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Kao HJ, Weng TH, Chen CH, Chen YC, Huang KY, Weng SL. iDVEIP: A computer-aided approach for the prediction of viral entry inhibitory peptides. Proteomics 2024; 24:e2300257. [PMID: 38263811 DOI: 10.1002/pmic.202300257] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2023] [Revised: 01/03/2024] [Accepted: 01/05/2024] [Indexed: 01/25/2024]
Abstract
With the notable surge in therapeutic peptide development, various peptides have emerged as potential agents against virus-induced diseases. Viral entry inhibitory peptides (VEIPs), a subset of antiviral peptides (AVPs), offer a promising avenue as entry inhibitors (EIs) with distinct advantages over chemical counterparts. Despite this, a comprehensive analytical platform for characterizing these peptides and their effectiveness in blocking viral entry remains lacking. In this study, we introduce a groundbreaking in silico approach that leverages bioinformatics analysis and machine learning to characterize and identify novel VEIPs. Cross-validation results demonstrate the efficacy of a model combining sequence-based features in predicting VEIPs with high accuracy, validated through independent testing. Additionally, an EI type model has been developed to distinguish peptides specifically acting as Eis from AVPs with alternative activities. Notably, we present iDVEIP, a web-based tool accessible at http://mer.hc.mmh.org.tw/iDVEIP/, designed for automatic analysis and prediction of VEIPs. Emphasizing its capabilities, the tool facilitates comprehensive analyses of peptide characteristics, providing detailed amino acid composition data for each prediction. Furthermore, we showcase the tool's utility in identifying EIs against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2).
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Affiliation(s)
- Hui-Ju Kao
- Department of Medical Research, Hsinchu MacKay Memorial Hospital, Hsinchu City, Taiwan
| | - Tzu-Hsiang Weng
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, MacKay Memorial Hospital, Taipei City, Taiwan
| | - Chia-Hung Chen
- Department of Medical Research, Hsinchu MacKay Memorial Hospital, Hsinchu City, Taiwan
| | - Yu-Chi Chen
- Department of Medical Research, Hsinchu MacKay Memorial Hospital, Hsinchu City, Taiwan
| | - Kai-Yao Huang
- Department of Medical Research, Hsinchu MacKay Memorial Hospital, Hsinchu City, Taiwan
- Department of Medicine, MacKay Medical College, New Taipei City, Taiwan
- Institute of Biomedical Sciences, MacKay Medical College, New Taipei City, Taiwan
| | - Shun-Long Weng
- Department of Medicine, MacKay Medical College, New Taipei City, Taiwan
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Hsinchu MacKay Memorial Hospital, Hsinchu City, Taiwan
- MacKay Junior College of Medicine, Nursing and Management, Taipei City, Taiwan
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2
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Szabó D, Crowe A, Mamotte C, Strappe P. Natural products as a source of Coronavirus entry inhibitors. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2024; 14:1353971. [PMID: 38449827 PMCID: PMC10915212 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2024.1353971] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2023] [Accepted: 02/01/2024] [Indexed: 03/08/2024] Open
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant and lasting impact on the world. Four years on, despite the existence of effective vaccines, the continuous emergence of new SARS-CoV-2 variants remains a challenge for long-term immunity. Additionally, there remain few purpose-built antivirals to protect individuals at risk of severe disease in the event of future coronavirus outbreaks. A promising mechanism of action for novel coronavirus antivirals is the inhibition of viral entry. To facilitate entry, the coronavirus spike glycoprotein interacts with angiotensin converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) on respiratory epithelial cells. Blocking this interaction and consequently viral replication may be an effective strategy for treating infection, however further research is needed to better characterize candidate molecules with antiviral activity before progressing to animal studies and clinical trials. In general, antiviral drugs are developed from purely synthetic compounds or synthetic derivatives of natural products such as plant secondary metabolites. While the former is often favored due to the higher specificity afforded by rational drug design, natural products offer several unique advantages that make them worthy of further study including diverse bioactivity and the ability to work synergistically with other drugs. Accordingly, there has recently been a renewed interest in natural product-derived antivirals in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. This review provides a summary of recent research into coronavirus entry inhibitors, with a focus on natural compounds derived from plants, honey, and marine sponges.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dávid Szabó
- Curtin Health Innovation Research Institute, Curtin University, Bentley, WA, Australia
- Curtin Medical School, Curtin University, Bentley, WA, Australia
| | - Andrew Crowe
- Curtin Health Innovation Research Institute, Curtin University, Bentley, WA, Australia
- Curtin Medical School, Curtin University, Bentley, WA, Australia
| | - Cyril Mamotte
- Curtin Health Innovation Research Institute, Curtin University, Bentley, WA, Australia
- Curtin Medical School, Curtin University, Bentley, WA, Australia
| | - Padraig Strappe
- Curtin Health Innovation Research Institute, Curtin University, Bentley, WA, Australia
- Curtin Medical School, Curtin University, Bentley, WA, Australia
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3
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Wang X, Sun L, Liu Z, Xing L, Zhu Y, Xu W, Xia S, Lu L, Jiang S. An engineered recombinant protein containing three structural domains in SARS-CoV-2 S2 protein has potential to act as a pan-human coronavirus entry inhibitor or vaccine antigen. Emerg Microbes Infect 2023; 12:2244084. [PMID: 37534910 PMCID: PMC10424610 DOI: 10.1080/22221751.2023.2244084] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2023] [Revised: 07/16/2023] [Accepted: 07/30/2023] [Indexed: 08/04/2023]
Abstract
The threat to global health caused by three highly pathogenic human coronaviruses (HCoV), SARS-CoV-2, MERS-CoV and SARS-CoV, calls for the development of pan-HCoV therapeutics and vaccines. This study reports the design and engineering of a recombinant protein designated HR1LS. It contains three linked molecules, each consisting of three structural domains, including a heptad repeat 1 (HR1), a central helix (CH), and a stem helix (SH) region, in the S2 subunit of SARS-CoV-2 spike (S) protein. It was found that HR1LS protein automatically formed a trimer able to bind with heptad repeat 2 (HR2) region in the SARS-CoV-2 S2 subunit, thus potently inhibiting HCoV fusion and entry into host cells. Furthermore, immunization of mice with HR1LS, when combined with CF501 adjuvant, resulted in the production of neutralizing antibodies against infection of SARS-CoV-2 and its variants, as well as SARS-CoV, MERS-CoV, HCoV-229E, HCoV-NL63 and MjHKU4r-CoV-1. These results suggest that HR1LS is a promising candidate for further development as a novel HR1-trimer-based pan-HCoV entry inhibitor or vaccine for the treatment and prevention of infection by SARS-CoV-2 and its variants, but also other HCoVs with the potential to cause future emerging and re-emerging infectious coronavirus diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinling Wang
- Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology (MOE/NHC/CAMS), School of Basic Medical Sciences, Shanghai Institute of Infectious Disease and Biosecurity, Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Pathogenic Microbes and Infection, Fudan University, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China
| | - Lujia Sun
- Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology (MOE/NHC/CAMS), School of Basic Medical Sciences, Shanghai Institute of Infectious Disease and Biosecurity, Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Pathogenic Microbes and Infection, Fudan University, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China
| | - Zezhong Liu
- Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology (MOE/NHC/CAMS), School of Basic Medical Sciences, Shanghai Institute of Infectious Disease and Biosecurity, Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Pathogenic Microbes and Infection, Fudan University, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China
- Department of Pharmacology & Key Laboratory of Smart Drug Delivery, Ministry of Education, School of Pharmacy, Fudan University, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China
| | - Lixiao Xing
- Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology (MOE/NHC/CAMS), School of Basic Medical Sciences, Shanghai Institute of Infectious Disease and Biosecurity, Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Pathogenic Microbes and Infection, Fudan University, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China
| | - Yun Zhu
- National Key Laboratory of Biomacromolecules, CAS Center for Excellence in Biomacromolecules, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
| | - Wei Xu
- Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology (MOE/NHC/CAMS), School of Basic Medical Sciences, Shanghai Institute of Infectious Disease and Biosecurity, Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Pathogenic Microbes and Infection, Fudan University, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China
| | - Shuai Xia
- Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology (MOE/NHC/CAMS), School of Basic Medical Sciences, Shanghai Institute of Infectious Disease and Biosecurity, Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Pathogenic Microbes and Infection, Fudan University, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China
| | - Lu Lu
- Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology (MOE/NHC/CAMS), School of Basic Medical Sciences, Shanghai Institute of Infectious Disease and Biosecurity, Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Pathogenic Microbes and Infection, Fudan University, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China
| | - Shibo Jiang
- Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology (MOE/NHC/CAMS), School of Basic Medical Sciences, Shanghai Institute of Infectious Disease and Biosecurity, Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Pathogenic Microbes and Infection, Fudan University, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China
- Key Laboratory of Reproduction Regulation of National Population and Family Planning Commission, The Shanghai Institute of Planned Parenthood Research, Institute of Reproduction and Development, Fudan University, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China
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Anang S, Zhang S, Fritschi C, Chiu TJ, Yang D, Smith III AB, Madani N, Sodroski J. V3 tip determinants of susceptibility to inhibition by CD4-mimetic compounds in natural clade A human immunodeficiency virus (HIV-1) envelope glycoproteins. J Virol 2023; 97:e0117123. [PMID: 37888980 PMCID: PMC10688366 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.01171-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2023] [Accepted: 10/12/2023] [Indexed: 10/28/2023] Open
Abstract
IMPORTANCE CD4-mimetic compounds (CD4mcs) are small-molecule inhibitors of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV-1) entry into host cells. CD4mcs target a pocket on the viral envelope glycoprotein (Env) spike that is used for binding to the receptor, CD4, and is highly conserved among HIV-1 strains. Nonetheless, naturally occurring HIV-1 strains exhibit a wide range of sensitivities to CD4mcs. Our study identifies changes distant from the binding pocket that can influence the susceptibility of natural HIV-1 strains to the antiviral effects of multiple CD4mcs. We relate the antiviral potency of the CD4mc against this panel of HIV-1 variants to the ability of the CD4mc to activate entry-related changes in Env conformation prematurely. These findings will guide efforts to improve the potency and breadth of CD4mcs against natural HIV-1 variants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saumya Anang
- Department of Cancer Immunology and Virology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Department of Microbiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Shijian Zhang
- Department of Cancer Immunology and Virology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Department of Microbiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Christopher Fritschi
- Department of Chemistry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Ta-Jung Chiu
- Department of Chemistry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Derek Yang
- Department of Chemistry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Amos B. Smith III
- Department of Chemistry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Navid Madani
- Department of Cancer Immunology and Virology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Department of Microbiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Joseph Sodroski
- Department of Cancer Immunology and Virology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Department of Microbiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
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Mignolet M, Gilloteaux J, Halloin N, Gueibe M, Willemart K, De Swert K, Bielarz V, Suain V, Pastushenko I, Gillet NA, Nicaise C. Viral Entry Inhibitors Protect against SARS-CoV-2-Induced Neurite Shortening in Differentiated SH-SY5Y Cells. Viruses 2023; 15:2020. [PMID: 37896797 PMCID: PMC10611151 DOI: 10.3390/v15102020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2023] [Revised: 09/22/2023] [Accepted: 09/27/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023] Open
Abstract
The utility of human neuroblastoma cell lines as in vitro model to study neuro-invasiveness and neuro-virulence of SARS-CoV-2 has been demonstrated by our laboratory and others. The aim of this report is to further characterize the associated cellular responses caused by a pre-alpha SARS-CoV-2 strain on differentiated SH-SY5Y and to prevent its cytopathic effect by using a set of entry inhibitors. The susceptibility of SH-SY5Y to SARS-CoV-2 was confirmed at high multiplicity-of-infection, without viral replication or release. Infection caused a reduction in the length of neuritic processes, occurrence of plasma membrane blebs, cell clustering, and changes in lipid droplets electron density. No changes in the expression of cytoskeletal proteins, such as tubulins or tau, could explain neurite shortening. To counteract the toxic effect on neurites, entry inhibitors targeting TMPRSS2, ACE2, NRP1 receptors, and Spike RBD were co-incubated with the viral inoculum. The neurite shortening could be prevented by the highest concentration of camostat mesylate, anti-RBD antibody, and NRP1 inhibitor, but not by soluble ACE2. According to the degree of entry inhibition, the average amount of intracellular viral RNA was negatively correlated to neurite length. This study demonstrated that targeting specific SARS-CoV-2 host receptors could reverse its neurocytopathic effect on SH-SY5Y.
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Affiliation(s)
- Margaux Mignolet
- URPhyM, NARILIS, Faculté de Médecine, Université de Namur, Rue de Bruxelles 61, 5000 Namur, Belgium; (M.M.); (J.G.); (N.H.); (M.G.); (K.D.S.); (V.B.)
| | - Jacques Gilloteaux
- URPhyM, NARILIS, Faculté de Médecine, Université de Namur, Rue de Bruxelles 61, 5000 Namur, Belgium; (M.M.); (J.G.); (N.H.); (M.G.); (K.D.S.); (V.B.)
- Department of Anatomical Sciences, St George’s University School of Medicine, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 JG8, UK
| | - Nicolas Halloin
- URPhyM, NARILIS, Faculté de Médecine, Université de Namur, Rue de Bruxelles 61, 5000 Namur, Belgium; (M.M.); (J.G.); (N.H.); (M.G.); (K.D.S.); (V.B.)
| | - Matthieu Gueibe
- URPhyM, NARILIS, Faculté de Médecine, Université de Namur, Rue de Bruxelles 61, 5000 Namur, Belgium; (M.M.); (J.G.); (N.H.); (M.G.); (K.D.S.); (V.B.)
| | - Kévin Willemart
- URVI, NARILIS, Faculté des Sciences, Université de Namur, Rue de Bruxelles 61, 5000 Namur, Belgium; (K.W.); (N.A.G.)
| | - Kathleen De Swert
- URPhyM, NARILIS, Faculté de Médecine, Université de Namur, Rue de Bruxelles 61, 5000 Namur, Belgium; (M.M.); (J.G.); (N.H.); (M.G.); (K.D.S.); (V.B.)
| | - Valéry Bielarz
- URPhyM, NARILIS, Faculté de Médecine, Université de Namur, Rue de Bruxelles 61, 5000 Namur, Belgium; (M.M.); (J.G.); (N.H.); (M.G.); (K.D.S.); (V.B.)
| | - Valérie Suain
- Laboratoire d’Histologie Générale, Faculté de Médecine, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Route de Lennik 808, 1070 Bruxelles, Belgium; (V.S.); (I.P.)
| | - Ievgenia Pastushenko
- Laboratoire d’Histologie Générale, Faculté de Médecine, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Route de Lennik 808, 1070 Bruxelles, Belgium; (V.S.); (I.P.)
| | - Nicolas Albert Gillet
- URVI, NARILIS, Faculté des Sciences, Université de Namur, Rue de Bruxelles 61, 5000 Namur, Belgium; (K.W.); (N.A.G.)
| | - Charles Nicaise
- URPhyM, NARILIS, Faculté de Médecine, Université de Namur, Rue de Bruxelles 61, 5000 Namur, Belgium; (M.M.); (J.G.); (N.H.); (M.G.); (K.D.S.); (V.B.)
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6
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Llewellyn GN, Chen HY, Rogers GL, Huang X, Sell PJ, Henley JE, Cannon PM. Comparison of SARS-CoV-2 entry inhibitors based on ACE2 receptor or engineered Spike-binding peptides. J Virol 2023; 97:e0068423. [PMID: 37555663 PMCID: PMC10506483 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.00684-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2023] [Accepted: 06/29/2023] [Indexed: 08/10/2023] Open
Abstract
With increasing resistance of SARS-CoV-2 variants to antibodies, there is interest in developing entry inhibitors that target essential receptor-binding regions of the viral Spike protein and thereby present a high bar for viral resistance. Such inhibitors could be derivatives of the viral receptor, ACE2, or peptides engineered to interact specifically with the Spike receptor-binding pocket. We compared the efficacy of a series of both types of entry inhibitors, constructed as fusions to an antibody Fc domain. Such a design can increase protein stability and act to both neutralize free virus and recruit effector functions to clear infected cells. We tested the reagents against prototype variants of SARS-CoV-2, using both Spike pseudotyped vesicular stomatitis virus vectors and replication-competent viruses. These analyses revealed that an optimized ACE2 derivative could neutralize all variants we tested with high efficacy. In contrast, the Spike-binding peptides had varying activities against different variants, with resistance observed in the Spike proteins from Beta, Gamma, and Omicron (BA.1 and BA.5). The resistance mapped to mutations at Spike residues K417 and N501 and could be overcome for one of the peptides by linking two copies in tandem, effectively creating a tetrameric reagent in the Fc fusion. Finally, both the optimized ACE2 and tetrameric peptide inhibitors provided some protection to human ACE2 transgenic mice challenged with the SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant, which typically causes death in this model within 7-9 days. IMPORTANCE The increasing resistance of SARS-CoV-2 variants to therapeutic antibodies has highlighted the need for new treatment options, especially in individuals who do not respond to vaccination. Receptor decoys that block viral entry are an attractive approach because of the presumed high bar to developing viral resistance. Here, we compare two entry inhibitors based on derivatives of the ACE2 receptor, or engineered peptides that bind to the receptor-binding pocket of the SARS-CoV-2 Spike protein. In each case, the inhibitors were fused to immunoglobulin Fc domains, which can further enhance therapeutic properties, and compared for activity against different SARS-CoV-2 variants. Potent inhibition against multiple SARS-CoV-2 variants was demonstrated in vitro, and even relatively low single doses of optimized reagents provided some protection in a mouse model, confirming their potential as an alternative to antibody therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- George N. Llewellyn
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Hsu-Yu Chen
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Geoffrey L. Rogers
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Xiaoli Huang
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Philip J. Sell
- The Hastings Foundation and The Wright Foundation Laboratories, Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Jill E. Henley
- The Hastings Foundation and The Wright Foundation Laboratories, Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Paula M. Cannon
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA
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Abreu C, Ortega C, Olivero-Deibe N, Carrión F, Gaete-Argel A, Valiente-Echeverría F, Soto-Rifo R, Milan Bonotto R, Marcello A, Pantano S. Customizably designed multibodies neutralize SARS-CoV-2 in a variant-insensitive manner. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1226880. [PMID: 37638023 PMCID: PMC10447908 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1226880] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2023] [Accepted: 07/20/2023] [Indexed: 08/29/2023] Open
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic evolves constantly, requiring adaptable solutions to combat emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants. To address this, we created a pentameric scaffold based on a mammalian protein, which can be customized with up to 10 protein binding modules. This molecular scaffold spans roughly 20 nm and can simultaneously neutralize SARS-CoV-2 Spike proteins from one or multiple viral particles. Using only two different modules targeting the Spike's RBD domain, this construct outcompetes human antibodies from vaccinated individuals' serum and blocks in vitro cell attachment and pseudotyped virus entry. Additionally, the multibodies inhibit viral replication at low picomolar concentrations, regardless of the variant. This customizable multibody can be easily produced in procaryote systems, providing a new avenue for therapeutic development and detection devices, and contributing to preparedness against rapidly evolving pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Aracelly Gaete-Argel
- Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Virology, Virology Program, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile
- Millennium Institute on Immunology and Immunotherapy, Santiago, Chile
| | - Fernando Valiente-Echeverría
- Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Virology, Virology Program, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile
- Millennium Institute on Immunology and Immunotherapy, Santiago, Chile
| | - Ricardo Soto-Rifo
- Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Virology, Virology Program, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile
- Millennium Institute on Immunology and Immunotherapy, Santiago, Chile
| | - Rafaela Milan Bonotto
- Laboratory of Molecular Virology, The International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB), Trieste, Italy
| | - Alessandro Marcello
- Laboratory of Molecular Virology, The International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB), Trieste, Italy
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8
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Degasperi E, Anolli MP, Lampertico P. Bulevirtide for patients with compensated chronic hepatitis delta: A review. Liver Int 2023; 43 Suppl 1:80-86. [PMID: 35942695 DOI: 10.1111/liv.15389] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2022] [Revised: 07/26/2022] [Accepted: 08/08/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Chronic hepatitis delta (CHD) affects approximately 10-20 million people worldwide and represents the most severe form of chronic viral hepatitis, as it is characterized by high rates of progression to cirrhosis and its complications (end-stage liver disease, hepatocellular carcinoma). In the last 30 years, the only treatment option for CHD has been represented by the off-label administration of Interferon (or Pegylated Interferon)-alpha: antiviral treatment, however, resulted in suboptimal (20-30%) virological response and was burdened by several side effects, de facto contraindicating Interferon (IFN) administration in patients with more advanced liver disease. Recently, Bulevirtide (BLV), a first-in-class HBV-HDV entry inhibitor blocking Na+ -taurocholate co-transporting polypeptide (NTCP), has provided very promising efficacy data in Phase II and Phase III (interim analysis) trials as well as in preliminary real-life reports. In July 2020, BLV has granted conditional approval by EMA for treatment of compensated CHD, at the dose of 2 mg/day by self-administered subcutaneous injections. In Phase II and Phase III trials, BLV was evaluated at different doses (2 vs. 10 mg/day) for 24 or 48 weeks, either in monotherapy or in combination with PegIFN. Administration of BLV monotherapy for 24 or 48 weeks resulted in 50%-83% virological response (HDV RNA ≥ 2 Log decline) rates and 45%-78% ALT normalization. Combination therapy with PegIFN provided synergistic effects. These results were replicated in real-life studies and confirmed also in patients with advanced cirrhosis and clinically significant portal hypertension. BLV treatment was optimally tolerated, resulting only in an asymptomatic increase of bile acids.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisabetta Degasperi
- Foundation IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Milan, Italy
| | - Maria P Anolli
- Foundation IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Milan, Italy
| | - Pietro Lampertico
- Foundation IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Milan, Italy
- CRC "A. M. and A. Migliavacca" Center for Liver Disease, Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
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9
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Liang T, Xiao S, Wu Z, Lv X, Liu S, Hu M, Li G, Li P, Ma X. Phenothiazines Inhibit SARS-CoV-2 Entry through Targeting Spike Protein. Viruses 2023; 15:1666. [PMID: 37632009 PMCID: PMC10458444 DOI: 10.3390/v15081666] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2023] [Revised: 07/27/2023] [Accepted: 07/28/2023] [Indexed: 08/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), a respiratory disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), has brought an unprecedented public health crisis and continues to threaten humanity due to the persistent emergence of new variants. Therefore, developing more effective and broad-spectrum therapeutic and prophylactic drugs against infection by SARS-CoV-2 and its variants, as well as future emerging CoVs, is urgently needed. In this study, we screened several US FDA-approved drugs and identified phenothiazine derivatives with the ability to potently inhibit the infection of pseudotyped SARS-CoV-2 and distinct variants of concern (VOCs), including B.1.617.2 (Delta) and currently circulating Omicron sublineages XBB and BQ.1.1, as well as pseudotyped SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV. Mechanistic studies suggested that phenothiazines predominantly inhibited SARS-CoV-2 pseudovirus (PsV) infection at the early stage and potentially bound to the spike (S) protein of SARS-CoV-2, which may prevent the proteolytic cleavage of the S protein, thereby exhibiting inhibitory activity against SARS-CoV-2 infection. In summary, our findings suggest that phenothiazines can serve as a potential broad-spectrum therapeutic drug for the treatment of SARS-CoV-2 infection as well as the infection of future emerging human coronaviruses (HCoVs).
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Affiliation(s)
- Taizhen Liang
- Guangzhou National Laboratory, Guangzhou International Bio-Island, Guangzhou 510005, China; (T.L.); (S.X.); (S.L.); (M.H.); (G.L.); (P.L.)
- State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou 511400, China
| | - Shiqi Xiao
- Guangzhou National Laboratory, Guangzhou International Bio-Island, Guangzhou 510005, China; (T.L.); (S.X.); (S.L.); (M.H.); (G.L.); (P.L.)
| | - Ziyao Wu
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China;
| | - Xi Lv
- School of Medicine, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China;
| | - Sen Liu
- Guangzhou National Laboratory, Guangzhou International Bio-Island, Guangzhou 510005, China; (T.L.); (S.X.); (S.L.); (M.H.); (G.L.); (P.L.)
- School of Biology and Biological Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Meilin Hu
- Guangzhou National Laboratory, Guangzhou International Bio-Island, Guangzhou 510005, China; (T.L.); (S.X.); (S.L.); (M.H.); (G.L.); (P.L.)
- State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou 511400, China
| | - Guojie Li
- Guangzhou National Laboratory, Guangzhou International Bio-Island, Guangzhou 510005, China; (T.L.); (S.X.); (S.L.); (M.H.); (G.L.); (P.L.)
| | - Peiwen Li
- Guangzhou National Laboratory, Guangzhou International Bio-Island, Guangzhou 510005, China; (T.L.); (S.X.); (S.L.); (M.H.); (G.L.); (P.L.)
| | - Xiancai Ma
- Guangzhou National Laboratory, Guangzhou International Bio-Island, Guangzhou 510005, China; (T.L.); (S.X.); (S.L.); (M.H.); (G.L.); (P.L.)
- State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou 511400, China
- Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China
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10
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Xu HY, Yang JO, Chen PH, Han SHB. Bulevirtide and emerging drugs for the treatment of hepatitis D. Expert Opin Biol Ther 2023; 23:1245-1253. [PMID: 37853604 DOI: 10.1080/14712598.2023.2273260] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2023] [Accepted: 10/17/2023] [Indexed: 10/20/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Hepatitis delta virus (HDV) causes acute and chronic liver disease that requires the co-infection of the Hepatitis B virus and can lead to significant morbidity and mortality. Bulevirtide is a recently introduced entry inhibitor drug that acts on the sodium taurocholate cotransporting peptide, thereby preventing viral entry to target cells in chronic HDV infection. The mainstay of chronic HDV therapy prior to bulevirtide was interferon alpha, which has an undesirable side effect profile. AREAS COVERED We review bulevirtide data from recent clinical trials in Europe and the United States. Challenges to development and implementation of bulevirtide are discussed. Additionally, we review ongoing trials of emerging drugs for HDV, such as pegylated interferon lambda and lonafarnib. EXPERT OPINION Bulevirtide represents a major shift in treatment for chronic HDV, for which there is significant unmet need. Trials that compared bulevirtide in combination with interferon alpha vs interferon alpha monotherapy demonstrated significant increase in virologic response. Overall, treatment with different doses of bulevirtide were comparable. Bulevirtide was generally well tolerated, and no serious adverse events occurred. Understanding the true prevalence of HDV, as well as continued studies of emerging drugs will prove valuable to the larger goal of eradication of Hepatitis D.
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Affiliation(s)
- Helen Y Xu
- Department of Medicine, UCLA Health, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Jamie O Yang
- Department of Medicine, UCLA Health, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Phillip H Chen
- Clinical Fellow in Gastroenterology, Department of Gastroenterology, UCLA Health, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Steven-Huy B Han
- Pfleger Liver Institute, UCLA Health, 200 Medical Plaza, Los Angeles, CA, USA
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11
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Zakrzewicz D, Geyer J. Interactions of Na +/taurocholate cotransporting polypeptide with host cellular proteins upon hepatitis B and D virus infection: novel potential targets for antiviral therapy. Biol Chem 2023:hsz-2022-0345. [PMID: 37103224 DOI: 10.1515/hsz-2022-0345] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2022] [Accepted: 04/13/2023] [Indexed: 04/28/2023]
Abstract
Na+/taurocholate cotransporting polypeptide (NTCP) is a member of the solute carrier (SLC) family 10 transporters (gene symbol SLC10A1) and is responsible for the sodium-dependent uptake of bile salts across the basolateral membrane of hepatocytes. In addition to its primary transporter function, NTCP is the high-affinity hepatic receptor for hepatitis B (HBV) and hepatitis D (HDV) viruses and, therefore, is a prerequisite for HBV/HDV virus entry into hepatocytes. The inhibition of HBV/HDV binding to NTCP and internalization of the virus/NTCP receptor complex has become a major concept in the development of new antiviral drugs called HBV/HDV entry inhibitors. Hence, NTCP has emerged as a promising target for therapeutic interventions against HBV/HDV infections in the last decade. In this review, recent findings on protein-protein interactions (PPIs) between NTCP and cofactors relevant for entry of the virus/NTCP receptor complex are summarized. In addition, strategies aiming to block PPIs with NTCP to dampen virus tropism and HBV/HDV infection rates are discussed. Finally, this article suggests novel directions for future investigations evaluating the functional contribution of NTCP-mediated PPIs in the development and progression of HBV/HDV infection and subsequent chronic liver disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dariusz Zakrzewicz
- Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Justus-Liebig-University Giessen, Schubertstr. 81, D-35392 Giessen, Germany
| | - Joachim Geyer
- Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Justus-Liebig-University Giessen, Schubertstr. 81, D-35392 Giessen, Germany
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12
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Fritschi CJ, Anang S, Gong Z, Mohammadi M, Richard J, Bourassa C, Severino KT, Richter H, Yang D, Chen HC, Chiu TJ, Seaman MS, Madani N, Abrams C, Finzi A, Hendrickson WA, Sodroski JG, Smith AB. Indoline CD4-mimetic compounds mediate potent and broad HIV-1 inhibition and sensitization to antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2023; 120:e2222073120. [PMID: 36961924 PMCID: PMC10068826 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2222073120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2022] [Accepted: 02/22/2023] [Indexed: 03/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Binding to the host cell receptors, CD4 and CCR5/CXCR4, triggers large-scale conformational changes in the HIV-1 envelope glycoprotein (Env) trimer [(gp120/gp41)3] that promote virus entry into the cell. CD4-mimetic compounds (CD4mcs) comprise small organic molecules that bind in the highly conserved CD4-binding site of gp120 and prematurely induce inactivating Env conformational changes, including shedding of gp120 from the Env trimer. By inducing more "open," antibody-susceptible Env conformations, CD4mcs also sensitize HIV-1 virions to neutralization by antibodies and infected cells to antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC). Here, we report the design, synthesis, and evaluation of novel CD4mcs based on an indoline scaffold. Compared with our current lead indane scaffold CD4mc, BNM-III-170, several indoline CD4mcs exhibit increased potency and breadth against HIV-1 variants from different geographic clades. Viruses that were selected for resistance to the lead indane CD4mc, BNM-III-170, are susceptible to inhibition by the indoline CD4mcs. The indoline CD4mcs also potently sensitize HIV-1-infected cells to ADCC mediated by plasma from HIV-1-infected individuals. Crystal structures indicate that the indoline CD4mcs gain potency compared to the indane CD4mcs through more favorable π-π overlap from the indoline pose and by making favorable contacts with the vestibule of the CD4-binding pocket on gp120. The rational design of indoline CD4mcs thus holds promise for further improvements in antiviral activity, potentially contributing to efforts to treat and prevent HIV-1 infection.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Saumya Anang
- Department of Cancer Immunology and Virology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA02115
- Department of Microbiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA02115
| | - Zhen Gong
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Columbia University, New York, NY10032
| | | | - Jonathan Richard
- Centre de Recherche du CHUM, Montreal, QCH2X 0A9, Canada
- Departement de Microbiologie, Infectiologie et Immunologie, Universite de Montreal, Montreal, QCH3T 1J4, Canada
| | - Catherine Bourassa
- Departement de Microbiologie, Infectiologie et Immunologie, Universite de Montreal, Montreal, QCH3T 1J4, Canada
| | - Kenny T. Severino
- Center for Virology and Vaccine Research, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA02215
| | - Hannah Richter
- Center for Virology and Vaccine Research, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA02215
| | - Derek Yang
- Department of Chemistry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA19104
| | - Hung-Ching Chen
- Department of Chemistry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA19104
| | - Ta-Jung Chiu
- Department of Chemistry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA19104
| | - Michael S. Seaman
- Center for Virology and Vaccine Research, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA02215
| | - Navid Madani
- Department of Cancer Immunology and Virology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA02115
- Department of Microbiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA02115
| | - Cameron Abrams
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA19104
| | - Andrés Finzi
- Centre de Recherche du CHUM, Montreal, QCH2X 0A9, Canada
- Departement de Microbiologie, Infectiologie et Immunologie, Universite de Montreal, Montreal, QCH3T 1J4, Canada
| | - Wayne A. Hendrickson
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Columbia University, New York, NY10032
- Department of Physiology and Cellular Biophysics, Columbia University, New York, NY10032
| | - Joseph G. Sodroski
- Department of Cancer Immunology and Virology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA02115
- Department of Microbiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA02115
- Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA02115
| | - Amos B. Smith
- Department of Chemistry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA19104
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13
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Emiel Vanhulle, Jordi Doijen, Joren Stroobants, Becky Provinciael, Sam Noppen, Dominique Schols, Annelies Stevaert, Kurt Vermeire. Cellular electrical impedance to profile SARS-CoV-2 fusion inhibitors and to assess the fusogenic potential of spike mutants. Antiviral Res 2023:105587. [PMID: 36977434 PMCID: PMC10040089 DOI: 10.1016/j.antiviral.2023.105587] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2023] [Revised: 03/21/2023] [Accepted: 03/23/2023] [Indexed: 03/28/2023]
Abstract
Despite the vaccination campaigns for COVID-19, we still cannot control the spread of SARS-CoV-2, as evidenced by the ongoing circulation of the Omicron variants of concern. This highlights the need for broad-spectrum antivirals to further combat COVID-19 and to be prepared for a new pandemic with a (re-)emerging coronavirus. An interesting target for antiviral drug development is the fusion of the viral envelope with host cell membranes, a crucial early step in the replication cycle of coronaviruses. In this study, we explored the use of cellular electrical impedance (CEI) to quantitatively monitor morphological changes in real time, resulting from cell-cell fusion elicited by SARS-CoV-2 spike. The impedance signal in CEI-quantified cell-cell fusion correlated with the expression level of SARS-CoV-2 spike in transfected HEK293T cells. For antiviral assessment, we validated the CEI assay with the fusion inhibitor EK1 and measured a concentration-dependent inhibition of SARS-CoV-2 spike mediated cell-cell fusion (IC50 value of 0.13 μM). In addition, CEI was used to confirm the fusion inhibitory activity of the carbohydrate-binding plant lectin UDA against SARS-CoV-2 (IC50 value of 0.55 μM), which complements prior in-house profiling activities. Finally, we explored the utility of CEI in quantifying the fusogenic potential of mutant spike proteins and in comparing the fusion efficiency of SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern. In summary, we demonstrate that CEI is a powerful and sensitive technology that can be applied to studying the fusion process of SARS-CoV-2 and to screening and characterizing fusion inhibitors in a label-free and non-invasive manner.
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14
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Degasperi E, Anolli MP, Lampertico P. Bulevirtide-based treatment strategies for chronic hepatitis delta: A review. J Viral Hepat 2023; 30 Suppl 1:26-32. [PMID: 36740364 DOI: 10.1111/jvh.13811] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2023] [Accepted: 02/01/2023] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Chronic hepatitis Delta (CHD) is a rare and severe form of chronic viral hepatitis. Until recently, the only therapeutic approach has been the off-label use of a 48 weeks course of PegInterferon alpha (PegIFNα), that was characterized by suboptimal efficacy and burdened by significant side effects that limited treatment applicability in patients with advanced liver disease. In July 2020, European Medicines Agency (EMA) conditionally approved the entry inhibitor Bulevirtde (BLV) at the dose of 2 mg/day for the treatment of adult patients with compensated CHD. Efficacy and safety of BLV in CHD have been evaluated in clinical trials either as monotherapy or in combination with PegIFNα. These results were confirmed by real-life studies, which also evaluated long-term BLV monotherapy in patients with advanced compensated cirrhosis. Notwithstanding these promising results there are still several issues to be addressed, such as the optimal duration of the treatment, the rates of off-therapy responses, as well as the long-term clinical benefits. This review summarizes updated and current literature data about clinical trials and real-life studies with BLV monotherapy and/or in combination with PegIFNα.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisabetta Degasperi
- Foundation IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Milan, Italy
| | - Maria Paola Anolli
- Foundation IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Milan, Italy
| | - Pietro Lampertico
- Foundation IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Milan, Italy.,CRC "A. M. and A. Migliavacca" Center for Liver Disease, Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
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15
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Chaplain C, Fritschi CJ, Anang S, Gong Z, Richard J, Bourassa C, Liang S, Mohammadi M, Park J, Finzi A, Madani N, Sodroski JG, Abrams CF, Hendrickson WA, Smith AB. Structural and Functional Characterization of Indane-Core CD4-Mimetic Compounds Substituted with Heterocyclic Amines. ACS Med Chem Lett 2023; 14:51-58. [PMID: 36655122 PMCID: PMC9841591 DOI: 10.1021/acsmedchemlett.2c00376] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2022] [Accepted: 11/30/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV-1) envelope glycoprotein (Env) trimer on the virion surface interacts with the host receptors, CD4 and CCR5/CXCR4, to mediate virus entry into the target cell. CD4-mimetic compounds (CD4mcs) bind the gp120 Env, block CD4 binding, and inactivate Env. Previous studies suggested that a C(5)-methylamino methyl moiety on a lead CD4mc, BNM-III-170, contributed to its antiviral potency. By replacing the C(5) chain with differentially substituted pyrrolidine, piperidine, and piperazine ring systems, guided by structural and computational analyses, we found that the 5-position of BNM-III-170 is remarkably tolerant of a variety of ring sizes and substitutions, both in regard to antiviral activity and sensitization to humoral responses. Crystallographic analyses of representative analogues from the pyrrolidine series revealed the potential for 5-substituents to hydrogen bond with gp120 Env residue Thr 283. Further optimization of these interactions holds promise for the development of CD4mcs with greater potency.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cheyenne Chaplain
- Department
of Chemistry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, United States
| | - Christopher J. Fritschi
- Department
of Chemistry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, United States
| | - Saumya Anang
- Department of Cancer Immunology and Virology, Dana-Farber
Cancer
Institute and Department of Microbiology, Harvard Medical
School, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, United States
| | - Zhen Gong
- Department of Biochemistry
and Molecular Biophysics and Department of Physiology and Cellular
Biophysics, Columbia University, New York, New York 10032, United States
| | - Jonathan Richard
- Centre
de
Recherche du CHUM, Montreal H2X 0A9, Canada
- Département
de Microbiologie, Infectiologie et Immunologie, Université de Montréal, Montreal, Quebec H3T 1J4, Canada
| | - Catherine Bourassa
- Centre
de
Recherche du CHUM, Montreal H2X 0A9, Canada
- Département
de Microbiologie, Infectiologie et Immunologie, Université de Montréal, Montreal, Quebec H3T 1J4, Canada
| | - Shuaiyi Liang
- Department of Biochemistry
and Molecular Biophysics and Department of Physiology and Cellular
Biophysics, Columbia University, New York, New York 10032, United States
| | - Mohammadjavad Mohammadi
- Department
of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Drexel University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, United States
| | - Jun Park
- Department
of Chemistry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, United States
| | - Andrés Finzi
- Centre
de
Recherche du CHUM, Montreal H2X 0A9, Canada
- Département
de Microbiologie, Infectiologie et Immunologie, Université de Montréal, Montreal, Quebec H3T 1J4, Canada
| | - Navid Madani
- Department of Cancer Immunology and Virology, Dana-Farber
Cancer
Institute and Department of Microbiology, Harvard Medical
School, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, United States
| | - Joseph G. Sodroski
- Department of Cancer Immunology and Virology, Dana-Farber
Cancer
Institute and Department of Microbiology, Harvard Medical
School, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, United States
- Department
of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Harvard
School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
| | - Cameron F. Abrams
- Department
of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Drexel University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, United States
| | - Wayne A. Hendrickson
- Department of Biochemistry
and Molecular Biophysics and Department of Physiology and Cellular
Biophysics, Columbia University, New York, New York 10032, United States
| | - Amos B. Smith
- Department
of Chemistry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, United States
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16
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Chen Y, Wu Y, Chen S, Zhan Q, Wu D, Yang C, He X, Qiu M, Zhang N, Li Z, Guo Y, Wen M, Lu L, Ma C, Guo J, Xu W, Li X, Li L, Jiang S, Pan X, Liu S, Tan S. Sertraline Is an Effective SARS-CoV-2 Entry Inhibitor Targeting the Spike Protein. J Virol 2022; 96:e0124522. [PMID: 36468859 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.01245-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The global spread of the novel coronavirus severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and the continuously emerging new variants underscore an urgent need for effective therapeutics for the treatment of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Here, we screened several FDA-approved amphiphilic drugs and determined that sertraline (SRT) exhibits potent antiviral activity against infection of SARS-CoV-2 pseudovirus (PsV) and authentic virus in vitro. It effectively inhibits SARS-CoV-2 spike (S)-mediated cell-cell fusion. SRT targets the early stage of viral entry. It can bind to the S1 subunit of the S protein, especially the receptor binding domain (RBD), thus blocking S-hACE2 interaction and interfering with the proteolysis process of S protein. SRT is also effective against infection with SARS-CoV-2 PsV variants, including the newly emerging Omicron. The combination of SRT and other antivirals exhibits a strong synergistic effect against infection of SARS-CoV-2 PsV. The antiviral activity of SRT is independent of serotonin transporter expression. Moreover, SRT effectively inhibits infection of SARS-CoV-2 PsV and alleviates the inflammation process and lung pathological alterations in transduced mice in vivo. Therefore, SRT shows promise as a treatment option for COVID-19. IMPORTANCE The study shows SRT is an effective entry inhibitor against infection of SARS-CoV-2, which is currently prevalent globally. SRT targets the S protein of SARS-CoV-2 and is effective against a panel of SARS-CoV-2 variants. It also could be used in combination to prevent SARS-CoV-2 infection. More importantly, with long history of clinical use and proven safety, SRT might be particularly suitable to treat infection of SARS-CoV-2 in the central nervous system and optimized for treatment in older people, pregnant women, and COVID-19 patients with heart complications, which are associated with severity and mortality of COVID-19.
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17
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Zöllner C, Hofmann J, Lutz K, Tacke F, Demir M. Real-life experiences with bulevirtide for the treatment of hepatitis delta-48 weeks data from a German centre. Liver Int 2022; 42:2403-2407. [PMID: 36004554 DOI: 10.1111/liv.15408] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2021] [Revised: 07/29/2022] [Accepted: 08/23/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
In July 2020, the entry inhibitor bulevirtide was approved in the European Union for the treatment of chronic hepatitis delta virus (HDV) infection. We describe the first 48 weeks of bulevirtide therapy in eight patients (n = 7 male, n = 1 female; n = 3 compensated cirrhosis) treated at our centre. Median ALT values declined from 82 to 34 U/L after 48 weeks. Median HDV RNA dropped from 13 380 000 to 3135 copies/ml. One patient showed no significant response and was discontinued at week 16. Overall, we observed a favourable safety profile and a marked biochemical and virological response in the majority of our patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caroline Zöllner
- Department of Hepatology and Gastroenterology, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Campus Virchow-Klinikum (CVK) and Campus Charité Mitte (CCM), Berlin, Germany
| | - Jörg Hofmann
- Institute of Virology, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Campus Charité Mitte, Berlin, Germany
| | - Katrin Lutz
- Department of Hepatology and Gastroenterology, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Campus Virchow-Klinikum (CVK) and Campus Charité Mitte (CCM), Berlin, Germany
| | - Frank Tacke
- Department of Hepatology and Gastroenterology, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Campus Virchow-Klinikum (CVK) and Campus Charité Mitte (CCM), Berlin, Germany
| | - Münevver Demir
- Department of Hepatology and Gastroenterology, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Campus Virchow-Klinikum (CVK) and Campus Charité Mitte (CCM), Berlin, Germany
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18
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Secchi M, Vangelista L. Rational Engineering of a Sub-Picomolar HIV-1 Blocker. Viruses 2022; 14:v14112415. [PMID: 36366513 PMCID: PMC9695723 DOI: 10.3390/v14112415] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2022] [Revised: 10/19/2022] [Accepted: 10/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
With the aim of rationally devising a refined and potent HIV-1 blocker, the cDNA of CCL5 5p12 5m, an extremely potent CCR5 antagonist, was fused to that of C37, a gp41-targeted fusion inhibitor. The resulting CCL5 5p12 5m-C37 fusion protein was expressed in E. coli and proved to be capable of inhibiting R5 HIV-1 strains with low to sub-picomolar IC50, maintaining its antagonism toward CCR5. In addition, CCL5 5p12 5m-C37 inhibits R5/X4 and X4 HIV-1 strains in the picomolar concentration range. The combination of CCL5 5p12 5m-C37 with tenofovir (TDF) exhibited a synergic effect, promoting this antiviral cocktail. Interestingly, a CCR5-targeted combination of maraviroc (MVC) with CCL5 5p12 5m-C37 led to a synergic effect that could be explained by an extensive engagement of different CCR5 conformational populations. Within the mechanism of HIV-1 entry, the CCL5 5p12 5m-C37 chimera may fit as a powerful blocker in several instances. In its possible consideration for systemic therapy or pre-exposure prophylaxis, this protein design represents an interesting lead in the combat of HIV-1 infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Massimiliano Secchi
- Protein Engineering and Therapeutics Group, Department of Immunology, Transplantation and Infectious Diseases, IRCCS Ospedale San Raffaele, 20132 Milan, Italy
- DNA Enzymology and Molecular Virology Unit, Institute of Molecular Genetics, National Research Council, 27100 Pavia, Italy
| | - Luca Vangelista
- Protein Engineering and Therapeutics Group, Department of Immunology, Transplantation and Infectious Diseases, IRCCS Ospedale San Raffaele, 20132 Milan, Italy
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Medicine, Nazarbayev University, Nur-Sultan 010000, Kazakhstan
- Correspondence:
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19
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Orkin C, Cahn P, Castagna A, Emu B, Harrigan P, Kuritzkes DR, Nelson M, Schapiro J. Opening the door on entry inhibitors in HIV: Redefining the use of entry inhibitors in heavily treatment experienced and treatment-limited individuals living with HIV. HIV Med 2022; 23:936-946. [PMID: 35293094 PMCID: PMC9546304 DOI: 10.1111/hiv.13288] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2021] [Revised: 01/21/2022] [Accepted: 02/16/2022] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Entry inhibitors are a relatively new class of antiretroviral therapy and are typically indicated in heavily treatment experienced individuals living with HIV. Despite this, there is no formal definition of 'heavily treatment experienced'. Interpretation of this term generally includes acknowledgement of multidrug resistance and reflects the fact that patients in need of further treatment options may have experienced multiple lines of therapy. However, it fails to recognize treatment limiting factors including contraindications, age-associated comorbidities, and difficulty adhering to regimens. METHODS This manuscript follows a roundtable discussion and aims to identify the unmet needs of those living with HIV who are in need of further treatment options, to broaden the definition of heavily treatment experienced and to clarify the use of newer agents, with an emphasis on the potential role of entry inhibitors, in this population. RESULTS/CONCLUSIONS Within the entry inhibitor class, mechanisms of action differ between agents; resistance to one subclass does not confer resistance to others. Combinations of entry inhibitors should be considered in the same regimen, and if lack of response is seen to one entry inhibitor another can be tried. When selecting an entry inhibitor, physicians should account for patient preferences and needs as well as agent-specific clinical characteristics. Absence of documented multidrug resistance should not exclude an individual from treatment with an entry inhibitor; entry inhibitors are a valuable treatment option for all individuals who are treatment limited or treatment exhausted. We should advocate for additional clinical trials that help define the role of entry inhibitors in people with exhausted/limited ART options other than drug resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Pedro Cahn
- Fundacion HuespedBuenos AiresArgentina
- Buenos Aires University Medical SchoolBuenos AiresArgentina
| | - Antonella Castagna
- Vita‐Salute San Raffaele UniversitySan Raffaele Scientific InstituteMilanItaly
| | - Brinda Emu
- Yale School of MedicineNew HavenConnecticutUSA
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20
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Anang S, Richard J, Bourassa C, Goyette G, Chiu TJ, Chen HC, Smith AB 3rd, Madani N, Finzi A, Sodroski J. Characterization of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV-1) Envelope Glycoprotein Variants Selected for Resistance to a CD4-Mimetic Compound. J Virol 2022; 96:e0063622. [PMID: 35980207 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.00636-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Binding to the host cell receptors CD4 and CCR5/CXCR4 triggers conformational changes in the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV-1) envelope glycoprotein (Env) trimer that promote virus entry. CD4 binding allows the gp120 exterior Env to bind CCR5/CXCR4 and induces a short-lived prehairpin intermediate conformation in the gp41 transmembrane Env. Small-molecule CD4-mimetic compounds (CD4mcs) bind within the conserved Phe-43 cavity of gp120, near the binding site for CD4. CD4mcs like BNM-III-170 inhibit HIV-1 infection by competing with CD4 and by prematurely activating Env, leading to irreversible inactivation. In cell culture, we selected and analyzed variants of the primary HIV-1AD8 strain resistant to BNM-III-170. Two changes (S375N and I424T) in gp120 residues that flank the Phe-43 cavity each conferred an ~5-fold resistance to BNM-III-170 with minimal fitness cost. A third change (E64G) in layer 1 of the gp120 inner domain resulted in ~100-fold resistance to BNM-III-170, ~2- to 3-fold resistance to soluble CD4-Ig, and a moderate decrease in viral fitness. The gp120 changes additively or synergistically contributed to BNM-III-170 resistance. The sensitivity of the Env variants to BNM-III-170 inhibition of virus entry correlated with their sensitivity to BNM-III-170-induced Env activation and shedding of gp120. Together, the S375N and I424T changes, but not the E64G change, conferred >100-fold and 33-fold resistance to BMS-806 and BMS-529 (temsavir), respectively, potent HIV-1 entry inhibitors that block Env conformational transitions. These studies identify pathways whereby HIV-1 can develop resistance to CD4mcs and conformational blockers, two classes of entry inhibitors that target the conserved gp120 Phe-43 cavity. IMPORTANCE CD4-mimetic compounds (CD4mcs) and conformational blockers like BMS-806 and BMS-529 (temsavir) are small-molecule inhibitors of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV-1) entry into host cells. Although CD4mcs and conformational blockers inhibit HIV-1 entry by different mechanisms, they both target a pocket on the viral envelope glycoprotein (Env) spike that is used for binding to the receptor CD4 and is highly conserved among HIV-1 strains. Our study identifies changes near this pocket that can confer various levels of resistance to the antiviral effects of a CD4mc and conformational blockers. We relate the antiviral potency of a CD4mc against this panel of HIV-1 variants to the ability of the CD4mc to activate changes in Env conformation and to induce the shedding of the gp120 exterior Env from the spike. These findings will guide efforts to improve the potency and breadth of small-molecule HIV-1 entry inhibitors.
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21
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Lee RKL, Li TN, Chang SY, Chao TL, Kuo CH, Pan MYC, Chiou YT, Liao KJ, Yang Y, Wu YH, Huang CH, Juan HF, Hsieh HP, Wang LHC. Identification of Entry Inhibitors against Delta and Omicron Variants of SARS-CoV-2. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23074050. [PMID: 35409412 PMCID: PMC8999638 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23074050] [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] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2022] [Revised: 03/30/2022] [Accepted: 04/01/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Entry inhibitors against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) are urgently needed to control the outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). This study developed a robust and straightforward assay that detected the molecular interaction between the receptor-binding domain (RBD) of viral spike protein and the angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptor in just 10 min. A drug library of 1068 approved compounds was used to screen for SARS-CoV2 entry inhibition, and 9 active drugs were identified as specific pseudovirus entry inhibitors. A plaque reduction neutralization test using authentic SARS-CoV-2 virus in Vero E6 cells confirmed that 2 of these drugs (Etravirine and Dolutegravir) significantly inhibited the infection of SARS-CoV-2. With molecular docking, we showed that both Etravirine and Dolutegravir are preferentially bound to primary ACE2-interacting residues on the RBD domain, implying that these two drug blocks may prohibit the viral attachment of SARS-CoV-2. We compared the neutralizing activities of these entry inhibitors against different pseudoviruses carrying spike proteins from alpha, beta, gamma, and delta variants. Both Etravirine and Dolutegravir showed similar neutralizing activities against different variants, with EC50 values between 4.5 to 5.8 nM for Etravirine and 10.2 to 22.9 nM for Dolutegravir. These data implied that Etravirine and Dolutegravir may serve as general spike inhibitors against dominant viral variants of SARS-CoV-2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard Kuan-Lin Lee
- Institute of Molecular and Cellular Biology, College of Life Science, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu 300013, Taiwan; (R.K.-L.L.); (T.-N.L.); (M.Y.-C.P.); (Y.-T.C.); (Y.Y.); (Y.-H.W.)
- SMOBIO Technology, Inc., Hsinchu 300096, Taiwan;
| | - Tian-Neng Li
- Institute of Molecular and Cellular Biology, College of Life Science, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu 300013, Taiwan; (R.K.-L.L.); (T.-N.L.); (M.Y.-C.P.); (Y.-T.C.); (Y.Y.); (Y.-H.W.)
| | - Sui-Yuan Chang
- Department of Clinical Laboratory Sciences and Medical Biotechnology, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei 100225, Taiwan; (S.-Y.C.); (T.-L.C.)
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei 100225, Taiwan
| | - Tai-Ling Chao
- Department of Clinical Laboratory Sciences and Medical Biotechnology, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei 100225, Taiwan; (S.-Y.C.); (T.-L.C.)
| | | | - Max Yu-Chen Pan
- Institute of Molecular and Cellular Biology, College of Life Science, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu 300013, Taiwan; (R.K.-L.L.); (T.-N.L.); (M.Y.-C.P.); (Y.-T.C.); (Y.Y.); (Y.-H.W.)
| | - Yu-Ting Chiou
- Institute of Molecular and Cellular Biology, College of Life Science, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu 300013, Taiwan; (R.K.-L.L.); (T.-N.L.); (M.Y.-C.P.); (Y.-T.C.); (Y.Y.); (Y.-H.W.)
| | - Kuan-Ju Liao
- Institute of Bioinformatics and Structural Biology, College of Life Science, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu 300013, Taiwan;
| | - Yi Yang
- Institute of Molecular and Cellular Biology, College of Life Science, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu 300013, Taiwan; (R.K.-L.L.); (T.-N.L.); (M.Y.-C.P.); (Y.-T.C.); (Y.Y.); (Y.-H.W.)
| | - Yi-Hsuan Wu
- Institute of Molecular and Cellular Biology, College of Life Science, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu 300013, Taiwan; (R.K.-L.L.); (T.-N.L.); (M.Y.-C.P.); (Y.-T.C.); (Y.Y.); (Y.-H.W.)
| | - Chen-Hao Huang
- Graduate Institute of Biomedical Electronics and Bioinformatics, National Taiwan University, Taipei 106319, Taiwan; (C.-H.H.); (H.-F.J.)
| | - Hsueh-Fen Juan
- Graduate Institute of Biomedical Electronics and Bioinformatics, National Taiwan University, Taipei 106319, Taiwan; (C.-H.H.); (H.-F.J.)
- Department of Life Science, National Taiwan University, Taipei 106319, Taiwan
| | - Hsing-Pang Hsieh
- Institute of Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Research, National Health Research Institutes, Miaoli 350401, Taiwan;
- Department of Chemistry, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu 300013, Taiwan
- Biomedical Translation Research Center, Academia Sinica, Taipei 115202, Taiwan
| | - Lily Hui-Ching Wang
- Institute of Molecular and Cellular Biology, College of Life Science, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu 300013, Taiwan; (R.K.-L.L.); (T.-N.L.); (M.Y.-C.P.); (Y.-T.C.); (Y.Y.); (Y.-H.W.)
- Department of Medical Science, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu 300013, Taiwan
- Correspondence:
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22
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González-Maldonado P, Alvarenga N, Burgos-Edwards A, Flores-Giubi ME, Barúa JE, Romero-Rodríguez MC, Soto-Rifo R, Valiente-Echeverría F, Langjahr P, Cantero-González G, Sotelo PH. Screening of Natural Products Inhibitors of SARS-CoV-2 Entry. Molecules 2022; 27:1743. [PMID: 35268843 DOI: 10.3390/molecules27051743] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2021] [Revised: 02/17/2022] [Accepted: 02/24/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic has led to the search for new molecules with antiviral activity against SARS-CoV-2. The entry of the virus into the cell is one of the main targets for inhibiting SARS-CoV-2 infection. Natural products are an important source of new therapeutic alternatives against diseases. Pseudotyped viruses allow the study of SARS-CoV-2 viral entry inhibitors, and due to their simplicity, they allow the screening of a large number of antiviral candidates in Biosafety Level 2 facilities. We used pseudotyped HIV-1 with the D614G SARS-CoV-2 spike glycoprotein to test its ability to infect ACE2-expressing HEK 293T cells in the presence of diverse natural products, including 21 plant extracts, 7 essential oils, and 13 compounds from plants and fungi. The 50% cytotoxic concentration (CC50) was evaluated using the resazurin method. From these analyses, we determined the inhibitory activity of the extract of Stachytarpheta cayennensis, which had a half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) of 91.65 µg/mL, a CC50 of 693.5 µg/mL, and a selectivity index (SI) of 7.57, indicating its potential use as an inhibitor of SARS-CoV-2 entry. Moreover, our work indicates the usefulness of the pseudotyped-virus system in the screening of SARS-CoV-2 entry inhibitors.
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23
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Cao J, Dong S, Liu Y, Zhou M, Guo J, Jia X, Zhang Y, Hou Y, Tian M, Xiao G, Wang W. Screening and Identification of Lujo Virus Entry Inhibitors From an Food and Drug Administration-Approved Drugs Library. Front Microbiol 2021; 12:793519. [PMID: 34925303 PMCID: PMC8675865 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.793519] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2021] [Accepted: 11/10/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Lujo virus (LUJV) belongs to the Old World (OW) genus Mammarenavirus (family Arenaviridae). It is categorized as a biosafety level (BSL) 4 agent. Currently, there are no U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved drugs or vaccines specifically for LUJV or other pathogenic OW mammarenaviruses. Here, a high-throughput screening of an FDA-approved drug library was conducted using pseudotype viruses bearing LUJV envelope glycoprotein (GPC) to identify inhibitors of LUJV entry. Three hit compounds, trametinib, manidipine, and lercanidipine, were identified as LUJV entry inhibitors in the micromolar range. Mechanistic studies revealed that trametinib inhibited LUJV GPC-mediated membrane fusion by targeting C410 [located in the transmembrane (TM) domain], while manidipine and lercanidipine inhibited LUJV entry by acting as calcium channel blockers. Meanwhile, all three hits extended their antiviral spectra to the entry of other pathogenic mammarenaviruses. Furthermore, all three could inhibit the authentic prototype mammarenavirus, lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV), and could prevent infection at the micromolar level. This study shows that trametinib, manidipine, and lercanidipine are candidates for LUJV therapy and highlights the critical role of calcium in LUJV infection. The presented findings reinforce the notion that the key residue(s) located in the TM domain of GPC provide an entry-targeted platform for designing mammarenavirus inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junyuan Cao
- State Key Laboratory of Virology, Wuhan Institute of Virology, Center for Biosafety Mega-Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, China.,College of Life Science, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Siqi Dong
- State Key Laboratory of Virology, Wuhan Institute of Virology, Center for Biosafety Mega-Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, China.,College of Life Science, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yang Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Virology, Wuhan Institute of Virology, Center for Biosafety Mega-Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, China
| | - Minmin Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Virology, Wuhan Institute of Virology, Center for Biosafety Mega-Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, China.,College of Life Science, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Jiao Guo
- State Key Laboratory of Virology, Wuhan Institute of Virology, Center for Biosafety Mega-Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, China.,College of Life Science, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Xiaoying Jia
- State Key Laboratory of Virology, Wuhan Institute of Virology, Center for Biosafety Mega-Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, China.,College of Life Science, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yueli Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Virology, Wuhan Institute of Virology, Center for Biosafety Mega-Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, China.,College of Pharmacy and State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, Nankai University, Tianjin, China
| | - Yuxia Hou
- State Key Laboratory of Virology, Wuhan Institute of Virology, Center for Biosafety Mega-Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, China.,College of Life Science, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Ming Tian
- College of Chemistry, Central China Normal University, Wuhan, China
| | - Gengfu Xiao
- State Key Laboratory of Virology, Wuhan Institute of Virology, Center for Biosafety Mega-Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, China.,College of Life Science, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Wei Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Virology, Wuhan Institute of Virology, Center for Biosafety Mega-Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, China.,College of Life Science, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
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24
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Wensel D, Williams S, Dixon DP, Ward P, McCormick P, Concha N, Stewart E, Hong X, Mazzucco C, Pal S, Ding B, Fellinger C, Krystal M. Novel Bent Conformation of CD4 Induced by HIV-1 Inhibitor Indirectly Prevents Productive Viral Attachment. J Mol Biol 2021; 434:167395. [PMID: 34896364 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2021.167395] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2021] [Revised: 11/30/2021] [Accepted: 12/02/2021] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
GSK3732394 is a multi-specific biologic inhibitor of HIV entry currently under clinical evaluation. A key component of this molecule is an adnectin (6940_B01) that binds to CD4 and inhibits downstream actions of gp160. Studies were performed to determine the binding site of the adnectin on CD4 and to understand the mechanism of inhibition. Using hydrogen-deuterium exchange with mass spectrometry (HDX), CD4 peptides showed differential rates of deuteration (either enhanced or slowed) in the presence of the adnectin that mapped predominantly to the interface of domains 2 and 3 (D2-D3). In addition, an X-ray crystal structure of an ibalizumab Fab/CD4(D1-D4)/adnectin complex revealed an extensive interface between the adnectin and residues on CD4 domains D2-D4 that stabilize a novel T-shaped CD4 conformation. A cryo-EM map of the gp140/CD4/GSK3732394 complex clearly shows the bent conformation for CD4 while bound to gp140. Mutagenic analyses on CD4 confirmed that amino acid F202 forms a key interaction with the adnectin. In addition, amino acid L151 was shown to be a critical indirect determinant of the specificity for binding to the human CD4 protein over related primate CD4 molecules, as it appears to modulate CD4's flexibility to adopt the adnectin-bound conformation. The significant conformational change of CD4 upon adnectin binding brings the D1 domain of CD4 in proximity to the host cell membrane surface, thereby re-orienting the gp120 binding site in a direction that is inaccessible to incoming virus due to a steric clash between gp160 trimers on the virus surface and the target cell membrane.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Wensel
- ViiV Healthcare, 36 East Industrial Road, Branford, CT 06405, USA.
| | - Shawn Williams
- GlaxoSmithKline, 1250 S Collegeville Road, Collegeville, PA 19426, USA.
| | - David P Dixon
- GlaxoSmithKline, Gunnels Wood Road, Stevenage SG1 2NY, UK.
| | - Paris Ward
- GlaxoSmithKline, 1250 S Collegeville Road, Collegeville, PA 19426, USA.
| | - Patti McCormick
- GlaxoSmithKline, 1250 S Collegeville Road, Collegeville, PA 19426, USA.
| | - Nestor Concha
- GlaxoSmithKline, 1250 S Collegeville Road, Collegeville, PA 19426, USA.
| | - Eugene Stewart
- GlaxoSmithKline, 1250 S Collegeville Road, Collegeville, PA 19426, USA.
| | - Xuan Hong
- GlaxoSmithKline, 1250 S Collegeville Road, Collegeville, PA 19426, USA.
| | - Charles Mazzucco
- ViiV Healthcare, 36 East Industrial Road, Branford, CT 06405, USA.
| | - Shreya Pal
- ViiV Healthcare, 36 East Industrial Road, Branford, CT 06405, USA.
| | - Bo Ding
- ViiV Healthcare, 36 East Industrial Road, Branford, CT 06405, USA.
| | | | - Mark Krystal
- ViiV Healthcare, 36 East Industrial Road, Branford, CT 06405, USA.
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25
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Fritschi C, Liang S, Mohammadi M, Anang S, Moraca F, Chen J, Madani N, Sodroski JG, Abrams CF, Hendrickson WA, Smith AB. Identification of gp120 Residue His105 as a Novel Target for HIV-1 Neutralization by Small-Molecule CD4-Mimics. ACS Med Chem Lett 2021; 12:1824-1831. [PMID: 34795873 PMCID: PMC8591726 DOI: 10.1021/acsmedchemlett.1c00437] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2021] [Accepted: 10/21/2021] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
The design and synthesis of butyl chain derivatives at the indane ring 3-position of our lead CD4-mimetic compound BNM-III-170 that inhibits human immunodeficiency virus (HIV-1) infection are reported. Optimization efforts were guided by crystallographic and computational analysis of the small-molecule ligands of the Phe43 cavity of the envelope glycoprotein gp120. Biological evaluation of 11-21 revealed that members of this series of CD4-mimetic compounds are able to inhibit HIV-1 viral entry into target cells more potently and with greater breadth compared to BNM-III-170. Crystallographic analysis of the binding pocket of 14, 16, and 17 revealed a novel hydrogen bonding interaction between His105 and a primary hydroxyl group on the butyl side chain. Further optimization of this interaction with the His105 residue holds the promise of more potent CD4-mimetic compounds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher
J. Fritschi
- Department
of Chemistry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, United States
| | - Shuaiyi Liang
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics and Department of Physiology
and Cellular
Biophysics, Columbia University, New York, New York 10032, United States
| | - Mohammadjavad Mohammadi
- Department
of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Drexel University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, United States
| | - Saumya Anang
- Department of Cancer
Immunology and Virology, Dana-Farber Cancer
Institute and Department of Microbiology, Harvard Medical
School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
| | - Francesca Moraca
- Department
of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Drexel University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, United States
| | - Junhua Chen
- Department
of Chemistry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, United States
| | - Navid Madani
- Department of Cancer
Immunology and Virology, Dana-Farber Cancer
Institute and Department of Microbiology, Harvard Medical
School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
| | - Joseph G. Sodroski
- Department of Cancer
Immunology and Virology, Dana-Farber Cancer
Institute and Department of Microbiology, Harvard Medical
School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
- Department
of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Harvard
School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
| | - Cameron F. Abrams
- Department
of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Drexel University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, United States
| | - Wayne A. Hendrickson
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics and Department of Physiology
and Cellular
Biophysics, Columbia University, New York, New York 10032, United States
| | - Amos B. Smith
- Department
of Chemistry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, United States
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26
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Korolowicz KE, Suresh M, Li B, Huang X, Yon C, Kallakury BV, Lee KP, Park S, Kim YW, Menne S. Combination Treatment with the Vimentin-Targeting Antibody hzVSF and Tenofovir Suppresses Woodchuck Hepatitis Virus Infection in Woodchucks. Cells 2021; 10:2321. [PMID: 34571970 DOI: 10.3390/cells10092321] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2021] [Revised: 08/24/2021] [Accepted: 08/27/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Current treatment options for patients infected with hepatitis B virus (HBV) are suboptimal, because the approved drugs rarely induce cure due to the persistence of the viral DNA genome in the nucleus of infected hepatocytes, and are associated with either severe side effects (pegylated interferon-alpha) or require life-long administration (nucleos(t)ide analogs). We report here the evaluation of the safety and therapeutic efficacy of a novel, humanized antibody (hzVSF) in the woodchuck model of HBV infection. hzVSF has been shown to act as a viral entry inhibitor, most likely by suppressing vimentin-mediated endocytosis of virions. Targeting the increased vimentin expression on liver cells by hzVSF after infection with HBV or woodchuck hepatitis virus (WHV) was demonstrated initially. Thereafter, hzVSF safety was assessed in eight woodchucks naïve for WHV infection. Antiviral efficacy of hzVSF was evaluated subsequently in 24 chronic WHV carrier woodchucks by monotreatment with three ascending doses and in combination with tenofovir alafenamide fumarate (TAF). Consistent with the proposed blocking of WHV reinfection, intravenous hzVSF administration for 12 weeks resulted in a modest but transient reduction of viral replication and associated liver inflammation. In combination with oral TAF dosing, the antiviral effect of hzVSF was enhanced and sustained in half of the woodchucks with an antibody response to viral proteins. Thus, hzVSF safely but modestly alters chronic WHV infection in woodchucks; however, as a combination partner to TAF, its antiviral efficacy is markedly increased. The results of this preclinical study support future evaluation of this novel anti-HBV drug in patients.
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27
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Takenaga T, Zhang Z, Muramoto Y, Fehling SK, Hirabayashi A, Takamatsu Y, Kajikawa J, Miyamoto S, Nakano M, Urata S, Groseth A, Strecker T, Noda T. CP100356 Hydrochloride, a P-Glycoprotein Inhibitor, Inhibits Lassa Virus Entry: Implication of a Candidate Pan-Mammarenavirus Entry Inhibitor. Viruses 2021; 13:1763. [PMID: 34578344 DOI: 10.3390/v13091763] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2021] [Revised: 08/30/2021] [Accepted: 08/31/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Lassa virus (LASV)—a member of the family Arenaviridae—causes Lassa fever in humans and is endemic in West Africa. Currently, no approved drugs are available. We screened 2480 small compounds for their potential antiviral activity using pseudotyped vesicular stomatitis virus harboring the LASV glycoprotein (VSV-LASVGP) and a related prototypic arenavirus, lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV). Follow-up studies confirmed that CP100356 hydrochloride (CP100356), a specific P-glycoprotein (P-gp) inhibitor, suppressed VSV-LASVGP, LCMV, and LASV infection with half maximal inhibitory concentrations of 0.52, 0.54, and 0.062 μM, respectively, without significant cytotoxicity. Although CP100356 did not block receptor binding at the cell surface, it inhibited low-pH-dependent membrane fusion mediated by arenavirus glycoproteins. P-gp downregulation did not cause a significant reduction in either VSV-LASVGP or LCMV infection, suggesting that P-gp itself is unlikely to be involved in arenavirus entry. Finally, our data also indicate that CP100356 inhibits the infection by other mammarenaviruses. Thus, our findings suggest that CP100356 can be considered as an effective virus entry inhibitor for LASV and other highly pathogenic mammarenaviruses.
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28
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Kirstgen M, Müller SF, Lowjaga KAAT, Goldmann N, Lehmann F, Alakurtti S, Yli-Kauhaluoma J, Baringhaus KH, Krieg R, Glebe D, Geyer J. Identification of Novel HBV/HDV Entry Inhibitors by Pharmacophore- and QSAR-Guided Virtual Screening. Viruses 2021; 13:v13081489. [PMID: 34452354 PMCID: PMC8402622 DOI: 10.3390/v13081489] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2021] [Revised: 07/19/2021] [Accepted: 07/24/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The hepatic bile acid transporter Na+/taurocholate co-transporting polypeptide (NTCP) was identified in 2012 as the high-affinity hepatic receptor for the hepatitis B and D viruses (HBV/HDV). Since then, this carrier has emerged as promising drug target for HBV/HDV virus entry inhibitors, but the synthetic peptide Hepcludex® of high molecular weight is the only approved HDV entry inhibitor so far. The present study aimed to identify small molecules as novel NTCP inhibitors with anti-viral activity. A ligand-based bioinformatic approach was used to generate and validate appropriate pharmacophore and QSAR (quantitative structure–activity relationship) models. Half-maximal inhibitory concentrations (IC50) for binding inhibition of the HBV/HDV-derived preS1 peptide (as surrogate parameter for virus binding to NTCP) were determined in NTCP-expressing HEK293 cells for 150 compounds of different chemical classes. IC50 values ranged from 2 µM up to >1000 µM. The generated pharmacophore and QSAR models were used for virtual screening of drug-like chemicals from the ZINC15 database (~11 million compounds). The 20 best-performing compounds were then experimentally tested for preS1-peptide binding inhibition in NTCP-HEK293 cells. Among them, four compounds were active and revealed experimental IC50 values for preS1-peptide binding inhibition of 9, 19, 20, and 35 µM, which were comparable to the QSAR-based predictions. All these compounds also significantly inhibited in vitro HDV infection of NTCP-HepG2 cells, without showing any cytotoxicity. The best-performing compound in all assays was ZINC000253533654. In conclusion, the present study demonstrates that virtual compound screening based on NTCP-specific pharmacophore and QSAR models can predict novel active hit compounds for the development of HBV/HDV entry inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Kirstgen
- Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Justus Liebig University Giessen, 35392 Giessen, Germany; (M.K.); (S.F.M.); (K.A.A.T.L.)
| | - Simon Franz Müller
- Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Justus Liebig University Giessen, 35392 Giessen, Germany; (M.K.); (S.F.M.); (K.A.A.T.L.)
| | - Kira Alessandra Alicia Theresa Lowjaga
- Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Justus Liebig University Giessen, 35392 Giessen, Germany; (M.K.); (S.F.M.); (K.A.A.T.L.)
| | - Nora Goldmann
- Institute of Medical Virology, National Reference Center for Hepatitis B Viruses and Hepatitis D Viruses, Justus Liebig University Giessen, 35392 Giessen, Germany; (N.G.); (F.L.); (D.G.)
| | - Felix Lehmann
- Institute of Medical Virology, National Reference Center for Hepatitis B Viruses and Hepatitis D Viruses, Justus Liebig University Giessen, 35392 Giessen, Germany; (N.G.); (F.L.); (D.G.)
| | - Sami Alakurtti
- Drug Research Program, Division of Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Technology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Helsinki, Viikinkaari 5 E, FI-00014 Helsinki, Finland; (S.A.); (J.Y.-K.)
- VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland, Biologinkuja 7, FI-02044 Espoo, Finland
| | - Jari Yli-Kauhaluoma
- Drug Research Program, Division of Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Technology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Helsinki, Viikinkaari 5 E, FI-00014 Helsinki, Finland; (S.A.); (J.Y.-K.)
| | | | - Reimar Krieg
- Institute of Anatomy II, University Hospital Jena, Teichgraben 7, 07743 Jena, Germany;
| | - Dieter Glebe
- Institute of Medical Virology, National Reference Center for Hepatitis B Viruses and Hepatitis D Viruses, Justus Liebig University Giessen, 35392 Giessen, Germany; (N.G.); (F.L.); (D.G.)
- German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Partner Site Giessen-Marburg-Langen, 35392 Giessen, Germany
| | - Joachim Geyer
- Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Justus Liebig University Giessen, 35392 Giessen, Germany; (M.K.); (S.F.M.); (K.A.A.T.L.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +49-641-99-38404; Fax: +49-641-99-38409
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Madan T, Biswas B, Varghese PM, Subedi R, Pandit H, Idicula-Thomas S, Kundu I, Rooge S, Agarwal R, Tripathi DM, Kaur S, Gupta E, Gupta SK, Kishore U. A Recombinant Fragment of Human Surfactant Protein D Binds Spike Protein and Inhibits Infectivity and Replication of SARS-CoV-2 in Clinical Samples. Am J Respir Cell Mol Biol 2021; 65:41-53. [PMID: 33784482 PMCID: PMC8320127 DOI: 10.1165/rcmb.2021-0005oc] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is an acute infectious disease caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Human SP-D (surfactant protein D) is known to interact with the spike protein of SARS-CoV, but its immune surveillance against SARS-CoV-2 is not known. The current study aimed to examine the potential of a recombinant fragment of human SP-D (rfhSP-D) as an inhibitor of replication and infection of SARS-CoV-2. The interaction of rfhSP-D with the spike protein of SARS-CoV-2 and human ACE-2 (angiotensin-converting enzyme 2) receptor was predicted via docking analysis. The inhibition of interaction between the spike protein and ACE-2 by rfhSP-D was confirmed using direct and indirect ELISA. The effect of rfhSP-D on replication and infectivity of SARS-CoV-2 from clinical samples was assessed by measuring the expression of RdRp gene of the virus using quantitative PCR. In silico interaction studies indicated that three amino acid residues in the receptor-binding domain of spike protein of SARS-CoV-2 were commonly involved in interacting with rfhSP-D and ACE-2. Studies using clinical samples of SARS-CoV-2–positive cases (asymptomatic, n = 7; symptomatic, n = 8) and negative control samples (n = 15) demonstrated that treatment with 1.67 μM rfhSP-D inhibited viral replication by ∼5.5-fold and was more efficient than remdesivir (100 μM) in Vero cells. An approximately two-fold reduction in viral infectivity was also observed after treatment with 1.67 μM rfhSP-D. These results conclusively demonstrate that the rfhSP-D mediated calcium independent interaction between the receptor-binding domain of the S1 subunit of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein and human ACE-2, its host cell receptor, and significantly reduced SARS-CoV-2 infection and replication in vitro.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Praveen M Varghese
- Biosciences, College of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, Brunel University London, Uxbridge, United Kingdom.,School of Biosciences and Technology, Vellore Institute of Technology, Vellore, India
| | | | | | - Susan Idicula-Thomas
- Biomedical Informatics Centre, ICMR-National Institute for Research in Reproductive Health, Mumbai, India
| | - Indra Kundu
- Biomedical Informatics Centre, ICMR-National Institute for Research in Reproductive Health, Mumbai, India
| | - Sheetalnath Rooge
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Medicine, Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences, Delhi, India
| | - Reshu Agarwal
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Medicine, Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences, Delhi, India
| | - Dinesh M Tripathi
- Department of Virology, Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences, Delhi, India; and
| | - Savneet Kaur
- Department of Virology, Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences, Delhi, India; and
| | - Ekta Gupta
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Medicine, Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences, Delhi, India
| | | | - Uday Kishore
- Biosciences, College of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, Brunel University London, Uxbridge, United Kingdom
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30
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Yang Y, Yang P, Huang C, Wu Y, Zhou Z, Wang X, Wang S. Inhibitory effect on SARS-CoV-2 infection of neferine by blocking Ca 2+ -dependent membrane fusion. J Med Virol 2021; 93:5825-5832. [PMID: 34061377 DOI: 10.1002/jmv.27117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2021] [Accepted: 05/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has focused attention on the need to develop effective therapeutics against the causative pathogen, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), and also against other pathogenic coronaviruses. In this study, we report on a kind of bisbenzylisoquinoline alkaloid, neferine, as a pan-coronavirus entry inhibitor. Neferine effectively protected HEK293/hACE2 and HuH7 cell lines from infection by different coronaviruses pseudovirus particles (SARS-CoV-2, SARS-CoV-2 [D614G, N501Y/D614G, 501Y.V1, 501Y.V2, 501Y.V3 variants], SARS-CoV, MERS-CoV) in vitro, with median effect concentration (EC50 ) of 0.13-0.41 μM. Neferine blocked host calcium channels, thus inhibiting Ca2+ -dependent membrane fusion and suppressing virus entry. This study provides experimental data to support the fact that neferine may be a promising lead for pan-coronaviruses therapeutic drug development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yang Yang
- Beijing Institute of Radiation Medicine, Beijing, China
| | - Peng Yang
- Beijing Institute of Radiation Medicine, Beijing, China.,College of Life Sciences, Henan Normal University, Xinxiang, China
| | - Cong Huang
- Beijing Institute of Radiation Medicine, Beijing, China.,Cooperative Innovation Center for Molecular Target New Drug Study, University of South China, Hengyang, China
| | - Yuming Wu
- Beijing Institute of Radiation Medicine, Beijing, China
| | - Zhe Zhou
- Beijing Institute of Radiation Medicine, Beijing, China
| | - Xuejun Wang
- Beijing Institute of Radiation Medicine, Beijing, China
| | - Shengqi Wang
- Beijing Institute of Radiation Medicine, Beijing, China.,College of Life Sciences, Henan Normal University, Xinxiang, China
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31
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Laib Sampaio K, Lutz C, Engels R, Stöhr D, Sinzger C. Selection of Human Cytomegalovirus Mutants with Resistance against PDGFRα-Derived Entry Inhibitors. Viruses 2021; 13:v13061094. [PMID: 34201364 PMCID: PMC8229732 DOI: 10.3390/v13061094] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2021] [Revised: 06/02/2021] [Accepted: 06/03/2021] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) infects fibroblasts via an interaction of its envelope glycoprotein gO with the cellular platelet-derived growth factor receptor alpha (PDGFRα), and soluble derivatives of this receptor can inhibit viral entry. We aimed to select mutants with resistance against PDGFRα-Fc and the PDGFRα-derived peptides GT40 and IK40 to gain insight into the underlying mechanisms and determine the genetic barrier to resistance. An error-prone variant of strain AD169 was propagated in the presence of inhibitors, cell cultures were monitored weekly for signs of increased viral growth, and selected viruses were tested regarding their sensitivity to the inhibitor. Resistant virus was analyzed by DNA sequencing, candidate mutations were transferred into AD169 clone pHB5 by seamless mutagenesis, and reconstituted virus was again tested for loss of sensitivity by dose-response analyses. An S48Y mutation in gO was identified that conferred a three-fold loss of sensitivity against PDGFRα-Fc, a combination of mutations in gO, gH, gB and gN reduced sensitivity to GT40 by factor 4, and no loss of sensitivity occurred with IK40. The resistance-conferring mutations support the notion that PDGFRα-Fc and GT40 perturb the interaction of gO with its receptor, but the relatively weak effect indicates a high genetic barrier to resistance.
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32
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Loureiro D, Castelnau C, Tout I, Boyer N, Narguet S, Menasria Benazzouz S, Louis Z, Pons-Kerjean N, Giuly N, Marcellin P, Mansouri A, Asselah T. New therapies for hepatitis delta virus infection. Liver Int 2021; 41 Suppl 1:30-37. [PMID: 34155804 DOI: 10.1111/liv.14838] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2021] [Accepted: 02/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Hepatitis delta virus (HDV) infection is a defective virus requiring hepatitis B virus (HBV) for its complete replication cycle. HDV is a small hepatotropic RNA virus and around 15 to 25 million people worldwide are living with chronic hepatitis delta (CHD) infection. However, the prevalence of HDV may be underestimated, and screening is frequently insufficient. HDV infection remains endemic in several regions including Central and West Africa, the Mediterranean basin, the Middle East, Eastern Europe, Northern Asia, certain areas of Southeast Asia and the Amazon basin of South America. The best preventive strategy to decrease HDV infection is to improve coverage of the prophylactic HBV vaccine. HDV infection may occur by HBV-HDV co-infection or superinfection, and the latter is usually more severe. CHD is associated with a higher risk of cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) compared to HBV mono-infection. Pegylated interferon alpha (PEG-IFNα) therapy is limited by moderate effectiveness (around 20%) and its adverse effects. The entry inhibitor, bulevirtide (BLV, Hepcludex® ), which was recently approved in Europe at a dose of 2 mg in sub-cutaneous injection per day, is indicated for the treatment of CHD in adult patients with compensated liver disease and positive HDV viremia. BLV can be administrated in monotherapy or in combination with PEG-IFNα. Nucleos(t)ide analogues can be used in combination for underlying HBV infection. The optimal treatment duration has not yet been determined and treatment should be continued if a clinical benefit is observed. There are other promising therapies such as IFN lambda (IFNλ) (immunomodulator), lonafarnib (prenylation inhibitor) and nucleic acid polymers (Inhibitors of HBsAg release). In this review, we will present an update on CHD and future promising treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dimitri Loureiro
- Centre de recherche sur l'inflammation, Université de Paris, Inserm, CNRS, Paris, France.,Department of Hepatology, AP-HP, Hôpital Beaujon, Clichy, France
| | - Corinne Castelnau
- Centre de recherche sur l'inflammation, Université de Paris, Inserm, CNRS, Paris, France.,Department of Hepatology, AP-HP, Hôpital Beaujon, Clichy, France
| | - Issam Tout
- Centre de recherche sur l'inflammation, Université de Paris, Inserm, CNRS, Paris, France.,Department of Hepatology, AP-HP, Hôpital Beaujon, Clichy, France
| | - Nathalie Boyer
- Centre de recherche sur l'inflammation, Université de Paris, Inserm, CNRS, Paris, France.,Department of Hepatology, AP-HP, Hôpital Beaujon, Clichy, France
| | - Stéphanie Narguet
- Centre de recherche sur l'inflammation, Université de Paris, Inserm, CNRS, Paris, France.,Department of Hepatology, AP-HP, Hôpital Beaujon, Clichy, France
| | - Sabrina Menasria Benazzouz
- Centre de recherche sur l'inflammation, Université de Paris, Inserm, CNRS, Paris, France.,Department of Hepatology, AP-HP, Hôpital Beaujon, Clichy, France
| | - Zeina Louis
- Centre de recherche sur l'inflammation, Université de Paris, Inserm, CNRS, Paris, France.,Service de Pharmacie, AP-HP, Hôpital Beaujon, Clichy, France
| | - Nathalie Pons-Kerjean
- Centre de recherche sur l'inflammation, Université de Paris, Inserm, CNRS, Paris, France.,Service de Pharmacie, AP-HP, Hôpital Beaujon, Clichy, France
| | - Nathalie Giuly
- Centre de recherche sur l'inflammation, Université de Paris, Inserm, CNRS, Paris, France.,Department of Hepatology, AP-HP, Hôpital Beaujon, Clichy, France
| | - Patrick Marcellin
- Centre de recherche sur l'inflammation, Université de Paris, Inserm, CNRS, Paris, France.,Department of Hepatology, AP-HP, Hôpital Beaujon, Clichy, France
| | - Abdellah Mansouri
- Centre de recherche sur l'inflammation, Université de Paris, Inserm, CNRS, Paris, France.,Department of Hepatology, AP-HP, Hôpital Beaujon, Clichy, France
| | - Tarik Asselah
- Centre de recherche sur l'inflammation, Université de Paris, Inserm, CNRS, Paris, France.,Department of Hepatology, AP-HP, Hôpital Beaujon, Clichy, France
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33
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Chandra I, Prabhu SV, Nayak C, Singh SK. E-pharmacophore based screening to identify potential HIV-1 gp120 and CD4 interaction blockers for wild and mutant types. SAR QSAR Environ Res 2021; 32:353-377. [PMID: 33832362 DOI: 10.1080/1062936x.2021.1901310] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2020] [Accepted: 03/07/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
HIV-1 gp120 provides a multistage viral entry process through the conserved CD4 binding site. Hunting of potential blockers can diminish the interaction of gp120 with the CD4 host receptor leading to the suppression of HIV-1 infection. Structure-based pharmacophore virtual screening followed by binding free energy calculation, molecular dynamics (MD) simulation and density functional theory (DFT) calculation is applied to discriminate the potential blockers from six small molecule databases. Five compounds from six databases exhibited vital interactions with key residues ASP368, GLU370, ASN425, MET426, TRP427 and GLY473 of gp120, involved in the binding with CD4, host receptor. Most importantly, compound NCI-254200 displayed strong communication with key residues of wild type and drug resistance single mutant gp120 (M426L and W427V) even in the dynamic condition, evidenced from MD simulation. This investigation provided a potential compound NCI-254200 which may show inhibitory activity against HIV-1 gp120 variant interactions with CD4 host cell receptors.
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Affiliation(s)
- I Chandra
- Computer Aided Drug Design and Molecular Modeling Lab, Department of Bioinformatics, Alagappa University, Karaikudi, India
| | - S V Prabhu
- Computer Aided Drug Design and Molecular Modeling Lab, Department of Bioinformatics, Alagappa University, Karaikudi, India
| | - C Nayak
- Computer Aided Drug Design and Molecular Modeling Lab, Department of Bioinformatics, Alagappa University, Karaikudi, India
| | - S K Singh
- Computer Aided Drug Design and Molecular Modeling Lab, Department of Bioinformatics, Alagappa University, Karaikudi, India
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34
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Kirstgen M, Lowjaga KAAT, Müller SF, Goldmann N, Lehmann F, Glebe D, Baringhaus KH, Geyer J. Hepatitis D Virus Entry Inhibitors Based on Repurposing Intestinal Bile Acid Reabsorption Inhibitors. Viruses 2021; 13:v13040666. [PMID: 33921515 PMCID: PMC8068820 DOI: 10.3390/v13040666] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2021] [Revised: 03/29/2021] [Accepted: 04/09/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Identification of Na+/taurocholate co-transporting polypeptide (NTCP) as high-affinity hepatic entry receptor for the Hepatitis B and D viruses (HBV/HDV) opened the field for target-based development of cell-entry inhibitors. However, most of the HBV/HDV entry inhibitors identified so far also interfere with the physiological bile acid transporter function of NTCP. The present study aimed to identify more virus-selective inhibitors of NTCP by screening of 87 propanolamine derivatives from the former development of intestinal bile acid reabsorption inhibitors (BARIs), which interact with the NTCP-homologous intestinal apical sodium-dependent bile acid transporter (ASBT). In NTCP-HEK293 cells, the ability of these compounds to block the HBV/HDV-derived preS1-peptide binding to NTCP (virus receptor function) as well as the taurocholic acid transport via NTCP (bile acid transporter function) were analyzed in parallel. Hits were subsequently validated by performing in vitro HDV infection experiments in NTCP-HepG2 cells. The most potent compounds S985852, A000295231, and S973509 showed in vitro anti-HDV activities with IC50 values of 15, 40, and 70 µM, respectively, while the taurocholic acid uptake inhibition occurred at much higher IC50 values of 24, 780, and 490 µM, respectively. In conclusion, repurposing of compounds from the BARI class as novel HBV/HDV entry inhibitors seems possible and even enables certain virus selectivity based on structure-activity relationships.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Kirstgen
- Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Biomedical Research Center Seltersberg (BFS), Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Schubertstr. 81, 35392 Giessen, Germany; (M.K.); (K.A.A.T.L.); (S.F.M.)
| | - Kira Alessandra Alicia Theresa Lowjaga
- Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Biomedical Research Center Seltersberg (BFS), Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Schubertstr. 81, 35392 Giessen, Germany; (M.K.); (K.A.A.T.L.); (S.F.M.)
| | - Simon Franz Müller
- Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Biomedical Research Center Seltersberg (BFS), Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Schubertstr. 81, 35392 Giessen, Germany; (M.K.); (K.A.A.T.L.); (S.F.M.)
| | - Nora Goldmann
- Institute of Medical Virology, National Reference Center for Hepatitis B Viruses and Hepatitis D Viruses, Justus Liebig University Giessen, 35392 Giessen, Germany; (N.G.); (F.L.); (D.G.)
| | - Felix Lehmann
- Institute of Medical Virology, National Reference Center for Hepatitis B Viruses and Hepatitis D Viruses, Justus Liebig University Giessen, 35392 Giessen, Germany; (N.G.); (F.L.); (D.G.)
| | - Dieter Glebe
- Institute of Medical Virology, National Reference Center for Hepatitis B Viruses and Hepatitis D Viruses, Justus Liebig University Giessen, 35392 Giessen, Germany; (N.G.); (F.L.); (D.G.)
- German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Giessen-Marburg-Langen Partner Site, 35392 Giessen, Germany
| | | | - Joachim Geyer
- Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Biomedical Research Center Seltersberg (BFS), Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Schubertstr. 81, 35392 Giessen, Germany; (M.K.); (K.A.A.T.L.); (S.F.M.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +49-641-99-38404; Fax: +49-641-99-38409
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35
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Zhang Y, Wang S, Wu Y, Hou W, Yuan L, Shen C, Wang J, Ye J, Zheng Q, Ma J, Xu J, Wei M, Li Z, Nian S, Xiong H, Zhang L, Shi Y, Fu B, Cao J, Yang C, Li Z, Yang T, Liu L, Yu H, Hu J, Ge S, Chen Y, Zhang T, Zhang J, Cheng T, Yuan Q, Xia N. Virus-Free and Live-Cell Visualizing SARS-CoV-2 Cell Entry for Studies of Neutralizing Antibodies and Compound Inhibitors. Small Methods 2021; 5:2001031. [PMID: 33614907 PMCID: PMC7883248 DOI: 10.1002/smtd.202001031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2020] [Revised: 11/25/2020] [Indexed: 05/07/2023]
Abstract
The ongoing corona virus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, caused by SARS-CoV-2 infection, has resulted in hundreds of thousands of deaths. Cellular entry of SARS-CoV-2, which is mediated by the viral spike protein and ACE2 receptor, is an essential target for the development of vaccines, therapeutic antibodies, and drugs. Using a mammalian cell expression system, a genetically engineered sensor of fluorescent protein (Gamillus)-fused SARS-CoV-2 spike trimer (STG) to probe the viral entry process is developed. In ACE2-expressing cells, it is found that the STG probe has excellent performance in the live-cell visualization of receptor binding, cellular uptake, and intracellular trafficking of SARS-CoV-2 under virus-free conditions. The new system allows quantitative analyses of the inhibition potentials and detailed influence of COVID-19-convalescent human plasmas, neutralizing antibodies and compounds, providing a versatile tool for high-throughput screening and phenotypic characterization of SARS-CoV-2 entry inhibitors. This approach may also be adapted to develop a viral entry visualization system for other viruses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yali Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Vaccinology and Molecular DiagnosticsNational Institute of Diagnostics and Vaccine Development in Infectious DiseasesSchool of Public Health & School of Life SciencesXiamen UniversityXiamenFujian361102China
| | - Shaojuan Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Vaccinology and Molecular DiagnosticsNational Institute of Diagnostics and Vaccine Development in Infectious DiseasesSchool of Public Health & School of Life SciencesXiamen UniversityXiamenFujian361102China
| | - Yangtao Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Vaccinology and Molecular DiagnosticsNational Institute of Diagnostics and Vaccine Development in Infectious DiseasesSchool of Public Health & School of Life SciencesXiamen UniversityXiamenFujian361102China
| | - Wangheng Hou
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Vaccinology and Molecular DiagnosticsNational Institute of Diagnostics and Vaccine Development in Infectious DiseasesSchool of Public Health & School of Life SciencesXiamen UniversityXiamenFujian361102China
| | - Lunzhi Yuan
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Vaccinology and Molecular DiagnosticsNational Institute of Diagnostics and Vaccine Development in Infectious DiseasesSchool of Public Health & School of Life SciencesXiamen UniversityXiamenFujian361102China
| | - Chenguang Shen
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Pathogen and ImmunityNational Clinical Research Center for Infectious DiseaseShenzhen Third People's HospitalSecond Hospital Affiliated to Southern University of Science and TechnologyShenzhenGuangdong518112China
| | - Juan Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Vaccinology and Molecular DiagnosticsNational Institute of Diagnostics and Vaccine Development in Infectious DiseasesSchool of Public Health & School of Life SciencesXiamen UniversityXiamenFujian361102China
| | - Jianghui Ye
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Vaccinology and Molecular DiagnosticsNational Institute of Diagnostics and Vaccine Development in Infectious DiseasesSchool of Public Health & School of Life SciencesXiamen UniversityXiamenFujian361102China
| | - Qingbing Zheng
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Vaccinology and Molecular DiagnosticsNational Institute of Diagnostics and Vaccine Development in Infectious DiseasesSchool of Public Health & School of Life SciencesXiamen UniversityXiamenFujian361102China
| | - Jian Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Vaccinology and Molecular DiagnosticsNational Institute of Diagnostics and Vaccine Development in Infectious DiseasesSchool of Public Health & School of Life SciencesXiamen UniversityXiamenFujian361102China
| | - Jingjing Xu
- Department of HematologyFujian Medical University Union HospitalFujian Provincial Key Laboratory on HematologyFujian Institute of HematologyFuzhouFujian350001China
| | - Min Wei
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Vaccinology and Molecular DiagnosticsNational Institute of Diagnostics and Vaccine Development in Infectious DiseasesSchool of Public Health & School of Life SciencesXiamen UniversityXiamenFujian361102China
| | - Zonglin Li
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Vaccinology and Molecular DiagnosticsNational Institute of Diagnostics and Vaccine Development in Infectious DiseasesSchool of Public Health & School of Life SciencesXiamen UniversityXiamenFujian361102China
| | - Sheng Nian
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Vaccinology and Molecular DiagnosticsNational Institute of Diagnostics and Vaccine Development in Infectious DiseasesSchool of Public Health & School of Life SciencesXiamen UniversityXiamenFujian361102China
| | - Hualong Xiong
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Vaccinology and Molecular DiagnosticsNational Institute of Diagnostics and Vaccine Development in Infectious DiseasesSchool of Public Health & School of Life SciencesXiamen UniversityXiamenFujian361102China
| | - Liang Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Vaccinology and Molecular DiagnosticsNational Institute of Diagnostics and Vaccine Development in Infectious DiseasesSchool of Public Health & School of Life SciencesXiamen UniversityXiamenFujian361102China
| | - Yang Shi
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Vaccinology and Molecular DiagnosticsNational Institute of Diagnostics and Vaccine Development in Infectious DiseasesSchool of Public Health & School of Life SciencesXiamen UniversityXiamenFujian361102China
| | - Baorong Fu
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Vaccinology and Molecular DiagnosticsNational Institute of Diagnostics and Vaccine Development in Infectious DiseasesSchool of Public Health & School of Life SciencesXiamen UniversityXiamenFujian361102China
| | - Jiali Cao
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Vaccinology and Molecular DiagnosticsNational Institute of Diagnostics and Vaccine Development in Infectious DiseasesSchool of Public Health & School of Life SciencesXiamen UniversityXiamenFujian361102China
| | - Chuanlai Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Vaccinology and Molecular DiagnosticsNational Institute of Diagnostics and Vaccine Development in Infectious DiseasesSchool of Public Health & School of Life SciencesXiamen UniversityXiamenFujian361102China
| | - Zhiyong Li
- The First Hospital of Xiamen UniversityXiamen361003China
| | - Ting Yang
- Department of HematologyFujian Medical University Union HospitalFujian Provincial Key Laboratory on HematologyFujian Institute of HematologyFuzhouFujian350001China
| | - Lei Liu
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Pathogen and ImmunityNational Clinical Research Center for Infectious DiseaseShenzhen Third People's HospitalSecond Hospital Affiliated to Southern University of Science and TechnologyShenzhenGuangdong518112China
| | - Hai Yu
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Vaccinology and Molecular DiagnosticsNational Institute of Diagnostics and Vaccine Development in Infectious DiseasesSchool of Public Health & School of Life SciencesXiamen UniversityXiamenFujian361102China
| | - Jianda Hu
- Department of HematologyFujian Medical University Union HospitalFujian Provincial Key Laboratory on HematologyFujian Institute of HematologyFuzhouFujian350001China
| | - Shengxiang Ge
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Vaccinology and Molecular DiagnosticsNational Institute of Diagnostics and Vaccine Development in Infectious DiseasesSchool of Public Health & School of Life SciencesXiamen UniversityXiamenFujian361102China
| | - Yixin Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Vaccinology and Molecular DiagnosticsNational Institute of Diagnostics and Vaccine Development in Infectious DiseasesSchool of Public Health & School of Life SciencesXiamen UniversityXiamenFujian361102China
| | - Tianying Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Vaccinology and Molecular DiagnosticsNational Institute of Diagnostics and Vaccine Development in Infectious DiseasesSchool of Public Health & School of Life SciencesXiamen UniversityXiamenFujian361102China
| | - Jun Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Vaccinology and Molecular DiagnosticsNational Institute of Diagnostics and Vaccine Development in Infectious DiseasesSchool of Public Health & School of Life SciencesXiamen UniversityXiamenFujian361102China
| | - Tong Cheng
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Vaccinology and Molecular DiagnosticsNational Institute of Diagnostics and Vaccine Development in Infectious DiseasesSchool of Public Health & School of Life SciencesXiamen UniversityXiamenFujian361102China
| | - Quan Yuan
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Vaccinology and Molecular DiagnosticsNational Institute of Diagnostics and Vaccine Development in Infectious DiseasesSchool of Public Health & School of Life SciencesXiamen UniversityXiamenFujian361102China
| | - Ningshao Xia
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Vaccinology and Molecular DiagnosticsNational Institute of Diagnostics and Vaccine Development in Infectious DiseasesSchool of Public Health & School of Life SciencesXiamen UniversityXiamenFujian361102China
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36
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Pu J, Dai Y, Wang Q, Lu L, Zhang J, Xu W, Xie L, Wang S, Yu F, He X, Jiang S. Rational Design of A Novel Small-Molecule HIV-1 Inactivator Targeting Both gp120 and gp41 of HIV-1. Front Pharmacol 2021; 11:613361. [PMID: 33569006 PMCID: PMC7868322 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2020.613361] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2020] [Accepted: 12/21/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Virus inactivator can inactivate cell-free virions without relying on their replication cycle, potentially reducing the impact of viral infection on cells. Previously, we successfully constructed a HIV-1 protein inactivator, 2DLT, by conjugating the D1D2 region of CD4 to the fusion inhibitor T1144 via a 35-amino acid linker. Therefore, it targets both the CD4 binding site in gp120 and NHR region in gp41. Considering that small-molecule agents have the advantages of fast production, low cost, good stability, and oral availability, we herein report the design of a new small-molecule HIV-1 inactivator, FD028, by conjugating FD016 (an analog of NBD-556, a gp120-CD4 binding inhibitor) with FD017 (an analog of 11d, an HIV-1 fusion inhibitor). The results showed that FD028 inactivated cell-free virions at a moderate nanomolar concentration by targeting both HIV-1 gp120 and gp41. Moreover, FD028 has broad-spectrum inhibition and inactivation activity against HIV-1 resistant strains and primary isolates of different subtypes without significant cytotoxicity. Therefore, FD028 has potential for further development as an HIV-1 inactivator-based therapeutic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Pu
- Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology of MOE/MOH, School of Basic Medical Sciences & Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.,Lindsley F. Kimball Research Institute, New York Blood Center, New York, NY, United States
| | - Yu Dai
- Beijing Institute of Radiation Medicine, Beijing, China.,College of Life Sciences, Hebei Agricultural University, Baoding, China
| | - Qian Wang
- Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology of MOE/MOH, School of Basic Medical Sciences & Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Lu Lu
- Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology of MOE/MOH, School of Basic Medical Sciences & Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Junqi Zhang
- Medical Molecular Virology (MOE/NHC/CAMS), Department of Medical Microbiology and Parasitology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Wei Xu
- Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology of MOE/MOH, School of Basic Medical Sciences & Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Lan Xie
- Beijing Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Beijing, China
| | - Shengqi Wang
- Beijing Institute of Radiation Medicine, Beijing, China
| | - Fei Yu
- College of Life Sciences, Hebei Agricultural University, Baoding, China
| | - Xiaoyang He
- Beijing Institute of Radiation Medicine, Beijing, China
| | - Shibo Jiang
- Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology of MOE/MOH, School of Basic Medical Sciences & Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.,Lindsley F. Kimball Research Institute, New York Blood Center, New York, NY, United States
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Bruxelle JF, Trattnig N, Mureithi MW, Landais E, Pantophlet R. HIV-1 Entry and Prospects for Protecting against Infection. Microorganisms 2021; 9:microorganisms9020228. [PMID: 33499233 PMCID: PMC7911371 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms9020228] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2020] [Revised: 01/19/2021] [Accepted: 01/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Human Immunodeficiency Virus type-1 (HIV-1) establishes a latent viral reservoir soon after infection, which poses a major challenge for drug treatment and curative strategies. Many efforts are therefore focused on blocking infection. To this end, both viral and host factors relevant to the onset of infection need to be considered. Given that HIV-1 is most often transmitted mucosally, strategies designed to protect against infection need to be effective at mucosal portals of entry. These strategies need to contend also with cell-free and cell-associated transmitted/founder (T/F) virus forms; both can initiate and establish infection. This review will discuss how insight from the current model of HIV-1 mucosal transmission and cell entry has highlighted challenges in developing effective strategies to prevent infection. First, we examine key viral and host factors that play a role in transmission and infection. We then discuss preventive strategies based on antibody-mediated protection, with emphasis on targeting T/F viruses and mucosal immunity. Lastly, we review treatment strategies targeting viral entry, with focus on the most clinically advanced entry inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jean-François Bruxelle
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC V5A 1S6, Canada
- Correspondence: (J.-F.B.); (R.P.)
| | - Nino Trattnig
- Chemical Biology and Drug Discovery, Utrecht University, 3584 CG Utrecht, The Netherlands;
| | - Marianne W. Mureithi
- KAVI—Institute of Clinical Research, College of Health Sciences, University of Nairobi, P.O. Box, Nairobi 19676–00202, Kenya;
| | - Elise Landais
- IAVI Neutralizing Antibody Center, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA;
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Scripps Research, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Ralph Pantophlet
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC V5A 1S6, Canada
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC V5A 1S6, Canada
- Correspondence: (J.-F.B.); (R.P.)
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38
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Lowjaga KAAT, Kirstgen M, Müller SF, Goldmann N, Lehmann F, Glebe D, Geyer J. Long-term trans-inhibition of the hepatitis B and D virus receptor NTCP by taurolithocholic acid. Am J Physiol Gastrointest Liver Physiol 2021; 320:G66-G80. [PMID: 33174454 DOI: 10.1152/ajpgi.00263.2020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Human hepatic bile acid transporter Na+/taurocholate cotransporting polypeptide (NTCP) represents the liver-specific entry receptor for the hepatitis B and D viruses (HBV/HDV). Chronic hepatitis B and D affect several million people worldwide, but treatment options are limited. Recently, HBV/HDV entry inhibitors targeting NTCP have emerged as promising novel drug candidates. Nevertheless, the exact molecular mechanism that NTCP uses to mediate virus binding and entry into hepatocytes is still not completely understood. It is already known that human NTCP mRNA expression is downregulated under cholestasis. Furthermore, incubation of rat hepatocytes with the secondary bile acid taurolithocholic acid (TLC) triggers internalization of the rat Ntcp protein from the plasma membrane. In the present study, the long-term inhibitory effect of TLC on transport function, HBV/HDV receptor function, and membrane expression of human NTCP were analyzed in HepG2 and human embryonic kidney (HEK293) cells stably overexpressing NTCP. Even after short-pulse preincubation, TLC had a significant long-lasting inhibitory effect on the transport function of NTCP, but the NTCP protein was still present at the plasma membrane. Furthermore, binding of the HBV/HDV myr-preS1 peptide and susceptibility for in vitro HDV infection were significantly reduced by TLC preincubation. We hypothesize that TLC rapidly accumulates in hepatocytes and mediates long-lasting trans-inhibition of the transport and receptor function of NTCP via a particular TLC-binding site at an intracellularly accessible domain of NTCP. Physiologically, this trans-inhibition might protect hepatocytes from toxic overload of bile acids. Pharmacologically, it provides an interesting novel NTCP target site for potential long-acting HBV/HDV entry inhibitors.NEW & NOTEWORTHY The hepatic bile acid transporter NTCP is a high-affinity receptor for hepatitis B and D viruses. This study shows that TLC rapidly accumulates in NTCP-expressing hepatoma cells and mediates long-lasting trans-inhibition of NTCP's transporter and receptor function via an intracellularly accessible domain, without substantially affecting its membrane expression. This domain is a promising novel NTCP target site for pharmacological long-acting HBV/HDV entry inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kira A A T Lowjaga
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Justus Liebig University, Giessen, Germany
| | - Michael Kirstgen
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Justus Liebig University, Giessen, Germany
| | - Simon F Müller
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Justus Liebig University, Giessen, Germany
| | - Nora Goldmann
- Institute of Medical Virology, National Reference Center for Hepatitis B Viruses and Hepatitis D Viruses, Justus Liebig University, Giessen, Germany
| | - Felix Lehmann
- Institute of Medical Virology, National Reference Center for Hepatitis B Viruses and Hepatitis D Viruses, Justus Liebig University, Giessen, Germany
| | - Dieter Glebe
- Institute of Medical Virology, National Reference Center for Hepatitis B Viruses and Hepatitis D Viruses, Justus Liebig University, Giessen, Germany
| | - Joachim Geyer
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Justus Liebig University, Giessen, Germany
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Abstract
Flaviviruses are a group of positive-sense RNA viruses that are primarily transmitted through arthropod vectors and are capable of causing a broad spectrum of diseases. Many of the flaviviruses that are pathogenic in humans are transmitted specifically through mosquito vectors. Over the past century, many mosquito-borne flavivirus infections have emerged and re-emerged, and are of global importance with hundreds of millions of infections occurring yearly. There is a need for novel, effective, and accessible vaccines and antivirals capable of inhibiting flavivirus infection and ameliorating disease. The development of therapeutics targeting viral entry has long been a goal of antiviral research, but most efforts are hindered by the lack of broad-spectrum potency or toxicities associated with on-target effects, since many host proteins necessary for viral entry are also essential for host cell biology. Mosquito-borne flaviviruses generally enter cells by clathrin-mediated endocytosis (CME), and recent studies suggest that a subset of these viruses can be internalized through a specialized form of CME that has additional dependencies distinct from canonical CME pathways, and antivirals targeting this pathway have been discovered. In this review, we discuss the role and contribution of endocytosis to mosquito-borne flavivirus entry as well as consider past and future efforts to target endocytosis for therapeutic interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Sara Cherry
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA;
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Tada T, Fan C, Chen JS, Kaur R, Stapleford KA, Gristick H, Dcosta BM, Wilen CB, Nimigean CM, Landau NR. An ACE2 Microbody Containing a Single Immunoglobulin Fc Domain Is a Potent Inhibitor of SARS-CoV-2. Cell Rep 2020; 33:108528. [PMID: 33326798 PMCID: PMC7705358 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2020.108528] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2020] [Revised: 10/26/2020] [Accepted: 11/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Soluble forms of angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) have recently been shown to inhibit severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection. We report on an improved soluble ACE2, termed a "microbody," in which the ACE2 ectodomain is fused to Fc domain 3 of the immunoglobulin (Ig) heavy chain. The protein is smaller than previously described ACE2-Ig Fc fusion proteins and contains an H345A mutation in the ACE2 catalytic active site that inactivates the enzyme without reducing its affinity for the SARS-CoV-2 spike. The disulfide-bonded ACE2 microbody protein inhibits entry of SARS-CoV-2 spike protein pseudotyped virus and replication of live SARS-CoV-2 in vitro and in a mouse model. Its potency is 10-fold higher than soluble ACE2, and it can act after virus bound to the cell. The microbody inhibits the entry of β coronaviruses and virus with the variant D614G spike. The ACE2 microbody may be a valuable therapeutic for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) that is active against viral variants and future coronaviruses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takuya Tada
- Department of Microbiology, NYU Langone Medical Center, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Chen Fan
- Department of Anesthesiology, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Jennifer S Chen
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA; Department of Immunobiology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - Ramanjit Kaur
- Department of Microbiology, NYU Langone Medical Center, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | | | - Harry Gristick
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
| | - Belinda M Dcosta
- Department of Microbiology, NYU Langone Medical Center, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Craig B Wilen
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA; Department of Immunobiology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - Crina M Nimigean
- Department of Anesthesiology, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Nathaniel R Landau
- Department of Microbiology, NYU Langone Medical Center, New York, NY 10016, USA.
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41
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Hoffmann AR, Guha S, Wu E, Ghimire J, Wang Y, He J, Garry RF, Wimley WC. Broad-Spectrum Antiviral Entry Inhibition by Interfacially Active Peptides. J Virol 2020; 94:e01682-20. [PMID: 32907984 DOI: 10.1128/JVI.01682-20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2020] [Accepted: 09/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Numerous peptides inhibit the entry of enveloped viruses into cells. Some of these peptides have been shown to inhibit multiple unrelated viruses. We have suggested that such broad-spectrum antiviral peptides share a property called interfacial activity; they are somewhat hydrophobic and amphipathic, with a propensity to interact with the interfacial zones of lipid bilayer membranes. In this study, we further tested the hypothesis that such interfacial activity is a correlate of broad-spectrum antiviral activity. In this study, several families of peptides, selected for the ability to partition into and disrupt membrane integrity but with no known antiviral activity, were tested for the ability to inhibit multiple diverse enveloped viruses. These include Lassa pseudovirus, influenza virus, dengue virus type 2, herpes simplex virus 1, and nonenveloped human adenovirus 5. Various families of interfacially active peptides caused potent inhibition of all enveloped viruses tested at low and submicromolar concentrations, well below the range in which they are toxic to mammalian cells. These membrane-active peptides block uptake and fusion with the host cell by rapidly and directly interacting with virions, destabilizing the viral envelope, and driving virus aggregation and/or intervirion envelope fusion. We speculate that the molecular characteristics shared by these peptides can be exploited to enable the design, optimization, or molecular evolution of novel broad-spectrum antiviral therapeutics.IMPORTANCE New classes of antiviral drugs are needed to treat the ever-changing viral disease landscape. Current antiviral drugs treat only a small number of viral diseases, leaving many patients with established or emerging infections to be treated solely with supportive care. Recent antiviral peptide research has produced numerous membrane-interacting peptides that inhibit diverse enveloped viruses in vitro and in vivo Peptide therapeutics are becoming more common, with over 60 FDA-approved peptides for clinical use. Included in this class of therapeutics is enfuvirtide, a 36-residue peptide drug that inhibits HIV entry/fusion. Due to their broad-spectrum mechanism of action and enormous potential sequence diversity, peptides that inhibit virus entry could potentially fulfill the need for new antiviral therapeutics; however, a better understanding of their mechanism is needed for the optimization or evolution of sequence design to combat the wide landscape of viral disease.
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Li Y, Wang H, Tang X, Fang S, Ma D, Du C, Wang Y, Pan H, Yao W, Zhang R, Zou X, Zheng J, Xu L, Farzan M, Zhong G. SARS-CoV-2 and Three Related Coronaviruses Utilize Multiple ACE2 Orthologs and Are Potently Blocked by an Improved ACE2-Ig. J Virol 2020; 94:e01283-20. [PMID: 32847856 DOI: 10.1128/JVI.01283-20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 71] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2020] [Accepted: 08/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is the etiological agent of the currently uncontrolled coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. It is important to study the host range of SARS-CoV-2, because some domestic species might harbor the virus and transmit it back to humans. In addition, insight into the ability of SARS-CoV-2 and SARS-like viruses to utilize animal orthologs of the SARS-CoV-2 receptor ACE2 might provide structural insight into improving ACE2-based viral entry inhibitors. In this study, we found that ACE2 orthologs of a wide range of domestic and wild animals can support cell entry of SARS-CoV-2 and three related coronaviruses, providing insights into identifying animal hosts of these viruses. We also developed recombinant ACE2-Ig proteins that are able to potently block these viral infections, providing a promising approach to developing antiviral proteins broadly effective against these distinct coronaviruses. The ongoing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has caused >20 million infections and >750,000 deaths. Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the etiological agent of COVID-19, has been found closely related to the bat coronavirus strain RaTG13 (Bat-CoV RaTG13) and a recently identified pangolin coronavirus (Pangolin-CoV-2020). Here, we first investigated the ability of SARS-CoV-2 and three related coronaviruses to utilize animal orthologs of angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) for cell entry. We found that ACE2 orthologs of a wide range of domestic and wild mammals, including camels, cattle, horses, goats, sheep, cats, rabbits, and pangolins, were able to support cell entry of SARS-CoV-2, suggesting that these species might be able to harbor and spread this virus. In addition, the pangolin and bat coronaviruses, Pangolin-CoV-2020 and Bat-CoV RaTG13, were also found able to utilize human ACE2 and a number of animal-ACE2 orthologs for cell entry, indicating risks of spillover of these viruses into humans in the future. We then developed potently anticoronavirus ACE2-Ig proteins that are broadly effective against the four distinct coronaviruses. In particular, through truncating ACE2 at its residue 740 but not 615, introducing a D30E mutation, and adopting an antibody-like tetrameric-ACE2 configuration, we generated an ACE2-Ig variant that neutralizes SARS-CoV-2 at picomolar range. These data demonstrate that the improved ACE2-Ig variants developed in this study could potentially be developed to protect from SARS-CoV-2 and some other SARS-like viruses that might spillover into humans in the future. IMPORTANCE The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is the etiological agent of the currently uncontrolled coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. It is important to study the host range of SARS-CoV-2, because some domestic species might harbor the virus and transmit it back to humans. In addition, insight into the ability of SARS-CoV-2 and SARS-like viruses to utilize animal orthologs of the SARS-CoV-2 receptor ACE2 might provide structural insight into improving ACE2-based viral entry inhibitors. In this study, we found that ACE2 orthologs of a wide range of domestic and wild animals can support cell entry of SARS-CoV-2 and three related coronaviruses, providing insights into identifying animal hosts of these viruses. We also developed recombinant ACE2-Ig proteins that are able to potently block these viral infections, providing a promising approach to developing antiviral proteins broadly effective against these distinct coronaviruses.
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Outlaw VK, Kreitler DF, Stelitano D, Porotto M, Moscona A, Gellman SH. Effects of Single α-to-β Residue Replacements on Recognition of an Extended Segment in a Viral Fusion Protein. ACS Infect Dis 2020; 6:2017-2022. [PMID: 32692914 PMCID: PMC8019249 DOI: 10.1021/acsinfecdis.0c00385] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Partial replacement of α-amino acid residues with β-amino acid residues has been established as a strategy for preserving target-engagement by helix-forming polypeptides while altering other properties. The impact of β-residue incorporation within polypeptides that adopt less regular conformations, however, has received less attention. The C-terminal heptad repeat (HRC) domains of fusion glycoproteins from pathogenic paramyxoviruses contain a segment that must adopt an extended conformation in order to coassemble with the N-terminal heptad repeat (HRN) domain in the postfusion state and drive a merger of the viral envelope with a target cell membrane. Here, we examine the impact of single α-to-β substitutions within this extended N-terminal segment of an engineered HRC peptide designated VIQKI. Stabilities of hexameric coassemblies formed with the native human parainfluenza virus 3 (HPIV3) HRN have been evaluated, the structures of five coassemblies have been determined, and antiviral efficacies have been measured. Many sites within the extended segment show functional tolerance of α-to-β substitution. These results offer a basis for future development of paramyxovirus infection inhibitors with novel biological activity profiles, possibly including resistance to proteolysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victor K. Outlaw
- Department of Chemistry, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin, 53706, United States
| | - Dale F. Kreitler
- Department of Chemistry, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin, 53706, United States
| | - Debora Stelitano
- Department of Pediatrics, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, New York, 10032, United States
- Center for Host–Pathogen Interaction, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, New York, 10032, United States
- Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”, 81100 Caserta, Italy
| | - Matteo Porotto
- Department of Pediatrics, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, New York, 10032, United States
- Center for Host–Pathogen Interaction, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, New York, 10032, United States
- Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”, 81100 Caserta, Italy
| | - Anne Moscona
- Department of Pediatrics, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, New York, 10032, United States
- Center for Host–Pathogen Interaction, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, New York, 10032, United States
- Department of Microbiology & Immunology, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, New York, 10032, United States
- Department of Physiology & Cellular Biophysics, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, New York, 10032, United States
| | - Samuel H. Gellman
- Department of Chemistry, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin, 53706, United States
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Du Pont V, Wirblich C, Yoon JJ, Cox RM, Schnell MJ, Plemper RK. Identification and Characterization of a Small-Molecule Rabies Virus Entry Inhibitor. J Virol 2020; 94:e00321-20. [PMID: 32321812 DOI: 10.1128/JVI.00321-20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2020] [Accepted: 04/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Rabies virus (RABV) causes a severe and fatal neurological disease, but morbidity is vaccine preventable and treatable prior to the onset of clinical symptoms. However, immunoglobulin (IgG)-based rabies postexposure prophylaxis (PEP) is expensive, restricting access to life-saving treatment, especially for patients in low-income countries where the clinical need is greatest, and does not confer cross-protection against newly emerging phylogroup II lyssaviruses. Toward identifying a cost-effective replacement for the IgG component of rabies PEP, we developed and implemented a high-throughput screening protocol utilizing a single-cycle RABV reporter strain. A large-scale screen and subsequent direct and orthogonal counterscreens identified a first-in-class direct-acting RABV inhibitor, GRP-60367, with a specificity index (SI) of >100,000. Mechanistic characterization through time-of-addition studies, transient cell-to-cell fusion assays, and chimeric vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) recombinants expressing the RABV glycoprotein (G) demonstrated that GRP-60367 inhibits entry of a subset of RABV strains. Resistance profiling of the chemotype revealed hot spots in conserved hydrophobic positions of the RABV G protein fusion loop that were confirmed in transient cell-to-cell fusion assays. Transfer of RABV G genes with signature resistance mutations into a recombinant VSV backbone resulted in the recovery of replication-competent virions with low susceptibility to the inhibitor. This work outlines a tangible strategy for mechanistic characterization and resistance profiling of RABV drug candidates and identified a novel, well-behaved molecular probe chemotype that specifically targets the RABV G protein and prevents G-mediated viral entry.IMPORTANCE Rabies PEP depends on anti-RABV IgG, which is expensive and in limited supply in geographical areas with the highest disease burden. Replacing the IgG component with a cost-effective and shelf-stable small-molecule antiviral could address this unmet clinical need by expanding access to life-saving medication. This study has established a robust protocol for high-throughput anti-RABV drug screens and identified a chemically well-behaved, first-in-class hit with nanomolar anti-RABV potency that blocks RABV G protein-mediated viral entry. Resistance mapping revealed a druggable site formed by the G protein fusion loops that has not previously emerged as a target for neutralizing antibodies. Discovery of this RABV entry inhibitor establishes a new molecular probe to advance further mechanistic and structural characterization of RABV G that may aid in the design of a next-generation clinical candidate against RABV.
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45
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Wang X, Xia S, Wang Q, Xu W, Li W, Lu L, Jiang S. Broad-Spectrum Coronavirus Fusion Inhibitors to Combat COVID-19 and Other Emerging Coronavirus Diseases. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21113843. [PMID: 32481690 PMCID: PMC7311999 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21113843] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2020] [Revised: 05/23/2020] [Accepted: 05/26/2020] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
In the past 17 years, three novel coronaviruses have caused severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS), and the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). As emerging infectious diseases, they were characterized by their novel pathogens and transmissibility without available clinical drugs or vaccines. This is especially true for the newly identified COVID-19 caused by SARS coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) for which, to date, no specific antiviral drugs or vaccines have been approved. Similar to SARS and MERS, the lag time in the development of therapeutics is likely to take months to years. These facts call for the development of broad-spectrum anti-coronavirus drugs targeting a conserved target site. This review will systematically describe potential broad-spectrum coronavirus fusion inhibitors, including antibodies, protease inhibitors, and peptide fusion inhibitors, along with a discussion of their advantages and disadvantages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinling Wang
- Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology (MOE/NHC/CAMS), School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China; (X.W.); (S.X.); (Q.W.); (W.X.)
| | - Shuai Xia
- Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology (MOE/NHC/CAMS), School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China; (X.W.); (S.X.); (Q.W.); (W.X.)
| | - Qian Wang
- Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology (MOE/NHC/CAMS), School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China; (X.W.); (S.X.); (Q.W.); (W.X.)
| | - Wei Xu
- Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology (MOE/NHC/CAMS), School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China; (X.W.); (S.X.); (Q.W.); (W.X.)
| | - Weihua Li
- Key Laboratory of Reproduction Regulation of National Health Commission, (Shanghai Institute of Planned Parenthood Research), Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China;
| | - Lu Lu
- Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology (MOE/NHC/CAMS), School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China; (X.W.); (S.X.); (Q.W.); (W.X.)
- Correspondence: (L.L.); (S.J.); Tel.: +86-21-54237671 (L.L.); +86-21-54237673 (S.J.)
| | - Shibo Jiang
- Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology (MOE/NHC/CAMS), School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China; (X.W.); (S.X.); (Q.W.); (W.X.)
- Key Laboratory of Reproduction Regulation of National Health Commission, (Shanghai Institute of Planned Parenthood Research), Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China;
- Correspondence: (L.L.); (S.J.); Tel.: +86-21-54237671 (L.L.); +86-21-54237673 (S.J.)
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Qiu M, Li Z, Chen Y, Guo J, Xu W, Qi T, Qiu Y, Pang J, Li L, Liu S, Tan S. Tolcapone Potently Inhibits Seminal Amyloid Fibrils Formation and Blocks Entry of Ebola Pseudoviruses. Front Microbiol 2020; 11:504. [PMID: 32425892 PMCID: PMC7203225 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2020.00504] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2019] [Accepted: 03/09/2020] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Ebola virus (EBOV), the causative pathogen of the deadly EBOV disease (EVD), can be transmitted via sexual transmission. Seminal amyloid fibrils have been found enhancers of EBOV infection. Currently, limited preventive vaccine or therapeutic is available to block EBOV infection through sexual intercourse. In this study, we repurpose tolcapone, a US Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved agent for Parkinson’s disease, as a potent inhibitor of seminal amyloid fibrils, among which semen-derived enhancer of viral infection (SEVI) is the best-characterized. Tolcapone binds to the amyloidogenic region of the SEVI precursor peptide (PAP248–286) and inhibits PAP248–286 aggregation by disrupting PAP248–286 oligomerization. In addition, tolcapone interacts with preformed SEVI fibrils and influences the activity of SEVI in promoting infection of pseudovirus (PsV) carrying the envelope glycoprotein (GP) of the EBOV Zaire or Sudan species (Zaire PsV and Sudan PsV, respectively). Tolcapone significantly antagonizes SEVI-mediated enhancement of both Zaire PsV and Sudan PsV binding to and subsequent internalization in HeLa cells. Of note, tolcapone is also effective in inhibiting the entry of both Zaire PsV and Sudan PsV. Tolcapone inhibits viral entry possibly through binding with critical residues in EBOV GP. Moreover, the combination of tolcapone with two small-molecule entry inhibitors, including bepridil and sertraline, exhibited synergistic anti-EBOV effects in semen. Collectively, as a bifunctional agent targeting the viral infection-enhancing amyloid and the virus itself during sexual intercourse, tolcapone can act as either a prophylactic topical agent to prevent the sexual transmission of EBOV or a therapeutic to treat EBOV infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mengjie Qiu
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of New Drug Screening, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Zhaofeng Li
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of New Drug Screening, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yuliu Chen
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of New Drug Screening, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jiayin Guo
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of New Drug Screening, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Wei Xu
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of New Drug Screening, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Tao Qi
- Laboratory Medicine Center, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yurong Qiu
- Laboratory Medicine Center, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jianxin Pang
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of New Drug Screening, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Lin Li
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of New Drug Screening, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China.,School of Pharmacy, Guangdong Medical University, Dongguan, China
| | - Shuwen Liu
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of New Drug Screening, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Suiyi Tan
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of New Drug Screening, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
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Liu Z, Xia S, Wang X, Lan Q, Li P, Xu W, Wang Q, Lu L, Jiang S. Sodium Copper Chlorophyllin Is Highly Effective against Enterovirus (EV) A71 Infection by Blocking Its Entry into the Host Cell. ACS Infect Dis 2020; 6:882-890. [PMID: 32233455 DOI: 10.1021/acsinfecdis.0c00096] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Human enteroviruses (HEVs) pose an ongoing threat to global public health. Particularly, enterovirus-A71 (EV-A71), the main pathogen causing hand-foot-and-mouth disease (HFMD), has caused ongoing outbreaks globally in recent years associated with severe neurological manifestations and several deaths. Currently, no effective antivirals are available for the prevention or treatment of EV-A71 infection. In this study, we found that sodium copper chlorophyllin (CHL), a health food additive and an over-the-counter anticancer medicine or treatment to reduce the odor of urine or feces, exhibited potent inhibitory activity against infection by divergent EV-A71 and coxsackievirus-A16 (CV-A16) isolates at a low micromolar concentration with excellent safety. The antiviral activity of each was confirmed by colorimetric viral infection and qRT-PCR assays. A series of mechanistic studies showed that CHL did not target the host cell but blocked the entry of EV-A71 and CV-A16 into the host cell at the postattachment stage. In the mouse model, CHL could significantly reduce the viral titer in the lungs and muscles. Since CHL has been used in clinics for many years with excellent safety, it has the potential to be further developed into a prophylactic or therapeutic to prevent or treat HFMD caused by EV-A71 or CV-A16 infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zezhong Liu
- Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology (MOE/NHC/CAMS), School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Shuai Xia
- Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology (MOE/NHC/CAMS), School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Xinling Wang
- Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology (MOE/NHC/CAMS), School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Qiaoshuai Lan
- Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology (MOE/NHC/CAMS), School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Peiyu Li
- Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology (MOE/NHC/CAMS), School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Wei Xu
- Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology (MOE/NHC/CAMS), School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Qian Wang
- Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology (MOE/NHC/CAMS), School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Lu Lu
- Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology (MOE/NHC/CAMS), School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Shibo Jiang
- Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology (MOE/NHC/CAMS), School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
- Lindsley F. Kimball Research Institute, New York Blood Center, New York, New York 10065, United States
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48
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Zou S, Zhang S, Gaffney A, Ding H, Lu M, Grover JR, Farrell M, Nguyen HT, Zhao C, Anang S, Zhao M, Mohammadi M, Blanchard SC, Abrams C, Madani N, Mothes W, Kappes JC, Smith AB 3rd, Sodroski J. Long-Acting BMS-378806 Analogues Stabilize the State-1 Conformation of the Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 Envelope Glycoproteins. J Virol 2020; 94:e00148-20. [PMID: 32161177 DOI: 10.1128/JVI.00148-20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2020] [Accepted: 02/21/2020] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
During human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) entry into cells, the viral envelope glycoprotein (Env) trimer [(gp120/gp41)3] binds the receptors CD4 and CCR5 and fuses the viral and cell membranes. CD4 binding changes Env from a pretriggered (state-1) conformation to more open downstream conformations. BMS-378806 (here called BMS-806) blocks CD4-induced conformational changes in Env important for entry and is hypothesized to stabilize a state-1-like Env conformation, a key vaccine target. Here, we evaluated the effects of BMS-806 on the conformation of Env on the surface of cells and virus-like particles. BMS-806 strengthened the labile, noncovalent interaction of gp120 with the Env trimer, enhanced or maintained the binding of most broadly neutralizing antibodies, and decreased the binding of poorly neutralizing antibodies. Thus, in the presence of BMS-806, the cleaved Env on the surface of cells and virus-like particles exhibits an antigenic profile consistent with a state-1 conformation. We designed novel BMS-806 analogues that stabilized the Env conformation for several weeks after a single application. These long-acting BMS-806 analogues may facilitate enrichment of the metastable state-1 Env conformation for structural characterization and presentation to the immune system.IMPORTANCE The envelope glycoprotein (Env) spike on the surface of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) mediates the entry of the virus into host cells and is also the target for antibodies. During virus entry, Env needs to change shape. Env flexibility also contributes to the ability of HIV-1 to evade the host immune response; many shapes of Env raise antibodies that cannot recognize the functional Env and therefore do not block virus infection. We found that an HIV-1 entry inhibitor, BMS-806, stabilizes the functional shape of Env. We developed new variants of BMS-806 that stabilize Env in its natural state for long periods of time. The availability of such long-acting stabilizers of Env shape will allow the natural Env conformation to be characterized and tested for efficacy as a vaccine.
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Chen Q, Tang K, Guo Y. Discovery of sclareol and sclareolide as filovirus entry inhibitors. J Asian Nat Prod Res 2020; 22:464-473. [PMID: 31738086 DOI: 10.1080/10286020.2019.1681407] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2019] [Accepted: 10/14/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Filoviruses cause severe hemorrhagic fever in humans. Ebola virus (EBOV) is the most contagious filovirus. Although compassionate treatments have been used during the latest Ebola outbreak, novel anti-EBOV agents are still urgently needed. In this study, sclareol and sclareolide, two natural products in Salvia sclarea, were identified as EBOV entry inhibitors with EC50s of 2.4 μmol/L and 8.0 μmol/L, respectively, through blocking the viral fusion process. Moreover, both compounds exhibited inhibitory effects on all tested filoviruses' entry, indicating their wide-spectrum activities against filoviruses. This study provides insights into the two natural products and their applications against filovirus infectious diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qing Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Substance and Function of Natural Medicines, and Department of Pharmacology, Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100050, China
| | - Ke Tang
- State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Substance and Function of Natural Medicines, and Department of Pharmacology, Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100050, China
| | - Ying Guo
- State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Substance and Function of Natural Medicines, and Department of Pharmacology, Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100050, China
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50
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Kapoor A, Ghosh AK, Forman M, Hu X, Ye W, Southall N, Marugan J, Keyes RF, Smith BC, Meyers DJ, Ferrer M, Arav-Boger R. Validation and Characterization of Five Distinct Novel Inhibitors of Human Cytomegalovirus. J Med Chem 2020; 63:3896-3907. [PMID: 32191456 PMCID: PMC7386824 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.9b01501] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
The critical consequences of human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) infection in the transplant population and in congenitally infected infants, the limited treatment options for HCMV, and the rise of resistant mutants toward existing therapies has fueled the search for new anti-HCMV agents. A pp28-luciferase recombinant HCMV was used as a reporter system for high-throughput screening of HCMV inhibitors. Approximately 400 000 compounds from existing libraries were screened. Subsequent validation assays using resynthesized compounds, several virus strains, and detailed virology assays resulted in the identification of five structurally unique and selective HCMV inhibitors, active at sub to low micromolar concentrations. Further characterization revealed that each compound inhibited a specific stage of HCMV replication. One compound was also active against herpes simplex virus (HSV1 and HSV2), and another compound was active against Epstein-Barr virus (EBV). Drug combination studies revealed that all five compounds were additive with ganciclovir or letermovir. Future studies will focus on optimization of these new anti-HCMV compounds along with mechanistic studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arun Kapoor
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Infectious Disease, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA
| | - Ayan K. Ghosh
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Infectious Disease, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA
| | - Michael Forman
- Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland 21287, USA
| | - Xin Hu
- National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS), National Institute of Health, Bethesda, MD 20850, USA
| | - Wenjuan Ye
- National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS), National Institute of Health, Bethesda, MD 20850, USA
| | - Noel Southall
- National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS), National Institute of Health, Bethesda, MD 20850, USA
| | - Juan Marugan
- National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS), National Institute of Health, Bethesda, MD 20850, USA
| | - Robert F. Keyes
- Department of Biochemistry, Program in Chemical Biology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA
| | - Brian C. Smith
- Department of Biochemistry, Program in Chemical Biology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA
| | - David J. Meyers
- Department of Pharmacology and Molecular Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA
| | - Marc Ferrer
- National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS), National Institute of Health, Bethesda, MD 20850, USA
| | - Ravit Arav-Boger
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Infectious Disease, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA
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