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Murer L, Volle R, Andriasyan V, Petkidis A, Gomez-Gonzalez A, Yang L, Meili N, Suomalainen M, Bauer M, Policarpo Sequeira D, Olszewski D, Georgi F, Kuttler F, Turcatti G, Greber UF. Identification of broad anti-coronavirus chemical agents for repurposing against SARS-CoV-2 and variants of concern. Curr Res Virol Sci 2022; 3:100019. [PMID: 35072124 PMCID: PMC8760634 DOI: 10.1016/j.crviro.2022.100019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2021] [Revised: 01/04/2022] [Accepted: 01/04/2022] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
Endemic human coronaviruses (hCoVs) 229E and OC43 cause respiratory disease with recurrent infections, while severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS)-CoV-2 spreads across the world with impact on health and societies. Here, we report an image-based multicycle infection procedure with α-coronavirus hCoV-229E-eGFP in an arrayed chemical library screen of 5440 clinical and preclinical compounds. Toxicity counter selection and challenge with the β-coronaviruses OC43 and SARS-CoV-2 in tissue culture and human airway epithelial explant cultures (HAEEC) identified four FDA-approved compounds with oral availability. Methylene blue (MB, used for the treatment of methemoglobinemia), Mycophenolic acid (MPA, used in organ transplantation) and the anti-fungal agent Posaconazole (POS) had the broadest anti-CoV spectrum. They inhibited the shedding of SARS-CoV-2 and variants-of-concern (alpha, beta, gamma, delta) from HAEEC in either pre- or post exposure regimens at clinically relevant concentrations. Co-treatment of cultured cells with MB and the FDA-approved SARS-CoV-2 RNA-polymerase inhibitor Remdesivir reduced the effective anti-viral concentrations of MB by 2-fold, and Remdesivir by 4 to 10-fold, indicated by BLISS independence synergy modelling. Neither MB, nor MPA, nor POS affected the cell delivery of SARS-CoV-2 or OC43 (+)sense RNA, but blocked subsequent viral RNA accumulation in cells. Unlike Remdesivir, MB, MPA or POS did not reduce the release of viral RNA in post exposure regimen, thus indicating infection inhibition at a post-replicating step as well. In summary, the data emphasize the power of unbiased, full cycle compound screens to identify and repurpose broadly acting drugs against coronaviruses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luca Murer
- Department of Molecular Life Sciences, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Romain Volle
- Department of Molecular Life Sciences, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Vardan Andriasyan
- Department of Molecular Life Sciences, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Anthony Petkidis
- Department of Molecular Life Sciences, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Alfonso Gomez-Gonzalez
- Department of Molecular Life Sciences, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Liliane Yang
- Department of Molecular Life Sciences, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Nicole Meili
- Department of Molecular Life Sciences, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Maarit Suomalainen
- Department of Molecular Life Sciences, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Michael Bauer
- Department of Molecular Life Sciences, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Daniela Policarpo Sequeira
- Department of Molecular Life Sciences, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Dominik Olszewski
- Department of Molecular Life Sciences, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Fanny Georgi
- Department of Molecular Life Sciences, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Fabien Kuttler
- Biomolecular Screening Facility, School of Life Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Station 15, 1015, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Gerardo Turcatti
- Biomolecular Screening Facility, School of Life Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Station 15, 1015, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Urs F Greber
- Department of Molecular Life Sciences, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057, Zurich, Switzerland
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