1
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Gege C, Kleymann G. Replacement of sulfonamide by sulfoximine within a helicase-primase inhibitor with restricted flexibility. Bioorg Med Chem Lett 2024; 106:129761. [PMID: 38642810 DOI: 10.1016/j.bmcl.2024.129761] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2024] [Revised: 03/14/2024] [Accepted: 04/18/2024] [Indexed: 04/22/2024]
Abstract
Helicase-primase is an interesting target for the therapy of herpes simplex virus (HSV) infections. Since amenamevir is already approved for varicella-zoster virus (VZV) and HSV in Japan and pritelivir has received breakthrough therapy status for the treatment of acyclovir-resistant HSV infections in immunocompromised patients, the target has sparked interest in me-too approaches. Here, we describe the attempt to improve nervous tissue penetration in Phaeno Therapeutics drug candidate HN0037 to target the latent reservoir of HSV by installing less polar moieties, mainly a difluorophenyl instead of a pyridyl group, and replacing the primary sulfonamide with a methyl sulfoximine moiety. However, all obtained stereoisomers exhibited a weaker inhibitory activity on HSV-1 and HSV-2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christian Gege
- Innovative Molecules GmbH, Lipowsky Str. 10, 81373 Munich, Germany.
| | - Gerald Kleymann
- Innovative Molecules GmbH, Lipowsky Str. 10, 81373 Munich, Germany
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2
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Connolly KL, Bachmann L, Hiltke T, Kersh EN, Newman LM, Wilson L, Mena L, Deal C. Summary of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention/National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Joint Workshop on Genital Herpes: 3-4 November 2022. Open Forum Infect Dis 2024; 11:ofae230. [PMID: 38784760 PMCID: PMC11112275 DOI: 10.1093/ofid/ofae230] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2024] [Accepted: 04/22/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Genital herpes is caused by infection with herpes simplex virus types 1 and 2 (HSV-1 and HSV-2) and currently has no cure. The disease is the second-most common sexually transmitted infection in the United States, with an estimated 18.6 million prevalent genital infections caused by HSV-2 alone. Genital herpes diagnostics and treatments are not optimal, and no vaccine is currently available. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases convened a workshop entitled "CDC/NIAID Joint Workshop on Genital Herpes." This report summarizes 8 sessions on the epidemiology of genital herpes, neonatal HSV, HSV diagnostics, vaccines, treatments, cures, prevention, and patient advocacy perspective intended to identify opportunities in herpes research and foster the development of strategies to diagnose, treat, cure, and prevent genital herpes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristie L Connolly
- Division of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, Maryland, USA
| | - Laura Bachmann
- Division of Sexually Transmitted Disease Prevention, National Center for HIV, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Thomas Hiltke
- Division of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, Maryland, USA
| | - Ellen N Kersh
- Division of Sexually Transmitted Disease Prevention, National Center for HIV, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Lori M Newman
- Division of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, Maryland, USA
| | - Lydia Wilson
- Division of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, Maryland, USA
| | - Leandro Mena
- Division of Sexually Transmitted Disease Prevention, National Center for HIV, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Carolyn Deal
- Division of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, Maryland, USA
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3
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Bonsmann S, McCormick D, Pausch J, de Vries M, Sumner M, Birkmann A, Zimmermann H, Kropeit D. Mass Balance and Metabolite Profile after Single and Multiple Oral Doses of Pritelivir in Healthy Subjects. Clin Pharmacol Drug Dev 2024; 13:389-403. [PMID: 38189209 DOI: 10.1002/cpdd.1358] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2023] [Accepted: 11/28/2023] [Indexed: 01/09/2024]
Abstract
Pritelivir is a helicase-primase inhibitor active against HSV. Two human mass balance trials (a multiple-dose trial and a single-dose trial) were performed to characterize the absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion of 100 mg oral pritelivir combined with a single microdose of 14C-pritelivir. Blood, urine, and feces samples were collected up to 26 days postdose. The plasma half-life of pritelivir was 63-67 hours. Overall, 92% and 66% of the administered dose was recovered in the multiple and single dose trials, respectively. The low recovery after the single dose (66%) was most likely related to the formulation used. The major metabolic pathway was amide hydrolysis leading to amino thiazole sulfonamide (ATS) and pyridinyl phenyl acetic acid (PPA). In plasma, pritelivir, ATS, PPA, and PPA-acyl glucuronide accounted for 40.6%, 9.4%, 5.1%, and 0.2% of total radioactivity. More than 90% of drug-related material was eliminated 624 hours postdose. The majority was excreted in urine (75% and 77%), followed by feces (16% and 23%). The main components in urine were PPA-acyl glucuronide (and its isomers), ATS, and its N-demethylated isomers. Only minor metabolites were observed in feces. In conclusion, the major metabolic pathways of pritelivir have been identified with the primary excretion route being renal.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - David McCormick
- Aicuris Anti-infective Cures AG (Retired), Wuppertal, Germany
| | - Jörg Pausch
- Present affiliation: BioNTech SE, Mainz, Germany
| | | | | | | | | | - Dirk Kropeit
- AiCuris Anti-infective Cures AG, Wuppertal, Germany
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4
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Kumar A, Hooda P, Puri A, Khatter R, S. Al-Dosari M, Sinha N, Parvez MK, Sehgal D. Methotrexate, an anti-inflammatory drug, inhibits Hepatitis E viral replication. J Enzyme Inhib Med Chem 2023; 38:2280500. [PMID: 37975328 PMCID: PMC11003484 DOI: 10.1080/14756366.2023.2280500] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2023] [Accepted: 10/30/2023] [Indexed: 11/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Hepatitis E Virus (HEV) is a positively oriented RNA virus having a 7.2 kb genome. HEV consists of three open reading frames (ORF1-3). Of these, ORF1 codes for the enzymes Methyltransferase (Mtase), Papain-like cysteine protease (PCP), RNA helicase, and RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp). Unavailability of a vaccine or effective drug against HEV and considering the side effects associated with the off-label use of ribavirin (RBV) and pegylated interferons, an alternative approach is required by the modulation of specific enzymes to prevent the infection. HEV helicase is involved in unwinding the double-stranded RNA, RNA processing, transcriptional regulation, and pre-mRNA processing. Therefore, we screened FDA-approved compounds from the ZINC15 database against the modelled 3D structure of HEV helicase and found that methotrexate and compound A (Pubchem ID BTB07890) inhibit the NTPase and dsRNA unwinding activity leading to inhibition of HEV RNA replication. This may be further authenticated by in vivo study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Akash Kumar
- Department of Life Sciences, Virology lab, Shiv Nadar Institution of Eminence, Greater Noida, India
| | - Preeti Hooda
- Department of Life Sciences, Virology lab, Shiv Nadar Institution of Eminence, Greater Noida, India
| | - Anindita Puri
- Department of Life Sciences, Virology lab, Shiv Nadar Institution of Eminence, Greater Noida, India
| | - Radhika Khatter
- Department of Life Sciences, Virology lab, Shiv Nadar Institution of Eminence, Greater Noida, India
| | - Mohammed S. Al-Dosari
- Department of Pharmacognosy, College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Neha Sinha
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Microbiology, School of Public Health, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Mohammad K. Parvez
- Department of Pharmacognosy, College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Deepak Sehgal
- Department of Life Sciences, Virology lab, Shiv Nadar Institution of Eminence, Greater Noida, India
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5
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Krasnov VP, Andronova VL, Belyavsky AV, Borisevich SS, Galegov GA, Kandarakov OF, Gruzdev DA, Vozdvizhenskaya OA, Levit GL. Large Subunit of the Human Herpes Simplex Virus Terminase as a Promising Target in Design of Anti-Herpesvirus Agents. Molecules 2023; 28:7375. [PMID: 37959793 PMCID: PMC10649544 DOI: 10.3390/molecules28217375] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2023] [Revised: 10/19/2023] [Accepted: 10/23/2023] [Indexed: 11/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) is an extremely widespread pathogen characterized by recurrent infections. HSV-1 most commonly causes painful blisters or sores around the mouth or on the genitals, but it can also cause keratitis or, rarely, encephalitis. First-line and second-line antiviral drugs used to treat HSV infections, acyclovir and related compounds, as well as foscarnet and cidofovir, selectively inhibit herpesvirus DNA polymerase (DNA-pol). It has been previously found that (S)-4-[6-(purin-6-yl)aminohexanoyl]-7,8-difluoro-3,4-dihydro-3-methyl-2H-[1,4]benzoxazine (compound 1) exhibits selective anti-herpesvirus activity against HSV-1 in cell culture, including acyclovir-resistant mutants, so we consider it as a lead compound. In this work, the selection of HSV-1 clones resistant to the lead compound was carried out. High-throughput sequencing of resistant clones and reference HSV-1/L2 parent strain was performed to identify the genetic determinants of the virus's resistance to the lead compound. We identified a candidate mutation presumably associated with resistance to the virus, namely the T321I mutation in the UL15 gene encoding the large terminase subunit. Molecular modeling was used to evaluate the affinity and dynamics of the lead compound binding to the putative terminase binding site. The results obtained suggest that the lead compound, by binding to pUL15, affects the terminase complex. pUL15, which is directly involved in the processing and packaging of viral DNA, is one of the crucial components of the HSV terminase complex. The loss of its functional activity leads to disruption of the formation of mature virions, so it represents a promising drug target. The discovery of anti-herpesvirus agents that affect biotargets other than DNA polymerase will expand our possibilities of targeting HSV infections, including those resistant to baseline drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victor P. Krasnov
- Postovsky Institute of Organic Synthesis, Russian Academy of Sciences (Ural Branch), Ekaterinburg 620108, Russia; (D.A.G.); (O.A.V.); (G.L.L.)
| | - Valeriya L. Andronova
- Gamaleya National Research Center for Epidemiology and Microbiology, Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, Moscow 123098, Russia; (V.L.A.); (G.A.G.)
| | - Alexander V. Belyavsky
- Engelhardt Institute of Molecular Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow 119991, Russia; (A.V.B.); (O.F.K.)
| | | | - George A. Galegov
- Gamaleya National Research Center for Epidemiology and Microbiology, Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, Moscow 123098, Russia; (V.L.A.); (G.A.G.)
| | - Oleg F. Kandarakov
- Engelhardt Institute of Molecular Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow 119991, Russia; (A.V.B.); (O.F.K.)
| | - Dmitry A. Gruzdev
- Postovsky Institute of Organic Synthesis, Russian Academy of Sciences (Ural Branch), Ekaterinburg 620108, Russia; (D.A.G.); (O.A.V.); (G.L.L.)
| | - Olga A. Vozdvizhenskaya
- Postovsky Institute of Organic Synthesis, Russian Academy of Sciences (Ural Branch), Ekaterinburg 620108, Russia; (D.A.G.); (O.A.V.); (G.L.L.)
| | - Galina L. Levit
- Postovsky Institute of Organic Synthesis, Russian Academy of Sciences (Ural Branch), Ekaterinburg 620108, Russia; (D.A.G.); (O.A.V.); (G.L.L.)
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6
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Kropeit D, Bonsmann S, von Richter O, McCormick D, Pausch J, Sumner M, Birkmann A, Zimmermann H, Rübsamen-Schaeff H. First-in-Human, Single- and Multiple-Ascending-Dose, Food-Effect, and Absolute Bioavailability Trials to Assess the Pharmacokinetics, Safety, and Tolerability of Pritelivir, a Nonnucleoside Helicase-Primase Inhibitor Against Herpes Simplex Virus in Healthy Subjects. Clin Pharmacol Drug Dev 2023; 12:749-760. [PMID: 36860173 DOI: 10.1002/cpdd.1241] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2022] [Accepted: 02/03/2023] [Indexed: 03/03/2023]
Abstract
The pharmacokinetics and safety of the novel herpes simplex virus helicase-primase inhibitor pritelivir were evaluated in 5 phase 1 trials: a single-ascending-dose trial, 2 multiple-ascending-dose trials, a food-effect trial, and an absolute bioavailability trial in healthy male subjects. One cohort of healthy female subjects was included in the single-ascending-dose trial. Pritelivir pharmacokinetics were linear up to 480 mg following single and up to 400 mg following multiple once-daily doses. The half-life ranged from 52 to 83 hours, and steady state was reached between 8 and 13 days. Maximum plasma concentration and area under the plasma concentration-time curve from time 0 to the last quantifiable concentration were 1.5- and 1.1-fold higher in female compared to male subjects. Absolute bioavailability was 72% under fasted conditions. Following a fatty diet, pritelivir time to maximum concentration was 1.5 hour delayed and maximum plasma concentration and area under the plasma concentration-time curve from time 0 to the last quantifiable concentration were 33% and 16% higher, respectively. Pritelivir was safe and well tolerated up to 600 mg following single and up to 200 mg following multiple once-daily doses. Considering a therapeutic dose of 100 mg once-daily, pritelivir demonstrated a favorable safety and tolerability and pharmacokinetic profile in healthy subjects to support further development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dirk Kropeit
- Aicuris Anti-infective Cures AG, Wuppertal, Germany
| | | | - Oliver von Richter
- Global Clinical Development, Biopharmaceuticals, Hexal AG (A Sandoz Company), Holzkirchen, Germany
| | - David McCormick
- Aicuris Anti-infective Cures AG (Retired), Wuppertal, Germany
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7
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von Delft A, Hall MD, Kwong AD, Purcell LA, Saikatendu KS, Schmitz U, Tallarico JA, Lee AA. Accelerating antiviral drug discovery: lessons from COVID-19. Nat Rev Drug Discov 2023; 22:585-603. [PMID: 37173515 PMCID: PMC10176316 DOI: 10.1038/s41573-023-00692-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/04/2023] [Indexed: 05/15/2023]
Abstract
During the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, a wave of rapid and collaborative drug discovery efforts took place in academia and industry, culminating in several therapeutics being discovered, approved and deployed in a 2-year time frame. This article summarizes the collective experience of several pharmaceutical companies and academic collaborations that were active in severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) antiviral discovery. We outline our opinions and experiences on key stages in the small-molecule drug discovery process: target selection, medicinal chemistry, antiviral assays, animal efficacy and attempts to pre-empt resistance. We propose strategies that could accelerate future efforts and argue that a key bottleneck is the lack of quality chemical probes around understudied viral targets, which would serve as a starting point for drug discovery. Considering the small size of the viral proteome, comprehensively building an arsenal of probes for proteins in viruses of pandemic concern is a worthwhile and tractable challenge for the community.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annette von Delft
- Centre for Medicines Discovery, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
- Oxford Biomedical Research Centre, National Institute for Health Research, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
| | - Matthew D Hall
- National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, MD, USA
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Alpha A Lee
- PostEra, Inc., Cambridge, MA, USA.
- Cavendish Laboratory, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.
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8
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Bosetti D, Bernardi C, Maulini M, Giannotti F, Mamez AC, Masouridi-Levrat S, Chalandon Y, Neofytos D. Salvage Treatment of Refractory HSV Oral Lesions with Pritelivir in Allogeneic Hematopoietic Cell Transplant Recipients. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 2023; 67:e0173222. [PMID: 36971558 PMCID: PMC10112206 DOI: 10.1128/aac.01732-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2022] [Accepted: 02/03/2023] [Indexed: 03/29/2023] Open
Abstract
We present two allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation recipients (HCTr) treated with pritelivir for acyclovir-resistant/refractory (r/r) HSV infection based on the expanded access program of the pritelivir manufacturer. Outpatient treatment with pritelivir was administered, with partial response by week 1 of treatment and complete response by week 4 of treatment in both patients. No adverse events were noted. Pritelivir appears to be an effective and safe option for the management of acyclovir-r/r HSV infections in highly immunocompromised patients in an outpatient setting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Davide Bosetti
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Geneva University Hospitals, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Chiara Bernardi
- Division of Hematology, Bone Marrow Transplant Unit, Geneva University Hospitals and Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Marie Maulini
- Division of Hematology, Bone Marrow Transplant Unit, Geneva University Hospitals and Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Federica Giannotti
- Division of Hematology, Bone Marrow Transplant Unit, Geneva University Hospitals and Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Anne-Claire Mamez
- Division of Hematology, Bone Marrow Transplant Unit, Geneva University Hospitals and Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Stavroula Masouridi-Levrat
- Division of Hematology, Bone Marrow Transplant Unit, Geneva University Hospitals and Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Yves Chalandon
- Division of Hematology, Bone Marrow Transplant Unit, Geneva University Hospitals and Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Dionysios Neofytos
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Geneva University Hospitals, Geneva, Switzerland
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9
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Gazquez Casals A, Berkowitz AJ, Yu AJ, Waters HE, Schiavone DV, Kapkayeva DM, Morrison LA, Murelli RP. Antiviral activity of amide-appended α-hydroxytropolones against herpes simplex virus-1 and -2. RSC Adv 2023; 13:8743-8752. [PMID: 36936842 PMCID: PMC10016935 DOI: 10.1039/d2ra06749h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2022] [Accepted: 02/28/2023] [Indexed: 03/17/2023] Open
Abstract
α-Hydroxytropolones (αHTs) have potent antiviral activity against herpes simplex virus-1 and -2 (HSV-1 and HSV-2) in cell culture, including against acyclovir-resistant mutants, and as a result have the potential to be developed as antiviral drugs targeting these viruses. We recently described a convenient final-step amidation strategy to their synthesis, and this was used to generate 57 amide-substituted αHTs that were tested against hepatitis B virus. The following manuscript describes the evaluation of this library against HSV-1, as well as a subset against HSV-2. The structure-function analysis obtained from these studies demonstrates the importance of lipophilicity and rigidity to αHT-based anti-HSV potency, consistent with our prior work on smaller libraries. We used this information to synthesize and test a targeted library of 4 additional amide-appended αHTs. The most potent of this new series had a 50% effective concentration (EC50) for viral inhibition of 72 nM, on par with the most potent αHT antivirals we have found to date. Given the ease of synthesis of amide-appended αHTs, this new class of antiviral compounds and the chemistry to make them should be highly valuable in future anti-HSV drug development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andreu Gazquez Casals
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Saint Louis University School of Medicine St. Louis MO USA
| | - Alex J Berkowitz
- Department of Chemistry, Brooklyn College, The City University of New York Brooklyn NY USA
- PhD Program in Chemistry, The Graduate Center, The City University of New York New York NY USA
| | - Alice J Yu
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Saint Louis University School of Medicine St. Louis MO USA
| | - Hope E Waters
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Saint Louis University School of Medicine St. Louis MO USA
| | - Daniel V Schiavone
- Department of Chemistry, Brooklyn College, The City University of New York Brooklyn NY USA
- PhD Program in Chemistry, The Graduate Center, The City University of New York New York NY USA
| | - Diana M Kapkayeva
- Department of Chemistry, Brooklyn College, The City University of New York Brooklyn NY USA
| | - Lynda A Morrison
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Saint Louis University School of Medicine St. Louis MO USA
| | - Ryan P Murelli
- Department of Chemistry, Brooklyn College, The City University of New York Brooklyn NY USA
- PhD Program in Chemistry, The Graduate Center, The City University of New York New York NY USA
- PhD Program in Biochemistry, The Graduate Center, The City University of New York New York NY USA
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10
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Akram F, Waheed HM, Shah FI, Haq IU, Nasir N, Akhtar MT, Farooq Gohar U. Burgeoning therapeutic strategies to curb the contemporary surging viral infections. Microb Pathog 2023; 179:106088. [PMID: 37004965 DOI: 10.1016/j.micpath.2023.106088] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2022] [Revised: 03/23/2023] [Accepted: 03/24/2023] [Indexed: 04/03/2023]
Abstract
Significant efforts and initiatives were already made in the health care systems, however in the last few years; our world is facing emergences of viral infections which potentially leading to considerable challenges in terms of higher morbidity, mortality, increased and considerable financial loads on the affected populations. Over ten major epidemics or pandemics have been recorded in the twenty-first century, the ongoing coronavirus pandemic being one of them. Viruses being distinct obligate pathogens largely dependent on living beings are considered as one of the prominent causes of death globally. Although effective vaccines and antivirals have led to the eradication of imperative viral pathogens, the emergences of new viral infections as well as novel drug-resistant strains have necessitated the implementation of ingenious and efficient therapeutic approaches to treat viral outbreaks in the future. Nature being a constant source of tremendous therapeutical resources has inspired us to develop multi-target antiviral drugs, overcoming the challenges and limitations faced by pharmaceutical industry. Recent breakthroughs in the understanding of the cellular and molecular mechanisms of viral reproduction have laid the groundwork for potential treatment approaches including antiviral gene therapy relying on the application of precisely engineered nucleic acids for disabling pathogen replication. The development of RNA interference and advancements in genome manipulating tools have proven to be especially significant in this regard. In this review, we discussed mode of actions and pathophysiological events associated with the viral infections; followed by distributions, and advancement made towards the detection strategies for timely diagnosis. In the later section, current approaches to cope up the viral pathogens and their key limitations have also been elaborated. Lastly, we also explored some novel and potential targets to treat such infections, where attentions were made on next generation gene editing technologies.
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11
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Sharma D, Sharma S, Akojwar N, Dondulkar A, Yenorkar N, Pandita D, Prasad SK, Dhobi M. An Insight into Current Treatment Strategies, Their Limitations, and Ongoing Developments in Vaccine Technologies against Herpes Simplex Infections. Vaccines (Basel) 2023; 11:vaccines11020206. [PMID: 36851084 PMCID: PMC9966607 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines11020206] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2022] [Revised: 01/05/2023] [Accepted: 01/13/2023] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Herpes simplex virus (HSV) infection, the most prevalent viral infection that typically lasts for a lifetime, is associated with frequent outbreaks of oral and genital lesions. Oral herpes infection is mainly associated with HSV-1 through oral contact, while genital herpes originates due to HSV-2 and is categorized under sexually transmitted diseases. Immunocompromised patients and children are more prone to HSV infection. Over the years, various attempts have been made to find potential targets for the prevention of HSV infection. Despite the global distress caused by HSV infections, there are no licensed prophylactic and therapeutic vaccines available on the market against HSV. Nevertheless, there are numerous promising candidates in the pre-clinical and clinical stages of study. The present review gives an overview of two herpes viruses, their history, and life cycle, and different treatments adopted presently against HSV infections and their associated limitations. Majorly, the review covers the recent investigations being carried out globally regarding various vaccine strategies against oral and genital herpes virus infections, together with the recent and advanced nanotechnological approaches for vaccine development. Consequently, it gives an insight to researchers as well as people from the health sector about the challenges and upcoming solutions associated with treatment and vaccine development against HSV infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Divya Sharma
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Delhi Pharmaceutical Sciences and Research University, Sector-III, Pushp Vihar, Government of NCT of Delhi, New Delhi 110017, India
| | - Supriya Sharma
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Delhi Pharmaceutical Sciences and Research University, Sector-III, Pushp Vihar, Government of NCT of Delhi, New Delhi 110017, India
| | - Natasha Akojwar
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Rashtrasant Tukadoji Maharaj Nagpur University, Nagpur 440033, India
| | - Ayusha Dondulkar
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Rashtrasant Tukadoji Maharaj Nagpur University, Nagpur 440033, India
| | - Nikhil Yenorkar
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Rashtrasant Tukadoji Maharaj Nagpur University, Nagpur 440033, India
| | - Deepti Pandita
- Delhi Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Research, Delhi Pharmaceutical Sciences and Research University, Sector-III, Pushp Vihar, Government of NCT of Delhi, New Delhi 110017, India
- Correspondence: (D.P.); (S.K.P.); (M.D.)
| | - Satyendra K. Prasad
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Rashtrasant Tukadoji Maharaj Nagpur University, Nagpur 440033, India
- Correspondence: (D.P.); (S.K.P.); (M.D.)
| | - Mahaveer Dhobi
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Delhi Pharmaceutical Sciences and Research University, Sector-III, Pushp Vihar, Government of NCT of Delhi, New Delhi 110017, India
- Correspondence: (D.P.); (S.K.P.); (M.D.)
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12
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Hou J, Gao H, Fan Y, Wang Y, Qin M, Di Y, Wang L, Zhou X, Zhou Y, Qin D, Hill G. Pharmacokinetics and Safety Study of HN0037, a Novel Anti-Human Herpes Simplex Virus Inhibitor, in Healthy Volunteers. Clin Pharmacol Drug Dev 2022; 11:1467-1473. [PMID: 35794079 DOI: 10.1002/cpdd.1138] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2022] [Accepted: 06/08/2022] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
HN0037 is a helicase-primase inhibitor developed to treat herpes simplex virus (HSV) infection. This study evaluated the safety, tolerability, and pharmacokinetics of HN0037, following oral administration in healthy volunteers. This double-blind, placebo-controlled, phase 1 study comprised two parts. In part 1, a single escalating dose of 10, 30, 60, 120, 200, 300, and 400 mg was assessed, and the food effect was evaluated in the 200-mg cohort. In part 2, a multiple dose evaluation involving 30 and 100 mg once a day was conducted for 14 days. Following single oral doses, the systemic exposure of HN0037 increased in a proportional manner over the lower dose range (10-120 mg) and in a subproportional manner over the higher dose range (200-400 mg). Following multiple oral doses, significant drug accumulation of systemic exposure was found at steady state, and the half-life ranged 50.4-61.0 h. The food effect study results indicated that a high-fat meal had a marginal impact on HN0037's pharmacokinetics. No differences were observed in the incidence of adverse events between HN0037 and placebo groups in either study. These results demonstrate that HN0037 is safe and well-tolerated, supporting further clinical development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jie Hou
- PKU Care Luzhong Hospital, Shandong, China
| | - Hong Gao
- Phaeno Therapeutics Co. Ltd, Hangzhou, China
| | - Yingzhe Fan
- Phaeno Therapeutics Co. Ltd, Hangzhou, China
| | - Ying Wang
- Phaeno Therapeutics Co. Ltd, Hangzhou, China
| | - Meng Qin
- Phaeno Therapeutics Co. Ltd, Hangzhou, China
| | - Yujing Di
- PKU Care Luzhong Hospital, Shandong, China
| | - Lu Wang
- PKU Care Luzhong Hospital, Shandong, China
| | - Xin Zhou
- Phaeno Therapeutics Co. Ltd, Hangzhou, China
| | - Yi Zhou
- Phaeno Therapeutics Co. Ltd, Hangzhou, China
| | - Donghui Qin
- Phaeno Therapeutics Co. Ltd, Hangzhou, China
| | - George Hill
- Phaeno Therapeutics Co. Ltd, Hangzhou, China
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13
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Acyclovir resistance in herpes simplex viruses: Prevalence and therapeutic alternatives. Biochem Pharmacol 2022; 206:115322. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bcp.2022.115322] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2022] [Revised: 10/20/2022] [Accepted: 10/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
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14
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De Vlieger L, Vandenbroucke RE, Van Hoecke L. Recent insights into viral infections as a trigger and accelerator in alzheimer's disease. Drug Discov Today 2022; 27:103340. [PMID: 35987492 PMCID: PMC9385395 DOI: 10.1016/j.drudis.2022.103340] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2022] [Revised: 07/08/2022] [Accepted: 08/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder for which only symptomatic medication is available, except for the recently FDA-approved aducanumab. This lack of effective treatment urges us to investigate alternative paths that might contribute to disease development. In light of the recent SARS-CoV-2 pandemic and the disturbing neurological complications seen in some patients, it is desirable to (re)investigate the viability of the viral infection theory claiming that a microbe could affect AD initiation and/or progression. Here, we review the most important evidence for this theory with a special focus on two viruses, namely HSV-1 and SARS-CoV-2. Moreover, we discuss the possible involvement of extracellular vesicles (EVs). This overview will contribute to a more rational approach of potential treatment strategies for AD patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lize De Vlieger
- Barriers in Inflammation Lab, VIB Center for Inflammation Research, Ghent, Belgium; Department of Biomedical Molecular Biology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Roosmarijn E Vandenbroucke
- Barriers in Inflammation Lab, VIB Center for Inflammation Research, Ghent, Belgium; Department of Biomedical Molecular Biology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium.
| | - Lien Van Hoecke
- Barriers in Inflammation Lab, VIB Center for Inflammation Research, Ghent, Belgium; Department of Biomedical Molecular Biology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
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15
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Birkmann A, Bonsmann S, Kropeit D, Pfaff T, Rangaraju M, Sumner M, Timmler B, Zimmermann H, Buschmann H, Ruebsamen-Schaeff H. Discovery, Chemistry, and Preclinical Development of Pritelivir, a Novel Treatment Option for Acyclovir-Resistant Herpes Simplex Virus Infections. J Med Chem 2022; 65:13614-13628. [PMID: 36202389 PMCID: PMC9620171 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.2c00668] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
![]()
When the nucleoside analogue acyclovir was introduced
in the early
1980s, it presented a game-changing treatment modality for herpes
simplex virus infections. Since then, work has been ongoing to improve
the weaknesses that have now been identified: a narrow time window
for therapeutic success, resistance in immunocompromised patients,
little influence on frequency of recurrences, relatively fast elimination,
and poor bioavailability. The present Drug Annotation focuses on the
helicase–primase inhibitor pritelivir currently in development
for the treatment of acyclovir-resistant HSV infections and describes
how a change of the molecular target (from viral DNA polymerase to
the HSV helicase–primase complex) afforded improvement of the
shortcomings of nucleoside analogs. Details are presented for the
discovery process leading to the final drug candidate, the pivotal
preclinical studies on mechanism of action and efficacy, and on how
ongoing clinical research has been able to translate preclinical promises
into clinical use.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Dirk Kropeit
- AiCuris Anti-Infective Cures AG, 42117 Wuppertal, Germany
| | - Tamara Pfaff
- AiCuris Anti-Infective Cures AG, 42117 Wuppertal, Germany
| | | | - Melanie Sumner
- AiCuris Anti-Infective Cures AG, 42117 Wuppertal, Germany
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16
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Labib BA, Chigbu DI. Clinical Management of Herpes Simplex Virus Keratitis. Diagnostics (Basel) 2022; 12:diagnostics12102368. [PMID: 36292060 PMCID: PMC9600940 DOI: 10.3390/diagnostics12102368] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2022] [Revised: 09/20/2022] [Accepted: 09/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Herpes simplex virus (HSV) keratitis is one of the leading causes of blindness worldwide. Additionally, up to 90% of the population in some countries is seropositive for HSV. HSV can cause a wide spectrum of ocular disease ranging from blepharitis to retinitis. Although the initial clinical expressions of HSV-1 and HSV-2 are similar, HSV-2 has been reported more frequently in association with recurrent HSV disease. Besides irreversible vision loss from keratitis, HSV also causes encephalitis and genital forms of the disease. Despite these statistics, there remains no vaccine against HSV. Current treatment therapies for related ocular diseases include the use of oral and topical antivirals and topical corticosteroids. While effective in many cases, they fail to address the latency and elimination of the virus, making it ineffective in addressing recurrences, a factor which increases the risk of vision loss. As such, there is a need for continued research of other potential therapeutic targets. This review utilized several published articles regarding the manifestations of HSV keratitis, antiviral immune responses to HSV infection, and clinical management of HSV keratitis. This review will summarize the current knowledge on the host–virus interaction in HSV infections, as well as highlighting the current and potential antiviral therapeutics.
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17
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Gege C, Kleymann G. Helicase-primase inhibitors from Medshine Discovery Inc. (WO2018/127207 and WO2020/007355) for the treatment of herpes simplex virus infections – structure proposal for Phaeno Therapeutics drug candidate HN0037. Expert Opin Ther Pat 2022; 32:933-937. [DOI: 10.1080/13543776.2022.2113873] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Christian Gege
- Innovative Molecules GmbH, Dachauer Str. 65, 80335 München, Germany
| | - Gerald Kleymann
- Innovative Molecules GmbH, Dachauer Str. 65, 80335 München, Germany
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18
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Targeting SARS-CoV-2 non-structural protein 13 via helicase-inhibitor-repurposing and non-structural protein 16 through pharmacophore-based screening. Mol Divers 2022:10.1007/s11030-022-10468-8. [PMID: 35690957 PMCID: PMC9188638 DOI: 10.1007/s11030-022-10468-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2022] [Accepted: 05/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Novel drug compound hunting was carried out for SARS-CoV-2 proteins with low mutation susceptibility. The probability of escape mutation and drug resistance is lower if conserved microbial proteins are targeted by therapeutic drugs. Mutation rate of all SARS-CoV-2 proteins were analyzed via multiple sequence alignment Non-Structural Protein 13 and Non-Structural Protein 16 were selected for the current study due to low mutation rate among viral strains and significant functionality. Cross-species mutation rate analysis for NSP13 and NSP16 showed these are well-conserved proteins among four coronaviral species. Viral helicase inhibitors, identified using literature-mining, were docked against NSP13. Pharmacophore-based screening of 11,375 natural compounds was conducted for NSP16. Stabilities of top compounds inside human body were confirmed via molecular dynamic simulation. ADME properties and LD50 values of the helicase inhibitors and Ambinter natural compounds were analyzed. Compounds against NSP13 showed binding affinities between −10 and −5.9 kcal/mol whereby ivermectin and scutellarein showed highest binding energies of −10 and −9.9 kcal/mol. Docking of 18 hit compounds against NSP16 yielded binding affinities between −8.9 and −4.1 kcal/mol. Hamamelitannin and deacyltunicamycin were the top compounds with binding affinities of −8.9 kcal/mol and −8.4 kcal/mol. The top compounds showed stable ligand–protein interactions in molecular dynamics simulation. The analyses revealed two hit compounds against each targeted protein displaying stable behavior, high binding affinity and molecular interactions. Conversion of these compounds into drugs after in vitro experimentation can become better treatment options to elevate COVID management.
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19
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Spahn S, Riessen R, Berg CP, Malek NP, Emrich MH, Lohrengel K, Ganzenmueller T, Iftner T, Kleymann G, Hamprecht K. Comprehensive clinical and virological characterization of three cases of fulminant liver failure owing to HSV1 primary infection. Liver Int 2022; 42:1005-1011. [PMID: 35230726 DOI: 10.1111/liv.15215] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2021] [Revised: 12/23/2021] [Accepted: 01/16/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1) is a frequently unrecognized, yet deadly cause of acute liver failure (ALF). We, therefore, analysed three cases of fatal HSV-1-induced ALF. All patients shared clinical (extremely elevated transaminases, LDH and AST/LDH ratio < 1) and virological characteristics (ratio of viral load in plasma versus throat swabs: 60-700-fold, lack of anti-HSV-1-IgG antibodies or low IgG-avidity during primary infection), which may help to identify patients at risk. Additionally, in vitro chemosusceptibility assays revealed high efficacy of the helicase-primase inhibitors (HPI), pritelivir and drug-candidate IM-250 compared to acyclovir (ACV) using HSV-1-isolates from two patients; hence, ACV/HPI-combinations might offer new therapeutic options for HSV-induced ALF.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephan Spahn
- Department Internal Medicine I, University Hospital of Tuebingen, Tuebingen, Germany
| | - Reimer Riessen
- Department of Internal Medicine, Medical Intensive Care Unit, University Hospital of Tuebingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Christoph P Berg
- Department Internal Medicine I, University Hospital of Tuebingen, Tuebingen, Germany
| | - Nisar P Malek
- Department Internal Medicine I, University Hospital of Tuebingen, Tuebingen, Germany
| | - Marzena H Emrich
- Institute for Medical Virology and Epidemiology of Viral Diseases, University Hospital of Tuebingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Kristina Lohrengel
- Institute for Medical Virology and Epidemiology of Viral Diseases, University Hospital of Tuebingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Tina Ganzenmueller
- Institute for Medical Virology and Epidemiology of Viral Diseases, University Hospital of Tuebingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Thomas Iftner
- Institute for Medical Virology and Epidemiology of Viral Diseases, University Hospital of Tuebingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Gerald Kleymann
- University of Tübingen IFIB, Interfaculty Institute for Biochemistry, Tübingen, Germany.,Innovative Molecules GmbH, Bad-Salzuflen, Germany
| | - Klaus Hamprecht
- Institute for Medical Virology and Epidemiology of Viral Diseases, University Hospital of Tuebingen, Tübingen, Germany
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20
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Esposito S, D’Abrosca G, Antolak A, Pedone PV, Isernia C, Malgieri G. Host and Viral Zinc-Finger Proteins in COVID-19. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23073711. [PMID: 35409070 PMCID: PMC8998646 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23073711] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2022] [Revised: 03/24/2022] [Accepted: 03/25/2022] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
An unprecedented effort to tackle the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has characterized the activity of the global scientific community over the last two years. Hundreds of published studies have focused on the comprehension of the immune response to the virus and on the definition of the functional role of SARS-CoV-2 proteins. Proteins containing zinc fingers, both belonging to SARS-CoV-2 or to the host, play critical roles in COVID-19 participating in antiviral defenses and regulation of viral life cycle. Differentially expressed zinc finger proteins and their distinct activities could thus be important in determining the severity of the disease and represent important targets for drug development. Therefore, we here review the mechanisms of action of host and viral zinc finger proteins in COVID-19 as a contribution to the comprehension of the disease and also highlight strategies for therapeutic developments.
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21
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Delva JL, Van Waesberghe C, Klupp BG, Mettenleiter TC, Favoreel HW. Alphaherpesvirus-induced activation of plasmacytoid dendritic cells depends on the viral glycoprotein gD and is inhibited by non-infectious light particles. PLoS Pathog 2021; 17:e1010117. [PMID: 34843605 PMCID: PMC8659615 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1010117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2021] [Revised: 12/09/2021] [Accepted: 11/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDC) are important innate immune cells during the onset of viral infections as they are specialized in the production of massive amounts of antiviral type I interferon (IFN). Alphaherpesviruses such as herpes simplex virus (HSV) or pseudorabies virus (PRV) are double stranded DNA viruses and potent stimulators of pDC. Detailed information on how PRV activates porcine pDC is lacking. Using PRV and porcine primary pDC, we report here that PRV virions, so-called heavy (H-)particles, trigger IFNα production by pDC, whereas light (L-) particles that lack viral DNA and capsid do not. Activation of pDC requires endosomal acidification and, importantly, depends on the PRV gD envelope glycoprotein and O-glycosylations. Intriguingly, both for PRV and HSV-1, we found that L-particles suppress H-particle-mediated activation of pDC, a process which again depends on viral gD. This is the first report describing that gD plays a critical role in alphaherpesvirus-induced pDC activation and that L-particles directly interfere with alphaherpesvirus-induced IFNα production by pDC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonas L Delva
- Department of Virology, Parasitology, Immunology-Faculty of Veterinary Medicine-Ghent University, Merelbeke, Belgium
| | - Cliff Van Waesberghe
- Department of Virology, Parasitology, Immunology-Faculty of Veterinary Medicine-Ghent University, Merelbeke, Belgium
| | - Barbara G Klupp
- Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Federal Research Institute for Animal Health, Greifswald-Insel Riems, Germany
| | - Thomas C Mettenleiter
- Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Federal Research Institute for Animal Health, Greifswald-Insel Riems, Germany
| | - Herman W Favoreel
- Department of Virology, Parasitology, Immunology-Faculty of Veterinary Medicine-Ghent University, Merelbeke, Belgium
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22
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Helicase primase inhibitors (HPIs) are efficacious for therapy of human herpes simplex virus (HSV) disease in an infection mouse model. Antiviral Res 2021; 195:105190. [PMID: 34666109 DOI: 10.1016/j.antiviral.2021.105190] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2021] [Revised: 10/11/2021] [Accepted: 10/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Although the seroprevalence of Herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) currently amounts to ∼ 67% worldwide, the annual incidence of a severe disease progression, particularly herpes encephalitis, is approximately 2-4 cases per 1,000,000 infections. Nucleoside analogues, such as acyclovir (ACV), valacyclovir (VACV) or famciclovir, are still the therapeutic treatment of choice for HSV infections. However, nucleoside drugs have limited efficacy against severe HSV disease and for treatment of nucleoside-resistant viral strains, alternative therapies such as helicase-primase inhibitors (HPIs) which are highly potent by inhibiting viral replication are under development. In preclinical studies we analyzed the antiviral efficacy of drug candidates of a novel compound class of HPIs for the treatment of HSV to identify the most active eutomer structure in an intranasal infection mouse lethal challenge model. HSV-1 infected BALB/c mice treated with vehicle control developed fatal disease according to humane endpoints after 5-7 days. In contrast, the animals dosed orally once daily with the HPI compounds at 10 or 4 mg/kg/day showed a significantly increased survival (70% and 100% for 10 mg/kg/day; 90% and 100% for 4 mg/kg/day, respectively) compared to the vehicle treatment (0-10%), when therapy was initiated 6 h post HSV-1 inoculation. We observed a significantly improved outcome in clinical parameters and survival over 21 days in the group receiving novel HPI candidates using even the lowest dose of 4 mg/kg/day. With VACV treatment of 75 mg/kg daily survival was also significantly increased (80%-90% for 75 mg/kg/day) but to lesser extent. Initial IM-250 therapy at 10 mg/kg/day could be delayed up to 72 h resulting in significantly increased survival compared to the vehicle control. Furthermore, we detected significantly fewer viral genome copies in the lungs and brains of HPI treated animals compared to vehicle (440-fold reduction for 4 mg/kg/day IM-250 in the brain) or VACV controls by quantitative PCR. In conclusion the preclinical studies of the novel HPI compounds showed superior efficacy in comparison to the current standard HSV treatment represented by VACV with respect to the survival according humane endpoints, the clinical score and virus load in lungs and brains. Thus, candidates of this new drug class are promising antivirals of HSV infections and further translation into clinical trials is warranted.
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23
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Newman JA, Douangamath A, Yadzani S, Yosaatmadja Y, Aimon A, Brandão-Neto J, Dunnett L, Gorrie-Stone T, Skyner R, Fearon D, Schapira M, von Delft F, Gileadi O. Structure, mechanism and crystallographic fragment screening of the SARS-CoV-2 NSP13 helicase. Nat Commun 2021; 12:4848. [PMID: 34381037 DOI: 10.1101/2021.03.15.435326] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2021] [Accepted: 07/28/2021] [Indexed: 05/25/2023] Open
Abstract
There is currently a lack of effective drugs to treat people infected with SARS-CoV-2, the cause of the global COVID-19 pandemic. The SARS-CoV-2 Non-structural protein 13 (NSP13) has been identified as a target for anti-virals due to its high sequence conservation and essential role in viral replication. Structural analysis reveals two "druggable" pockets on NSP13 that are among the most conserved sites in the entire SARS-CoV-2 proteome. Here we present crystal structures of SARS-CoV-2 NSP13 solved in the APO form and in the presence of both phosphate and a non-hydrolysable ATP analog. Comparisons of these structures reveal details of conformational changes that provide insights into the helicase mechanism and possible modes of inhibition. To identify starting points for drug development we have performed a crystallographic fragment screen against NSP13. The screen reveals 65 fragment hits across 52 datasets opening the way to structure guided development of novel antiviral agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph A Newman
- Centre for Medicines Discovery, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
| | - Alice Douangamath
- Diamond Light Source Ltd., Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, Didcot, UK
| | - Setayesh Yadzani
- Structural Genomics Consortium, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | | | - Antony Aimon
- Diamond Light Source Ltd., Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, Didcot, UK
| | - José Brandão-Neto
- Diamond Light Source Ltd., Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, Didcot, UK
| | - Louise Dunnett
- Diamond Light Source Ltd., Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, Didcot, UK
| | - Tyler Gorrie-Stone
- Diamond Light Source Ltd., Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, Didcot, UK
| | - Rachael Skyner
- Diamond Light Source Ltd., Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, Didcot, UK
| | - Daren Fearon
- Diamond Light Source Ltd., Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, Didcot, UK
| | - Matthieu Schapira
- Structural Genomics Consortium, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Frank von Delft
- Centre for Medicines Discovery, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Diamond Light Source Ltd., Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, Didcot, UK
- Faculty of Science, University of Johannesburg, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Opher Gileadi
- Centre for Medicines Discovery, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
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24
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Newman JA, Douangamath A, Yadzani S, Yosaatmadja Y, Aimon A, Brandão-Neto J, Dunnett L, Gorrie-Stone T, Skyner R, Fearon D, Schapira M, von Delft F, Gileadi O. Structure, mechanism and crystallographic fragment screening of the SARS-CoV-2 NSP13 helicase. Nat Commun 2021; 12:4848. [PMID: 34381037 PMCID: PMC8358061 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-25166-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 99] [Impact Index Per Article: 33.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2021] [Accepted: 07/28/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
There is currently a lack of effective drugs to treat people infected with SARS-CoV-2, the cause of the global COVID-19 pandemic. The SARS-CoV-2 Non-structural protein 13 (NSP13) has been identified as a target for anti-virals due to its high sequence conservation and essential role in viral replication. Structural analysis reveals two "druggable" pockets on NSP13 that are among the most conserved sites in the entire SARS-CoV-2 proteome. Here we present crystal structures of SARS-CoV-2 NSP13 solved in the APO form and in the presence of both phosphate and a non-hydrolysable ATP analog. Comparisons of these structures reveal details of conformational changes that provide insights into the helicase mechanism and possible modes of inhibition. To identify starting points for drug development we have performed a crystallographic fragment screen against NSP13. The screen reveals 65 fragment hits across 52 datasets opening the way to structure guided development of novel antiviral agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph A Newman
- Centre for Medicines Discovery, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
| | - Alice Douangamath
- Diamond Light Source Ltd., Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, Didcot, UK
| | - Setayesh Yadzani
- Structural Genomics Consortium, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | | | - Antony Aimon
- Diamond Light Source Ltd., Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, Didcot, UK
| | - José Brandão-Neto
- Diamond Light Source Ltd., Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, Didcot, UK
| | - Louise Dunnett
- Diamond Light Source Ltd., Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, Didcot, UK
| | - Tyler Gorrie-Stone
- Diamond Light Source Ltd., Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, Didcot, UK
| | - Rachael Skyner
- Diamond Light Source Ltd., Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, Didcot, UK
| | - Daren Fearon
- Diamond Light Source Ltd., Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, Didcot, UK
| | - Matthieu Schapira
- Structural Genomics Consortium, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Frank von Delft
- Centre for Medicines Discovery, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Diamond Light Source Ltd., Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, Didcot, UK
- Faculty of Science, University of Johannesburg, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Opher Gileadi
- Centre for Medicines Discovery, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
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25
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Amenamevir, a Helicase-Primase Inhibitor, for the Optimal Treatment of Herpes Zoster. Viruses 2021; 13:v13081547. [PMID: 34452412 PMCID: PMC8402822 DOI: 10.3390/v13081547] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2021] [Revised: 08/03/2021] [Accepted: 08/03/2021] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Acyclovir, valacyclovir, and famciclovir are used for the treatment of herpes simplex virus (HSV) and varicella-zoster virus (VZV) infections. Helicase-primase inhibitors (HPIs) inhibit replication fork progression that separates double DNA strands into two single strands during DNA synthesis. The HPIs amenamevir and pritelivir have novel mechanisms of anti-herpetic action, and their once-daily administration has clinical efficacy for genital herpes. Among HPIs, amenamevir has anti-VZV activity. The concentrations of HSV-1 and VZV required for the 50% plaque reduction of amenamevir were 0.036 and 0.047 μM, respectively. We characterized the features of amenamevir regarding its mechanism, resistance, and synergism with acyclovir. Its antiviral activity was not influenced by the viral replication cycle, in contrast to acyclovir. A clinical trial of amenamevir for herpes zoster demonstrated its non-inferiority to valacyclovir. To date, amenamevir has been successfully used in over 1,240,000 patients with herpes zoster in Japan. Post-marketing surveillance of amenamevir in Japan reported side effects with significant potential risk identified by the Japanese Risk Management Plan, including thrombocytopenia, gingival bleeding, and palpitations, although none of these were serious. The clinical efficacy and safety profiles of amenamevir were established in patients with herpes zoster. Therefore, amenamevir as an HPI opens a new era of anti-herpes therapy.
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26
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Schultz A, Knoll T, Urban A, Schuck H, von Briesen H, Germann A, Velten T. Novel Cost-Efficient Graphene-Based Impedance Biosensor for the Analysis of Viral Cytopathogenicity and the Effect of Antiviral Drugs. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2021; 9:718889. [PMID: 34381768 PMCID: PMC8350578 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2021.718889] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2021] [Accepted: 06/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Biosensors become increasingly relevant for medical diagnostics, pharmaceutical industry, and environmental technology, for example, to test new drugs easily and reliably or to detect cell growth in changing environmental conditions. Novel materials like graphene are promising candidates to produce biosensors on an industrial scale by means of printing processes. To reach this aim, methods for the reliable and automated production of electrode structures and their coating are required. We present an impedance biosensor in the format of a microtiter plate, fabricated by highly efficient roll-to-roll printing of graphene-based microstructures on large-area polymer foils. Proof-of-principle experiments show the evidence of the suitability of the printed graphene biosensors for impedance-based monitoring of viral cytopathogenicity and its inhibition in the presence of antiviral drugs. The developed system is a promising approach toward cost-efficient impedimetric biosensors for high-throughput screening in vaccine research and antiviral drug development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anke Schultz
- Department of Bioprocessing and Bioanalytics, Fraunhofer Institute for Biomedical Engineering IBMT, Sulzbach, Germany
| | - Thorsten Knoll
- Department of Bioprocessing and Bioanalytics, Fraunhofer Institute for Biomedical Engineering IBMT, Sulzbach, Germany
| | | | - Herbert Schuck
- Department of Bioprocessing and Bioanalytics, Fraunhofer Institute for Biomedical Engineering IBMT, Sulzbach, Germany
| | - Hagen von Briesen
- Department of Bioprocessing and Bioanalytics, Fraunhofer Institute for Biomedical Engineering IBMT, Sulzbach, Germany
| | - Anja Germann
- Department of Bioprocessing and Bioanalytics, Fraunhofer Institute for Biomedical Engineering IBMT, Sulzbach, Germany
| | - Thomas Velten
- Department of Bioprocessing and Bioanalytics, Fraunhofer Institute for Biomedical Engineering IBMT, Sulzbach, Germany
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27
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Gege C, Bravo FJ, Uhlig N, Hagmaier T, Schmachtenberg R, Elis J, Burger-Kentischer A, Finkelmeier D, Hamprecht K, Grunwald T, Bernstein DI, Kleymann G. A helicase-primase drug candidate with sufficient target tissue exposure affects latent neural herpes simplex virus infections. Sci Transl Med 2021; 13:13/598/eabf8668. [PMID: 34135112 DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.abf8668] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2020] [Accepted: 04/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
More than 50% of the world population is chronically infected with herpesviruses. Herpes simplex virus (HSV) infections are the cause of herpes labialis (cold sores), genital herpes, and sight-impairing keratitis. Less frequently, life-threatening disseminated disease (encephalitis and generalized viremia) can also occur, mainly in immunocompromised patients and newborns. After primary infection, HSV persists for life in a latent state in trigeminal or sacral ganglia and, triggered by diverse stimuli, disease recurs in more than 30% of patients up to several times a year. Current therapy with nucleoside analogs targeting the viral polymerase is somewhat effective but limited by poor exposure in the nervous system, and latent infections are not affected by therapy. Here, we report on an inhibitor of HSV helicase-primase with potent in vitro anti-herpes activity, a different mechanism of action, a low frequency of HSV resistance, and a favorable pharmacokinetic and safety profile. Improved target tissue exposure results in superior efficacy in preventing and treating HSV infection and disease in animal models as compared to standard of care. Therapy of primary HSV infections with drug candidate IM-250 {(S)-2-(2',5'-difluoro-[1,1'-biphenyl]-4-yl)-N-methyl-N-(4-methyl-5-(S-methylsulfon-imidoyl)thiazol-2-yl)acetamide} not only reduces the duration of disease symptoms or time to healing but also prevents recurrent disease in guinea pigs. Treatment of recurrent infections reduces the frequency of recurrences and viral shedding, and, unlike nucleosidic drugs, IM-250 remains effective for a time after cessation of treatment. Hence, IM-250 has advantages over standard-of-care therapies and represents a promising therapeutic for chronic HSV infection, including nucleoside-resistant HSV.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christian Gege
- Innovative Molecules GmbH, Leopoldshöher Str. 7, 32107 Bad-Salzuflen, Germany
| | - Fernando J Bravo
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center CCHMC, 3333 Burnet Ave., Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA
| | - Nadja Uhlig
- Fraunhofer IZI, Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology, Perlickstrasse 1, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Timo Hagmaier
- University of Tübingen IFIB, Interfaculty Institute for Biochemistry, Auf der Morgenstelle 34, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
| | | | - Julia Elis
- University of Tübingen IFIB, Interfaculty Institute for Biochemistry, Auf der Morgenstelle 34, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Anke Burger-Kentischer
- Fraunhofer IGB, Institute for Interfacial Engineering and Biotechnology, Nobelstraße 12, 70569 Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Doris Finkelmeier
- Fraunhofer IGB, Institute for Interfacial Engineering and Biotechnology, Nobelstraße 12, 70569 Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Klaus Hamprecht
- University Hospital of Tübingen UKT, Institute for Medical Virology and Epidemiology of Viral Diseases, Elfriede-Aulhorn-Str. 6, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Thomas Grunwald
- Fraunhofer IZI, Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology, Perlickstrasse 1, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - David I Bernstein
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center CCHMC, 3333 Burnet Ave., Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA
| | - Gerald Kleymann
- Innovative Molecules GmbH, Leopoldshöher Str. 7, 32107 Bad-Salzuflen, Germany. .,University of Tübingen IFIB, Interfaculty Institute for Biochemistry, Auf der Morgenstelle 34, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
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28
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Characteristics of Helicase-primase Inhibitor Amenamevir-resistant Herpes Simplex Virus. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 2021; 65:e0049421. [PMID: 34228537 DOI: 10.1128/aac.00494-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The antiherpetic drug amenamevir (AMNV) inhibits the helicase-primase complex of herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1), HSV-2 and varicella-zoster virus directly as well as inhibiting the replication of these viruses. Although several mutated HSV viruses resistant to helicase-primase inhibitors have been reported, the mutations contributing to the resistance remain unclear as recombinant viruses containing a single mutation have not been analyzed. We obtained AMNV-resistant viruses with amino acid substitutions by several passages under AMNV-treatment. Twenty HSV-1 and 19 HSV-2 mutants with mutation(s) in UL5 helicase and/or UL52 primase, but not in co-factor UL8, were isolated. The mutations in UL5 were located downstream of motif IV, with UL5 K356N in HSV-1 and K355N in HSV-2, in particular, identified as having the highest frequency: 9/20 and 9/19, respectively. We generated recombinant AMNV-resistant HSV-1 with a single amino acid substitution using BAC mutagenesis. As a result, G352C in UL5 helicase and F360C/V and N902T in UL52 primase were identified as novel mutations. The virus with K356N in UL5 showed 10-fold higher AMNV resistance than did other mutants, and showed equivalent viral growth in vitro and virulence in vivo as the parent HSV-1, although other mutants showed attenuated virulence. All recombinant viruses were susceptible to the other antiherpetic drugs, acyclovir and foscarnet. In conclusion, based on BAC mutagenesis, this study identified for the first time mutations in UL5 and UL52 that contributed to AMNV resistance, and found that a mutant with the most frequent K356N mutation in HSV-1 maintained viral growth and virulence equivalent to the parent virus.
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29
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Bermek O, Williams RS. The three-component helicase/primase complex of herpes simplex virus-1. Open Biol 2021; 11:210011. [PMID: 34102080 PMCID: PMC8187027 DOI: 10.1098/rsob.210011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) is one of the nine herpesviruses that infect humans. HSV-1 encodes seven proteins to replicate its genome in the hijacked human cell. Among these are the herpes virus DNA helicase and primase that are essential components of its replication machinery. In the HSV-1 replisome, the helicase-primase complex is composed of three components including UL5 (helicase), UL52 (primase) and UL8 (non-catalytic subunit). UL5 and UL52 subunits are functionally interdependent, and the UL8 component is required for the coordination of UL5 and UL52 activities proceeding in opposite directions with respect to the viral replication fork. Anti-viral compounds currently under development target the functions of UL5 and UL52. Here, we review the structural and functional properties of the UL5/UL8/UL52 complex and highlight the gaps in knowledge to be filled to facilitate molecular characterization of the structure and function of the helicase-primase complex for development of alternative anti-viral treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oya Bermek
- Genome Integrity and Structural Biology Laboratory, Department of Health and Human Services, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709, USA
| | - R Scott Williams
- Genome Integrity and Structural Biology Laboratory, Department of Health and Human Services, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709, USA
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30
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Shiraki K, Takemoto M, Daikoku T. Emergence of varicella-zoster virus resistance to acyclovir: epidemiology, prevention, and treatment. Expert Rev Anti Infect Ther 2021; 19:1415-1425. [PMID: 33853490 DOI: 10.1080/14787210.2021.1917992] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Introduction: Acyclovir has led to the development of successful systemic therapy for herpes simplex virus and varicella-zoster virus (VZV) infection, and the use of valacyclovir and famciclovir has improved treatment. Additionally, the use of a helicase-primase (HP) inhibitor (HPI), amenamevir, is changing the treatment of herpes zoster (HZ).Area covered: VZV infection is prevented by vaccines and is treated with antiviral agents. Acyclovir and penciclovir are phosphorylated by viral thymidine kinase and work as chain terminators. Improvements in the management of immunocompromised patients have reduced severe and prolonged immunosuppression and chronic VZV infection with acyclovir-resistant mutants has become rarer. The HP is involved in the initial step of DNA synthesis and amenamevir has novel mechanisms of action, efficacy to acyclovir-resistant mutants, and pharmacokinetic characteristics. The literature search for PUBMED was conducted on 10 April 2020 and updated on 4 November 2020.Expert opinion: Amenamevir has been used to treat HZ in Japan. Although the number of patients with VZV infection will decrease owing to the use of vaccines, the addition of HPI will improve treatment and treatment options for resistant viruses. The clinical use of HPIs in addition to current nucleoside analogs opens a new era of antiherpes therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kimiyasu Shiraki
- Senri Kinran University & Department of Virology, University of Toyama, Toyama, Japan
| | - Masaya Takemoto
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Hokuriku University, Kanazawa, Japan
| | - Tohru Daikoku
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Hokuriku University, Kanazawa, Japan
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31
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Ahmad S, Waheed Y, Ismail S, Bhatti S, Abbasi SW, Muhammad K. Structure-Based Virtual Screening Identifies Multiple Stable Binding Sites at the RecA Domains of SARS-CoV-2 Helicase Enzyme. Molecules 2021; 26:1446. [PMID: 33800013 PMCID: PMC7962107 DOI: 10.3390/molecules26051446] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2021] [Revised: 03/04/2021] [Accepted: 03/04/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
With the emergence and global spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, the scientific community worldwide has focused on search for new therapeutic strategies against this disease. One such critical approach is targeting proteins such as helicases that regulate most of the SARS-CoV-2 RNA metabolism. The purpose of the current study was to predict a library of phytochemicals derived from diverse plant families with high binding affinity to SARS-CoV-2 helicase (Nsp13) enzyme. High throughput virtual screening of the Medicinal Plant Database for Drug Design (MPD3) database was performed on SARS-CoV-2 helicase using AutoDock Vina. Nilotinib, with a docking value of -9.6 kcal/mol, was chosen as a reference molecule. A compound (PubChem CID: 110143421, ZINC database ID: ZINC257223845, eMolecules: 43290531) was screened as the best binder (binding energy of -10.2 kcal/mol on average) to the enzyme by using repeated docking runs in the screening process. On inspection, the compound was disclosed to show different binding sites of the triangular pockets collectively formed by Rec1A, Rec2A, and 1B domains and a stalk domain at the base. The molecule is often bound to the ATP binding site (referred to as binding site 2) of the helicase enzyme. The compound was further discovered to fulfill drug-likeness and lead-likeness criteria, have good physicochemical and pharmacokinetics properties, and to be non-toxic. Molecular dynamic simulation analysis of the control/lead compound complexes demonstrated the formation of stable complexes with good intermolecular binding affinity. Lastly, affirmation of the docking simulation studies was accomplished by estimating the binding free energy by MMPB/GBSA technique. Taken together, these findings present further in silco investigation of plant-derived lead compounds to effectively address COVID-19.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sajjad Ahmad
- Foundation University Medical College, Foundation University Islamabad, DHA-I, Islamabad 44000, Pakistan; (S.A.); (S.I.)
- Department of Health and Biological Sciences, Abasyn University, Peshawar 25000, Pakistan
| | - Yasir Waheed
- Foundation University Medical College, Foundation University Islamabad, DHA-I, Islamabad 44000, Pakistan; (S.A.); (S.I.)
| | - Saba Ismail
- Foundation University Medical College, Foundation University Islamabad, DHA-I, Islamabad 44000, Pakistan; (S.A.); (S.I.)
| | - Saadia Bhatti
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad 44000, Pakistan;
| | - Sumra Wajid Abbasi
- NUMS Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Medical Sciences, Abid Majeed Rd, The Mall, Rawalpindi 46000, Pakistan;
| | - Khalid Muhammad
- Department of Biology, College of Science, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain 15551, United Arab Emirates
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32
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Malki Y, Martinez J, Masurier N. 1,3-Diazepine: A privileged scaffold in medicinal chemistry. Med Res Rev 2021; 41:2247-2315. [PMID: 33645848 DOI: 10.1002/med.21795] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2020] [Revised: 01/20/2021] [Accepted: 02/17/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Privileged structures have been widely used as effective templates for drug discovery. While benzo-1,4-diazepine constitutes the first historical example of such a structure, the 1,3 analogue is just as rich in terms of applications in medicinal chemistry. The 1,3-diazepine moiety is present in numerous biological active compounds including natural products, and is used to design compounds displaying a large range of biological activities. It is present in the clinically used anticancer compound pentostatin, in several recent FDA approved β-lactamase inhibitors (e.g., avibactam) and also in coformycin, a natural product known as a ring-expanded purine analogue displaying antiviral and anticancer activities. Several other 1,3-diazepine containing compounds have entered into clinical trials. This heterocyclic structure has been and is still widely used in medicinal chemistry to design enzyme inhibitors, GPCR ligands, and so forth. This review endeavours to highlight the main use of the 1,3-diazepine scaffold and its derivatives, and their applications in medicinal chemistry, drug design, and therapy. We will focus more particularly on the development of enzyme inhibitors incorporating this scaffold, with a strong emphasis on the molecular interactions involved in the inhibition mechanism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yohan Malki
- IBMM, Université de Montpellier, CNRS, ENSCM, Montpellier, France
| | - Jean Martinez
- IBMM, Université de Montpellier, CNRS, ENSCM, Montpellier, France
| | - Nicolas Masurier
- IBMM, Université de Montpellier, CNRS, ENSCM, Montpellier, France
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33
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Yin D, Ling S, Wang D, Dai Y, Jiang H, Zhou X, Paludan SR, Hong J, Cai Y. Targeting herpes simplex virus with CRISPR-Cas9 cures herpetic stromal keratitis in mice. Nat Biotechnol 2021; 39:567-577. [PMID: 33432198 DOI: 10.1038/s41587-020-00781-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2020] [Accepted: 11/19/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) is a leading cause of infectious blindness. Current treatments for HSV-1 do not eliminate the virus from the site of infection or latent reservoirs in the trigeminal ganglia. Here, we target HSV-1 genomes directly using mRNA-carrying lentiviral particles that simultaneously deliver SpCas9 mRNA and viral-gene-targeting guide RNAs (designated HSV-1-erasing lentiviral particles, termed HELP). We show that HELP efficiently blocks HSV-1 replication and the occurrence of herpetic stromal keratitis (HSK) in three different infection models. HELP was capable of eliminating the viral reservoir via retrograde transport from corneas to trigeminal ganglia. Additionally, HELP inhibited viral replication in human-derived corneas without causing off-target effects, as determined by whole-genome sequencing. These results support the potential clinical utility of HELP for treating refractory HSK.
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Affiliation(s)
- Di Yin
- Key Laboratory of Systems Biomedicine (Ministry of Education), Shanghai Center for Systems Biomedicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Sikai Ling
- Key Laboratory of Systems Biomedicine (Ministry of Education), Shanghai Center for Systems Biomedicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Dawei Wang
- National Research Center for Translational Medicine, Ruijin Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Yao Dai
- Key Laboratory of Systems Biomedicine (Ministry of Education), Shanghai Center for Systems Biomedicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Hao Jiang
- Department of Ophthalmology and Vision Science, Shanghai Eye, Ear, Nose and Throat Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.,Department of Ophthalmology, The Affiliated Hospital of Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, China
| | - Xujiao Zhou
- Department of Ophthalmology and Vision Science, Shanghai Eye, Ear, Nose and Throat Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Soren R Paludan
- Department of Biomedicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Jiaxu Hong
- Department of Ophthalmology and Vision Science, Shanghai Eye, Ear, Nose and Throat Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China. .,Department of Ophthalmology, The Affiliated Hospital of Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, China.
| | - Yujia Cai
- Key Laboratory of Systems Biomedicine (Ministry of Education), Shanghai Center for Systems Biomedicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China.
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34
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Piret J, Boivin G. Antiviral Drugs Against Herpesviruses. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2021; 1322:1-30. [PMID: 34258735 DOI: 10.1007/978-981-16-0267-2_1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
The discovery of the nucleoside analogue, acyclovir, represented a milestone in the management of infections caused by herpes simplex virus and varicella-zoster virus. Ganciclovir, another nucleoside analogue, was then used for the management of systemic and organ-specific human cytomegalovirus diseases. The pyrophosphate analogue, foscarnet, and the nucleotide analogue, cidofovir, have been approved subsequently and constitute the second-line antiviral drugs. However, the viral DNA polymerase is the ultimate target of all these antiviral agents with a possible emergence of cross-resistance between these drugs. Recently, letermovir that targets the viral terminase complex was approved for the prophylaxis of human cytomegalovirus infections in hematopoietic stem cell transplant recipients. Other viral targets such as the protein kinase and the helicase-primase complex are also evaluated for the development of novel potent inhibitors against herpesviruses.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Guy Boivin
- CHU de Québec-Laval University, Quebec City, QC, Canada.
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35
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Littler DR, MacLachlan BJ, Watson GM, Vivian JP, Gully BS. A pocket guide on how to structure SARS-CoV-2 drugs and therapies. Biochem Soc Trans 2020; 48:2625-2641. [PMID: 33258925 PMCID: PMC7752054 DOI: 10.1042/bst20200396] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2020] [Revised: 10/27/2020] [Accepted: 10/29/2020] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
The race to identify a successful treatment for COVID19 will be defined by fundamental research into the replication cycle of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. This has identified five distinct stages from which numerous vaccination and clinical trials have emerged alongside an innumerable number of drug discovery studies currently in development for disease intervention. Informing every step of the viral replication cycle has been an unprecedented 'call-to-arms' by the global structural biology community. Of the 20 main SARS-CoV-2 proteins, 13 have been resolved structurally for SARS-CoV-2 with most having a related SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV structural homologue totalling some 300 structures currently available in public repositories. Herein, we review the contribution of structural studies to our understanding of the virus and their role in structure-based development of therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dene R. Littler
- Infection and Immunity Program, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Advanced Molecular Imaging, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia
| | - Bruce J. MacLachlan
- Infection and Immunity Program, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Advanced Molecular Imaging, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia
| | - Gabrielle M. Watson
- Infection and Immunity Program, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Advanced Molecular Imaging, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia
| | - Julian P. Vivian
- Infection and Immunity Program, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Advanced Molecular Imaging, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia
| | - Benjamin S. Gully
- Infection and Immunity Program, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Advanced Molecular Imaging, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia
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36
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Mickolajczyk KJ, Shelton PMM, Grasso M, Cao X, Warrington SE, Aher A, Liu S, Kapoor TM. Force-dependent stimulation of RNA unwinding by SARS-CoV-2 nsp13 helicase. Biophys J 2020; 120:1020-1030. [PMID: 33340543 PMCID: PMC7837305 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2020.11.2276] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2020] [Revised: 10/26/2020] [Accepted: 11/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The superfamily 1 helicase nonstructural protein 13 (nsp13) is required for SARS-CoV-2 replication. The mechanism and regulation of nsp13 has not been explored at the single-molecule level. Specifically, force-dependent unwinding experiments have yet to be performed for any coronavirus helicase. Here, using optical tweezers, we find that nsp13 unwinding frequency, processivity, and velocity increase substantially when a destabilizing force is applied to the RNA substrate. These results, along with bulk assays, depict nsp13 as an intrinsically weak helicase that can be activated >50-fold by piconewton forces. Such force-dependent behavior contrasts the known behavior of other viral monomeric helicases, such as hepatitis C virus NS3, and instead draws stronger parallels to ring-shaped helicases. Our findings suggest that mechanoregulation, which may be provided by a directly bound RNA-dependent RNA polymerase, enables on-demand helicase activity on the relevant polynucleotide substrate during viral replication.
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Affiliation(s)
- Keith J Mickolajczyk
- Laboratory of Chemistry and Cell Biology, The Rockefeller University, New York, New York
| | - Patrick M M Shelton
- Laboratory of Chemistry and Cell Biology, The Rockefeller University, New York, New York
| | - Michael Grasso
- Laboratory of Chemistry and Cell Biology, The Rockefeller University, New York, New York
| | - Xiaocong Cao
- Laboratory of Nanoscale Biophysics and Biochemistry, The Rockefeller University, New York, New York; Laboratory of Structural Immunology, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Sara E Warrington
- Laboratory of Chemistry and Cell Biology, The Rockefeller University, New York, New York
| | - Amol Aher
- Laboratory of Chemistry and Cell Biology, The Rockefeller University, New York, New York
| | - Shixin Liu
- Laboratory of Nanoscale Biophysics and Biochemistry, The Rockefeller University, New York, New York.
| | - Tarun M Kapoor
- Laboratory of Chemistry and Cell Biology, The Rockefeller University, New York, New York.
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37
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Gmyrek GB, Filiberti A, Montgomery M, Chitrakar A, Royer DJ, Carr DJJ. Herpes Simplex Virus 1 (HSV-1) 0ΔNLS Live-Attenuated Vaccine Protects against Ocular HSV-1 Infection in the Absence of Neutralizing Antibody in HSV-1 gB T Cell Receptor-Specific Transgenic Mice. J Virol 2020; 94:e01000-20. [PMID: 32999018 PMCID: PMC7925190 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.01000-20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2020] [Accepted: 09/21/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The contribution of T cell and antibody responses following vaccination in resistance to herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1) infection continues to be rigorously investigated. In the present article, we explore the contribution of CD8+ T cells specific for the major antigenic epitope for HSV-1 glycoprotein B (gB498-505, gB) in C57BL/6 mice using a transgenic mouse (gBT-I.1) model vaccinated with HSV-1 0ΔNLS. gBT-I.1-vaccinated mice did not generate a robust neutralization antibody titer in comparison to the HSV-1 0ΔNLS-vaccinated wild-type C57BL/6 counterpart. Nevertheless, the vaccinated gBT-I.1 mice were resistant to ocular challenge with HSV-1 compared to vehicle-vaccinated animals based on survival and reduced corneal neovascularization but displayed similar levels of corneal opacity. Whereas there was no difference in the virus titer recovered from the cornea comparing vaccinated mice, HSV-1 0ΔNLS-vaccinated animals possessed significantly less infectious virus during acute infection in the trigeminal ganglia (TG) and brain stem compared to the control-vaccinated group. These results correlated with a significant increase in gB-elicited interferon-γ (IFN-γ), granzyme B, and CD107a and a reduction in lymphocyte activation gene 3 (LAG-3), programmed cell death 1 (PD-1), and T cell immunoglobulin and mucin domain-containing protein 3 (TIM-3) expressed by TG infiltrating gB-specific CD8+ T cells from the HSV-1 0ΔNLS-vaccinated group. Antibody depletion of CD8+ T cells in HSV-1 0ΔNLS-vaccinated mice rendered animals highly susceptible to virus-mediated mortality similar to control-vaccinated mice. Collectively, the HSV-1 0ΔNLS vaccine is effective against ocular HSV-1 challenge, reducing ocular neovascularization and suppressing peripheral nerve virus replication in the near absence of neutralizing antibody in this unique mouse model.IMPORTANCE The role of CD8+ T cells in antiviral efficacy using a live-attenuated virus as the vaccine is complicated by the humoral immune response. In the case of the herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1) 0ΔNLS vaccine, the correlate of protection has been defined to be primarily antibody driven. The current study shows that in the near absence of anti-HSV-1 antibody, vaccinated mice are protected from subsequent challenge with wild-type HSV-1 as measured by survival. The efficacy is lost following depletion of CD8+ T cells. Whereas increased survival and reduction in virus replication were observed in vaccinated mice challenged with HSV-1, cornea pathology was mixed with a reduction in neovascularization but no change in opacity. Collectively, the study suggests CD8+ T cells significantly contribute to the host adaptive immune response to HSV-1 challenge following vaccination with an attenuated virus, but multiple factors are involved in cornea pathology in response to ocular virus challenge.
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Affiliation(s)
- Grzegorz B Gmyrek
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA
| | - Adrian Filiberti
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA
| | - Micaela Montgomery
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA
| | - Alisha Chitrakar
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA
| | - Derek J Royer
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA
| | - Daniel J J Carr
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA
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38
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Ruzsics Z, Hoffmann K, Riedl A, Krawczyk A, Widera M, Sertznig H, Schipper L, Kapper-Falcone V, Debreczeny M, Ernst W, Grabherr R, Hengel H, Harant H. A Novel, Broad-Acting Peptide Inhibitor of Double-Stranded DNA Virus Gene Expression and Replication. Front Microbiol 2020; 11:601555. [PMID: 33281801 PMCID: PMC7705112 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2020.601555] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2020] [Accepted: 10/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Viral infections are a global disease burden with only a limited number of antiviral agents available. Due to newly emerging viral pathogens and increasing occurrence of drug resistance, there is a continuous need for additional therapeutic options, preferably with extended target range. In the present study, we describe a novel antiviral peptide with broad activity against several double-stranded DNA viruses. The 22-mer peptide TAT-I24 potently neutralized viruses such as herpes simplex viruses, adenovirus type 5, cytomegalovirus, vaccinia virus, and simian virus 40 in cell culture models, while being less active against RNA viruses. The peptide TAT-I24 therefore represents a novel and promising drug candidate for use against double-stranded DNA viruses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zsolt Ruzsics
- Institute of Virology, Medical Center-University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany.,Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany.,German Consulting Laboratory for HSV and VZV, Medical Center-University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Katja Hoffmann
- Institute of Virology, Medical Center-University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany.,Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - André Riedl
- Institute of Virology, Medical Center-University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany.,Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Adalbert Krawczyk
- Department of Infectious Diseases, West German Centre of Infectious Diseases, Universitätsmedizin Essen, University Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany.,Institute for Virology, University Hospital Essen, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Marek Widera
- Institute for Virology, University Hospital Essen, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany.,Institute of Medical Virology, University Hospital Frankfurt, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Helene Sertznig
- Institute for Virology, University Hospital Essen, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Leonie Schipper
- Institute for Virology, University Hospital Essen, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Valeria Kapper-Falcone
- Institute of Virology, Medical Center-University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany.,Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany.,German Consulting Laboratory for HSV and VZV, Medical Center-University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Monika Debreczeny
- VIBT Imaging Center, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria
| | - Wolfgang Ernst
- Department of Biotechnology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria
| | - Reingard Grabherr
- Department of Biotechnology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria
| | - Hartmut Hengel
- Institute of Virology, Medical Center-University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany.,Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany.,German Consulting Laboratory for HSV and VZV, Medical Center-University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
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Thieulent C, Hue ES, Sutton G, Fortier C, Dallemagne P, Zientara S, Munier-Lehmann H, Hans A, Paillot R, Vidalain PO, Pronost S. Identification of antiviral compounds against equid herpesvirus-1 using real-time cell assay screening: Efficacy of decitabine and valganciclovir alone or in combination. Antiviral Res 2020; 183:104931. [PMID: 32926887 DOI: 10.1016/j.antiviral.2020.104931] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2020] [Revised: 08/28/2020] [Accepted: 09/06/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Equid herpesvirus-1 infections cause respiratory, neurological and reproductive syndromes. Despite preventive treatments with vaccines, resurgence of EHV-1 infection still constitutes a major threat to equine industry. However, no antiviral compound is available to treat infected horses. In this study, 2891 compounds were screened against EHV-1 using impedance measurement. 22 compounds have been found to be effective in vitro against EHV-1. Valganciclovir, ganciclovir, decitabine, aphidicolin, idoxuridine and pritelivir (BAY 57-1293) are the most effective compounds identified, and their antiviral potency was further assessed on E. Derm, RK13 and EEK cells and against 3 different field strains of EHV-1 (ORF30 2254 A/G/C). We also provide evidences of synergistic interactions between valganciclovir and decitabine in our in vitro antiviral assay as determined by MacSynergy II, isobologramm and Chou-Talalay methods. Finally, we showed that deoxycytidine reverts the antiviral effect of decitabine, thus supporting some competition at the level of nucleoside phosphorylation by deoxycytidine kinase and/or DNA synthesis. Deoxycitidine analogues, like decitabine, is a family of compounds identified for the first time with promising antiviral efficacy against herpesviruses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Côme Thieulent
- LABÉO Frank Duncombe, 14280, Saint-Contest, France; Normandie Univ, Unicaen, BIOTARGEN EA7450, 14280, Saint-Contest, France
| | - Erika S Hue
- LABÉO Frank Duncombe, 14280, Saint-Contest, France; Normandie Univ, Unicaen, BIOTARGEN EA7450, 14280, Saint-Contest, France; Normandie Univ, UNICAEN, ImpedanCELL, 14280, Saint-Contest, France
| | - Gabrielle Sutton
- LABÉO Frank Duncombe, 14280, Saint-Contest, France; Normandie Univ, Unicaen, BIOTARGEN EA7450, 14280, Saint-Contest, France
| | - Christine Fortier
- LABÉO Frank Duncombe, 14280, Saint-Contest, France; Normandie Univ, Unicaen, BIOTARGEN EA7450, 14280, Saint-Contest, France; Normandie Univ, UNICAEN, ImpedanCELL, 14280, Saint-Contest, France
| | | | - Stephan Zientara
- Université Paris-Est, Laboratoire de Santé Animale, ANSES, INRAE, ENVA, UMR 1161 Virologie, 94700, Maisons-Alfort, France
| | - Hélène Munier-Lehmann
- Institut Pasteur, Unité de Chimie et Biocatalyse, CNRS UMR 3523, 75015, Paris, France
| | - Aymeric Hans
- ANSES, Laboratoire de Santé Animale, Site de Normandie, PhEED Unit, 14430, Goustranville, France
| | - Romain Paillot
- LABÉO Frank Duncombe, 14280, Saint-Contest, France; Normandie Univ, Unicaen, BIOTARGEN EA7450, 14280, Saint-Contest, France
| | - Pierre-Olivier Vidalain
- CIRI, Centre International de Recherche en Infectiologie, Univ Lyon, Inserm U1111, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, CNRS UMR5308, ENS de Lyon, F-69007, Lyon, France; Equipe Chimie et Biologie, Modélisation et Immunologie pour La Thérapie (CBMIT), Université Paris Descartes, CNRS UMR 8601, 75006, Paris, France
| | - Stéphane Pronost
- LABÉO Frank Duncombe, 14280, Saint-Contest, France; Normandie Univ, Unicaen, BIOTARGEN EA7450, 14280, Saint-Contest, France; Normandie Univ, UNICAEN, ImpedanCELL, 14280, Saint-Contest, France.
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40
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Mickolajczyk KJ, Shelton PMM, Grasso M, Cao X, Warrington SR, Aher A, Liu S, Kapoor TM. Force-dependent stimulation of RNA unwinding by SARS-CoV-2 nsp13 helicase. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2020. [PMID: 32766580 DOI: 10.1101/2020.07.31.231274] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
The superfamily-1 helicase non-structural protein 13 (nsp13) is required for SARS-CoV-2 replication, making it an important antiviral therapeutic target. The mechanism and regulation of nsp13 has not been explored at the single-molecule level. Specifically, force-dependent unwinding experiments have yet to be performed for any coronavirus helicase. Here, using optical tweezers, we find that nsp13 unwinding frequency, processivity, and velocity increase substantially when a destabilizing force is applied to the dsRNA, suggesting a passive unwinding mechanism. These results, along with bulk assays, depict nsp13 as an intrinsically weak helicase that can be potently activated by picoNewton forces. Such force-dependent behavior contrasts the known behavior of other viral monomeric helicases, drawing stronger parallels to ring-shaped helicases. Our findings suggest that mechanoregulation, which may be provided by a directly bound RNA-dependent RNA polymerase, enables on-demand helicase activity on the relevant polynucleotide substrate during viral replication.
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41
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Iqbal UH, Zeng E, Pasinetti GM. The Use of Antimicrobial and Antiviral Drugs in Alzheimer's Disease. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:E4920. [PMID: 32664669 PMCID: PMC7404195 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21144920] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2020] [Revised: 07/09/2020] [Accepted: 07/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
The aggregation and accumulation of amyloid-β plaques and tau proteins in the brain have been central characteristics in the pathophysiology of Alzheimer's disease (AD), making them the focus of most of the research exploring potential therapeutics for this neurodegenerative disease. With success in interventions aimed at depleting amyloid-β peptides being limited at best, a greater understanding of the physiological role of amyloid-β peptides is needed. The development of amyloid-β plaques has been determined to occur 10-20 years prior to AD symptom manifestation, hence earlier interventions might be necessary to address presymptomatic AD. Furthermore, recent studies have suggested that amyloid-β peptides may play a role in innate immunity as an antimicrobial peptide. These findings, coupled with the evidence of pathogens such as viruses and bacteria in AD brains, suggests that the buildup of amyloid-β plaques could be a response to the presence of viruses and bacteria. This has led to the foundation of the antimicrobial hypothesis for AD. The present review will highlight the current understanding of amyloid-β, and the role of bacteria and viruses in AD, and will also explore the therapeutic potential of antimicrobial and antiviral drugs in Alzheimer's disease.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Giulio M. Pasinetti
- Department of Neurology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA; (U.H.I.); (E.Z.)
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Abstract
![]()
Discovery and development of COVID-19
prophylactics and treatments
remains a global imperative. This perspective provides an overview
of important molecular pathways involved in the viral life cycle of
SARS-CoV-2, the infectious agent of COVID-19. We highlight past and
recent findings in essential coronavirus proteins, including RNA polymerase
machinery, proteases, and fusion proteins, that offer opportunities
for the design of novel inhibitors of SARS-CoV-2 infection. By discussing
the current inventory of viral inhibitors, we identify molecular scaffolds
that may be improved by medicinal chemistry efforts for effective
therapeutics to treat current and future coronavirus-caused diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Krishna Kumar
- Department of Chemistry, Tufts University, Medford, Massachusetts 02155, United States
| | - Tania J. Lupoli
- Department of Chemistry, New York University, New York, New York 10003, United States
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43
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Shiraki K, Tan L, Daikoku T, Takemoto M, Sato N, Yoshida Y. Viral ribonucleotide reductase attenuates the anti-herpes activity of acyclovir in contrast to amenamevir. Antiviral Res 2020; 180:104829. [PMID: 32569704 DOI: 10.1016/j.antiviral.2020.104829] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2020] [Revised: 05/21/2020] [Accepted: 05/29/2020] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Amenamevir is a helicase-primase inhibitor of herpes simplex virus (HSV) and varicella-zoster virus (VZV) and is used for the treatment of herpes zoster in Japan. The half maximal effective concentrations (EC50s) of acyclovir and sorivudine for VZV increased as the time of treatment was delayed from 6 to 18 h after infection, while those of amenamevir and foscarnet were not affected. Susceptibility of infected cells at 0 and 18 h after infection was examined with four anti-herpes drugs, and the fold increases in EC50 for acyclovir, sorivudine, amenamevir, and foscarnet were 13.1, 6.3, 1.3, and 1.0, respectively. The increase in the EC50s for acyclovir in the late phase of infection in VZV and HSV was abolished by hydroxyurea, a ribonucleotide reductase (RR) inhibitor. The common mechanism affecting antiviral activities of acyclovir to HSV and VZV was examined in HSV-infected cells. The amount of HSV DNA in cells treated with amenamevir at 10 x EC50 was similar at 0 and 12 h but less than that in cells treated with acyclovir at 10 x EC50. dGTP, produced through viral RR, peaked at 4 h and decreased thereafter as it was consumed by viral DNA synthesis. Because acyclovir and amenamevir inhibited viral DNA synthesis, thus making dGTP unnecessary, dGTP was significantly more abundant in the presence of acyclovir and amenamevir than in untreated, infected cells. Abundant dGTP supplied by RR may compete with acyclovir triphosphate and attenuate its antiviral activity. In contrast, abundant dGTP did not influence the inhibitory action of amenamevir on viral helicase-primase activity. ATP was significantly decreased at 12 h after infection and significantly more abundant in untreated infected cells compared to cells treated with acyclovir and amenamevir. The anti-herpetic activity of amenamevir was not affected by the replication cycle of VZV and HSV, indicating the suitability of amenamevir for the treatment of herpes zoster and suppressive therapy for genital herpes.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Long Tan
- Department of Virology, University of Toyama, Toyama, Japan
| | - Tohru Daikoku
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Hokuriku University, Kanazawa, Japan
| | - Masaya Takemoto
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Hokuriku University, Kanazawa, Japan
| | - Noriaki Sato
- Department of Nephrology, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, 54 Shogoin Kawahara-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, 606-8507, Japan
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44
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Jang KJ, Jeong S, Kang DY, Sp N, Yang YM, Kim DE. A high ATP concentration enhances the cooperative translocation of the SARS coronavirus helicase nsP13 in the unwinding of duplex RNA. Sci Rep 2020; 10:4481. [PMID: 32161317 PMCID: PMC7066239 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-61432-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 73] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2019] [Accepted: 02/10/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus nonstructural protein 13 (SCV nsP13), a superfamily 1 helicase, plays a central role in viral RNA replication through the unwinding of duplex RNA and DNA with a 5' single-stranded tail in a 5' to 3' direction. Despite its putative role in viral RNA replication, nsP13 readily unwinds duplex DNA by cooperative translocation. Herein, nsP13 exhibited different characteristics in duplex RNA unwinding than that in duplex DNA. nsP13 showed very poor processivity on duplex RNA compared with that on duplex DNA. More importantly, nsP13 inefficiently unwinds duplex RNA by increasing the 5'-ss tail length. As the concentration of nsP13 increased, the amount of unwound duplex DNA increased and that of unwound duplex RNA decreased. The accumulation of duplex RNA/nsP13 complexes increased as the concentration of nsP13 increased. An increased ATP concentration in the unwinding of duplex RNA relieved the decrease in duplex RNA unwinding. Thus, nsP13 has a strong affinity for duplex RNA as a substrate for the unwinding reaction, which requires increased ATPs to processively unwind duplex RNA. Our results suggest that duplex RNA is a preferred substrate for the helicase activity of nsP13 than duplex DNA at high ATP concentrations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kyoung-Jin Jang
- Department of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Konkuk University, Seoul, 05029, Republic of Korea.,Department of Pathology, School of Medicine, Institute of Biomedical Science and Technology (IBST), Konkuk University, Seoul, 05029, Republic of Korea
| | - Seonghwan Jeong
- Department of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Konkuk University, Seoul, 05029, Republic of Korea
| | - Dong Young Kang
- Department of Pathology, School of Medicine, Institute of Biomedical Science and Technology (IBST), Konkuk University, Seoul, 05029, Republic of Korea
| | - Nipin Sp
- Department of Pathology, School of Medicine, Institute of Biomedical Science and Technology (IBST), Konkuk University, Seoul, 05029, Republic of Korea
| | - Young Mok Yang
- Department of Pathology, School of Medicine, Institute of Biomedical Science and Technology (IBST), Konkuk University, Seoul, 05029, Republic of Korea.
| | - Dong-Eun Kim
- Department of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Konkuk University, Seoul, 05029, Republic of Korea.
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Álvarez DM, Castillo E, Duarte LF, Arriagada J, Corrales N, Farías MA, Henríquez A, Agurto-Muñoz C, González PA. Current Antivirals and Novel Botanical Molecules Interfering With Herpes Simplex Virus Infection. Front Microbiol 2020; 11:139. [PMID: 32117158 PMCID: PMC7026011 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2020.00139] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2019] [Accepted: 01/21/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Herpes simplex viruses type 1 (HSV-1) and type 2 (HSV-2) are highly prevalent within the human population and are characterized by lifelong infections and sporadic recurrences due to latent neuron infection. Upon reactivations, HSVs may manifest either, symptomatically or asymptomatically and be shed onto others through mucosae body fluids. Although, HSVs can produce severe disease in humans, such as life-threatening encephalitis and blindness, the most common symptoms are skin and mucosal lesions in the oro-facial and the genital areas. Nucleoside analogs with antiviral activity can prevent severe HSV infection, yet they are not very effective for treating skin manifestations produced by these viruses, as they only reduce in a few days at most the duration of lesions. Additionally, HSV variants that are resistant to these antivirals may arise, especially in immunosuppressed individuals. Thus, new antivirals that can reduce the severity and duration of these cutaneous manifestations would certainly be welcome. Here, we review currently available anti-herpetic therapies, novel molecules being assessed in clinical trials and new botanical compounds reported in the last 20 years with antiviral activities against HSVs that might represent future treatments against these viruses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diana M. Álvarez
- Millennium Institute on Immunology and Immunotherapy, Departamento de Genética Molecular y Microbiología, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Estefanía Castillo
- Millennium Institute on Immunology and Immunotherapy, Departamento de Genética Molecular y Microbiología, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Luisa F. Duarte
- Millennium Institute on Immunology and Immunotherapy, Departamento de Genética Molecular y Microbiología, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - José Arriagada
- Millennium Institute on Immunology and Immunotherapy, Departamento de Genética Molecular y Microbiología, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Nicolás Corrales
- Millennium Institute on Immunology and Immunotherapy, Departamento de Genética Molecular y Microbiología, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Mónica A. Farías
- Millennium Institute on Immunology and Immunotherapy, Departamento de Genética Molecular y Microbiología, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Adolfo Henríquez
- Centro de Biotecnología, Universidad de Concepción, Concepción, Chile
| | - Cristian Agurto-Muñoz
- Centro de Biotecnología, Universidad de Concepción, Concepción, Chile
- Departamento de Ciencia y Tecnología de Alimentos, Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad de Concepción, Concepción, Chile
| | - Pablo A. González
- Millennium Institute on Immunology and Immunotherapy, Departamento de Genética Molecular y Microbiología, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
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46
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Yuan WY, Chen X, Liu NN, Wen YN, Yang B, Andrei G, Snoeck R, Xiang YH, Wu YW, Jiang Z, Schols D, Zhang ZY, Wu QP. Synthesis, Anti-Varicella-Zoster Virus and Anti-Cytomegalovirus Activity of 4,5-Disubstituted 1,2,3-(1H)-Triazoles. Med Chem 2019; 15:801-812. [PMID: 30411688 DOI: 10.2174/1573406414666181109095239] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2018] [Revised: 10/05/2018] [Accepted: 10/30/2018] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Clinical drugs for herpesvirus exhibit high toxicity and suffer from significant drug resistance. The development of new, effective, and safe anti-herpesvirus agents with different mechanisms of action is greatly required. OBJECTIVE Novel inhibitors against herpesvirus with different mechanisms of action from that of clinical drugs. METHODS A series of novel 5-(benzylamino)-1H-1,2,3-triazole-4-carboxamides were efficiently synthesized and EC50 values against Human Cytomegalovirus (HCMV), Varicella-Zoster Virus (VZV) and Herpes Simplex Virus (HSV) were evaluated in vitro. RESULTS Some compounds present antiviral activity. Compounds 5s and 5t are potent against both HCMV and VZV. Compounds 5m, 5n, 5s, and 5t show similar EC50 values against both TK+ and TK- VZV strains. CONCLUSION 5-(Benzylamino)-1H-1, 2,3-triazole-4-carboxamides are active against herpesviruses and their activity is remarkably affected by the nature and the position of substituents in the benzene ring. The results indicate that these derivatives are independent of the viral thymidine kinase (TK) for activation, which is indispensable for current drugs. Their mechanisms of action may differ from those of the clinic anti-herpesvirus drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei-Yuan Yuan
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Xue Chen
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Ning-Ning Liu
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Yi-Ning Wen
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Bei Yang
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Graciela Andrei
- Rega Institute for Medical Research, KU Leuven, Minderbroedersstraat 10, Leuven B-3000, Belgium
| | - Robert Snoeck
- Rega Institute for Medical Research, KU Leuven, Minderbroedersstraat 10, Leuven B-3000, Belgium
| | - Yu-Hong Xiang
- School of Chemistry, Capital Normal University, Beijing 100048, China
| | - Yong-Wei Wu
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Zhen Jiang
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Dominique Schols
- Rega Institute for Medical Research, KU Leuven, Minderbroedersstraat 10, Leuven B-3000, Belgium
| | - Zhuo-Yong Zhang
- School of Chemistry, Capital Normal University, Beijing 100048, China
| | - Qin-Pei Wu
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing 100081, China
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Mohammadi Pour P, Fakhri S, Asgary S, Farzaei MH, Echeverría J. The Signaling Pathways, and Therapeutic Targets of Antiviral Agents: Focusing on the Antiviral Approaches and Clinical Perspectives of Anthocyanins in the Management of Viral Diseases. Front Pharmacol 2019; 10:1207. [PMID: 31787892 PMCID: PMC6856223 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2019.01207] [Citation(s) in RCA: 71] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2019] [Accepted: 09/19/2019] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
As the leading cause of death worldwide, viruses significantly affect global health. Despite the rapid progress in human healthcare, there are few viricidal and antiviral therapies that are efficient enough. The rapid emergence of resistance, and high costs, as well as the related side effects of synthetic antiviral drugs, raise the need to identify novel, effective, and safe alternatives against viral diseases. Nature has been of the most exceptional help and source of inspiration for developing novel multi-target antiviral compounds, affecting several steps of the viral life cycle and host proteins. For that matter and due to safety and efficacy limitations, as well as high resistance rate of conventional therapies, hundreds of natural molecules are preferred over the synthetic drugs. Besides, natural antiviral agents have shown acceptable antiviral value in both preclinical and clinical trials.This is the first review regarding molecular and cellular pathways of the virus life cycle, treatment strategies, and therapeutic targets of several viral diseases with a particular focus on anthocyanins as promising natural compounds for significant antiviral enhancements. Clinical applications and the need to develop nano-formulation of anthocyanins in drug delivery systems are also considered.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pardis Mohammadi Pour
- Department of Pharmacognosy, School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
| | - Sajad Fakhri
- Pharmaceutical Sciences Research Center, Health Institute, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran
| | - Sedigheh Asgary
- Isfahan Cardiovascular Research Center, Cardiovascular Research Institute, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
| | - Mohammad Hosein Farzaei
- Pharmaceutical Sciences Research Center, Health Institute, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran
| | - Javier Echeverría
- Departamento de Ciencias del Ambiente, Facultad de Química y Biología, Universidad de Santiago de Chile, Santiago, Chile
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Ruebsamen-Schaeff H, Buschmann H. Different solid forms for optimizing route of administration of the herpes drug Pritelivir. MEDCHEMCOMM 2019; 10:1867-1870. [PMID: 32346467 DOI: 10.1039/c9md00233b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2019] [Accepted: 08/05/2019] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Pritelivir (AIC316, BAY 57-1293) was discovered as a highly potent drug against herpes simplex viruses with a novel mode of action, i.e. inhibition of the viral helicase-primase. A side by side comparison of the oral form against Valtrex™ in patients with genital herpes, showed superiority in phase II testing for Pritelivir. A number of different solid forms have been generated for additional, e.g. systemic, or topical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Helmut Buschmann
- AiCuris Anti-Infective Cures , Friedrich-Ebert-Strasse 475 , 42117 Wuppertal , Germany .
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Rübsamen-Schaeff H. From academic research to founding a company: the story of AiCuris. PURE APPL CHEM 2019. [DOI: 10.1515/pac-2018-1105] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
AbstractThis contribution describes the experiences with three careers: leading and building an academic research institute, heading a research area in a multinational pharma company and founding and leading a biotech company, which saw its first drug successfully enter the market in its 11thyear of existence. The three positions had very different challenges, the common denominator for success was good and innovative science. However, research in a commercial environment, in addition to scientific excellence, also means to demonstrate the likely commercial success of the particular research. The most challenging, but at the same time the most interesting mission was the foundation of a new company, securing the financial means and developing the drugs, which had been discovered, in the clinics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Helga Rübsamen-Schaeff
- Founding CEO of AiCuris Anti-Infective Cures GmbH, Chair of the Scientific Advisory Board, AiCuris , Friedrich-Ebert-Strasse 475 , Wuppertal 42117 , Germany
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Andrei G, Gillemot S, Topalis D, Snoeck R. The Anti-Human Immunodeficiency Virus Drug Tenofovir, a Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitor, Also Targets the Herpes Simplex Virus DNA Polymerase. J Infect Dis 2019; 217:790-801. [PMID: 29186456 DOI: 10.1093/infdis/jix605] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2017] [Accepted: 11/20/2017] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Genital herpes is an important cofactor for acquisition of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection, and effective prophylaxis is a helpful strategy to halt both HIV and herpes simplex virus (HSV) transmission. The antiretroviral agent tenofovir, formulated as a vaginal microbicide gel, was shown to reduce the risk of HIV and HSV type 2 (HSV-2) acquisition. Methods HSV type 1 (HSV-1) and HSV-2 mutants were selected for resistance to tenofovir and PMEO-DAPy (6-phosphonylmethoxyethoxy-2,4-diaminopyrimidine, an acyclic nucleoside phosphonate with dual anti-HSV and anti-HIV activity) by stepwise dose escalation. Several plaque-purified viruses were characterized phenotypically (drug resistance profiling) and genotypically (sequencing of the viral DNA polymerase gene). Results Tenofovir resistant and PMEO-DAPy-resistant viruses harbored specific amino acid substitutions associated with resistance not only to tenofovir and PMEO-DAPy but also to acyclovir and foscarnet. These amino acid changes (A719V, S724N, and L802F [HSV-1] and M789T and A724V [HSV-2]) were also found in clinical isolates recovered from patients refractory to acyclovir and/or foscarnet therapy or in laboratory-derived strains. A total of 10 (HSV-1) and 18 (HSV-2) well-characterized DNA polymerase mutants had decreased susceptibility to tenofovir and PMEO-DAPy. Conclusions Tenofovir and PMEO-DAPy target the HSV DNA polymerase, and clinical isolates with DNA polymerase mutations emerging under acyclovir and/or foscarnet therapy showed cross-resistance to tenofovir and PMEO-DAPy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Graciela Andrei
- Laboratory of Virology, Rega Institute for Medical Research, KU Leuven, Belgium
| | - Sarah Gillemot
- Laboratory of Virology, Rega Institute for Medical Research, KU Leuven, Belgium
| | - Dimitrios Topalis
- Laboratory of Virology, Rega Institute for Medical Research, KU Leuven, Belgium
| | - Robert Snoeck
- Laboratory of Virology, Rega Institute for Medical Research, KU Leuven, Belgium
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