated in the Expression Atlas database to expand this data to COVID-19. In addition, we employed system biology methods including gene ontology (GO) and Reactome pathway analyses to define functional genes and pathways in the infected cells with SARS-CoV. The transcriptomics analysis on the Expression Atlas database revealed that most genes from infected 2B4 cell line with SARS-CoV were downregulated leading to immune system hyperactivation, induction of signaling pathways, and consequently a cytokine storm. In addition, GO:0016192 (vesicle-mediated transport), GO:0006886 (intracellular protein transport), and GO:0006888 (ER to Golgi vesicle-mediated transport) were shown as top three GOs in the ontology network of infected cells with SARS-CoV. Meanwhile, R-HAS-6807070 (phosphatase and tensin homolog or PTEN regulation) showed the highest association with other Reactome pathways in the network of infected cells with SARS-CoV. PTEN plays a critical role in the activation of dendritic cells, B- and T-cells, and secretion of proinflammatory cytokines, which cooperates with downregulated genes in the promotion of cytokine storm in the COVID-19 patients. Conclusions Based on the high similarity percentage of the transcriptome of SARS-CoV with SARS-CoV-2, the data of immunological regulations, signaling pathways, and proinflammatory cytokines in SARS-CoV infection can be expanded to COVID-19 to have a valid platform for future pharmaceutical and vaccine studies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Reza Zolfaghari Emameh
- Department of Energy and Environmental Biotechnology, National Institute of Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (NIGEB), 14965/161, Tehran, Iran
| | - Hassan Nosrati
- Department of Materials Engineering, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mahyar Eftekhari
- Department of Energy and Environmental Biotechnology, National Institute of Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (NIGEB), 14965/161, Tehran, Iran
| | - Reza Falak
- Immunology Research Center, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.,Immunology Department, School of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Majid Khoshmirsafa
- Immunology Research Center, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.,Immunology Department, School of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| |
Collapse
|
35
|
Chang R, Sun WZ. Repositioning chloroquine as antiviral prophylaxis against COVID-19: potential and challenges. Drug Discov Today 2020; 25:1786-1792. [PMID: 32629169 PMCID: PMC7831558 DOI: 10.1016/j.drudis.2020.06.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2020] [Revised: 06/11/2020] [Accepted: 06/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is advancing globally, and pharmaceutical prophylaxis is one solution. Here, we propose repositioning chloroquine (CQ) as prophylaxis against COVID-19. CQ blocks viral attachment and entry to host cells and demonstrates efficacy against a variety of viruses, including severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the causative agent of COVID-19. Furthermore, CQ is safe, inexpensive, and available. Here, we review the antiviral mechanisms of CQ, its in vitro activity against coronaviruses, its pharmacokinetics (PK) and adverse effects, and why it could be more efficacious as a prophylactic rather than as a therapeutic, given the infection dynamics of SARS-CoV-2. We propose two prophylactic regimens based on efficacy and risk considerations. Although it is largely preclinical data that suggest the potential of CQ, properly planned prophylactic trials and further research are urgently needed.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Wei-Zen Sun
- Institute of East-West Medicine, New York, NY, USA; National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
| |
Collapse
|
36
|
Yang CW, Peng TT, Hsu HY, Lee YZ, Wu SH, Lin WH, Ke YY, Hsu TA, Yeh TK, Huang WZ, Lin JH, Sytwu HK, Chen CT, Lee SJ. Repurposing old drugs as antiviral agents for coronaviruses. Biomed J 2020; 43:368-374. [PMID: 32563698 PMCID: PMC7245249 DOI: 10.1016/j.bj.2020.05.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2020] [Revised: 05/13/2020] [Accepted: 05/15/2020] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Background New therapeutic options to address the ongoing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic are urgently needed. One possible strategy is the repurposing of existing drugs approved for other indications as antiviral agents for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2). Due to the commercial unavailability of SARS-CoV-2 drugs for treating COVID-19, we screened approximately 250 existing drugs or pharmacologically active compounds for their inhibitory activities against feline infectious peritonitis coronavirus (FIPV) and human coronavirus OC43 (HCoV-OC43), a human coronavirus in the same genus (Betacoronavirus) as SARS-CoV-2. Methods FIPV was proliferated in feline Fcwf-4 cells and HCoV-OC43 in human HCT-8 cells. Viral proliferation was assayed by visualization of cytopathic effects on the infected Fcwf-4 cells and immunofluorescent assay for detection of the nucleocapsid proteins of HCoV-OC43 in the HCT-8 cells. The concentrations (EC50) of each drug necessary to diminish viral activity to 50% of that for the untreated controls were determined. The viabilities of Fcwf-4 and HCT-8 cells were measured by crystal violet staining and MTS/PMS assay, respectively. Results Fifteen out of the 252 drugs or pharmacologically active compounds screened were found to be active against both FIPV and HCoV-OC43, with EC50 values ranging from 11 nM to 75 μM. They are all old drugs as follows, anisomycin, antimycin A, atovaquone, chloroquine, conivaptan, emetine, gemcitabine, homoharringtonine, niclosamide, nitazoxanide, oligomycin, salinomycin, tilorone, valinomycin, and vismodegib. Conclusion All of the old drugs identified as having activity against FIPV and HCoV-OC43 have seen clinical use in their respective indications and are associated with known dosing schedules and adverse effect or toxicity profiles in humans. Those, when later confirmed to have an anti-viral effect on SARS-CoV-2, should be considered for immediate uses in COVID-19 patients.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Cheng-Wei Yang
- Institute of Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Research, National Health Research Institutes, Miaoli, Taiwan
| | - Tzu-Ting Peng
- Animal Technology Laboratories, Agricultural Technology Research Institute, Hsinchu, Taiwan
| | - Hsing-Yu Hsu
- Institute of Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Research, National Health Research Institutes, Miaoli, Taiwan
| | - Yue-Zhi Lee
- Institute of Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Research, National Health Research Institutes, Miaoli, Taiwan
| | - Szu-Huei Wu
- Institute of Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Research, National Health Research Institutes, Miaoli, Taiwan
| | - Wen-Hsing Lin
- Institute of Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Research, National Health Research Institutes, Miaoli, Taiwan
| | - Yi-Yu Ke
- Institute of Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Research, National Health Research Institutes, Miaoli, Taiwan
| | - Tsu-An Hsu
- Institute of Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Research, National Health Research Institutes, Miaoli, Taiwan
| | - Teng-Kuang Yeh
- Institute of Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Research, National Health Research Institutes, Miaoli, Taiwan
| | - Wen-Zheng Huang
- Animal Technology Laboratories, Agricultural Technology Research Institute, Hsinchu, Taiwan
| | - Jiunn-Horng Lin
- Animal Technology Laboratories, Agricultural Technology Research Institute, Hsinchu, Taiwan
| | - Huey-Kang Sytwu
- National Institute of Infectious Diseases and Vaccinology, National Health Research Institutes, Miaoli, Taiwan
| | - Chiung-Tong Chen
- Institute of Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Research, National Health Research Institutes, Miaoli, Taiwan.
| | - Shiow-Ju Lee
- Institute of Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Research, National Health Research Institutes, Miaoli, Taiwan.
| |
Collapse
|
37
|
Artificial intelligence approach fighting COVID-19 with repurposing drugs. Biomed J 2020; 43:355-362. [PMID: 32426387 PMCID: PMC7227517 DOI: 10.1016/j.bj.2020.05.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 108] [Impact Index Per Article: 27.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2020] [Accepted: 05/08/2020] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has caused more than 193,825 deaths during the past few months. A quick-to-be-identified cure for the disease will be a therapeutic medicine that has prior use experiences in patients in order to resolve the current pandemic situation before it could become worsening. Artificial intelligence (AI) technology is hereby applied to identify the marketed drugs with potential for treating COVID-19. Methods An AI platform was established to identify potential old drugs with anti-coronavirus activities by using two different learning databases; one consisted of the compounds reported or proven active against SARS-CoV, SARS-CoV-2, human immunodeficiency virus, influenza virus, and the other one containing the known 3C-like protease inhibitors. All AI predicted drugs were then tested for activities against a feline coronavirus in in vitro cell-based assay. These assay results were feedbacks to the AI system for relearning and thus to generate a modified AI model to search for old drugs again. Results After a few runs of AI learning and prediction processes, the AI system identified 80 marketed drugs with potential. Among them, 8 drugs (bedaquiline, brequinar, celecoxib, clofazimine, conivaptan, gemcitabine, tolcapone, and vismodegib) showed in vitro activities against the proliferation of a feline infectious peritonitis (FIP) virus in Fcwf-4 cells. In addition, 5 other drugs (boceprevir, chloroquine, homoharringtonine, tilorone, and salinomycin) were also found active during the exercises of AI approaches. Conclusion Having taken advantages of AI, we identified old drugs with activities against FIP coronavirus. Further studies are underway to demonstrate their activities against SARS-CoV-2 in vitro and in vivo at clinically achievable concentrations and doses. With prior use experiences in patients, these old drugs if proven active against SARS-CoV-2 can readily be applied for fighting COVID-19 pandemic.
Collapse
|
38
|
Kandeel M, Al-Taher A, Park BK, Kwon HJ, Al-Nazawi M. A pilot study of the antiviral activity of anionic and cationic polyamidoamine dendrimers against the Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus. J Med Virol 2020; 92:1665-1670. [PMID: 32330296 PMCID: PMC7264540 DOI: 10.1002/jmv.25928] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2020] [Accepted: 04/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
The Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS‐CoV) is an emerging virus that causes infection with a potentially fatal outcome. Dendrimers are highly branched molecules that can be added to antiviral preparations to improve their delivery, as well as their intrinsic antiviral activity. Studies on identifying anti‐MERS‐CoV agents are few. Three types of polyanionic dendrimers comprising the terminal groups sodium carboxylate (generations 1.5, 2.5, 3.5, and 4.5), hydroxyl (generations 2, 3, 4, and 5), and succinamic acid (generations 2, 3, 4, and 5) and polycationic dendrimers containing primary amine (generations 2, 3, 4, and 5) were used to assess their antiviral activity with the MERS‐CoV plaque inhibition assay. The hydroxyl polyanionic set showed a 17.36% to 29.75% decrease in MERS‐CoV plaque formation. The most potent inhibition of MERS‐CoV plaque formation was seen by G(1.5)‐16COONa (40.5% inhibition), followed by G(5)‐128SA (39.77% inhibition). In contrast, the cationic dendrimers were cytotoxic to Vero cells. Polyanionic dendrimers can be added to antiviral preparations to improve the delivery of antivirals, as well as the intrinsic antiviral activity. MERS CoV is an emerging viral disease with fatal consequences. Anti‐MERS CoV studies are very limited. The anti‐MERS CoV activity of several generations polyvalent charge dendrimers was investigated. PAMAM dendrimers bears intrinsic anti‐MESR CoV activity. Polyanionic carboxylate PAMAM dendrimers were the most effective agents.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mahmoud Kandeel
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, King Faisal University, Al-Ahsa, Saudi Arabia.,Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Kafrelsheikh University, Kafrelsheikh, Egypt
| | - Abdulla Al-Taher
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, King Faisal University, Al-Ahsa, Saudi Arabia
| | - Byoung Kwon Park
- Department of Microbiology, Hallym University College of Medicine, Chuncheon, South Korea
| | - Hyung-Joo Kwon
- Department of Microbiology, Hallym University College of Medicine, Chuncheon, South Korea
| | - Mohammed Al-Nazawi
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, King Faisal University, Al-Ahsa, Saudi Arabia
| |
Collapse
|
39
|
Sriwilaijaroen N, Suzuki Y. Sialoglycovirology of Lectins: Sialyl Glycan Binding of Enveloped and Non-enveloped Viruses. Methods Mol Biol 2020; 2132:483-545. [PMID: 32306355 PMCID: PMC7165297 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-0430-4_47] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/24/2023]
Abstract
On the cell sur "face", sialoglycoconjugates act as receptionists that have an important role in the first step of various cellular processes that bridge communication between the cell and its environment. Loss of Sia production can cause the developmental of defects and lethality in most animals; hence, animal cells are less prone to evolution of resistance to interactions by rapidly evolved Sia-binding viruses. Obligative intracellular viruses mostly have rapid evolution that allows escape from host immunity, leading to an epidemic variant, and that allows emergence of a novel strain, occasionally leading to pandemics that cause health-social-economic problems. Recently, much attention has been given to the mutual recognition systems via sialosugar chains between viruses and their host cells and there has been rapid growth of the research field "sialoglycovirology." In this chapter, the structural diversity of sialoglycoconjugates is overviewed, and enveloped and non-enveloped viruses that bind to Sia are reviewed. Also, interactions of viral lectins-host Sia receptors, which determine viral transmission, host range, and pathogenesis, are presented. The future direction of new therapeutic routes targeting viral lectins, development of easy-to-use detection methods for diagnosis and monitoring changes in virus binding specificity, and challenges in the development of suitable viruses to use in virus-based therapies for genetic disorders and cancer are discussed.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nongluk Sriwilaijaroen
- Department of Preclinical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Thammasat University, Pathumthani, Thailand
- College of Life and Health Sciences, Chubu University, Kasugai, Aichi, Japan
| | - Yasuo Suzuki
- College of Life and Health Sciences, Chubu University, Kasugai, Aichi, Japan.
| |
Collapse
|
40
|
Yoon JH, Lee JY, Lee J, Shin YS, Jeon S, Kim DE, Min JS, Song JH, Kim S, Kwon S, Jin YH, Jang MS, Kim HR, Park CM. Synthesis and biological evaluation of 3-acyl-2-phenylamino-1,4-dihydroquinolin-4(1H)-one derivatives as potential MERS-CoV inhibitors. Bioorg Med Chem Lett 2019; 29:126727. [PMID: 31624041 PMCID: PMC7126094 DOI: 10.1016/j.bmcl.2019.126727] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2019] [Revised: 09/06/2019] [Accepted: 09/30/2019] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
3-Acyl-2-phenylamino-1,4-dihydroquinolin-4(1H)-one derivatives were synthesized and evaluated to show high anti-MERS-CoV inhibitory activities. Among them, 6,8-difluoro-3-isobutyryl-2-((2,3,4-trifluorophenyl)amino)quinolin-4(1H)-one (6u) exhibits high inhibitory effect (IC50 = 86 nM) and low toxicity (CC50 > 25 μM). Moreover, it shows good metabolic stability, low hERG binding affinity, no cytotoxicity, and good in vivo PK properties.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ji Hye Yoon
- Center for Convergent Research of Emerging Virus Infection (CEVI), Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology, 141 Gajeong-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 34114, South Korea
| | - Jun Young Lee
- Center for Convergent Research of Emerging Virus Infection (CEVI), Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology, 141 Gajeong-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 34114, South Korea
| | - Jihye Lee
- Respiratory Virus Laboratory, Institut Pasteur Korea, Seongnam-si, Gyeonggi-do 13488, South Korea
| | - Young Sup Shin
- Center for Convergent Research of Emerging Virus Infection (CEVI), Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology, 141 Gajeong-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 34114, South Korea
| | - Sangeun Jeon
- Respiratory Virus Laboratory, Institut Pasteur Korea, Seongnam-si, Gyeonggi-do 13488, South Korea
| | - Dong Eon Kim
- Herbal Medicine Research Division, Korea Institute of Oriental Medicine, Daejeon 34054, South Korea
| | - Jung Sun Min
- Herbal Medicine Research Division, Korea Institute of Oriental Medicine, Daejeon 34054, South Korea
| | - Jong Hwan Song
- Center for Convergent Research of Emerging Virus Infection (CEVI), Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology, 141 Gajeong-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 34114, South Korea
| | - Seungtaek Kim
- Zoonotic Virus Laboratory, Institut Pasteur Korea, Seongnam-si, Gyeonggi-do 13488, South Korea
| | - Sunoh Kwon
- Herbal Medicine Research Division, Korea Institute of Oriental Medicine, Daejeon 34054, South Korea
| | - Young-Hee Jin
- Herbal Medicine Research Division, Korea Institute of Oriental Medicine, Daejeon 34054, South Korea
| | - Min Seong Jang
- Department of Non-Clinical Studies, Korea Institute of Toxicology, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 34114, South Korea
| | - Hyoung Rae Kim
- Center for Convergent Research of Emerging Virus Infection (CEVI), Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology, 141 Gajeong-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 34114, South Korea
| | - Chul Min Park
- Center for Convergent Research of Emerging Virus Infection (CEVI), Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology, 141 Gajeong-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 34114, South Korea
| |
Collapse
|
41
|
Yoon JH, Lee J, Lee JY, Shin YS, Kim DE, Min JS, Park CM, Song JH, Kim S, Kwon S, Jang MS, Kim HR. Study on the 2-Phenylchroman-4-One Derivatives and their anti-MERS-CoV Activities. B KOREAN CHEM SOC 2019; 40:906-909. [PMID: 32313350 PMCID: PMC7161870 DOI: 10.1002/bkcs.11832] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2019] [Accepted: 06/12/2019] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Study on the 2-phenylchroman-4-one derivatives and their anti-MERS-CoVactivities.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ji Hye Yoon
- Center for Convergent Research of Imerging Virus InfectionKorea Research Institute of Chemical TechnologyDaejeon34114South Korea
| | - Jihye Lee
- Respiratory Virus LaboratoryInstitut PasteurSeongnamSouth Korea
| | - Jun Young Lee
- Center for Convergent Research of Imerging Virus InfectionKorea Research Institute of Chemical TechnologyDaejeon34114South Korea
| | - Young Sup Shin
- Center for Convergent Research of Imerging Virus InfectionKorea Research Institute of Chemical TechnologyDaejeon34114South Korea
| | - Dong Eon Kim
- Herbal Medicine Research DivisionKorea Institute of Oriental MedicineDaejeon34054South Korea
| | - Jung Sun Min
- Herbal Medicine Research DivisionKorea Institute of Oriental MedicineDaejeon34054South Korea
| | - Chul Min Park
- Center for Convergent Research of Imerging Virus InfectionKorea Research Institute of Chemical TechnologyDaejeon34114South Korea
| | - Jong Hwan Song
- Center for Convergent Research of Imerging Virus InfectionKorea Research Institute of Chemical TechnologyDaejeon34114South Korea
| | - Seungtaek Kim
- Respiratory Virus LaboratoryInstitut PasteurSeongnamSouth Korea
| | - Sunoh Kwon
- Herbal Medicine Research DivisionKorea Institute of Oriental MedicineDaejeon34054South Korea
| | - Min Seong Jang
- Department of Non‐Clinical StudiesKorea Institute of ToxicologyDaejeon34114South Korea
| | - Hyoung Rae Kim
- Center for Convergent Research of Imerging Virus InfectionKorea Research Institute of Chemical TechnologyDaejeon34114South Korea
| |
Collapse
|
42
|
MERS Coronavirus: An Emerging Zoonotic Virus. Viruses 2019; 11:v11070663. [PMID: 31331035 PMCID: PMC6669680 DOI: 10.3390/v11070663] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2019] [Accepted: 07/17/2019] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
|
43
|
Banerjee A, Baid K, Mossman K. Molecular Pathogenesis of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) Coronavirus. CURRENT CLINICAL MICROBIOLOGY REPORTS 2019; 6:139-147. [PMID: 32226718 PMCID: PMC7100557 DOI: 10.1007/s40588-019-00122-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) emerged in 2012 and is listed in the World Health Organization's blueprint of priority diseases that need immediate research. Camels are reservoirs of this virus, and the virus spills over into humans through direct contact with camels. Human-to-human transmission and travel-associated cases have been identified as well. Limited studies have characterized the molecular pathogenesis of MERS-CoV. Most studies have used ectopic expression of viral proteins to characterize MERS-CoV and its ability to modulate antiviral responses in human cells. Studies with live virus are limited, largely due to the requirement of high containment laboratories. In this review, we have summarized current studies on MERS-CoV molecular pathogenesis and have mentioned some recent strategies that are being developed to control MERS-CoV infection. RECENT FINDINGS Multiple antiviral molecules with the potential to inhibit MERS-CoV infection by disrupting virus-receptor interactions are being developed and tested. Although human vaccine candidates are still being developed, a candidate camel vaccine is being tested for efficacy. Combination of supportive treatment with interferon and antivirals is also being explored. SUMMARY New antiviral molecules that inhibit MERS-CoV and host cell receptor interaction may become available in the future. Additional studies are required to identify and characterize the pathogenesis of MERS-CoV EMC/2012 and other circulating strains. An effective MERS-CoV vaccine, for humans and/or camels, along with an efficient combination antiviral therapy may help us prevent future MERS cases.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Arinjay Banerjee
- Department of Pathology and Molecular Medicine, McMaster Immunology Research Center, Michael DeGroote Institute for Infectious Disease Research, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario L8S 4L8 Canada
| | - Kaushal Baid
- Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences, McMaster Immunology Research Center, Michael DeGroote Institute for Infectious Disease Research, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario L8S 4L8 Canada
| | - Karen Mossman
- Department of Pathology and Molecular Medicine, McMaster Immunology Research Center, Michael DeGroote Institute for Infectious Disease Research, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario L8S 4L8 Canada
- Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences, McMaster Immunology Research Center, Michael DeGroote Institute for Infectious Disease Research, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario L8S 4L8 Canada
| |
Collapse
|
44
|
Pruijssers AJ, Denison MR. Nucleoside analogues for the treatment of coronavirus infections. Curr Opin Virol 2019; 35:57-62. [PMID: 31125806 PMCID: PMC7102703 DOI: 10.1016/j.coviro.2019.04.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 130] [Impact Index Per Article: 26.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2019] [Revised: 04/10/2019] [Accepted: 04/16/2019] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Coronaviruses (CoV) represent current and future risk for pandemic zoonotic infections. Nucleoside analogues are highly active across multiple virus families. CoVs encode a proofreading exoribonuclease that opposes inhibition by many nucleoside analogues. Remdesivir is an adenosine analogue that acts against a broad spectrum of CoVs. Other nucleoside analogues show promise against CoVs.
Recent outbreaks of SARS-Coronavirus and MERS-Coronavirus (CoV) have heightened awareness about the lack of vaccines or antiviral compounds approved for prevention or treatment of human or potential zoonotic CoVs. Anti-CoV drug development has long been challenged by the activity of a 3′ to 5′ proofreading exoribonuclease unique to CoVs. Recently, a promising nucleoside analogue with broad-spectrum activity against CoVs has been identified. This review will discuss progress made in the development of antiviral nucleoside and nucleotide analogues targeting viral RNA synthesis as effective therapeutics against CoV infections and propose promising strategies for combination therapy.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Andrea J Pruijssers
- Department of Pediatrics, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN, United States; Elizabeth B. Lamb Center for Pediatric Research, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN, United States
| | - Mark R Denison
- Department of Pediatrics, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN, United States; Elizabeth B. Lamb Center for Pediatric Research, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN, United States; Department of Pathology, Microbiology, and Immunology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN, United States.
| |
Collapse
|
45
|
Lee H, Ren J, Pesavento RP, Ojeda I, Rice AJ, Lv H, Kwon Y, Johnson ME. Identification and design of novel small molecule inhibitors against MERS-CoV papain-like protease via high-throughput screening and molecular modeling. Bioorg Med Chem 2019; 27:1981-1989. [PMID: 30940566 PMCID: PMC6638567 DOI: 10.1016/j.bmc.2019.03.050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2018] [Revised: 02/25/2019] [Accepted: 03/24/2019] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
The development of new therapeutic agents against the coronavirus causing Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) is a continuing imperative. The initial MERS-CoV epidemic was contained entirely through public health measures, but episodic cases continue, as there are currently no therapeutic agents effective in the treatment of MERS-CoV, although multiple strategies have been proposed. In this study, we screened 30,000 compounds from three different compound libraries against one of the essential proteases, the papain-like protease (PLpro), using a fluorescence-based enzymatic assay followed by surface plasmon resonance (SPR) direct binding analysis for hit confirmation. Mode of inhibition assays and competition SPR studies revealed two compounds to be competitive inhibitors. To improve upon the inhibitory activity of the best hit compounds, a small fragment library consisting of 352 fragments was screened in the presence of each hit compound, resulting in one fragment that enhanced the IC50 value of the best hit compound by 3-fold. Molecular docking and MM/PBSA binding energy calculations were used to predict potential binding sites, providing insight for design and synthesis of next-generation compounds.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hyun Lee
- Center for Biomolecular Sciences and Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Pharmacognosy, University of Illinois at Chicago, 900 S. Ashland, IL 60607, USA.
| | - Jinhong Ren
- Center for Biomolecular Sciences and Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Pharmacognosy, University of Illinois at Chicago, 900 S. Ashland, IL 60607, USA
| | - Russell P Pesavento
- Center for Biomolecular Sciences and Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Pharmacognosy, University of Illinois at Chicago, 900 S. Ashland, IL 60607, USA
| | - Isabel Ojeda
- Center for Biomolecular Sciences and Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Pharmacognosy, University of Illinois at Chicago, 900 S. Ashland, IL 60607, USA
| | - Amy J Rice
- Center for Biomolecular Sciences and Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Pharmacognosy, University of Illinois at Chicago, 900 S. Ashland, IL 60607, USA
| | - Haining Lv
- Center for Biomolecular Sciences and Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Pharmacognosy, University of Illinois at Chicago, 900 S. Ashland, IL 60607, USA
| | - Youngjin Kwon
- Center for Biomolecular Sciences and Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Pharmacognosy, University of Illinois at Chicago, 900 S. Ashland, IL 60607, USA
| | - Michael E Johnson
- Center for Biomolecular Sciences and Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Pharmacognosy, University of Illinois at Chicago, 900 S. Ashland, IL 60607, USA.
| |
Collapse
|