scholarly journals Mefloquine, a Potent Anti-severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome-Related Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) Drug as an Entry Inhibitor in vitro

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kaho Shionoya ◽  
Masako Yamasaki ◽  
Shoya Iwanami ◽  
Yusuke Ito ◽  
Shuetsu Fukushi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome ◽  
Viral Entry ◽  
Combined Treatment ◽  
Entry Inhibitor ◽  
Economic Damage ◽  
Virus Elimination ◽  
Viral Attachment ◽  
Approved Drugs ◽  
Treatment Dosage

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has caused serious public health, social, and economic damage worldwide and effective drugs that prevent or cure COVID-19 are urgently needed. Approved drugs including Hydroxychloroquine, Remdesivir or Interferon were reported to inhibit the infection or propagation of severe acute respiratory syndrome-related coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), however, their clinical efficacies have not yet been well demonstrated. To identify drugs with higher antiviral potency, we screened approved anti-parasitic/anti-protozoal drugs and identified an anti-malarial drug, Mefloquine, which showed the highest anti-SARS-CoV-2 activity among the tested compounds. Mefloquine showed higher anti-SARS-CoV-2 activity than Hydroxychloroquine in VeroE6/TMPRSS2 and Calu-3 cells, with IC50 = 1.28 μM, IC90 = 2.31 μM, and IC99 = 4.39 μM in VeroE6/TMPRSS2 cells. Mefloquine inhibited viral entry after viral attachment to the target cell. Combined treatment with Mefloquine and Nelfinavir, a replication inhibitor, showed synergistic antiviral activity. Our mathematical modeling based on the drug concentration in the lung predicted that Mefloquine administration at a standard treatment dosage could decline viral dynamics in patients, reduce cumulative viral load to 7% and shorten the time until virus elimination by 6.1 days. These data cumulatively underscore Mefloquine as an anti-SARS-CoV-2 entry inhibitor.

scholarly journals Anti-severe acute respiratory syndrome-related coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) potency of Mefloquine as an entry inhibitor in vitro

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kaho Shionoya ◽  
Masako Yamasaki ◽  
Shoya Iwanami ◽  
Yusuke Ito ◽  
Shuetsu Fukushi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome ◽  
Viral Entry ◽  
Combined Treatment ◽  
Entry Inhibitor ◽  
Economic Damage ◽  
Virus Elimination ◽  
Viral Attachment ◽  
Approved Drugs ◽  
Treatment Dosage

AbstractCoronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has caused serious public health, social, and economic damage worldwide and effective drugs that prevent or cure COVID-19 are urgently needed. Approved drugs including Hydroxychloroquine, Remdesivir or Interferon were reported to inhibit the infection or propagation of severe acute respiratory syndrome-related coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), however, their clinical efficacies have not yet been well demonstrated. To identify drugs with higher antiviral potency, we screened approved anti-parasitic/anti-protozoal drugs and identified an anti-malarial drug, Mefloquine, which showed the highest anti-SARS-CoV-2 activity among the tested compounds. Mefloquine showed higher anti-SARS-CoV-2 activity than Hydroxychloroquine in VeroE6/TMPRSS2 and Calu-3 cells, with IC50 = 1.28 μM, IC90 = 2.31 μM, and IC99 = 4.39 μM in VeroE6/TMPRSS2 cells. Mefloquine inhibited viral entry after viral attachment to the target cell. Combined treatment with Mefloquine and Nelfinavir, a replication inhibitor, showed synergistic antiviral activity. Our mathematical modeling based on the drug concentration in the lung predicted that Mefloquine administration at a standard treatment dosage could decline viral dynamics in patients, reduce cumulative viral load to 7% and shorten the time until virus elimination by 6.1 days. These data cumulatively underscore Mefloquine as an anti-SARS-CoV-2 entry inhibitor.

scholarly journals Multidrug treatment with nelfinavir and cepharanthine against COVID-19

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hirofumi Ohashi ◽  
Koichi Watashi ◽  
Wakana Saso ◽  
Kaho Shionoya ◽  
Shoya Iwanami ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Combined Treatment ◽  
Antiviral Agents ◽  
Hiv Protease ◽  
Viral Attachment ◽  
Main Protease ◽  
Culture Model ◽  
Progression Of Disease ◽  
A Cell ◽  
Approved Drugs

SummaryAntiviral treatments targeting the emerging coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) are urgently required. We screened a panel of already-approved drugs in a cell culture model of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and identified two new antiviral agents: the HIV protease inhibitor Nelfinavir and the anti-inflammatory drug Cepharanthine. In silico modeling shows Nelfinavir binds the SARS-CoV-2 main protease consistent with its inhibition of viral replication, whilst Cepharanthine inhibits viral attachment and entry into cells. Consistent with their different modes of action, in vitro assays highlight a synergistic effect of this combined treatment to limit SARS-CoV-2 proliferation. Mathematical modeling in vitro antiviral activity coupled with the known pharmacokinetics for these drugs predicts that Nelfinavir will facilitate viral clearance. Combining Nelfinavir/Cepharanthine enhanced their predicted efficacy to control viral proliferation, to ameliorate both the progression of disease and risk of transmission. In summary, this study identifies a new multidrug combination treatment for COVID-19.

A screen of approved drugs and molecular probes identifies therapeutics with anti–Ebola virus activity

2015 ◽  
Vol 7 (290) ◽  
pp. 290ra89-290ra89 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lisa M. Johansen ◽  
Lisa Evans DeWald ◽  
Charles J. Shoemaker ◽  
Benjamin G. Hoffstrom ◽  
Calli M. Lear-Rooney ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Viral Entry ◽  
Ebola Virus ◽  
Molecular Probes ◽  
Infection Model ◽  
Channel Blockers ◽  
Emerging Infections ◽  
Virus Infections ◽  
Approved Drugs

Currently, no approved therapeutics exist to treat or prevent infections induced by Ebola viruses, and recent events have demonstrated an urgent need for rapid discovery of new treatments. Repurposing approved drugs for emerging infections remains a critical resource for potential antiviral therapies. We tested ~2600 approved drugs and molecular probes in an in vitro infection assay using the type species, Zaire ebolavirus. Selective antiviral activity was found for 80 U.S. Food and Drug Administration–approved drugs spanning multiple mechanistic classes, including selective estrogen receptor modulators, antihistamines, calcium channel blockers, and antidepressants. Results using an in vivo murine Ebola virus infection model confirmed the protective ability of several drugs, such as bepridil and sertraline. Viral entry assays indicated that most of these antiviral drugs block a late stage of viral entry. By nature of their approved status, these drugs have the potential to be rapidly advanced to clinical settings and used as therapeutic countermeasures for Ebola virus infections.

scholarly journals Identification of Drugs Blocking SARS-CoV-2 Infection using Human Pluripotent Stem Cell-derived Colonic Organoids

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiaohua Duan ◽  
Yuling Han ◽  
Liuliu Yang ◽  
Benjamin E. Nilsson-Payant ◽  
Pengfei Wang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Stem Cell ◽  
Viral Entry ◽  
Pluripotent Stem Cell ◽  
Cell Types ◽  
Human Pluripotent Stem Cell ◽  
Humanized Mouse Model ◽  
Multiple Cell ◽  
Approved Drugs

Summary ParagraphThe current COVID-19 pandemic is caused by SARS-coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). There are currently no therapeutic options for mitigating this disease due to lack of a vaccine and limited knowledge of SARS-CoV-2 biology. As a result, there is an urgent need to create new disease models to study SARS-CoV-2 biology and to screen for therapeutics using human disease-relevant tissues. COVID-19 patients typically present with respiratory symptoms including cough, dyspnea, and respiratory distress, but nearly 25% of patients have gastrointestinal indications including anorexia, diarrhea, vomiting, and abdominal pain. Moreover, these symptoms are associated with worse COVID-19 outcomes1. Here, we report using human pluripotent stem cell-derived colonic organoids (hPSC-COs) to explore the permissiveness of colonic cell types to SARS-CoV-2 infection. Single cell RNA-seq and immunostaining showed that the putative viral entry receptor ACE2 is expressed in multiple hESC-derived colonic cell types, but highly enriched in enterocytes. Multiple cell types in the COs can be infected by a SARS-CoV-2 pseudo-entry virus, which was further validated in vivo using a humanized mouse model. We used hPSC-derived COs in a high throughput platform to screen 1280 FDA-approved drugs against viral infection. Mycophenolic acid and quinacrine dihydrochloride were found to block the infection of SARS-CoV-2 pseudo-entry virus in COs both in vitro and in vivo, and confirmed to block infection of SARS-CoV-2 virus. This study established both in vitro and in vivo organoid models to investigate infection of SARS-CoV-2 disease-relevant human colonic cell types and identified drugs that blocks SARS-CoV-2 infection, suitable for rapid clinical testing.

scholarly journals Heparan sulfate assists SARS-CoV-2 in cell entry and can be targeted by approved drugs in vitro

2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Qi Zhang ◽  
Catherine Zhengzheng Chen ◽  
Manju Swaroop ◽  
Miao Xu ◽  
Lihui Wang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cell Surface ◽  
Heparan Sulfate ◽  
Viral Entry ◽  
Drug Repurposing ◽  
Cell Entry ◽  
Entry Pathway ◽  
Viral Particles ◽  
Approved Drugs ◽  
Attachment Factor

Abstract The cell entry of SARS-CoV-2 has emerged as an attractive drug repurposing target for COVID-19. Here we combine genetics and chemical perturbation to demonstrate that ACE2-mediated entry of SARS-Cov and CoV-2 requires the cell surface heparan sulfate (HS) as an assisting cofactor: ablation of genes involved in HS biosynthesis or incubating cells with a HS mimetic both inhibit Spike-mediated viral entry. We show that heparin/HS binds to Spike directly, and facilitates the attachment of Spike-bearing viral particles to the cell surface to promote viral entry. We screened approved drugs and identified two classes of inhibitors that act via distinct mechanisms to target this entry pathway. Among the drugs characterized, Mitoxantrone is a potent HS inhibitor, while Sunitinib and BNTX disrupt the actin network to indirectly abrogate HS-assisted viral entry. We further show that drugs of the two classes can be combined to generate a synergized activity against SARS-CoV-2-induced cytopathic effect. Altogether, our study establishes HS as an attachment factor that assists SARS coronavirus cell entry and reveals drugs capable of targeting this important step in the viral life cycle.

scholarly journals Neutralizing Human Antibodies against Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 Isolated from a Human Synthetic Fab Phage Display Library

2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (4) ◽  
pp. 1913
Author(s):  
Yu Jung Kim ◽  
Min Ho Lee ◽  
Se-Ra Lee ◽  
Hyo-Young Chung ◽  
Kwangmin Kim ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome ◽  
Phage Display ◽  
Viral Entry ◽  
Phage Display Library ◽  
Cross Reactivity ◽  
Spike Protein ◽  
Receptor Protein ◽  
In Vitro Assays ◽  
Global Threat

Since it was first reported in Wuhan, China, in 2019, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has caused a pandemic outbreak resulting in a tremendous global threat due to its unprecedented rapid spread and an absence of a prophylactic vaccine or therapeutic drugs treating the virus. The receptor-binding domain (RBD) of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein is a key player in the viral entry into cells through its interaction with the angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptor protein, and the RBD has therefore been crucial as a drug target. In this study, we used phage display to develop human monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) that neutralize SARS-CoV-2. A human synthetic Fab phage display library was panned against the RBD of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein (SARS-2 RBD), yielding ten unique Fabs with moderate apparent affinities (EC50 = 19–663 nM) for the SARS-2 RBD. All of the Fabs showed no cross-reactivity to the MERS-CoV spike protein, while three Fabs cross-reacted with the SARS-CoV spike protein. Five Fabs showed neutralizing activities in in vitro assays based on the Fabs’ activities antagonizing the interaction between the SARS-2 RBD and ACE2. Reformatting the five Fabs into immunoglobulin Gs (IgGs) greatly increased their apparent affinities (KD = 0.08–1.0 nM), presumably due to the effects of avidity, without compromising their non-aggregating properties and thermal stability. Furthermore, two of the mAbs (D12 and C2) significantly showed neutralizing activities on pseudo-typed and authentic SARS-CoV-2. Given their desirable properties and neutralizing activities, we anticipate that these human anti-SARS-CoV-2 mAbs would be suitable reagents to be further developed as antibody therapeutics to treat COVID-19, as well as for diagnostics and research tools.

scholarly journals Nelfinavir inhibits replication of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 in vitro

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Norio Yamamoto ◽  
Shutoku Matsuyama ◽  
Tyuji Hoshino ◽  
Naoki Yamamoto
Keyword(s):  
Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome ◽  
Protease Inhibitor ◽  
Antiviral Agents ◽  
Specific Treatment ◽  
Potential Candidate ◽  
Serum Concentrations ◽  
Candidate Drug ◽  
Approved Drugs ◽  
Hiv 1

AbstractIn December 2019, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) emerged in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China. No specific treatment has been established against coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) so far. Therefore, it is urgently needed to identify effective antiviral agents for the treatment of this disease, and several approved drugs such as lopinavir have been evaluated. Here, we report that nelfinavir, an HIV-1 protease inhibitor, potently inhibits replication of SARS-CoV-2. The effective concentrations for 50% and 90% inhibition (EC50 and EC90) of nelfinavir were 1.13 µM and 1.76 µM respectively, the lowest of the nine HIV-1 protease inhibitors including lopinavir. The trough and peak serum concentrations of nelfinavir were three to six times higher than EC50 of this drug. These results suggest that nelfinavir is a potential candidate drug for the treatment of COVID-19 and should be assessed in patients with COVID-19.

scholarly journals FDA-Approved Drugs with Potent In Vitro Antiviral Activity against Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2

2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (12) ◽  
pp. 443
Author(s):  
Ahmed Mostafa ◽  
Ahmed Kandeil ◽  
Yaseen A. M. M. Elshaier ◽  
Omnia Kutkat ◽  
Yassmin Moatasim ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome ◽  
Antiviral Activity ◽  
Drug Repositioning ◽  
Data Bank ◽  
Binding Mode ◽  
Therapeutic Benefits ◽  
Anti Inflammatory ◽  
Approved Drugs ◽  
Fda Approved Drugs

(1) Background: Drug repositioning is an unconventional drug discovery approach to explore new therapeutic benefits of existing drugs. Currently, it emerges as a rapid avenue to alleviate the COVID-19 pandemic disease. (2) Methods: Herein, we tested the antiviral activity of anti-microbial and anti-inflammatory Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved drugs, commonly prescribed to relieve respiratory symptoms, against Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the viral causative agent of the COVID-19 pandemic. (3) Results: Of these FDA-approved antimicrobial drugs, Azithromycin, Niclosamide, and Nitazoxanide showed a promising ability to hinder the replication of a SARS-CoV-2 isolate, with IC50 of 0.32, 0.16, and 1.29 µM, respectively. We provided evidence that several antihistamine and anti-inflammatory drugs could partially reduce SARS-CoV-2 replication in vitro. Furthermore, this study showed that Azithromycin can selectively impair SARS-CoV-2 replication, but not the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV). A virtual screening study illustrated that Azithromycin, Niclosamide, and Nitazoxanide bind to the main protease of SARS-CoV-2 (Protein data bank (PDB) ID: 6lu7) in binding mode similar to the reported co-crystalized ligand. Also, Niclosamide displayed hydrogen bond (HB) interaction with the key peptide moiety GLN: 493A of the spike glycoprotein active site. (4) Conclusions: The results suggest that Piroxicam should be prescribed in combination with Azithromycin for COVID-19 patients.

scholarly journals Host-Directed FDA-Approved Drugs with Antiviral Activity against SARS-CoV-2 Identified by Hierarchical In Silico/In Vitro Screening Methods

2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (4) ◽  
pp. 332
Author(s):  
Tiziana Ginex ◽  
Urtzi Garaigorta ◽  
David Ramírez ◽  
Victoria Castro ◽  
Vanesa Nozal ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Antiviral Activity ◽  
Viral Entry ◽  
In Silico ◽  
Screening Methods ◽  
Speed Up ◽  
Approved Drugs ◽  
Fda Approved Drugs ◽  
Shed Light ◽  
Virtual Screening Approach

The unprecedent situation generated by the COVID-19 global emergency has prompted us to actively work to fight against this pandemic by searching for repurposable agents among FDA approved drugs to shed light into immediate opportunities for the treatment of COVID-19 patients. In the attempt to proceed toward a proper rationalization of the search for new antivirals among approved drugs, we carried out a hierarchical in silico/in vitro protocol which successfully combines virtual and biological screening to speed up the identification of host-directed therapies against COVID-19 in an effective way. To this end a multi-target virtual screening approach focused on host-based targets related to viral entry, followed by the experimental evaluation of the antiviral activity of selected compounds, has been carried out. As a result, five different potentially repurposable drugs interfering with viral entry—cepharantine, clofazimine, metergoline, imatinib and efloxate—have been identified.

scholarly journals Identification and Characterization of Mefloquine Efficacy against JC Virus In Vitro

2009 ◽  
Vol 53 (5) ◽  
pp. 1840-1849 ◽  
Author(s):  
Margot Brickelmaier ◽  
Alexey Lugovskoy ◽  
Ramya Kartikeyan ◽  
Marta M. Reviriego-Mendoza ◽  
Norm Allaire ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Viral Entry ◽  
Cultured Cells ◽  
Jc Virus ◽  
Antiviral Treatment ◽  
Cell Types ◽  
Biologically Active ◽  
Biodistribution Data ◽  
Approved Drugs

ABSTRACT Progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML) is a rare but frequently fatal disease caused by the uncontrolled replication of JC virus (JCV), a polyomavirus, in the brains of some immunocompromised individuals. Currently, no effective antiviral treatment for this disease has been identified. As a first step in the identification of such therapy, we screened the Spectrum collection of 2,000 approved drugs and biologically active molecules for their anti-JCV activities in an in vitro infection assay. We identified a number of different drugs and compounds that had significant anti-JCV activities at micromolar concentrations and lacked cellular toxicity. Of the compounds with anti-JCV activities, only mefloquine, an antimalarial agent, has been reported to show sufficiently high penetration into the central nervous system such that it would be predicted to achieve efficacious concentrations in the brain. Additional in vitro experiments demonstrated that mefloquine inhibits the viral infection rates of three different JCV isolates, JCV(Mad1), JCV(Mad4), and JCV(M1/SVEΔ), and does so in three different cell types, transformed human glial (SVG-A) cells, primary human fetal glial cells, and primary human astrocytes. Using quantitative PCR to quantify the number of viral copies in cultured cells, we have also shown that mefloquine inhibits viral DNA replication. Finally, we demonstrated that mefloquine does not block viral cell entry; rather, it inhibits viral replication in cells after viral entry. Although no suitable animal model of PML or JCV infection is available for the testing of mefloquine in vivo, our in vitro results, combined with biodistribution data published in the literature, suggest that mefloquine could be an effective therapy for PML.

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