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Xiao YQ, Long J, Zhang SS, Zhu YY, Gu SX. Non-peptidic inhibitors targeting SARS-CoV-2 main protease: A review. Bioorg Chem 2024; 147:107380. [PMID: 38636432 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioorg.2024.107380] [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: 02/20/2024] [Revised: 04/11/2024] [Accepted: 04/14/2024] [Indexed: 04/20/2024]
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic continues to pose a threat to global health, and sounds the alarm for research & development of effective anti-coronavirus drugs, which are crucial for the patients and urgently needed for the current epidemic and future crisis. The main protease (Mpro) stands as an essential enzyme in the maturation process of SARS-CoV-2, playing an irreplaceable role in regulating viral RNA replication and transcription. It has emerged as an ideal target for developing antiviral agents against SARS-CoV-2 due to its high conservation and the absence of homologous proteases in the human body. Among the SARS-CoV-2 Mpro inhibitors, non-peptidic compounds hold promising prospects owing to their excellent antiviral activity and improved metabolic stability. In this review, we offer an overview of research progress concerning non-peptidic SARS-CoV-2 Mpro inhibitors since 2020. The efforts delved into molecular structures, structure-activity relationships (SARs), biological activity, and binding modes of these inhibitors with Mpro. This review aims to provide valuable clues and insights for the development of anti-SARS-CoV-2 agents as well as broad-spectrum coronavirus Mpro inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ya-Qi Xiao
- School of Chemical Engineering and Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Research Institute, Wuhan Institute of Technology, Wuhan 430205, China
| | - Jiao Long
- School of Chemical Engineering and Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Research Institute, Wuhan Institute of Technology, Wuhan 430205, China
| | - Shuang-Shuang Zhang
- School of Chemical Engineering and Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Research Institute, Wuhan Institute of Technology, Wuhan 430205, China.
| | - Yuan-Yuan Zhu
- School of Chemistry and Environmental Engineering, Wuhan Institute of Technology, Wuhan 430205, China.
| | - Shuang-Xi Gu
- School of Chemical Engineering and Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Research Institute, Wuhan Institute of Technology, Wuhan 430205, China.
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2
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Yang S, Cao J, Wang Y, Chen Q, Li F, Gao Y, Li R, Yuan L. Small Intestinal Endocrine Cell Derived Exosomal ACE2 Protects Islet β-Cell Function by Inhibiting the Activation of NLRP3 Inflammasome and Reducing β-Cell Pyroptosis. Int J Nanomedicine 2024; 19:4957-4976. [PMID: 38828198 PMCID: PMC11144429 DOI: 10.2147/ijn.s450337] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2023] [Accepted: 05/22/2024] [Indexed: 06/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Background The "gut-islets axis" is an important endocrine signaling axis that regulates islets function by modulating the gut microbiota and endocrine metabolism within the gut. However, the specific mechanisms and roles of the intestine in islets regulation remain unclear. Recent studies investigated that exosomes derived from gut microbiota can transport signals to remotely regulate islets β-cell function, suggesting the possibility of novel signaling pathways mediated by gut exosomes in the regulation of the "gut-islet axis.". Methods The exosomes were isolated from the intestinal enteroendocrine cell-line STC-1cells culture supernatants treated with palmitate acid (PA) or BSA. Metabolic stress models were established by separately subjecting MIN6 cells to PA stimulation and feeding mice with a high-fat diet. Intervention with exosomes in vitro and in vivo to assess the biological effects of exosomes on islets β cells under metabolic stress. The Mas receptor antagonist A779 and ACE2ko mice were used to evaluate the role of exosomal ACE2. Results We found ACE2, a molecule that plays a crucial role in the regulation of islets function, is abundantly expressed in exosomes derived from STC-1 under physiological normal condition (NCEO). These exosomes cannot only be taken up by β-cells in vitro but also selectively transported to the islets in vivo. Following intervention with NCEXO, both Min6 cells in a lipotoxic environment and mice on a high-fat diet exhibited significant improvements in islets β-cell function and β-cell mass. Further investigations demonstrated that these protective effects are attributed to exosomal ACE2, as ACE2 inhibits NLRP3 inflammasome activation and reduces β-cell pyroptosis. Conclusion ACE2-enriched exosomes from the gut can selectively target islets, subsequently inhibiting NLRP3 inflammasome activation and β cell pyroptosis, thereby restoring islets β cell function under metabolic stress. This study provides novel insights into therapeutic strategies for the prevention and treatment of obesity and diabetes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Songtao Yang
- Department of Endocrinology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430022, People’s Republic of China
| | - Jie Cao
- Department of Endocrinology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430022, People’s Republic of China
| | - Ying Wang
- Department of Endocrinology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430022, People’s Republic of China
| | - Qi Chen
- Department of Endocrinology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430022, People’s Republic of China
| | - Fangyu Li
- Department of Endocrinology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430022, People’s Republic of China
| | - Yuanyuan Gao
- Department of Endocrinology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430022, People’s Republic of China
| | - Rui Li
- Department of Endocrinology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430022, People’s Republic of China
| | - Li Yuan
- Department of Endocrinology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430022, People’s Republic of China
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Palazzotti D, Sguilla M, Manfroni G, Cecchetti V, Astolfi A, Barreca ML. Small Molecule Drugs Targeting Viral Polymerases. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2024; 17:661. [PMID: 38794231 PMCID: PMC11124969 DOI: 10.3390/ph17050661] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2024] [Revised: 05/10/2024] [Accepted: 05/14/2024] [Indexed: 05/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Small molecules that specifically target viral polymerases-crucial enzymes governing viral genome transcription and replication-play a pivotal role in combating viral infections. Presently, approved polymerase inhibitors cover nine human viruses, spanning both DNA and RNA viruses. This review provides a comprehensive analysis of these licensed drugs, encompassing nucleoside/nucleotide inhibitors (NIs), non-nucleoside inhibitors (NNIs), and mutagenic agents. For each compound, we describe the specific targeted virus and related polymerase enzyme, the mechanism of action, and the relevant bioactivity data. This wealth of information serves as a valuable resource for researchers actively engaged in antiviral drug discovery efforts, offering a complete overview of established strategies as well as insights for shaping the development of next-generation antiviral therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | - Maria Letizia Barreca
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Perugia, Via del Liceo 1, 06123 Perugia, Italy; (D.P.); (M.S.); (G.M.); (V.C.); (A.A.)
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Gheidari D, Mehrdad M, Bayat M. Synthesis, molecular docking analysis, molecular dynamic simulation, ADMET, DFT, and drug likeness studies: Novel Indeno[1,2-b]pyrrol-4(1H)-one as SARS-CoV-2 main protease inhibitors. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0299301. [PMID: 38517870 PMCID: PMC10959350 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0299301] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2023] [Accepted: 02/07/2024] [Indexed: 03/24/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The COVID-19 pandemic began in 2019 as a result of the advent of a novel coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2. At present, there are a limited number of approved antiviral agents for the treatment of COVID-19. Remdesivir, Molnupiravir, and Paxlovid have been approved by the FDA to treat COVID-19 infections. Research has shown that the main protease enzyme (Mpro) of SARS-CoV-2 plays a crucial role in the enzymatic processing of viral polyproteins. This makes Mpro an interesting therapeutic target for combating infections caused by emerging coronaviruses. METHODS The pharmacological effects of pyrroles and their derivatives have a wide range of applications. In our study, we focused on synthesizing nine novel derivatives of 2-arylamino-dihydro-indeno[1,2-b] pyrrol-4(1H)-one, with a particular emphasis on their antiviral properties. Using in silico studies involving molecular docking and DFT analyses in the gas phase using the B3LYP/6-31++G(d,p) basis set, we studied these compounds with respect to their interactions with the Mpro of SARS-CoV-2. The results of the docking analysis revealed that the synthesized compounds exhibited favorable inhibitory effects. Notably, compound 5f demonstrated the highest effectiveness against the target protein. Furthermore, the pharmacokinetic and drug-like properties of the synthesized derivatives of 2-arylamino-dihydroindeno[1,2-b] pyrrol-4(1H)-one indicated their potential as promising candidates for further development as inhibitors targeting SARS-CoV-2. However, it is imperative to determine the in vitro efficacy of these compounds through comprehensive biochemical and structural analyses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Davood Gheidari
- Faculty of Science, Department of Chemistry, University of Guilan, Rasht, Iran
| | - Morteza Mehrdad
- Faculty of Science, Department of Chemistry, University of Guilan, Rasht, Iran
| | - Mohammad Bayat
- Faculty of Science, Department of Chemistry, Imam Khomeini International University, Qazvin, Iran
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Lin EV, Suresh RV, Dispenza MC. Bruton's tyrosine kinase inhibition for the treatment of allergic disorders. Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol 2024:S1081-1206(24)00145-5. [PMID: 38492772 DOI: 10.1016/j.anai.2024.03.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2024] [Revised: 03/04/2024] [Accepted: 03/05/2024] [Indexed: 03/18/2024]
Abstract
IgE signaling through its high-affinity receptor FcεRI is central to the pathogenesis of numerous allergic disorders. Oral inhibitors of Bruton's tyrosine kinase (BTKis), which are currently Food and Drug Administration-approved for treating B cell malignancies, broadly inhibit the FcεRI pathway in human mast cells and basophils, and therefore may be effective allergen-independent therapies for a variety of allergic diseases. The application of these drugs to the allergy space was previously limited by the low kinase selectivity and subsequent toxicities of early-generation compounds. Fortunately, next-generation, highly selective BTKis in clinical development appear to have more favorable risk-benefit profiles, and their likelihood of being Food and Drug Administration-approved for an allergy indication is increasing. Recent clinical trials have indicated the remarkable and rapid efficacy of the second-generation BTKi acalabrutinib in preventing clinical reactivity to peanut ingestion in adults with peanut allergy. In addition, next-generation BTKis including remibrutinib effectively reduce disease activity in patients with antihistamine-refractory chronic spontaneous urticaria. Finally, several BTKis are currently under investigation in early clinical trials for atopic dermatitis and asthma. In this review, we summarize recent data supporting the use of these drugs as novel therapies in food allergy, anaphylaxis, urticaria, and other allergic disorders. We also discuss safety data derived from trials using both short-term and chronic dosing of BTKis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erica V Lin
- Division of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Ragha V Suresh
- Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, United States Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, Maryland
| | - Melanie C Dispenza
- Division of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland.
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Zhou L, Liu R, Pathak H, Wang X, Jeong GH, Kumari P, Kumar M, Yin J. Ubiquitin Ligase Parkin Regulates the Stability of SARS-CoV-2 Main Protease and Suppresses Viral Replication. ACS Infect Dis 2024; 10:879-889. [PMID: 38386664 DOI: 10.1021/acsinfecdis.3c00418] [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] [Indexed: 02/24/2024]
Abstract
The highly infectious coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 relies on the viral main protease (Mpro, also known as 3CLpro or Nsp5) to proteolytically process the polyproteins encoded by the viral genome for the release of functional units in the host cells to initiate viral replication. Mpro also interacts with host proteins of the innate immune pathways, such as IRF3 and STAT1, to suppress their activities and facilitate virus survival and proliferation. To identify the host mechanism for regulating Mpro, we screened various classes of E3 ubiquitin ligases and found that Parkin of the RING-between-RING family can induce the ubiquitination and degradation of Mpro in the cell. Furthermore, when the cells undergo mitophagy, the PINK1 kinase activates Parkin and enhances the ubiquitination of Mpro. We also found that elevated expression of Parkin in the cells significantly decreased the replication of SARS-CoV-2 virus. Interestingly, SARS-CoV-2 infection downregulates Parkin expression in the mouse lung tissues compared to healthy controls. These results suggest an antiviral role of Parkin as a ubiquitin ligase targeting Mpro and the potential for exploiting the virus-host interaction mediated by Parkin to treat SARS-CoV-2 infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li Zhou
- Department of Chemistry and Center for Diagnostics and Therapeutics, Georgia State University, Atlanta, Georgia 30303, United States
| | - Ruochuan Liu
- Department of Chemistry and Center for Diagnostics and Therapeutics, Georgia State University, Atlanta, Georgia 30303, United States
| | - Heather Pathak
- Department of Biology and Center for Diagnostics and Therapeutics, Georgia State University, Atlanta, Georgia 30303, United States
| | - Xiaoyu Wang
- Department of Chemistry and Center for Diagnostics and Therapeutics, Georgia State University, Atlanta, Georgia 30303, United States
| | - Geon H Jeong
- Department of Chemistry and Center for Diagnostics and Therapeutics, Georgia State University, Atlanta, Georgia 30303, United States
| | - Pratima Kumari
- Department of Biology and Center for Diagnostics and Therapeutics, Georgia State University, Atlanta, Georgia 30303, United States
| | - Mukesh Kumar
- Department of Biology and Center for Diagnostics and Therapeutics, Georgia State University, Atlanta, Georgia 30303, United States
| | - Jun Yin
- Department of Chemistry and Center for Diagnostics and Therapeutics, Georgia State University, Atlanta, Georgia 30303, United States
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Omar R, Abd El-Salam M, Elsbaey M, Hassan M. Fourteen immunomodulatory alkaloids and two prenylated phenylpropanoids with dual therapeutic approach for COVID-19: molecular docking and dynamics studies. J Biomol Struct Dyn 2024; 42:2298-2315. [PMID: 37116054 DOI: 10.1080/07391102.2023.2204973] [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: 05/12/2022] [Accepted: 04/11/2023] [Indexed: 04/30/2023]
Abstract
The pandemic outbreak of COVID-19 caused by the new severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) is a global health burden. To date, there is no highly effective antiviral therapy to eradicate the virus; as a result, researchers are racing to introduce new potential therapeutic agents. Alternatively, traditional immunity boosters and symptomatic treatment based on natural bioactive compounds are also an option. The 3-chymotrypsin-like protease (3CLpro) crystal structure, the main proteolytic enzyme of SARS-CoV-2, has been unraveled, allowing the development of effective protease inhibitors via in silico and biological studies. In COVID-19 infected patients, the loss of lung function, and mortality are reported to be linked to several inflammatory mediators and cytokines. In this context, the approach of introducing immunomodulatory agents may be considered a dual lifesaving strategy in combination with antiviral drugs. This study aims to provide immunomodulatory natural products exhibiting potential protease inhibitory activities. Selected groups of alkaloids of different classes and two prenylated phenylpropanoids from the Brazilian green propolis were in silico screened for their ability to inhibit COVID-19 3CLpro protease. Results showed that compounds exhibited binding energy scores with values ranging from -6.96 to -3.70 compared to the reference synthetic protease inhibitor O6K with a binding energy score of -7.57. O6K binding energy was found comparable with lead phytochemicals in our study, while their toxicity and drug-likeness criteria are better than that of O6K. The activities of these molecules are mainly ascribed to their ability to form hydrogen bonding with 3CLpro crucial amino acid residues of the catalytic site. In addition, the molecular dynamics simulations further showed that some of these compounds formed stable complexes as evidenced by the occupancy fraction measurements. The study suggested that the major immunomodulators 3β, 20α-diacetamido-5α-pregnane, (20S)-(benzamido)-3β-(N,N-dimethyamino)-pregnane, and baccharin are 3CLpro inhibitors. Biological screenings of these phytochemicals will be valuable to experimentally validate and consolidate the results of this study before a rigid conclusion is reached, which may pave the way for the development of efficient modulatory bioactive compounds with dual bioactions in COVID-19 intervention. Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rowida Omar
- Department of Pharmacognosy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Delta University for Science and Technology, International Coastal Road, Gamasa, Egypt
| | - Mohamed Abd El-Salam
- Department of Pharmacognosy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Delta University for Science and Technology, International Coastal Road, Gamasa, Egypt
- School of Pharmacy and Biomolecular Sciences, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Marwa Elsbaey
- Department of Pharmacognosy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Mansoura University, Mansoura, Egypt
| | - Madiha Hassan
- Department of Pharmacognosy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Mansoura University, Mansoura, Egypt
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8
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Cruciani M, Pati I, Masiello F, Pupella S, De Angelis V. Nirmatrelvir/ritonavir for COVID-19: an overview of systematic reviews. J Antimicrob Chemother 2024; 79:477-497. [PMID: 38084876 DOI: 10.1093/jac/dkad376] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2023] [Accepted: 11/26/2023] [Indexed: 03/02/2024] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES A reappraisal of the validity of the conclusions of systematic reviews (SRs) related to nirmatrelvir/ritonavir for the treatment of COVID-19. METHODS An overview of SRs (umbrella review). The methodological quality of the SRs was assessed using the AMSTAR 2 checklist; quality of the evidence from the trials included in each SR was appraised following the GRADE approach. RESULTS Sixteen SRs with meta-analysis published between 2020 and 2023 were included in this overview. The SRs reported data from 108 overlapping reports, based on 43 individual primary studies [3 randomized clinical trials (RCTs), 40 non-RCTs]. In outpatient settings the use of nirmatrelvir/ritonavir reduced overall mortality, hospital admission and progression of disease compared with controls (from moderate to low certainty of evidence); nirmatrelvir/ritonavir reduced mortality, hospital admission and progression of disease in both immunized and non-immunized patients. No differences in the occurrence of any adverse events between groups were observed in the large majority of SRs; serious adverse events, including adverse events requiring discontinuation of treatment, were reported with lower prevalence in nirmatrelvir recipients compared with controls (from low to moderate certainty of evidence). CONCLUSIONS There is low to moderate certainty of evidence from SRs that nirmatrelvir/ritonavir reduces mortality, clinical progression and hospitalization rate in COVID-19 patients compared with controls, without increasing the occurrence of overall and serious adverse events. Based on the overall methodological assessment, on average we can have high confidence in the quality of results generated by the SRs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mario Cruciani
- National Blood Centre, Italian National Institute of Health, Rome 00161, Italy
| | - Ilaria Pati
- National Blood Centre, Italian National Institute of Health, Rome 00161, Italy
| | - Francesca Masiello
- National Blood Centre, Italian National Institute of Health, Rome 00161, Italy
| | - Simonetta Pupella
- National Blood Centre, Italian National Institute of Health, Rome 00161, Italy
| | - Vincenzo De Angelis
- National Blood Centre, Italian National Institute of Health, Rome 00161, Italy
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Zheng B, Zhao Q, Yang W, Feng P, Xin C, Ying Y, Yang B, Han B, Zhu J, Zhang M, Li G. Small-molecule antiviral treatments for COVID-19: A systematic review and network meta-analysis. Int J Antimicrob Agents 2024; 63:107096. [PMID: 38244811 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijantimicag.2024.107096] [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: 09/06/2023] [Revised: 01/04/2024] [Accepted: 01/16/2024] [Indexed: 01/22/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE This study aimed to explore the efficacy and safety of small-molecule antivirals for treating coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). METHODS Seven databases were searched from their inception to 01 June 2023. The risk of bias in randomised controlled trials and retrospective studies was evaluated individually using the Cochrane risk-of-bias tool and Newcastle Ottawa Scale. RESULTS In total, 160 studies involving 933 409 COVID-19 patients were evaluated. Compared with placebo or standard of care, proxalutamide demonstrated remarkable efficacy in reducing mortality rates, hospitalisation rates, serious adverse events, and the need for mechanical ventilation. Furthermore, it significantly enhanced both the rate of clinical improvement and expedited the duration of clinical recovery when compared with control groups. In patients with mild-to-moderate COVID-19, proxalutamide exhibited the above advantages, except for mortality reduction. Triazavirin was the most effective treatment for reducing the time required for viral clearance and improving the discharge rate. Leritrelvir and VV116 were ranked first in terms of enhancing the viral clearance rate on days 7 and 14, respectively. Molnupiravir was the most effective treatment for reducing the need for oxygen support. Overall, these findings remained consistent across the various subgroups. CONCLUSIONS A thorough evaluation of effectiveness, applicable to both mild-to-moderate and unstratified populations, highlights the specific advantages of proxalutamide, nirmatrelvir/ritonavir, triazavirin, azvudine, molnupiravir, and VV116 in combating COVID-19. Additional clinical data are required to confirm the efficacy and safety of simnotrelvir/ritonavir and leritrelvir. The safety profiles of these antivirals were deemed acceptable.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bei Zheng
- Department of Pharmacy, Tongde Hospital of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China; Zhejiang Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Qinqin Zhao
- Department of Pharmacy, Tongde Hospital of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China; Zhejiang Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Wenjuan Yang
- Department of Pharmacy, Tongde Hospital of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China; Zhejiang Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Pinpin Feng
- Department of Pharmacy, Tongde Hospital of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China; Zhejiang Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Chuanwei Xin
- Department of Pharmacy, Tongde Hospital of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China; Zhejiang Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Yin Ying
- Department of Pharmacy, Tongde Hospital of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China; Zhejiang Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Bo Yang
- Department of Pharmacy, Tongde Hospital of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China; Zhejiang Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Bing Han
- Department of Pharmacy, Tongde Hospital of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China; Zhejiang Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Jun Zhu
- Department of Pharmacy, Tongde Hospital of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China; Zhejiang Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Meiling Zhang
- Department of Pharmacy, Tongde Hospital of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China; Zhejiang Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China.
| | - Gonghua Li
- Department of Pharmacy, Tongde Hospital of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China; Zhejiang Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China.
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Wang Z, Huang AS, Tang L, Wang J, Wang G. Microfluidic-assisted single-cell RNA sequencing facilitates the development of neutralizing monoclonal antibodies against SARS-CoV-2. LAB ON A CHIP 2024; 24:642-657. [PMID: 38165771 DOI: 10.1039/d3lc00749a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2024]
Abstract
As a class of antibodies that specifically bind to a virus and block its entry, neutralizing monoclonal antibodies (neutralizing mAbs) have been recognized as a top choice for combating COVID-19 due to their high specificity and efficacy in treating serious infections. Although conventional approaches for neutralizing mAb development have been optimized for decades, there is an urgent need for workflows with higher efficiency due to time-sensitive concerns, including the high mutation rate of SARS-CoV-2. One promising approach is the identification of neutralizing mAb candidates via single-cell RNA sequencing (RNA-seq), as each B cell has a unique transcript sequence corresponding to its secreted antibody. The state-of-the-art high-throughput single-cell sequencing technologies, which have been greatly facilitated by advances in microfluidics, have greatly accelerated the process of neutralizing mAb development. Here, we provide an overview of the general procedures for high-throughput single-cell RNA-seq enabled by breakthroughs in droplet microfluidics, introduce revolutionary approaches that combine single-cell RNA-seq to facilitate the development of neutralizing mAbs against SARS-CoV-2, and outline future steps that need to be taken to further improve development strategies for effective treatments against infectious diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ziwei Wang
- School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
| | - Amelia Siqi Huang
- Dalton Academy, The Affiliated High School of Peking University, Beijing, 100190, China
| | - Lingfang Tang
- Dalton Academy, The Affiliated High School of Peking University, Beijing, 100190, China
| | - Jianbin Wang
- School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
| | - Guanbo Wang
- Institute for Cell Analysis, Shenzhen Bay Laboratory, Shenzhen, 518132, China.
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Huang CY, Metz A, Lange R, Artico N, Potot C, Hazemann J, Müller M, Dos Santos M, Chambovey A, Ritz D, Eris D, Meyer S, Bourquin G, Sharpe M, Mac Sweeney A. Fragment-based screening targeting an open form of the SARS-CoV-2 main protease binding pocket. Acta Crystallogr D Struct Biol 2024; 80:123-136. [PMID: 38289714 PMCID: PMC10836397 DOI: 10.1107/s2059798324000329] [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: 11/20/2023] [Accepted: 01/09/2024] [Indexed: 02/01/2024] Open
Abstract
To identify starting points for therapeutics targeting SARS-CoV-2, the Paul Scherrer Institute and Idorsia decided to collaboratively perform an X-ray crystallographic fragment screen against its main protease. Fragment-based screening was carried out using crystals with a pronounced open conformation of the substrate-binding pocket. Of 631 soaked fragments, a total of 29 hits bound either in the active site (24 hits), a remote binding pocket (three hits) or at crystal-packing interfaces (two hits). Notably, two fragments with a pose that was sterically incompatible with a more occluded crystal form were identified. Two isatin-based electrophilic fragments bound covalently to the catalytic cysteine residue. The structures also revealed a surprisingly strong influence of the crystal form on the binding pose of three published fragments used as positive controls, with implications for fragment screening by crystallography.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chia Ying Huang
- Swiss Light Source, Paul Scherrer Institute, 5232 Villigen PSI, Switzerland
| | - Alexander Metz
- Idorsia Pharmaceuticals Ltd, 4123 Allschwil, Switzerland
| | - Roland Lange
- Idorsia Pharmaceuticals Ltd, 4123 Allschwil, Switzerland
| | - Nadia Artico
- Idorsia Pharmaceuticals Ltd, 4123 Allschwil, Switzerland
| | - Céline Potot
- Idorsia Pharmaceuticals Ltd, 4123 Allschwil, Switzerland
| | | | - Manon Müller
- Idorsia Pharmaceuticals Ltd, 4123 Allschwil, Switzerland
| | | | | | - Daniel Ritz
- Idorsia Pharmaceuticals Ltd, 4123 Allschwil, Switzerland
| | - Deniz Eris
- Swiss Light Source, Paul Scherrer Institute, 5232 Villigen PSI, Switzerland
| | - Solange Meyer
- Idorsia Pharmaceuticals Ltd, 4123 Allschwil, Switzerland
| | | | - May Sharpe
- Swiss Light Source, Paul Scherrer Institute, 5232 Villigen PSI, Switzerland
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Huang J, Fang Y, Wu R, Xia T, Wang X, Jia J, Wang G. All-trans retinoic acid acts as a dual-purpose inhibitor of SARS-CoV-2 infection and inflammation. Comput Biol Med 2024; 169:107942. [PMID: 38183702 DOI: 10.1016/j.compbiomed.2024.107942] [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: 11/17/2023] [Revised: 12/16/2023] [Accepted: 01/01/2024] [Indexed: 01/08/2024]
Abstract
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) was an epidemic that effected human health caused by SARS-CoV-2 infection. All-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) has anti-inflammatory capability. In this article, we evaluated the effectiveness and revealed the molecular mechanism of ATRA for treating SARS-CoV-2 using deep learning, in vitro studies, multi-scale molecular modeling, and network pharmacology. The DeepDTA model suggested that ATRA would be effective against COVID-19. In vitro studies confirmed the antiviral activity of ATRA. Subsequently, multi-scale molecular modeling indicated that ATRA could binding to angiotensin converting enzyme 2 (ACE2), 3C-like protease (3CLpro), RNA dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp), helicase, and 3'-to-5' exonuclease by non-covalent interactions. Additionally, network pharmacology suggested that ATRA alleviated inflammatory response by regulating the IL-17 signaling pathway and binding with TNF, PTGS2, and MAPK1 directly. In summary, our findings provide the first evidence that ATRA suppresses the entry and replication of SARS-CoV-2, and regulates inflammatory response of host cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juanjuan Huang
- Department of Pathogen Biology, The Key Laboratory of Zoonosis, Chinese Ministry of Education, College of Basic Medicine, Jilin University, Changchun, 130021, China; Department of Computational Mathematics, School of Mathematics, Jilin University, Changchun, 130012, China
| | - Yabo Fang
- Department of Computational Mathematics, School of Mathematics, Jilin University, Changchun, 130012, China
| | - Runze Wu
- Department of Probability Statistics and Data Science, School of Mathematics, Jilin University, Changchun, 130012, China
| | - Tingzheng Xia
- Department of Pathogen Biology, The Key Laboratory of Zoonosis, Chinese Ministry of Education, College of Basic Medicine, Jilin University, Changchun, 130021, China
| | - Xuan Wang
- Department of Pathogen Biology, The Key Laboratory of Zoonosis, Chinese Ministry of Education, College of Basic Medicine, Jilin University, Changchun, 130021, China
| | - Jiwei Jia
- Department of Computational Mathematics, School of Mathematics, Jilin University, Changchun, 130012, China; Jilin National Applied Mathematical Center, Jilin University, Changchun, 130012, China.
| | - Guoqing Wang
- Department of Pathogen Biology, The Key Laboratory of Zoonosis, Chinese Ministry of Education, College of Basic Medicine, Jilin University, Changchun, 130021, China.
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Bhattacharya P, Mandal A. Identification of amentoflavone as a potent SARS-CoV-2 M pro inhibitor: a combination of computational studies and in vitro biological evaluation. J Biomol Struct Dyn 2024:1-19. [PMID: 38263736 DOI: 10.1080/07391102.2024.2304676] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2023] [Accepted: 01/07/2024] [Indexed: 01/25/2024]
Abstract
Small-molecule inhibitors of SARS-CoV-2 Mpro that block the active site pocket of the viral main protease have been considered potential therapeutics for the development of drugs against SARS-CoV-2. Here, we report the identification of amentoflavone (a biflavonoid) through docking-based virtual screening of a library comprised of 231 compounds consisting of flavonoids and isoflavonoids. The docking results were further substantiated through extensive analysis of the data obtained from all-atom 150 ns MD simulation. End-state effective free energy calculations using MM-PBSA calculations further suggested that (Ra)-amentoflavone (C3'-C8''-atropisomer) may show a greater binding affinity towards the Mpro than (Sa)-amentoflavone. In vitro cytotoxicity assay established that amentoflavone showed a high CC50 value indicating much lower toxicity. Further, potent inhibition of the Mpro by amentoflavone was established by studying the effect on HEK293T cells treated with SARS-CoV-2 Mpro expressing plasmid.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Anirban Mandal
- Department of Microbiology, Mrinalini Datta Mahavidyapith, Kolkata, India
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14
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Lv B, Gao X, Zeng G, Guo H, Li F. Safety Profile of Paxlovid in the Treatment of COVID-19. Curr Pharm Des 2024; 30:666-675. [PMID: 38415446 DOI: 10.2174/0113816128280987240214103432] [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: 11/02/2023] [Revised: 01/22/2024] [Accepted: 01/25/2024] [Indexed: 02/29/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND With the urgent and widespread application of Paxlovid, a novel antiviral drug for Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) in clinical practice, concerns regarding its actual efficacy and safety have emerged. In order to provide more evidence to support its clinical application, we sought to perform a descriptive analysis of cases who experienced at least one Paxlovid-related adverse event (AEs) and reported to the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) in the post-marketing period. METHODS Individual adverse event reports between January 1, 2022 and September 30, 2022, were downloaded from the FAERS website. We completed a descriptive study about the safety of Paxlovid in the treatment of COVID-19. Further, we also analyzed the onset time of Paxlovid-related AEs. RESULTS As of 30 September 2022, 16,529 de-duplicated cases were submitted to the FDA, and 5,860 (35.45%) were female. The average age was 58.38 years (S.D. 15.50). Most reports (12,390, 74.96%) were submitted by consumers and 1,436 (8.68%) concerned serious outcomes. The most frequently reported AEs were disease recurrence (7,724, 16.23%), dysgeusia (2,877, 6.05%), and diarrhoea (1,448, 3.04%). The median onset time of Paxlovid-related AEs was 8 days (interquartile range,1-10 days), and most of the cases (2,629, 19.12%) occurred on the day after Paxlovid initiation. CONCLUSION This study indicates that the most common AEs reported with Paxlovid in post-marketing experience are consistent with the safety assessment of antiviral drugs. Even without emerging apparent safety concerns, the incidence of serious outcomes was unexpectedly high, and a few cases of potential new AEs occurred.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bing Lv
- Department of Emergency, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun 130021, Jilin Province, China
| | - Xin Gao
- Department of Urology, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun 130021, Jilin Province, China
| | - Guoqiang Zeng
- Department of Urology, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun 130021, Jilin Province, China
| | - Hui Guo
- Department of Urology, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun 130021, Jilin Province, China
| | - Faping Li
- Department of Urology, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun 130021, Jilin Province, China
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15
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van Eijk N, Schmacke LC, Steinmetzer T, Pilgram O, Poór M, Pászti-Gere E. In vitro testing of host-targeting small molecule antiviral matriptase/TMPRSS2 inhibitors in 2D and 3D cell-based assays. Biomed Pharmacother 2023; 168:115761. [PMID: 37865989 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2023.115761] [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: 07/28/2023] [Revised: 10/15/2023] [Accepted: 10/17/2023] [Indexed: 10/24/2023] Open
Abstract
The outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic strongly stimulated the development of small molecule antivirals selectively targeting type II transmembrane serine proteases (TTSP), required for the host-cell entry of numerous viruses. A set of 3-amidinophenylalanine derivatives (MI-21, MI-472, MI-477, MI-485, MI-1903 and MI-1904), which inhibit the cleavage of certain viral glycoproteins was characterized in 2D and 3D primary human hepatocyte models on collagen- and Matrigel-coating using a CCK-8 assay to evaluate their cytotoxicity, a resorufin-based method to detect redox imbalances, fluorescence and ultrafiltration experiments to evaluate their interactions with human serum albumin (HSA) and α-acidic glycoprotein (AGP), and luminescence measurement to assess CYP3A4 modulation. For elucidation of selectivity of the applied compounds towards matriptase, transmembrane serine protease 2 (TMPRRS2), thrombin and factor Xa (FXa) Ki values were determined. It was proven that cell viability was only deteriorated by inhibitor MI-1903, and redox status was not influenced by administration of the selected inhibitors at 50 µM for 24 h. MI-472 and MI-477 formed relatively stable complexes with AGP. CYP3A4 inhibition was found to be strong in PHHs exposed to all inhibitors with the exception of MI-21, which seems to be a promising drug candidate also due to its better selectivity towards matriptase and TMPRSS2 over the blood clotting proteases thrombin and FXa. Our in vitro pharmacokinetic screening with these inhibitors helps to select the compounds with the best selectivity and safety profile suitable for a further preclinical characterization without animal sacrifice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas van Eijk
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Veterinary Medicine, István utca 2, Budapest H-1078, Hungary
| | - Luna C Schmacke
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Department of Pharmacy, Philipps University Marburg, Marbacher Weg 6-10, Marburg 35037, Germany
| | - Torsten Steinmetzer
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Department of Pharmacy, Philipps University Marburg, Marbacher Weg 6-10, Marburg 35037, Germany
| | - Oliver Pilgram
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Department of Pharmacy, Philipps University Marburg, Marbacher Weg 6-10, Marburg 35037, Germany
| | - Miklós Poór
- Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Pécs, Rókus u. 2, Pécs H-7624, Hungary; Lab-on-a-Chip Research Group, János Szentágothai Research Centre, University of Pécs, Ifjúság útja 20, Pécs H-7624, Hungary
| | - Erzsébet Pászti-Gere
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Veterinary Medicine, István utca 2, Budapest H-1078, Hungary.
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Stewart DD. Can Nitazoxanide and/or other anti-viral medications be a solution to long COVID? Case report with a brief literature review. Clin Case Rep 2023; 11:e8162. [PMID: 38028066 PMCID: PMC10654558 DOI: 10.1002/ccr3.8162] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2023] [Revised: 09/20/2023] [Accepted: 10/21/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Key Clinical Message Findings here imply lingering of virus, SARS-CoV-2, in the body for months. Thus, Nitazoxanide and/or other anti-viral medications might be potential options to combat long COVID. This could transform treatment for long COVID patients globally. Abstract Long COVID or post-acute sequelae of COVID-19 (PASC) continues to affect many people even after a relatively mild acute illness. Underlying causes of PASC are poorly understood. There is no particular treatment or management program developed yet. Thus, the possibility of well-known, safe anti-viral medications use against PASC is proposed here.
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17
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Saha A, Acharya BN, Parida M, Saxena N, Rajaiya J, Dash PK. Identification of 2,4-Diaminoquinazoline Derivative as a Potential Small-Molecule Inhibitor against Chikungunya and Ross River Viruses. Viruses 2023; 15:2194. [PMID: 38005871 PMCID: PMC10674894 DOI: 10.3390/v15112194] [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: 09/09/2023] [Revised: 10/20/2023] [Accepted: 10/22/2023] [Indexed: 11/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Alphaviruses are serious zoonotic threats responsible for significant morbidity, causing arthritis or encephalitis. So far, no licensed drugs or vaccines are available to combat alphaviral infections. About 300,000 chikungunya virus (CHIKV) infections have been reported in 2023, with more than 300 deaths, including reports of a few cases in the USA as well. The discovery and development of small-molecule drugs have been revolutionized over the last decade. Here, we employed a cell-based screening approach using a series of in-house small-molecule libraries to test for their ability to inhibit CHIKV replication. DCR 137, a quinazoline derivative, was found to be the most potent inhibitor of CHIKV replication in our screening assay. Both, the cytopathic effect, and immunofluorescence of infected cells were reduced in a dose-dependent manner with DCR 137 post-treatment. Most importantly, DCR 137 was more protective than the traditional ribavirin drug and reduced CHIKV plaque-forming units by several log units. CHIKV-E2 protein levels were also reduced in a dose-dependent manner. Further, DCR 137 was probed for its antiviral activity against another alphavirus, the Ross River virus, which revealed effective inhibition of viral replication. These results led to the identification of a potential quinazoline candidate for future optimization that might act as a pan-alphavirus inhibitor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amrita Saha
- Virology Division, Defence Research & Development Establishment, Gwalior 474002, India; (A.S.); (M.P.)
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, Albuquerque, NM 87131, USA;
| | - Badri Narayan Acharya
- Synthetic Chemistry Division, Defence Research & Development Establishment, Gwalior 474002, India;
| | - Manmohan Parida
- Virology Division, Defence Research & Development Establishment, Gwalior 474002, India; (A.S.); (M.P.)
| | - Nandita Saxena
- Pharmacology & Toxicology Division, Defence Research & Development Establishment, Gwalior 474002, India;
| | - Jaya Rajaiya
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, Albuquerque, NM 87131, USA;
| | - Paban Kumar Dash
- Virology Division, Defence Research & Development Establishment, Gwalior 474002, India; (A.S.); (M.P.)
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18
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Carvalhal F, Magalhães AC, Rebelo R, Palmeira A, Resende DISP, Durães F, Maia M, Xavier CPR, Pereira L, Sousa E, Correia-da-Silva M, Vasconcelos MH. Evaluation of the Cytotoxic and Antiviral Effects of Small Molecules Selected by In Silico Studies as Inhibitors of SARS-CoV-2 Cell Entry. Molecules 2023; 28:7204. [PMID: 37894682 PMCID: PMC10609270 DOI: 10.3390/molecules28207204] [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: 09/14/2023] [Revised: 10/06/2023] [Accepted: 10/19/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023] Open
Abstract
The spike protein of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) relies on host cell surface glycans to facilitate interaction with the angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE-2) receptor. This interaction between ACE2 and the spike protein is a gateway for the virus to enter host cells and may be targeted by antiviral drugs to inhibit viral infection. Therefore, targeting the interaction between these two proteins is an interesting strategy to prevent SARS-CoV-2 infection. A library of glycan mimetics and derivatives was selected for a virtual screening performed against both ACE2 and spike proteins. Subsequently, in vitro assays were performed on eleven of the most promising in silico compounds to evaluate: (i) their efficacy in inhibiting cell infection by SARS-CoV-2 (using the Vero CCL-81 cell line as a model), (ii) their impact on ACE2 expression (in the Vero CCL-81 and MDA-MB-231 cell lines), and (iii) their cytotoxicity in a human lung cell line (A549). We identified five synthetic compounds with the potential to block SARS-CoV-2 infection, three of them without relevant toxicity in human lung cells. Xanthene 1 stood out as the most promising anti-SARS-CoV-2 agent, inhibiting viral infection and viral replication in Vero CCL-81 cells, without causing cytotoxicity to human lung cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francisca Carvalhal
- FFUP—Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Porto, 4050-313 Porto, Portugal (R.R.); (A.P.); (D.I.S.P.R.); (F.D.); (M.M.); (E.S.)
- CIIMAR—Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research, 4408-208 Matosinhos, Portugal
- i3S—Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, University of Porto, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal; (A.C.M.); (C.P.R.X.); (L.P.)
- IPATIMUP—Institute of Molecular Pathology and Immunology, University of Porto, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal
| | - Ana Cristina Magalhães
- i3S—Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, University of Porto, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal; (A.C.M.); (C.P.R.X.); (L.P.)
- IPATIMUP—Institute of Molecular Pathology and Immunology, University of Porto, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal
| | - Rita Rebelo
- FFUP—Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Porto, 4050-313 Porto, Portugal (R.R.); (A.P.); (D.I.S.P.R.); (F.D.); (M.M.); (E.S.)
- i3S—Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, University of Porto, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal; (A.C.M.); (C.P.R.X.); (L.P.)
- IPATIMUP—Institute of Molecular Pathology and Immunology, University of Porto, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal
| | - Andreia Palmeira
- FFUP—Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Porto, 4050-313 Porto, Portugal (R.R.); (A.P.); (D.I.S.P.R.); (F.D.); (M.M.); (E.S.)
- CIIMAR—Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research, 4408-208 Matosinhos, Portugal
| | - Diana I. S. P. Resende
- FFUP—Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Porto, 4050-313 Porto, Portugal (R.R.); (A.P.); (D.I.S.P.R.); (F.D.); (M.M.); (E.S.)
- CIIMAR—Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research, 4408-208 Matosinhos, Portugal
| | - Fernando Durães
- FFUP—Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Porto, 4050-313 Porto, Portugal (R.R.); (A.P.); (D.I.S.P.R.); (F.D.); (M.M.); (E.S.)
- CIIMAR—Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research, 4408-208 Matosinhos, Portugal
| | - Miguel Maia
- FFUP—Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Porto, 4050-313 Porto, Portugal (R.R.); (A.P.); (D.I.S.P.R.); (F.D.); (M.M.); (E.S.)
- CIIMAR—Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research, 4408-208 Matosinhos, Portugal
| | - Cristina P. R. Xavier
- i3S—Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, University of Porto, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal; (A.C.M.); (C.P.R.X.); (L.P.)
- IPATIMUP—Institute of Molecular Pathology and Immunology, University of Porto, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal
| | - Luísa Pereira
- i3S—Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, University of Porto, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal; (A.C.M.); (C.P.R.X.); (L.P.)
- IPATIMUP—Institute of Molecular Pathology and Immunology, University of Porto, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal
| | - Emília Sousa
- FFUP—Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Porto, 4050-313 Porto, Portugal (R.R.); (A.P.); (D.I.S.P.R.); (F.D.); (M.M.); (E.S.)
- CIIMAR—Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research, 4408-208 Matosinhos, Portugal
| | - Marta Correia-da-Silva
- FFUP—Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Porto, 4050-313 Porto, Portugal (R.R.); (A.P.); (D.I.S.P.R.); (F.D.); (M.M.); (E.S.)
- CIIMAR—Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research, 4408-208 Matosinhos, Portugal
| | - M. Helena Vasconcelos
- FFUP—Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Porto, 4050-313 Porto, Portugal (R.R.); (A.P.); (D.I.S.P.R.); (F.D.); (M.M.); (E.S.)
- i3S—Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, University of Porto, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal; (A.C.M.); (C.P.R.X.); (L.P.)
- IPATIMUP—Institute of Molecular Pathology and Immunology, University of Porto, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal
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Zhang C, Sui Y, Liu S, Yang M. Anti-Viral Activity of Bioactive Molecules of Silymarin against COVID-19 via In Silico Studies. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2023; 16:1479. [PMID: 37895950 PMCID: PMC10610370 DOI: 10.3390/ph16101479] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2023] [Revised: 10/11/2023] [Accepted: 10/11/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023] Open
Abstract
The severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection drove the global coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, causing a huge loss of human life and a negative impact on economic development. It is an urgent necessity to explore potential drugs against viruses, such as SARS-CoV-2. Silymarin, a mixture of herb-derived polyphenolic flavonoids extracted from the milk thistle, possesses potent antioxidative, anti-apoptotic, and anti-inflammatory properties. Accumulating research studies have demonstrated the killing activity of silymarin against viruses, such as dengue virus, chikungunya virus, and hepatitis C virus. However, the anti-COVID-19 mechanisms of silymarin remain unclear. In this study, multiple disciplinary approaches and methodologies were applied to evaluate the potential mechanisms of silymarin as an anti-viral agent against SARS-CoV-2 infection. In silico approaches such as molecular docking, network pharmacology, and bioinformatic methods were incorporated to assess the ligand-protein binding properties and analyze the protein-protein interaction network. The DAVID database was used to analyze gene functions, such as the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway and Gene Ontology (GO) enrichment. TCMSP and GeneCards were used to identify drug target genes and COVID-19-related genes. Our results revealed that silymarin compounds, such as silybin A/B and silymonin, displayed triplicate functions against SARS-CoV-2 infection, including directly binding with human angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) to inhibit SARS-CoV-2 entry into the host cells, directly binding with viral proteins RdRp and helicase to inhibit viral replication and proliferation, and regulating host immune response to indirectly inhibit viral infection. Specifically, the targets of silymarin molecules in immune regulation were screened out, such as proinflammatory cytokines TNF and IL-6 and cell growth factors VEGFA and EGF. In addition, the molecular mechanism of drug-target protein interaction was investigated, including the binding pockets of drug molecules in human ACE2 and viral proteins, the formation of hydrogen bonds, hydrophobic interactions, and other drug-protein ligand interactions. Finally, the drug-likeness results of candidate molecules passed the criteria for drug screening. Overall, this study demonstrates the molecular mechanism of silymarin molecules against SARS-CoV-2 infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chunye Zhang
- Christopher S. Bond Life Sciences Center, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65212, USA;
| | - Yuxiang Sui
- School of Life Science, Shanxi Normal University, Linfen 041004, China;
| | - Shuai Liu
- The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310006, China;
| | - Ming Yang
- Department of Surgery, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65212, USA
- NextGen Precision Health Institute, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65212, USA
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20
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Khan ZA, Hu Y, Ghalandari B, Ahmad M, Abdullah A, Jiang L, Ding X. Pairwise synthetic cytotoxicity between Paxlovid and 100 frequently prescribed FDA-approved small molecule drugs on liver cells. Toxicol Appl Pharmacol 2023; 477:116695. [PMID: 37739321 DOI: 10.1016/j.taap.2023.116695] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2023] [Revised: 09/14/2023] [Accepted: 09/15/2023] [Indexed: 09/24/2023]
Abstract
Paxlovid is a recent FDA approved specific drug for COVID-19. Extensive prescription of Paxlovid could induce potential synthetic cytotoxicity with drugs. Herein, we aimed to examine pairwise synthetic cytotoxicity between Paxlovid and 100 frequently FDA approved small molecule drugs. Liver cell line HL-7702 or L02 was adopted to evaluate synthetic cytotoxicity between Paxlovid and the 100 small molecule drugs. Inhibitory concentration IC-10 and IC-50 doses for all the 100 small molecule drugs and Paxlovid were experimentally acquired. Then, pairwise synthetic cytotoxicity was examined with the fixed dose IC-10 for each drug. The most 4 significant interactive pairs (2 positively interactive and 2 negatively interactive) were further subjected to molecular docking simulation to reveal the structural modulation with Caspase-8, a key mediator for cell apoptosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zara Ahmad Khan
- Department of Pathology, Wenling First People's Hospital, Wenling City, Zhejiang Province, China; Department of Anesthesiology and Surgical Intensive Care Unit, Xinhua Hospital, School of Medicine and School of Biomedical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China; State Key Laboratory of Oncogenes and Related Genes, Institute for Personalized Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yuli Hu
- Department of Pathology, Wenling First People's Hospital, Wenling City, Zhejiang Province, China
| | - Behafarid Ghalandari
- Department of Anesthesiology and Surgical Intensive Care Unit, Xinhua Hospital, School of Medicine and School of Biomedical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China; State Key Laboratory of Oncogenes and Related Genes, Institute for Personalized Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Mashaal Ahmad
- Department of Anatomy, College of Basic Medical Sciences, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, China
| | - Aynur Abdullah
- Department of Anesthesiology and Surgical Intensive Care Unit, Xinhua Hospital, School of Medicine and School of Biomedical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China; State Key Laboratory of Oncogenes and Related Genes, Institute for Personalized Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Lai Jiang
- Department of Anesthesiology and Surgical Intensive Care Unit, Xinhua Hospital, School of Medicine and School of Biomedical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China; State Key Laboratory of Oncogenes and Related Genes, Institute for Personalized Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Xianting Ding
- Department of Pathology, Wenling First People's Hospital, Wenling City, Zhejiang Province, China; Department of Anesthesiology and Surgical Intensive Care Unit, Xinhua Hospital, School of Medicine and School of Biomedical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China; State Key Laboratory of Oncogenes and Related Genes, Institute for Personalized Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China.
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21
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Yang Y, Zhang C, Qian X, Jia F, Liang S. Computational study on the mechanisms of inhibition of SARS-CoV-2 M pro by aldehyde warheads based on DFT. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2023; 25:26308-26315. [PMID: 37747304 DOI: 10.1039/d3cp03394e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/26/2023]
Abstract
SARS-CoV-2 main protease, Mpro, plays a crucial role in the virus replication cycle, making it an important target for antiviral research. In this study, a simplified model obtained through truncation is used to explore the reaction mechanism of aldehyde warhead compounds inhibiting Mpro at the level of density functional theory. According to the calculation results, proton transfer (P_T)-nucleophilic attack (N_A) is the rate-determining step in the entire reaction pathway. The water molecule that plays a catalytic role occupies the oxyanion hole, which is unfavorable for the aldehyde warhead to approach the Cys145 SH. Through a hypothetical study of substituting the main chain NH with methylene, it is further confirmed that the P_T-N_A is a proton transfer-dominated process accompanied by a nucleophilic attack reaction. In this process, the oxyanion hole serves only to stabilize the aldehyde oxygen anion and therefore does not have a significant impact on the activation free energy barrier of the step. Our research results provide a unique perspective for understanding the covalent inhibition reaction of the Mpro active site. This study also offers theoretical guidance for the design of new Mpro covalent inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yongsheng Yang
- School of Pharmacy and Institute of Pharmacy, North Sichuan Medical College, Sichuan, China.
| | - Chenghua Zhang
- School of Pharmacy and Institute of Pharmacy, North Sichuan Medical College, Sichuan, China.
| | - Xingcan Qian
- School of Pharmacy and Institute of Pharmacy, North Sichuan Medical College, Sichuan, China.
| | - Feiyun Jia
- School of Pharmacy and Institute of Pharmacy, North Sichuan Medical College, Sichuan, China.
| | - Shiwei Liang
- School of Basic Medical Sciences and Forensic Medicine, North Sichuan Medical College, Sichuan, China
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22
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Shahinyan GA, Markarian SA. The Study of the Effect of Dimethylsulfoxide (or Diethylsulfoxide) on Quinine Sulfate-DNA Binding by UV-Vis and Steady-State Fluorescence Spectroscopies. J Fluoresc 2023:10.1007/s10895-023-03442-6. [PMID: 37725205 DOI: 10.1007/s10895-023-03442-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2023] [Accepted: 09/12/2023] [Indexed: 09/21/2023]
Abstract
The effect of dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) and diethylsulfoxide (DESO) on binding between quinine sulfate (QS) and DNA was studied by virtue of UV-Vis absorption, steady-state fluorescence spectroscopies, and fluorescence polarization measurements. The binding constant was determined at three different temperatures and the values of standard Gibbs energy change, enthalpy and entropy of binding were determined. The mechanism of binding and the effect of sulfoxides on this process was revealed. The values of binding constant, fluorescence polarization and iodide quenching studies confirmed that the main binding mode in QS-DNA system is groove binding. Addition of sulfoxides does not change the binding mechanism. Moreover, with addition of sulfoxides binding constant increases due to the removal of water molecules from DNA grooves making them more available for QS molecules. To explain the effect of DMSO and DESO on QS-DNA binding the photophysical properties of QS in aqueous solutions of DMSO and DESO were also studied. On the basis of quantum yield of QS in water, DMSO and DESO the types of intermolecular interactions were discussed. The obtained results show that quantum yield of QS in sulfoxides is lower compared with that in water and aqueous solution of 0.1 M H2SO4. QS forms ground state complexes with both DMSO and DESO that are stronger fluorophores compared with free QS molecules.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gohar A Shahinyan
- Deparment of Inorganic and Analytical Chemistry, Yerevan State University, 0025, Yerevan, Armenia
| | - Shiraz A Markarian
- Department of Physical and Colloid Chemistry, Yerevan State University, 0025, Yerevan, Armenia.
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23
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Alsrhani A, Farhana A, Khan YS, Ashraf GM, Shahwan M, Shamsi A. Phytoconstituents as potential therapeutic agents against COVID-19: a computational study on inhibition of SARS-CoV-2 main protease. J Biomol Struct Dyn 2023:1-12. [PMID: 37713337 DOI: 10.1080/07391102.2023.2257328] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2023] [Accepted: 09/04/2023] [Indexed: 09/17/2023]
Abstract
The Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‑CoV‑2) has become a global health crisis, and the urgent need for effective treatments is evident. One potential target for COVID-19 therapeutics is the main protease (Mpro) of SARS‑CoV‑2, an essential enzyme for viral replication. Natural compounds have been explored as a source of potential inhibitors for Mpro due to their safety and availability. In this study, we employed a computational approach to screen a library of phytoconstituents and identified potential Mpro inhibitors based on their binding affinities and molecular interactions. The top-ranking compounds were further validated through molecular dynamics simulations (MDS) and free energy calculations. As a result of the above procedures, we identified two phytoconstituents, Khelmarin B and Neogitogenin, with appreciable binding affinity and specificity towards the Mpro binding pocket. Our results suggest that Khelmarin B and Neogitogenin could potentially serve as Mpro inhibitors and have the potential to be developed as COVID-19 therapeutics. Further experimental studies are required to confirm the efficacy and safety of these compounds.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abdullah Alsrhani
- Department of Clinical Laboratory Sciences, College of Applied Medical Sciences, Jouf University, Sakaka, Saudi Arabia
| | - Aisha Farhana
- Department of Clinical Laboratory Sciences, College of Applied Medical Sciences, Jouf University, Sakaka, Saudi Arabia
| | - Yusuf Saleem Khan
- Department of Anatomy, College of Medicine, Jouf University, Sakaka, Saudi Arabia
| | - Ghulam Md Ashraf
- Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences, College of Health Sciences, and Research Institute for Medical and Health Sciences, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
| | - Moyad Shahwan
- Center of Medical and Bio-Allied Health Sciences Research (CMBHSR), Ajman University, Ajman, United Arab Emirates
| | - Anas Shamsi
- Center of Medical and Bio-Allied Health Sciences Research (CMBHSR), Ajman University, Ajman, United Arab Emirates
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24
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Zhao X, Cheng Y, Zhang M, Qianda B, Zhouma B, Yangzhen B, Zheng Y, Zhang S, Zhao H. Efficacy of Nirmatrelvir-Ritonavir versus Azvudine for COVID-19 Treatment in Tibet: A Retrospective Study. Infect Drug Resist 2023; 16:6053-6060. [PMID: 37719651 PMCID: PMC10503563 DOI: 10.2147/idr.s423725] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2023] [Accepted: 09/01/2023] [Indexed: 09/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Nirmatrelvir-ritonavir, also known as paxlovid, is a widely used antiviral drug against coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Azvudine, a drug previously used to treat human immunodeficiency virus-1, has also been used to treat COVID-19 in China. However, only a few clinical studies have evaluated the effects of azvudine. Additionally, studies comparing nirmatrelvir-ritonavir with azvudine have been limited in number. Methods We carried out a retrospective case‒control analysis at the Third People's Hospital of the Tibet Autonomous Region. Eighty-two eligible patients with COVID-19 who received azvudine treatment were included. A total of 145 control patients who received nirmatrelvir-ritonavir treatment were selected by propensity score matching for age, sex, the severity of disease, and initial cycle threshold values. A comparison of the nucleic acid test negative conversion time, the length of hospitalization, and mortality rate was conducted. Results Overall, the mean nucleic acid test negative conversion time was comparable between the nirmatrelvir-ritonavir and azvudine groups (7.0 [11.0, 15.0] vs 9.0 [6.0, 12.0] days, P=0.064). However, for patients with mild COVID-19, the nucleic acid test negative conversion time was significantly shorter in the nirmatrelvir-ritonavir group than in the azvudine group (6.0 [5.0, 8.0] vs 8.0 [6.0, 11.0] days, P=0.029). The nirmatrelvir-ritonavir group and the azvudine group did not differ significantly in length of hospitalization (8.0 [5.5,10.5] vs 8.0 [5.0,10.0] days, P=0.378). Regarding the mortality rate, there were 4 (2.8%) deaths in the nirmatrelvir-ritonavir group and 3 (3.7%) in the azvudine group (P=0.706). Conclusion Azvudine is generally as effective as nirmatrelvir-ritonavir, but for patients with mild COVID-19, nirmatrelvir-ritonavir could suppress the virus more rapidly. For those who cannot be treated with nirmatrelvir-ritonavir, azvudine might be an effective therapy for COVID-19.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiang Zhao
- Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Peking University First Hospital, Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | - Yuan Cheng
- Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Peking University First Hospital, Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | - Meng Zhang
- Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Peking University First Hospital, Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | - Bianba Qianda
- Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, People's Hospital of Tibet Autonomous Region, Lhasa, People's Republic of China
| | - Baima Zhouma
- Department of Tuberculosis, Third People's Hospital of Tibet Autonomous Region, Lhasa, People's Republic of China
| | - Bianba Yangzhen
- Department of Tuberculosis, Third People's Hospital of Tibet Autonomous Region, Lhasa, People's Republic of China
| | - Yao Zheng
- Departments of Internal Medicine, Affiliated Hospital of Xizang Minzu University, Lhasa, People's Republic of China
| | - Shuo Zhang
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Peking University First Hospital, Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | - Huiying Zhao
- Department of Intensive Care Unit, Peking University People's Hospital, Beijing, People's Republic of China
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25
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Valipour M, Irannejad H, Keyvani H. An Overview on Anti-COVID-19 Drug Achievements and Challenges Ahead. ACS Pharmacol Transl Sci 2023; 6:1248-1265. [PMID: 37705590 PMCID: PMC10496143 DOI: 10.1021/acsptsci.3c00121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2023] [Indexed: 09/15/2023]
Abstract
The appearance of several coronavirus pandemics/epidemics during the last two decades (SARS-CoV-1 in 2002, MERS-CoV in 2012, and SARS-CoV-2 in 2019) indicates that humanity will face increasing challenges from coronaviruses in the future. The emergence of new strains with similar transmission characteristics as SARS-CoV-2 and mortality rates similar to SARS-CoV-1 (∼10% mortality) or MERS-CoV (∼35% mortality) in the future is a terrifying possibility. Therefore, getting enough preparations to face such risks is an inevitable necessity. The present study aims to review the drug achievements and challenges in the fight against SARS-CoV-2 with a combined perspective derived from pharmacology, pharmacotherapy, and medicinal chemistry insights. Appreciating all the efforts made during the past few years, there is strong evidence that the desired results have not yet been achieved and research in this area should still be pursued seriously. By expressing some pessimistic possibilities and concluding that the drug discovery and pharmacotherapy of COVID-19 have not been successful so far, this short essay tries to draw the attention of responsible authorities to be more prepared against future coronavirus epidemics/pandemics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mehdi Valipour
- Razi
Drug Research Center, Iran University of
Medical Sciences, Tehran 1134845764, Iran
| | - Hamid Irannejad
- Department
of Medicinal Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari 48157-33971, Iran
| | - Hossein Keyvani
- Department
of Virology, School of Medicine, Iran University
of Medical Sciences, Tehran 1134845764, Iran
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26
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Valipour M. Therapeutic prospects of naturally occurring p38 MAPK inhibitors tanshinone IIA and pinocembrin for the treatment of SARS-CoV-2-induced CNS complications. Phytother Res 2023; 37:3724-3743. [PMID: 37282807 DOI: 10.1002/ptr.7902] [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: 01/30/2023] [Revised: 04/20/2023] [Accepted: 05/15/2023] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
P38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (p38 MAPK) signaling pathway is closely related to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) replication and hyperinflammatory responses in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Therefore, blood-brain barrier-penetrating p38 MAPK inhibitors have good potential for the treatment of central nervous system (CNS) complications of COVID-19. The aim of the present study is the characterization of the therapeutic potential of tanshinone IIA and pinocembrin for the treatment of CNS complications of COVID-19. Studies published in high-quality journals indexed in databases Scopus, Web of Science, PubMed, and so forth were used to review the therapeutic capabilities of selected compounds. In continuation of our previous efforts to identify agents with favorable activity/toxicity profiles for the treatment of COVID-19, tanshinone IIA and pinocembrin were identified with a high ability to penetrate the CNS. Considering the nature of the study, no specific time frame was determined for the selection of studies, but the focus was strongly on studies published after the emergence of COVID-19. By describing the association of COVID-19-induced CNS disorders with p38 MAPK pathway disruption, this study concludes that tanshinone IIA and pinocembrin have great potential for better treatment of these complications. The inclusion of these compounds in the drug regimen of COVID-19 patients requires confirmation of their effectiveness through the conduction of high-quality clinical trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mehdi Valipour
- Razi Drug Research Center, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
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27
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Li F, Huang Q, Zhou Z, Guan Q, Ye F, Huang B, Guo W, Liang XJ. Gold nanoparticles combat enveloped RNA virus by affecting organelle dynamics. Signal Transduct Target Ther 2023; 8:285. [PMID: 37528082 PMCID: PMC10393956 DOI: 10.1038/s41392-023-01562-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2023] [Revised: 06/13/2023] [Accepted: 07/07/2023] [Indexed: 08/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Enveloped RNA viruses are a group of viruses with an outer membrane derived from a host cell and a genome consisting of ribonucleic acid (RNA). These viruses rely on host cell machinery and organelles to replicate and assemble new virus particles. However, the interaction between viruses and host organelles may be disrupted by nanomaterials, such as gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) with unique physical and chemical properties. In this study, we investigated the effects of AuNPs with different surface charge properties on the subcellular structure and function of mammalian cells, and their effects on two representative enveloped RNA viruses: lentivirus and human coronavirus OC43 (HCoV- OC43) antiviral potential. By comparing the subcellular effects of AuNPs with different surface charge properties, we found that treatment with AuNPs with positive surface charges induced more significant disruption of subcellular structures than neutrally charged AuNPs and negatively charged AuNPs, mainly manifested in lysosomes and Cytoskeletal disorders. The antiviral effect of the surface positively charged AuNPs was further evaluated using lentivirus and HCoV-OC43. The results showed that AuNPs had a significant inhibitory effect on both lentivirus and HCoV-OC43 without obvious side effects. In conclusion, our study provides insights into the mechanism of action and biocompatibility of AuNP in biological systems, while supporting the potential of targeting organelle dynamics against enveloped RNA viruses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fangzhou Li
- CAS Key Laboratory for Biomedical Effects of Nanomaterials and Nanosafety, CAS Center for Excellence in Nanoscience, National Center for Nanoscience and Technology of China, No. 11, First North Road, Zhongguancun, 100190, Beijing, P. R. China
| | - Qianqian Huang
- CAS Key Laboratory for Biomedical Effects of Nanomaterials and Nanosafety, CAS Center for Excellence in Nanoscience, National Center for Nanoscience and Technology of China, No. 11, First North Road, Zhongguancun, 100190, Beijing, P. R. China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100049, Beijing, P. R. China
| | - Ziran Zhou
- CAS Key Laboratory for Biomedical Effects of Nanomaterials and Nanosafety, CAS Center for Excellence in Nanoscience, National Center for Nanoscience and Technology of China, No. 11, First North Road, Zhongguancun, 100190, Beijing, P. R. China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100049, Beijing, P. R. China
| | - Qiongge Guan
- MHC Key Laboratory of Biosafety, National Institute for Viral Disease Control and Prevention, China CDC, Beijing, China
| | - Fei Ye
- MHC Key Laboratory of Biosafety, National Institute for Viral Disease Control and Prevention, China CDC, Beijing, China
| | - Baoying Huang
- MHC Key Laboratory of Biosafety, National Institute for Viral Disease Control and Prevention, China CDC, Beijing, China.
| | - Weisheng Guo
- Department of Minimally Invasive Interventional Radiology, the State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, School of Biomedical Engineering & The Second Affiliated Hospital, Guangzhou Medical University, 510260, Guangzhou, P. R. China.
| | - Xing-Jie Liang
- CAS Key Laboratory for Biomedical Effects of Nanomaterials and Nanosafety, CAS Center for Excellence in Nanoscience, National Center for Nanoscience and Technology of China, No. 11, First North Road, Zhongguancun, 100190, Beijing, P. R. China.
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100049, Beijing, P. R. China.
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28
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Shiraishi Y, Shimada I. NMR Characterization of the Papain-like Protease from SARS-CoV-2 Identifies the Conformational Heterogeneity in Its Inhibitor-Binding Site. J Am Chem Soc 2023. [PMID: 37478405 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.3c04115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/23/2023]
Abstract
Papain-like protease (PLpro) from severe acute respiratory syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is a prime target for the development of antivirals for Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). However, drugs that target the PLpro protein have not yet been approved. In order to gain insights into the development of a PLpro inhibitor, conformational dynamics of PLpro in complex with GRL0617, the most well-characterized PLpro inhibitor, were investigated using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy in solution. Although mutational analyses demonstrated that the L162 sidechain interaction is responsible for the affinity for GRL0617, NMR analyses revealed that L162 in the inhibitor-binding pocket underwent conformational exchange and was not fixed in the conformation in which it formed a contact with ortho-methyl group of GRL0617. The identified conformational dynamics would provide a rationale for the binding mechanism of a covalent inhibitor designed based on GRL0617.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yutaro Shiraishi
- Laboratory for Dynamic Structure of Biomolecules, RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research (BDR), 1-7-22 Suehiro-cho, Tsurumi-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa 230-0045, Japan
| | - Ichio Shimada
- Laboratory for Dynamic Structure of Biomolecules, RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research (BDR), 1-7-22 Suehiro-cho, Tsurumi-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa 230-0045, Japan
- Graduate School of Integrated Sciences for Life, Hiroshima University, 1-4-4, Kagamiyama, Higashi-Hiroshima 739-8528, Japan
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29
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Asthana A, Corona A, Shin WJ, Kwak MJ, Gaughan C, Tramontano E, Jung JU, Schobert R, Jha BK, Silverman RH, Biersack B. Analogs of the Catechol Derivative Dynasore Inhibit HIV-1 Ribonuclease H, SARS-CoV-2 nsp14 Exoribonuclease, and Virus Replication. Viruses 2023; 15:1539. [PMID: 37515225 PMCID: PMC10385162 DOI: 10.3390/v15071539] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2023] [Revised: 07/08/2023] [Accepted: 07/10/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Viral replication often depends on RNA maturation and degradation processes catalyzed by viral ribonucleases, which are therefore candidate targets for antiviral drugs. Here, we synthesized and studied the antiviral properties of a novel nitrocatechol compound (1c) and other analogs that are structurally related to the catechol derivative dynasore. Interestingly, compound 1c strongly inhibited two DEDD box viral ribonucleases, HIV-1 RNase H and SARS-CoV-2 nsp14 3'-to-5' exoribonuclease (ExoN). While 1c inhibited SARS-CoV-2 ExoN activity, it did not interfere with the mRNA methyltransferase activity of nsp14. In silico molecular docking placed compound 1c in the catalytic pocket of the ExoN domain of nsp14. Finally, 1c inhibited SARS-CoV-2 replication but had no toxicity to human lung adenocarcinoma cells. Given its simple chemical synthesis from easily available starting materials, these results suggest that 1c might be a lead compound for the design of new antiviral compounds that target coronavirus nsp14 ExoN and other viral ribonucleases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abhishek Asthana
- Cancer Biology, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, 2111 East 96th St, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA
| | - Angela Corona
- Laboratorio di Virologia Molecolare, Dipartimento di Scienze della Vita e Dell'Ambiente, Universitá degli Studi di Cagliari, Cittadella Universitaria di Monserrato SS554, 09042 Monserrato, Italy
| | - Woo-Jin Shin
- Cancer Biology, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, 2111 East 96th St, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA
| | - Mi-Jeong Kwak
- Cancer Biology, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, 2111 East 96th St, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA
| | - Christina Gaughan
- Cancer Biology, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, 2111 East 96th St, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA
| | - Enzo Tramontano
- Laboratorio di Virologia Molecolare, Dipartimento di Scienze della Vita e Dell'Ambiente, Universitá degli Studi di Cagliari, Cittadella Universitaria di Monserrato SS554, 09042 Monserrato, Italy
| | - Jae U Jung
- Cancer Biology, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, 2111 East 96th St, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA
| | - Rainer Schobert
- Organic Chemistry 1, University of Bayreuth, Universitätsstrasse 30, 95440 Bayreuth, Germany
| | - Babal Kant Jha
- Center for Immunotherapy and Precision Immuno-Oncology, Lerner Research Institute and Department of Translational Hematology and Oncology Research, Taussig Cancer Institute, Cleveland Clinic, 2111 East 96th St, Cleveland, OH 44195, USA
| | - Robert H Silverman
- Cancer Biology, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, 2111 East 96th St, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA
| | - Bernhard Biersack
- Organic Chemistry 1, University of Bayreuth, Universitätsstrasse 30, 95440 Bayreuth, Germany
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30
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Jiang R, Sun J, Zhao B, Zhang R, Liu L, Chen J. Presence of the M184I mutation after short-term exposure to azvudine for COVID-19 in people living with HIV. AIDS 2023; 37:1341-1342. [PMID: 37930315 PMCID: PMC10241321 DOI: 10.1097/qad.0000000000003564] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2023] [Accepted: 03/29/2023] [Indexed: 11/07/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Rui Jiang
- Department of Infection and Immunology, Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
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31
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Bajaj T, Wehri E, Suryawanshi RK, King E, Pardeshi KS, Behrouzi K, Khodabakhshi Z, Schulze-Gahmen U, Kumar GR, Mofrad MRK, Nomura DK, Ott M, Schaletzky J, Murthy N. Mercapto-pyrimidines are reversible covalent inhibitors of the papain-like protease (PLpro) and inhibit SARS-CoV-2 (SCoV-2) replication. RSC Adv 2023; 13:17667-17677. [PMID: 37312993 PMCID: PMC10259201 DOI: 10.1039/d3ra01915b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2023] [Accepted: 06/01/2023] [Indexed: 06/15/2023] Open
Abstract
The papain-like protease (PLpro) plays a critical role in SARS-CoV-2 (SCoV-2) pathogenesis and is essential for viral replication and for allowing the virus to evade the host immune response. Inhibitors of PLpro have great therapeutic potential, however, developing them has been challenging due to PLpro's restricted substrate binding pocket. In this report, we screened a 115 000-compound library for PLpro inhibitors and identified a new pharmacophore, based on a mercapto-pyrimidine fragment that is a reversible covalent inhibitor (RCI) of PLpro and inhibits viral replication in cells. Compound 5 had an IC50 of 5.1 μM for PLpro inhibition and hit optimization yielded a derivative with increased potency (IC50 0.85 μM, 6-fold higher). Activity based profiling of compound 5 demonstrated that it reacts with PLpro cysteines. We show here that compound 5 represents a new class of RCIs, which undergo an addition elimination reaction with cysteines in their target proteins. We further show that their reversibility is catalyzed by exogenous thiols and is dependent on the size of the incoming thiol. In contrast, traditional RCIs are all based upon the Michael addition reaction mechanism and their reversibility is base-catalyzed. We identify a new class of RCIs that introduces a more reactive warhead with a pronounced selectivity profile based on thiol ligand size. This could allow the expansion of RCI modality use towards a larger group of proteins important for human disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Teena Bajaj
- Graduate Program of Comparative Biochemistry, University of California Berkeley CA USA
| | - Eddie Wehri
- The Henry Wheeler Center of Emerging and Neglected Diseases 344 Li Ka Shing Berkeley CA USA
| | | | - Elizabeth King
- Chemical Biology Graduate Program, University of California Berkeley CA USA
| | | | - Kamyar Behrouzi
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of California Berkeley CA USA
| | | | | | - G Renuka Kumar
- Gladstone Institute of Virology Gladstone Institutes San Francisco CA USA
| | | | - Daniel K Nomura
- Department of Chemistry, University of California Berkeley CA USA
| | - Melanie Ott
- Gladstone Institute of Virology Gladstone Institutes San Francisco CA USA
- Department of Medicine, University of California San Francisco CA USA
- Chan Zuckerberg Biohub San Francisco CA USA
| | - Julia Schaletzky
- The Henry Wheeler Center of Emerging and Neglected Diseases 344 Li Ka Shing Berkeley CA USA
| | - Niren Murthy
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California Berkeley CA USA
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32
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Yang R, Liu L, Jiang D, Liu L, Yang H, Xu H, Qin M, Wang P, Gu J, Xing Y. Identification of Potential TMPRSS2 Inhibitors for COVID-19 Treatment in Chinese Medicine by Computational Approaches and Surface Plasmon Resonance Technology. J Chem Inf Model 2023; 63:3005-3017. [PMID: 37155923 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jcim.2c01643] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) pneumonia continues to spread in the entire globe with limited medication available. In this study, the active compounds in Chinese medicine (CM) recipes targeting the transmembrane serine protease 2 (TMPRSS2) protein for the treatment of COVID-19 were explored. METHODS The conformational structure of TMPRSS2 protein (TMPS2) was built through homology modeling. A training set covering TMPS2 inhibitors and decoy molecules was docked to TMPS2, and their docking poses were re-scored with scoring schemes. A receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was applied to select the best scoring function. Virtual screening of the candidate compounds (CCDs) in the six highly effective CM recipes against TMPS2 was conducted based on the validated docking protocol. The potential CCDs after docking were subject to molecular dynamics (MD) simulations and surface plasmon resonance (SPR) experiment. RESULTS A training set of 65 molecules were docked with modeled TMPS2 and LigScore2 with the highest area under the curve, AUC, value (0.886) after ROC analysis selected to best differentiate inhibitors from decoys. A total of 421 CCDs in the six recipes were successfully docked into TMPS2, and the top 16 CCDs with LigScore2 higher than the cutoff (4.995) were screened out. MD simulations revealed a stable binding between these CCDs and TMPS2 due to the negative binding free energy. Lastly, SPR experiments validated the direct combination of narirutin, saikosaponin B1, and rutin with TMPS2. CONCLUSIONS Specific active compounds including narirutin, saikosaponin B1, and rutin in CM recipes potentially target and inhibit TMPS2, probably exerting a therapeutic effect on COVID-19.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rong Yang
- Department of Hepatology, Shenzhen Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital, The Fourth Clinical Medical College of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Shenzhen 518033, China
- Faculty of Chinese Medicine and State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Macau University of Science and Technology, Macau 999078, China
| | - Linhua Liu
- Department of Hepatology, Shenzhen Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital, The Fourth Clinical Medical College of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Shenzhen 518033, China
| | - Dansheng Jiang
- Department of Hepatology, Shenzhen Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital, The Fourth Clinical Medical College of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Shenzhen 518033, China
| | - Lei Liu
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Shenzhen Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Shenzhen 518033, China
| | - Huili Yang
- Department of Hepatology, Shenzhen Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital, The Fourth Clinical Medical College of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Shenzhen 518033, China
| | - Hongling Xu
- Department of Hepatology, Shenzhen Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital, The Fourth Clinical Medical College of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Shenzhen 518033, China
| | - Meirong Qin
- National Medical Products Administration, Shenzhen Institute for Drug Control, Shenzhen 518057, China
| | - Ping Wang
- National Medical Products Administration, Shenzhen Institute for Drug Control, Shenzhen 518057, China
| | - Jiangyong Gu
- Research Centre for Integrative Medicine, School of Basic Medical Science, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Yufeng Xing
- Department of Hepatology, Shenzhen Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital, The Fourth Clinical Medical College of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Shenzhen 518033, China
- Faculty of Chinese Medicine and State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Macau University of Science and Technology, Macau 999078, China
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Hassan AHE, El-Sayed SM, Yamamoto M, Gohda J, Matsumoto T, Shirouzu M, Inoue JI, Kawaguchi Y, Mansour RMA, Anvari A, Farahat AA. In Silico and In Vitro Evaluation of Some Amidine Derivatives as Hit Compounds towards Development of Inhibitors against Coronavirus Diseases. Viruses 2023; 15:1171. [PMID: 37243257 PMCID: PMC10223987 DOI: 10.3390/v15051171] [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: 03/09/2023] [Revised: 05/04/2023] [Accepted: 05/12/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Coronaviruses, including SARS-CoV-2, SARS-CoV, MERS-CoV and influenza A virus, require the host proteases to mediate viral entry into cells. Rather than targeting the continuously mutating viral proteins, targeting the conserved host-based entry mechanism could offer advantages. Nafamostat and camostat were discovered as covalent inhibitors of TMPRSS2 protease involved in viral entry. To circumvent their limitations, a reversible inhibitor might be required. Considering nafamostat structure and using pentamidine as a starting point, a small set of structurally diverse rigid analogues were designed and evaluated in silico to guide selection of compounds to be prepared for biological evaluation. Based on the results of in silico study, six compounds were prepared and evaluated in vitro. At the enzyme level, compounds 10-12 triggered potential TMPRSS2 inhibition with low micromolar IC50 concentrations, but they were less effective in cellular assays. Meanwhile, compound 14 did not trigger potential TMPRSS2 inhibition at the enzyme level, but it showed potential cellular activity regarding inhibition of membrane fusion with a low micromolar IC50 value of 10.87 µM, suggesting its action could be mediated by another molecular target. Furthermore, in vitro evaluation showed that compound 14 inhibited pseudovirus entry as well as thrombin and factor Xa. Together, this study presents compound 14 as a hit compound that might serve as a starting point for developing potential viral entry inhibitors with possible application against coronaviruses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ahmed H E Hassan
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Mansoura University, Mansoura 35516, Egypt
| | - Selwan M El-Sayed
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Mansoura University, Mansoura 35516, Egypt
| | - Mizuki Yamamoto
- Research Center for Asian Infectious Diseases, Institute of Medical Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 108-8639, Japan
| | - Jin Gohda
- Research Center for Asian Infectious Diseases, Institute of Medical Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 108-8639, Japan
| | - Takehisa Matsumoto
- Drug Discovery Structural Biology Platform Unit, RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research, Kanagawa 230-0045, Japan
| | - Mikako Shirouzu
- Drug Discovery Structural Biology Platform Unit, RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research, Kanagawa 230-0045, Japan
| | - Jun-Ichiro Inoue
- Infection and Advanced Research Center (UTOPIA), The University of Tokyo Pandemic Preparedness, Tokyo 108-8639, Japan
| | - Yasushi Kawaguchi
- Research Center for Asian Infectious Diseases, Institute of Medical Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 108-8639, Japan
- Division of Molecular Virology, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, The Institute of Medical Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 108-8639, Japan
| | - Reem M A Mansour
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Mansoura University, Mansoura 35516, Egypt
| | - Abtin Anvari
- Master of Pharmaceutical Sciences Program, California Northstate University, 9700 W Taron Dr., Elk Grove, CA 95757, USA
| | - Abdelbasset A Farahat
- Master of Pharmaceutical Sciences Program, California Northstate University, 9700 W Taron Dr., Elk Grove, CA 95757, USA
- Department of Pharmaceutical Organic Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Mansoura University, Mansoura 35516, Egypt
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34
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Guo L, Lin S, Chen Z, Cao Y, He B, Lu G. Targetable elements in SARS-CoV-2 S2 subunit for the design of pan-coronavirus fusion inhibitors and vaccines. Signal Transduct Target Ther 2023; 8:197. [PMID: 37164987 PMCID: PMC10170451 DOI: 10.1038/s41392-023-01472-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2023] [Revised: 04/04/2023] [Accepted: 04/23/2023] [Indexed: 05/12/2023] Open
Abstract
The ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), has caused devastating impacts on the public health and the global economy. Rapid viral antigenic evolution has led to the continual generation of new variants. Of special note is the recently expanding Omicron subvariants that are capable of immune evasion from most of the existing neutralizing antibodies (nAbs). This has posed new challenges for the prevention and treatment of COVID-19. Therefore, exploring broad-spectrum antiviral agents to combat the emerging variants is imperative. In sharp contrast to the massive accumulation of mutations within the SARS-CoV-2 receptor-binding domain (RBD), the S2 fusion subunit has remained highly conserved among variants. Hence, S2-based therapeutics may provide effective cross-protection against new SARS-CoV-2 variants. Here, we summarize the most recently developed broad-spectrum fusion inhibitors (e.g., nAbs, peptides, proteins, and small-molecule compounds) and candidate vaccines targeting the conserved elements in SARS-CoV-2 S2 subunit. The main focus includes all the targetable S2 elements, namely, the fusion peptide, stem helix, and heptad repeats 1 and 2 (HR1-HR2) bundle. Moreover, we provide a detailed summary of the characteristics and action-mechanisms for each class of cross-reactive fusion inhibitors, which should guide and promote future design of S2-based inhibitors and vaccines against new coronaviruses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liyan Guo
- Department of Emergency Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, 610041, China
| | - Sheng Lin
- Department of Emergency Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, 610041, China
| | - Zimin Chen
- Department of Emergency Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, 610041, China
| | - Yu Cao
- Department of Emergency Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, 610041, China
- Disaster Medicine Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, 610041, China
| | - Bin He
- Department of Emergency Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, 610041, China.
| | - Guangwen Lu
- Department of Emergency Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, 610041, China.
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Shen J, Fan J, Zhao Y, Jiang D, Niu Z, Zhang Z, Cao G. Innate and adaptive immunity to SARS-CoV-2 and predisposing factors. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1159326. [PMID: 37228604 PMCID: PMC10203583 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1159326] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2023] [Accepted: 04/27/2023] [Indexed: 05/27/2023] Open
Abstract
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2), has affected all countries worldwide. Although some symptoms are relatively mild, others are still associated with severe and even fatal clinical outcomes. Innate and adaptive immunity are important for the control of SARS-CoV-2 infections, whereas a comprehensive characterization of the innate and adaptive immune response to COVID-19 is still lacking and the mechanisms underlying immune pathogenesis and host predisposing factors are still a matter of scientific debate. Here, the specific functions and kinetics of innate and adaptive immunity involved in SARS-CoV-2 recognition and resultant pathogenesis are discussed, as well as their immune memory for vaccinations, viral-mediated immune evasion, and the current and future immunotherapeutic agents. We also highlight host factors that contribute to infection, which may deepen the understanding of viral pathogenesis and help identify targeted therapies that attenuate severe disease and infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiaying Shen
- Tongji University School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
| | - Junyan Fan
- Department of Epidemiology, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Medical Bioprotection, Key Laboratory of Biological Defense, Ministry of Education, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yue Zhao
- Department of Epidemiology, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Medical Bioprotection, Key Laboratory of Biological Defense, Ministry of Education, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China
| | - Doming Jiang
- Tongji University School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
| | - Zheyun Niu
- Tongji University School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
| | - Zihan Zhang
- Tongji University School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
| | - Guangwen Cao
- Tongji University School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
- Department of Epidemiology, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Medical Bioprotection, Key Laboratory of Biological Defense, Ministry of Education, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China
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36
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Weiss S, Waidha K, Rajendran S, Benharroch D, Khalilia J, Levy H, Bar-David E, Golan-Goldhirsh A, Gopas J, Ben-Shmuel A. In Vitro and In Vivo Therapeutic Potential of 6,6'-Dihydroxythiobinupharidine (DTBN) from Nuphar lutea on Cells and K18- hACE2 Mice Infected with SARS-CoV-2. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24098327. [PMID: 37176034 PMCID: PMC10179516 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24098327] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2023] [Revised: 04/27/2023] [Accepted: 05/02/2023] [Indexed: 05/15/2023] Open
Abstract
We have previously published research on the anti-viral properties of an alkaloid mixture extracted from Nuphar lutea, the major components of the partially purified mixture found by NMR analysis. These are mostly dimeric sesquiterpene thioalkaloids called thiobinupharidines and thiobinuphlutidines against the negative strand RNA measles virus (MV). We have previously reported that this extract inhibits the MV as well as its ability to downregulate several MV proteins in persistently MV-infected cells, especially the P (phospho)-protein. Based on our observation that the Nuphar extract is effective in vitro against the MV, and the immediate need that the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic created, we tested here the ability of 6,6'-dihydroxythiobinupharidine DTBN, an active small molecule, isolated from the Nuphar lutea extract, on COVID-19. As shown here, DTBN effectively inhibits SARS-CoV-2 production in Vero E6 cells at non-cytotoxic concentrations. The short-term daily administration of DTBN to infected mice delayed the occurrence of severe clinical outcomes, lowered virus levels in the lungs and improved survival with minimal changes in lung histology. The viral load on lungs was significantly reduced in the treated mice. DTBN is a pleiotropic small molecule with multiple targets. Its anti-inflammatory properties affect a variety of pathogens including SARS-CoV-2 as shown here. Its activity appears to target both pathogen specific (as suggested by docking analysis) as well as cellular proteins, such as NF-κB, PKCs, cathepsins and topoisomerase 2, that we have previously identified in our work. Thus, this combined double action of virus inhibition and anti-inflammatory activity may enhance the overall effectivity of DTBN. The promising results from this proof-of-concept in vitro and in vivo preclinical study should encourage future studies to optimize the use of DTBN and/or its molecular derivatives against this and other related viruses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shay Weiss
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness Ziona 7410001, Israel
| | - Kamran Waidha
- The Shraga Segal Department of Microbiology, Immunology & Genetics, Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheva 8410501, Israel
| | - Saravanakumar Rajendran
- Chemistry Division, SAS, Vellore Institute of Technology, Chennai Campus, Chennai 600127, India
| | - Daniel Benharroch
- Department of Pathology, Soroka University Medical Center and Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheva 8410501, Israel
| | - Jannat Khalilia
- The Shraga Segal Department of Microbiology, Immunology & Genetics, Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheva 8410501, Israel
| | - Haim Levy
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness Ziona 7410001, Israel
| | - Elad Bar-David
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness Ziona 7410001, Israel
| | - Avi Golan-Goldhirsh
- The Jacob Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research (BIDR), Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Sede Boqer Campus, Sde Boker 8410501, Israel
| | - Jacob Gopas
- The Shraga Segal Department of Microbiology, Immunology & Genetics, Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheva 8410501, Israel
| | - Amir Ben-Shmuel
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness Ziona 7410001, Israel
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Santos-Mendoza T. The Envelope (E) Protein of SARS-CoV-2 as a Pharmacological Target. Viruses 2023; 15:v15041000. [PMID: 37112980 PMCID: PMC10143767 DOI: 10.3390/v15041000] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2023] [Revised: 04/17/2023] [Accepted: 04/18/2023] [Indexed: 04/29/2023] Open
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus is still a global health concern. Several spike (S) protein-based vaccines have been developed that efficiently protect the human population against severe forms of COVID-19. However, some SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern (VOCs) have emerged that evade the protective effect of vaccine-induced antibodies. Therefore, efficient and specific antiviral treatments to control COVID-19 are indispensable. To date, two drugs have been approved for mild COVID-19 treatment; nevertheless, more drugs, preferably broad-spectrum and ready-to-use therapeutic agents for new pandemics, are needed. Here, I discuss the PDZ-dependent protein-protein interactions of the viral E protein with host proteins as attractive alternatives for the development of antivirals against coronavirus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Teresa Santos-Mendoza
- Laboratory of Transcriptomics and Molecular Immunology, Instituto Nacional de Enfermedades Respiratorias Ismael Cosío Villegas, Mexico City 14080, Mexico
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Potential Anti-SARS-CoV-2 Prodrugs Activated by Phosphorylation and Their Role in the Aged Population. Molecules 2023; 28:molecules28052332. [PMID: 36903575 PMCID: PMC10004871 DOI: 10.3390/molecules28052332] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2022] [Revised: 02/25/2023] [Accepted: 02/27/2023] [Indexed: 03/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic has flared across every part of the globe and affected populations from different age groups differently. People aged from 40 to 80 years or older are at an increased risk of morbidity and mortality due to COVID-19. Therefore, there is an urgent requirement to develop therapeutics to decrease the risk of the disease in the aged population. Over the last few years, several prodrugs have demonstrated significant anti-SARS-CoV-2 effects in in vitro assays, animal models, and medical practice. Prodrugs are used to enhance drug delivery by improving pharmacokinetic parameters, decreasing toxicity, and attaining site specificity. This article discusses recently explored prodrugs such as remdesivir, molnupiravir, favipiravir, and 2-deoxy-D-glucose (2-DG) and their implications in the aged population, as well as investigating recent clinical trials.
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Hematological Questions in Personalized Management of COVID-19 Vaccination. J Pers Med 2023; 13:jpm13020259. [PMID: 36836493 PMCID: PMC9965747 DOI: 10.3390/jpm13020259] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2022] [Revised: 01/27/2023] [Accepted: 01/29/2023] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), has been causing a worldwide pandemic since 2019. Many vaccines have been manufactured and have shown promising results in reducing disease morbidity and mortality. However, a variety of vaccine-related adverse effects, including hematological events, have been reported, such as thromboembolic events, thrombocytopenia, and bleeding. Moreover, a new syndrome, vaccine-induced immune thrombotic thrombocytopenia, following vaccination against COVID-19 has been recognized. These hematologic side effects have also raised concerns about SARS-CoV-2 vaccination in patients with preexisting hematologic conditions. Patients with hematological tumors are at a higher risk of severe SARS-CoV-2 infection, and the efficacy and safety of vaccination in this group remain uncertain and have raised attention. In this review, we discuss the hematological events following COVID-19 vaccination and vaccination in patients with hematological disorders.
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Dhingra N, Bhardwaj R, Bhardwaj U, Kapoor K. Design of hACE2-based small peptide inhibitors against spike protein of SARS-CoV-2: a computational approach. Struct Chem 2023; 34:1-14. [PMID: 36714014 PMCID: PMC9875775 DOI: 10.1007/s11224-023-02125-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2022] [Accepted: 01/05/2023] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
COVID-19 which is caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has been declared pandemic in 2019. Though there is development of vaccines but there is an emergence requirement of drugs against SARS-CoV-2. Antiviral peptides can be rationally created and improved based on the known structures of viral proteins and their biological targets. In the given study, small peptide inhibitors with three amino acids are designed and docked against SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus using molecular docking approach. All the designed peptides bind at the active site but the highest binding affinity was observed for HisGluAsp. Molecular dynamics was performed to validate the stability and interactions of compound. The molecule has followed the druglikeness properties and with highest probability of being absorbed by the gastrointestinal tract. The results of the current investigation point to the possibility that the identified small peptides may prevent SARS-CoV-2 infection, although additional wet-lab tests are still required to confirm these results.
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Affiliation(s)
- Naveen Dhingra
- Department of Agriculture, Medi-Caps University, AB Road, Pigdamber, Rau, Indore, Madhya Pradesh 453331 India
| | - Ravindra Bhardwaj
- College of Arts and Science, Sikkim Professional University, Gangtok, East Sikkim 737102 India
| | - Uma Bhardwaj
- School of Sciences, Noida International University, Plot 1, Sector-17 A, Yamuna Expressway, Gautam Budh Nagar, Uttar Pradesh 203201 India
| | - Kapish Kapoor
- Department of Chemistry and Forensics, Nottingham Trent University, Nottingham, NG14FQ UK
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The Development of Pharmacophore Models for the Search of New Natural Inhibitors of SARS-CoV-2 Spike RBD-ACE2 Binding Interface. Molecules 2022; 27:molecules27248938. [PMID: 36558067 PMCID: PMC9788546 DOI: 10.3390/molecules27248938] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2022] [Revised: 12/11/2022] [Accepted: 12/12/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
To date, some succeeding variants of SARS-CoV-2 have become more contagious. This virus is known to enter human cells by binding the receptor-binding domain (RBD) of spike protein with the angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2), the latter being a membrane protein that regulates the renin-angiotensin system. Since the host cell receptor plays a critical role in viral entry, inhibition of the RBD-ACE2 complex is a promising strategy for preventing COVID-19 infection. In the present communication, we propose and utilize an approach based on the generation of a complex of pharmacophore models and subsequent Induced Fit Docking (IFD) to identify potential inhibitors of the main binding sites of the Omicron SARS-CoV-2 RBD(S1)-ACE2 complex (PDB ID: 7T9L) among a number of natural products of various types and origins. Several natural compounds have been found to provide a high affinity for the receptor of interest. It is expected that the present results will stimulate further research aimed at the development of specialized drugs against this virus.
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