1
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Li LH, Chiu W, Huang YA, Rasulova M, Vercruysse T, Thibaut HJ, Ter Horst S, Rocha-Pereira J, Vanhoof G, Borrenberghs D, Goethals O, Kaptein SJF, Leyssen P, Neyts J, Dallmeier K. Multiplexed multicolor antiviral assay amenable for high-throughput research. Nat Commun 2024; 15:42. [PMID: 38168091 PMCID: PMC10761739 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-44339-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2023] [Accepted: 12/08/2023] [Indexed: 01/05/2024] Open
Abstract
To curb viral epidemics and pandemics, antiviral drugs are needed with activity against entire genera or families of viruses. Here, we develop a cell-based multiplex antiviral assay for high-throughput screening against multiple viruses at once, as demonstrated by using three distantly related orthoflaviviruses: dengue, Japanese encephalitis and yellow fever virus. Each virus is tagged with a distinct fluorescent protein, enabling individual monitoring in cell culture through high-content imaging. Specific antisera and small-molecule inhibitors are employed to validate that multiplexing approach yields comparable inhibition profiles to single-virus infection assays. To facilitate downstream analysis, a kernel is developed to deconvolute and reduce the multidimensional quantitative data to three cartesian coordinates. The methodology is applicable to viruses from different families as exemplified by co-infections with chikungunya, parainfluenza and Bunyamwera viruses. The multiplex approach is expected to facilitate the discovery of broader-spectrum antivirals, as shown in a pilot screen of approximately 1200 drug-like small-molecules.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li-Hsin Li
- KU Leuven Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Rega Institute, Laboratory of Virology and Chemotherapy, Leuven, Belgium
- Molecular Vaccinology and Vaccine Discovery group, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Winston Chiu
- KU Leuven Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Rega Institute, Laboratory of Virology and Chemotherapy, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Yun-An Huang
- KU Leuven Department of Neuroscience, Research Group Neurophysiology, Laboratory for Circuit Neuroscience, Leuven, Belgium
- Vlaams Instituut voor Biotechnologie, Neuro-Electronics Research Flanders (NERF), Leuven, Belgium
| | - Madina Rasulova
- KU Leuven Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Rega Institute, Laboratory of Virology and Chemotherapy, Translational Platform Virology and Chemotherapy (TPVC), Leuven, Belgium
| | - Thomas Vercruysse
- KU Leuven Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Rega Institute, Laboratory of Virology and Chemotherapy, Translational Platform Virology and Chemotherapy (TPVC), Leuven, Belgium
- AstriVax, Heverlee, Belgium
| | - Hendrik Jan Thibaut
- KU Leuven Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Rega Institute, Laboratory of Virology and Chemotherapy, Translational Platform Virology and Chemotherapy (TPVC), Leuven, Belgium
| | - Sebastiaan Ter Horst
- KU Leuven Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Rega Institute, Laboratory of Virology and Chemotherapy, Leuven, Belgium
- Cerba Research, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Joana Rocha-Pereira
- KU Leuven Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Rega Institute, Laboratory of Virology and Chemotherapy, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Greet Vanhoof
- Janssen Therapeutics Discovery, Janssen Pharmaceutica, NV, Beerse, Belgium
| | | | - Olivia Goethals
- Janssen Global Public Health, Janssen Pharmaceutica, NV, Beerse, Belgium
| | - Suzanne J F Kaptein
- KU Leuven Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Rega Institute, Laboratory of Virology and Chemotherapy, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Pieter Leyssen
- KU Leuven Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Rega Institute, Laboratory of Virology and Chemotherapy, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Johan Neyts
- KU Leuven Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Rega Institute, Laboratory of Virology and Chemotherapy, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Kai Dallmeier
- KU Leuven Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Rega Institute, Laboratory of Virology and Chemotherapy, Leuven, Belgium.
- Molecular Vaccinology and Vaccine Discovery group, Leuven, Belgium.
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2
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Foo CS, Abdelnabi R, Kaptein SJF, Zhang X, Ter Horst S, Mols R, Delang L, Rocha-Pereira J, Coelmont L, Leyssen P, Dallmeier K, Vergote V, Heylen E, Vangeel L, Chatterjee AK, Annaert PP, Augustijns PF, De Jonghe S, Jochmans D, Gouwy M, Cambier S, Vandooren J, Proost P, van Laer C, Weynand B, Neyts J. HIV protease inhibitors Nelfinavir and Lopinavir/Ritonavir markedly improve lung pathology in SARS-CoV-2-infected Syrian hamsters despite lack of an antiviral effect. Antiviral Res 2022; 202:105311. [PMID: 35390430 PMCID: PMC8978445 DOI: 10.1016/j.antiviral.2022.105311] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2022] [Revised: 03/24/2022] [Accepted: 03/26/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Nelfinavir is an HIV protease inhibitor that has been widely prescribed as a component of highly active antiretroviral therapy, and has been reported to exert in vitro antiviral activity against SARS-CoV-2. We here assessed the effect of Nelfinavir in a SARS-CoV-2 infection model in hamsters. Despite the fact that Nelfinavir, [50 mg/kg twice daily (BID) for four consecutive days], did not reduce viral RNA load and infectious virus titres in the lung of infected animals, treatment resulted in a substantial improvement of SARS-CoV-2-induced lung pathology. This was accompanied by a dense infiltration of neutrophils in the lung interstitium which was similarly observed in non-infected hamsters. Nelfinavir resulted also in a marked increase in activated neutrophils in the blood, as observed in non-infected animals. Although Nelfinavir treatment did not alter the expression of chemoattractant receptors or adhesion molecules on human neutrophils, in vitro migration of human neutrophils to the major human neutrophil attractant CXCL8 was augmented by this protease inhibitor. Nelfinavir appears to induce an immunomodulatory effect associated with increasing neutrophil number and functionality, which may be linked to the marked improvement in SARS-CoV-2 lung pathology independent of its lack of antiviral activity. Since Nelfinavir is no longer used for the treatment of HIV, we studied the effect of two other HIV protease inhibitors, namely the combination Lopinavir/Ritonavir (Kaletra™) in this model. This combination resulted in a similar protective effect as Nelfinavir against SARS-CoV2 induced lung pathology in hamsters. Nelfinavir and lopinavir/ritonavir are FDA-approved HIV-protease inhibitors that inhibit SARS-CoV-2 replication in vitro. In hamsters, both compounds did not reduce viral loads but resulted in marked improvement of virus-induced lung pathology. Histopathology revealed a dense infiltration of neutrophils in the lungs of animals treated with these protease inhibitors. Nelfinavir treatment resulted also in a marked increase in activated neutrophils in the blood of treated hamsters. These data suggest that these compounds induce immunomodulatory effects, resulting in improvement of the lung pathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caroline S Foo
- KU Leuven Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Rega Institute for Medical Research, Laboratory of Virology and Chemotherapy, B-3000, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Rana Abdelnabi
- KU Leuven Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Rega Institute for Medical Research, Laboratory of Virology and Chemotherapy, B-3000, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Suzanne J F Kaptein
- KU Leuven Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Rega Institute for Medical Research, Laboratory of Virology and Chemotherapy, B-3000, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Xin Zhang
- KU Leuven Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Rega Institute for Medical Research, Laboratory of Virology and Chemotherapy, B-3000, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Sebastiaan Ter Horst
- KU Leuven Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Rega Institute for Medical Research, Laboratory of Virology and Chemotherapy, B-3000, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Raf Mols
- KU Leuven, Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, Drug Delivery & Disposition, Box 921, 3000, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Leen Delang
- KU Leuven Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Rega Institute for Medical Research, Laboratory of Virology and Chemotherapy, B-3000, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Joana Rocha-Pereira
- KU Leuven Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Rega Institute for Medical Research, Laboratory of Virology and Chemotherapy, B-3000, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Lotte Coelmont
- KU Leuven Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Rega Institute for Medical Research, Laboratory of Virology and Chemotherapy, B-3000, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Pieter Leyssen
- KU Leuven Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Rega Institute for Medical Research, Laboratory of Virology and Chemotherapy, B-3000, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Kai Dallmeier
- KU Leuven Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Rega Institute for Medical Research, Laboratory of Virology and Chemotherapy, B-3000, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Valentijn Vergote
- KU Leuven Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Rega Institute for Medical Research, Laboratory of Virology and Chemotherapy, B-3000, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Elisabeth Heylen
- KU Leuven Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Rega Institute for Medical Research, Laboratory of Virology and Chemotherapy, B-3000, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Laura Vangeel
- KU Leuven Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Rega Institute for Medical Research, Laboratory of Virology and Chemotherapy, B-3000, Leuven, Belgium
| | | | - Pieter P Annaert
- KU Leuven, Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, Drug Delivery & Disposition, Box 921, 3000, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Patrick F Augustijns
- KU Leuven, Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, Drug Delivery & Disposition, Box 921, 3000, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Steven De Jonghe
- KU Leuven Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Rega Institute for Medical Research, Laboratory of Virology and Chemotherapy, B-3000, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Dirk Jochmans
- KU Leuven Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Rega Institute for Medical Research, Laboratory of Virology and Chemotherapy, B-3000, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Mieke Gouwy
- KU Leuven Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Rega Institute for Medical Research, Laboratory of Molecular Immunology, B-3000, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Seppe Cambier
- KU Leuven Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Rega Institute for Medical Research, Laboratory of Molecular Immunology, B-3000, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Jennifer Vandooren
- KU Leuven Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Rega Institute for Medical Research, Laboratory of Immunobiology, B-3000, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Paul Proost
- KU Leuven Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Rega Institute for Medical Research, Laboratory of Molecular Immunology, B-3000, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Christine van Laer
- Clinical Department of Laboratory Medicine, University Hospital Leuven, Leuven, Belgium; Department of Cardiovascular Sciences, Centre for Molecular and Vascular Biology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Birgit Weynand
- KU Leuven Department of Imaging and Pathology, Division of Translational Cell and Tissue Research, B-3000, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Johan Neyts
- KU Leuven Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Rega Institute for Medical Research, Laboratory of Virology and Chemotherapy, B-3000, Leuven, Belgium; GVN, Global Virus Network, Baltimore, MD, USA.
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3
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Schepens B, van Schie L, Nerinckx W, Roose K, Van Breedam W, Fijalkowska D, Devos S, Weyts W, De Cae S, Vanmarcke S, Lonigro C, Eeckhaut H, Van Herpe D, Borloo J, Oliveira AF, Catani JPP, Creytens S, De Vlieger D, Michielsen G, Marchan JCZ, Moschonas GD, Rossey I, Sedeyn K, Van Hecke A, Zhang X, Langendries L, Jacobs S, Ter Horst S, Seldeslachts L, Liesenborghs L, Boudewijns R, Thibaut HJ, Dallmeier K, Velde GV, Weynand B, Beer J, Schnepf D, Ohnemus A, Remory I, Foo CS, Abdelnabi R, Maes P, Kaptein SJF, Rocha-Pereira J, Jochmans D, Delang L, Peelman F, Staeheli P, Schwemmle M, Devoogdt N, Tersago D, Germani M, Heads J, Henry A, Popplewell A, Ellis M, Brady K, Turner A, Dombrecht B, Stortelers C, Neyts J, Callewaert N, Saelens X. An affinity-enhanced, broadly neutralizing heavy chain-only antibody protects against SARS-CoV-2 infection in animal models. Sci Transl Med 2021; 13:eabi7826. [PMID: 34609205 PMCID: PMC9924070 DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.abi7826] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Broadly neutralizing antibodies are an important treatment for individuals with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Antibody-based therapeutics are also essential for pandemic preparedness against future Sarbecovirus outbreaks. Camelid-derived single domain antibodies (VHHs) exhibit potent antimicrobial activity and are being developed as SARS-CoV-2–neutralizing antibody-like therapeutics. Here, we identified VHHs that neutralize both SARS-CoV-1 and SARS-CoV-2, including now circulating variants. We observed that the VHHs bound to a highly conserved epitope in the receptor binding domain of the viral spike protein that is difficult to access for human antibodies. Structure-guided molecular modeling, combined with rapid yeast-based prototyping, resulted in an affinity enhanced VHH-human immunoglobulin G1 Fc fusion molecule with subnanomolar neutralizing activity. This VHH-Fc fusion protein, produced in and purified from cultured Chinese hamster ovary cells, controlled SARS-CoV-2 replication in prophylactic and therapeutic settings in mice expressing human angiotensin converting enzyme 2 and in hamsters infected with SARS-CoV-2. These data led to affinity-enhanced selection of the VHH, XVR011, a stable anti–COVID-19 biologic that is now being evaluated in the clinic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bert Schepens
- VIB-UGent Center for Medical Biotechnology, VIB, Technologiepark-Zwijnaarde 75, 9052 Ghent, Belgium.,Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Ghent University, Technologiepark-Zwijnaarde 75, 9052 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Loes van Schie
- VIB-UGent Center for Medical Biotechnology, VIB, Technologiepark-Zwijnaarde 75, 9052 Ghent, Belgium.,Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Ghent University, Technologiepark-Zwijnaarde 75, 9052 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Wim Nerinckx
- VIB-UGent Center for Medical Biotechnology, VIB, Technologiepark-Zwijnaarde 75, 9052 Ghent, Belgium.,Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Ghent University, Technologiepark-Zwijnaarde 75, 9052 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Kenny Roose
- VIB-UGent Center for Medical Biotechnology, VIB, Technologiepark-Zwijnaarde 75, 9052 Ghent, Belgium.,Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Ghent University, Technologiepark-Zwijnaarde 75, 9052 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Wander Van Breedam
- VIB-UGent Center for Medical Biotechnology, VIB, Technologiepark-Zwijnaarde 75, 9052 Ghent, Belgium.,Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Ghent University, Technologiepark-Zwijnaarde 75, 9052 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Daria Fijalkowska
- VIB-UGent Center for Medical Biotechnology, VIB, Technologiepark-Zwijnaarde 75, 9052 Ghent, Belgium.,Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Ghent University, Technologiepark-Zwijnaarde 75, 9052 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Simon Devos
- VIB-UGent Center for Medical Biotechnology, VIB, Technologiepark-Zwijnaarde 75, 9052 Ghent, Belgium.,Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Ghent University, Technologiepark-Zwijnaarde 75, 9052 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Wannes Weyts
- VIB-UGent Center for Medical Biotechnology, VIB, Technologiepark-Zwijnaarde 75, 9052 Ghent, Belgium.,Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Ghent University, Technologiepark-Zwijnaarde 75, 9052 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Sieglinde De Cae
- VIB-UGent Center for Medical Biotechnology, VIB, Technologiepark-Zwijnaarde 75, 9052 Ghent, Belgium.,Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Ghent University, Technologiepark-Zwijnaarde 75, 9052 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Sandrine Vanmarcke
- VIB-UGent Center for Medical Biotechnology, VIB, Technologiepark-Zwijnaarde 75, 9052 Ghent, Belgium.,Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Ghent University, Technologiepark-Zwijnaarde 75, 9052 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Chiara Lonigro
- VIB-UGent Center for Medical Biotechnology, VIB, Technologiepark-Zwijnaarde 75, 9052 Ghent, Belgium.,Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Ghent University, Technologiepark-Zwijnaarde 75, 9052 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Hannah Eeckhaut
- VIB-UGent Center for Medical Biotechnology, VIB, Technologiepark-Zwijnaarde 75, 9052 Ghent, Belgium.,Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Ghent University, Technologiepark-Zwijnaarde 75, 9052 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Dries Van Herpe
- VIB-UGent Center for Medical Biotechnology, VIB, Technologiepark-Zwijnaarde 75, 9052 Ghent, Belgium.,Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Ghent University, Technologiepark-Zwijnaarde 75, 9052 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Jimmy Borloo
- VIB Discovery Sciences, Technologiepark-Zwijnaarde 104B, 9052 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Ana Filipa Oliveira
- VIB Discovery Sciences, Technologiepark-Zwijnaarde 104B, 9052 Ghent, Belgium
| | - João Paulo Portela Catani
- VIB-UGent Center for Medical Biotechnology, VIB, Technologiepark-Zwijnaarde 75, 9052 Ghent, Belgium.,Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Ghent University, Technologiepark-Zwijnaarde 75, 9052 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Sarah Creytens
- VIB-UGent Center for Medical Biotechnology, VIB, Technologiepark-Zwijnaarde 75, 9052 Ghent, Belgium.,Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Ghent University, Technologiepark-Zwijnaarde 75, 9052 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Dorien De Vlieger
- VIB-UGent Center for Medical Biotechnology, VIB, Technologiepark-Zwijnaarde 75, 9052 Ghent, Belgium.,Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Ghent University, Technologiepark-Zwijnaarde 75, 9052 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Gitte Michielsen
- VIB-UGent Center for Medical Biotechnology, VIB, Technologiepark-Zwijnaarde 75, 9052 Ghent, Belgium.,Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Ghent University, Technologiepark-Zwijnaarde 75, 9052 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Jackeline Cecilia Zavala Marchan
- VIB-UGent Center for Medical Biotechnology, VIB, Technologiepark-Zwijnaarde 75, 9052 Ghent, Belgium.,Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Ghent University, Technologiepark-Zwijnaarde 75, 9052 Ghent, Belgium
| | - George D Moschonas
- VIB-UGent Center for Medical Biotechnology, VIB, Technologiepark-Zwijnaarde 75, 9052 Ghent, Belgium.,Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Ghent University, Technologiepark-Zwijnaarde 75, 9052 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Iebe Rossey
- VIB-UGent Center for Medical Biotechnology, VIB, Technologiepark-Zwijnaarde 75, 9052 Ghent, Belgium.,Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Ghent University, Technologiepark-Zwijnaarde 75, 9052 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Koen Sedeyn
- VIB-UGent Center for Medical Biotechnology, VIB, Technologiepark-Zwijnaarde 75, 9052 Ghent, Belgium.,Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Ghent University, Technologiepark-Zwijnaarde 75, 9052 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Annelies Van Hecke
- VIB-UGent Center for Medical Biotechnology, VIB, Technologiepark-Zwijnaarde 75, 9052 Ghent, Belgium.,Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Ghent University, Technologiepark-Zwijnaarde 75, 9052 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Xin Zhang
- KU Leuven Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Laboratory of Virology and Chemotherapy, Rega Institute, 3000 Leuven, Belgium.,GVN, Global Virus Network, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA
| | - Lana Langendries
- KU Leuven Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Laboratory of Virology and Chemotherapy, Rega Institute, 3000 Leuven, Belgium.,GVN, Global Virus Network, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA
| | - Sofie Jacobs
- KU Leuven Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Laboratory of Virology and Chemotherapy, Rega Institute, 3000 Leuven, Belgium.,GVN, Global Virus Network, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA
| | - Sebastiaan Ter Horst
- KU Leuven Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Laboratory of Virology and Chemotherapy, Rega Institute, 3000 Leuven, Belgium.,GVN, Global Virus Network, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA
| | - Laura Seldeslachts
- KU Leuven Department of Imaging and Pathology, Biomedical MRI and MoSAIC, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Laurens Liesenborghs
- KU Leuven Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Laboratory of Virology and Chemotherapy, Rega Institute, 3000 Leuven, Belgium.,GVN, Global Virus Network, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA
| | - Robbert Boudewijns
- KU Leuven Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Laboratory of Virology and Chemotherapy, Rega Institute, 3000 Leuven, Belgium.,GVN, Global Virus Network, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA.,KU Leuven Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Rega Institute, Laboratory of Virology and Chemotherapy, Molecular Vaccinology and Vaccine Discovery Group, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Hendrik Jan Thibaut
- KU Leuven Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Laboratory of Virology and Chemotherapy, Rega Institute, 3000 Leuven, Belgium.,KU Leuven Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Rega Institute, Laboratory of Virology and Chemotherapy, Molecular Vaccinology and Vaccine Discovery Group, 3000 Leuven, Belgium.,KU Leuven Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Translational Platform Virology and Chemotherapy (TPVC), Rega Institute, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Kai Dallmeier
- KU Leuven Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Laboratory of Virology and Chemotherapy, Rega Institute, 3000 Leuven, Belgium.,GVN, Global Virus Network, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA.,KU Leuven Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Rega Institute, Laboratory of Virology and Chemotherapy, Molecular Vaccinology and Vaccine Discovery Group, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Greetje Vande Velde
- KU Leuven Department of Imaging and Pathology, Biomedical MRI and MoSAIC, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Birgit Weynand
- KU Leuven Department of Imaging and Pathology, Division of Translational Cell and Tissue Research, Translational Cell and Tissue Research, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Julius Beer
- Institute of Virology, Medical Center University Freiburg, 79104 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Daniel Schnepf
- Institute of Virology, Medical Center University Freiburg, 79104 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Annette Ohnemus
- Institute of Virology, Medical Center University Freiburg, 79104 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Isabel Remory
- Department of Medical Imaging, In vivo Cellular and Molecular Imaging Laboratory, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Laarbeeklaan 103, 1090 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Caroline S Foo
- KU Leuven Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Laboratory of Virology and Chemotherapy, Rega Institute, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Rana Abdelnabi
- KU Leuven Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Laboratory of Virology and Chemotherapy, Rega Institute, 3000 Leuven, Belgium.,GVN, Global Virus Network, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA
| | - Piet Maes
- KU Leuven, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Laboratory of Clinical and Epidemiological Virology, Rega Institute, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Suzanne J F Kaptein
- KU Leuven Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Laboratory of Virology and Chemotherapy, Rega Institute, 3000 Leuven, Belgium.,GVN, Global Virus Network, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA
| | - Joana Rocha-Pereira
- KU Leuven Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Laboratory of Virology and Chemotherapy, Rega Institute, 3000 Leuven, Belgium.,GVN, Global Virus Network, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA
| | - Dirk Jochmans
- KU Leuven Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Laboratory of Virology and Chemotherapy, Rega Institute, 3000 Leuven, Belgium.,GVN, Global Virus Network, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA
| | - Leen Delang
- KU Leuven Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Laboratory of Virology and Chemotherapy, Rega Institute, 3000 Leuven, Belgium.,GVN, Global Virus Network, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA
| | - Frank Peelman
- VIB-UGent Center for Medical Biotechnology, VIB, Technologiepark-Zwijnaarde 75, 9052 Ghent, Belgium.,Department of Biomolecular Medicine, Ghent University, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Peter Staeheli
- Institute of Virology, Medical Center University Freiburg, 79104 Freiburg, Germany.,Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, 79110 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Martin Schwemmle
- Institute of Virology, Medical Center University Freiburg, 79104 Freiburg, Germany.,Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, 79110 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Nick Devoogdt
- Department of Medical Imaging, In vivo Cellular and Molecular Imaging Laboratory, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Laarbeeklaan 103, 1090 Brussels, Belgium
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Bruno Dombrecht
- VIB Discovery Sciences, Technologiepark-Zwijnaarde 104B, 9052 Ghent, Belgium
| | | | - Johan Neyts
- KU Leuven Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Laboratory of Virology and Chemotherapy, Rega Institute, 3000 Leuven, Belgium.,GVN, Global Virus Network, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA.,KU Leuven Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Rega Institute, Laboratory of Virology and Chemotherapy, Molecular Vaccinology and Vaccine Discovery Group, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Nico Callewaert
- VIB-UGent Center for Medical Biotechnology, VIB, Technologiepark-Zwijnaarde 75, 9052 Ghent, Belgium.,Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Ghent University, Technologiepark-Zwijnaarde 75, 9052 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Xavier Saelens
- VIB-UGent Center for Medical Biotechnology, VIB, Technologiepark-Zwijnaarde 75, 9052 Ghent, Belgium.,Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Ghent University, Technologiepark-Zwijnaarde 75, 9052 Ghent, Belgium
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4
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Ter Horst S, Chiu W, Neyts J, Rocha-Pereira J. Screening and in vitro antiviral assessment of small molecules against fluorescent protein-expressing Bunyamwera virus in a cell-based assay using high-content imaging. Antivir Chem Chemother 2021; 29:20402066211033478. [PMID: 34378414 PMCID: PMC8361537 DOI: 10.1177/20402066211033478] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Many species of the order Bunyavirales contain potentially fatal viruses that lack effective medical countermeasures and are therefore collectively a major public health threat. Here, we describe a cell-based assay using Bunyamwera virus (BUNV)-mCherry to identify and characterize new antiviral molecules against bunyaviruses. BUNV is the type species for the genus Orthobunyavirus and has been reported to cause mild symptoms in humans, such as fever, joint pain, and rash. One major benefit of using our fluorescence-based assay over classical CPE-based assays is the fact that the antiviral effect of the tested compounds and their effect on the cell viability can be determined within the same assay well. For that reason, this type of assay could significantly advance our preclinical efforts towards finding new antiviral molecules against bunyaviruses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sebastiaan Ter Horst
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Rega Institute for Medical Research, Laboratory of Virology and Chemotherapy, KU Leuven - University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Winston Chiu
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Rega Institute for Medical Research, Laboratory of Virology and Chemotherapy, KU Leuven - University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Johan Neyts
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Rega Institute for Medical Research, Laboratory of Virology and Chemotherapy, KU Leuven - University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Joana Rocha-Pereira
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Rega Institute for Medical Research, Laboratory of Virology and Chemotherapy, KU Leuven - University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
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Ter Horst S, Fernandez-Garcia Y, Bassetto M, Günther S, Brancale A, Neyts J, Rocha-Pereira J. Enhanced efficacy of endonuclease inhibitor baloxavir acid against orthobunyaviruses when used in combination with ribavirin. J Antimicrob Chemother 2021; 75:3189-3193. [PMID: 32766680 DOI: 10.1093/jac/dkaa337] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2020] [Accepted: 07/30/2020] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Baloxavir acid is an endonuclease inhibitor approved for use against influenza. We evaluated whether this compound also targets the endonuclease domain of orthobunyaviruses and therefore could potentially be used against orthobunyavirus infections. METHODS We performed a thermal shift assay and a fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET)-based nuclease monitoring assay using the La Crosse virus (LACV) endonuclease and baloxavir acid to prove their interaction and identify an inhibitory effect. Their interaction was further studied in a docking simulation using Glide SP. We show that baloxavir acid inhibits the viral replication of Bunyamwera virus (BUNV)-mCherry in vitro using high-content imaging and virus yield assay. Lastly, we investigated the use of baloxavir acid in combination with ribavirin in vitro by implementing the Zero Interaction Potency response surface model. RESULTS We show that baloxavir acid augments LACV enzyme's melting temperature with ΔTm 9.5 ± 0.4°C and inhibited substrate cleavage with IC50 0.39 ± 0.03 μM. Moreover, our docking simulation suggests that baloxavir acid is able to establish an efficient binding with the LACV endonuclease. In the cell-based assay, we observed that baloxavir acid and ribavirin inhibited BUNV-mCherry with an EC50 of 0.7 ± 0.2 μM and 26.6 ± 8.9 μM, respectively. When used in combination, we found a maximum synergistic effect of 8.64. CONCLUSIONS The influenza endonuclease inhibitor baloxavir acid is able to bind to and interfere with the endonuclease domain of orthobunyaviruses and yields a more potent antiviral effect than ribavirin against BUNV-mCherry. The combination of both compounds results in a more potent antiviral effect, suggesting that these molecules could potentially be combined to treat orthobunyavirus-infected patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sebastiaan Ter Horst
- KU Leuven, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Rega Institute, Laboratory of Virology and Chemotherapy, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Yaiza Fernandez-Garcia
- Department of Virology, Bernhard-Nocht-Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Marcella Bassetto
- Department of Chemistry, College of Science, Swansea University, Swansea, UK
| | - Stephan Günther
- Department of Virology, Bernhard-Nocht-Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Andrea Brancale
- School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK
| | - Johan Neyts
- KU Leuven, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Rega Institute, Laboratory of Virology and Chemotherapy, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Joana Rocha-Pereira
- KU Leuven, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Rega Institute, Laboratory of Virology and Chemotherapy, Leuven, Belgium
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Kaptein SJF, Jacobs S, Langendries L, Seldeslachts L, Ter Horst S, Liesenborghs L, Hens B, Vergote V, Heylen E, Barthelemy K, Maas E, De Keyzer C, Bervoets L, Rymenants J, Van Buyten T, Zhang X, Abdelnabi R, Pang J, Williams R, Thibaut HJ, Dallmeier K, Boudewijns R, Wouters J, Augustijns P, Verougstraete N, Cawthorne C, Breuer J, Solas C, Weynand B, Annaert P, Spriet I, Vande Velde G, Neyts J, Rocha-Pereira J, Delang L. Favipiravir at high doses has potent antiviral activity in SARS-CoV-2-infected hamsters, whereas hydroxychloroquine lacks activity. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2020; 117:26955-26965. [PMID: 33037151 PMCID: PMC7604414 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2014441117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 187] [Impact Index Per Article: 46.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) rapidly spread around the globe after its emergence in Wuhan in December 2019. With no specific therapeutic and prophylactic options available, the virus has infected millions of people of which more than half a million succumbed to the viral disease, COVID-19. The urgent need for an effective treatment together with a lack of small animal infection models has led to clinical trials using repurposed drugs without preclinical evidence of their in vivo efficacy. We established an infection model in Syrian hamsters to evaluate the efficacy of small molecules on both infection and transmission. Treatment of SARS-CoV-2-infected hamsters with a low dose of favipiravir or hydroxychloroquine with(out) azithromycin resulted in, respectively, a mild or no reduction in virus levels. However, high doses of favipiravir significantly reduced infectious virus titers in the lungs and markedly improved lung histopathology. Moreover, a high dose of favipiravir decreased virus transmission by direct contact, whereas hydroxychloroquine failed as prophylaxis. Pharmacokinetic modeling of hydroxychloroquine suggested that the total lung exposure to the drug did not cause the failure. Our data on hydroxychloroquine (together with previous reports in macaques and ferrets) thus provide no scientific basis for the use of this drug in COVID-19 patients. In contrast, the results with favipiravir demonstrate that an antiviral drug at nontoxic doses exhibits a marked protective effect against SARS-CoV-2 in a small animal model. Clinical studies are required to assess whether a similar antiviral effect is achievable in humans without toxic effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Suzanne J F Kaptein
- Laboratory of Virology and Chemotherapy, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Rega Institute for Medical Research, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, B-3000 Leuven, Belgium;
| | - Sofie Jacobs
- Laboratory of Virology and Chemotherapy, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Rega Institute for Medical Research, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, B-3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Lana Langendries
- Laboratory of Virology and Chemotherapy, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Rega Institute for Medical Research, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, B-3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Laura Seldeslachts
- Biomedical MRI and Molecular Small Animal Imaging Centre, Department of Imaging and Pathology, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, B-3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Sebastiaan Ter Horst
- Laboratory of Virology and Chemotherapy, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Rega Institute for Medical Research, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, B-3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Laurens Liesenborghs
- Laboratory of Virology and Chemotherapy, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Rega Institute for Medical Research, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, B-3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Bart Hens
- Drug Delivery & Disposition, Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Valentijn Vergote
- Laboratory of Virology and Chemotherapy, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Rega Institute for Medical Research, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, B-3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Elisabeth Heylen
- Laboratory of Virology and Chemotherapy, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Rega Institute for Medical Research, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, B-3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Karine Barthelemy
- Unité des Virus Emergents, Aix Marseille University, Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD) 190, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM) 1207, 13005 Marseille, France
| | - Elke Maas
- Laboratory of Virology and Chemotherapy, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Rega Institute for Medical Research, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, B-3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Carolien De Keyzer
- Laboratory of Virology and Chemotherapy, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Rega Institute for Medical Research, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, B-3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Lindsey Bervoets
- Laboratory of Virology and Chemotherapy, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Rega Institute for Medical Research, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, B-3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Jasper Rymenants
- Laboratory of Virology and Chemotherapy, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Rega Institute for Medical Research, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, B-3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Tina Van Buyten
- Laboratory of Virology and Chemotherapy, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Rega Institute for Medical Research, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, B-3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Xin Zhang
- Laboratory of Virology and Chemotherapy, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Rega Institute for Medical Research, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, B-3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Rana Abdelnabi
- Laboratory of Virology and Chemotherapy, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Rega Institute for Medical Research, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, B-3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Juanita Pang
- UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, University College London, WC1N 1EH London, United Kingdom
| | - Rachel Williams
- UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, University College London, WC1N 1EH London, United Kingdom
| | - Hendrik Jan Thibaut
- Laboratory of Virology and Chemotherapy, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Rega Institute for Medical Research, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, B-3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Kai Dallmeier
- Laboratory of Virology and Chemotherapy, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Rega Institute for Medical Research, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, B-3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Robbert Boudewijns
- Laboratory of Virology and Chemotherapy, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Rega Institute for Medical Research, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, B-3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Jens Wouters
- Molecular Small Animal Imaging Centre, Department of Imaging and Pathology, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, B-3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Patrick Augustijns
- Drug Delivery & Disposition, Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Nick Verougstraete
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Ghent University Hospital, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Christopher Cawthorne
- Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, Department of Imaging and Pathology, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, B-3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Judith Breuer
- UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, University College London, WC1N 1EH London, United Kingdom
| | - Caroline Solas
- Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Marseille, Aix-Marseille University, Unité des Virus Emergents, Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD) 190, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM) 1207, Laboratoire de Pharmacocinétique et Toxicologie, 13005 Marseille, France
| | - Birgit Weynand
- Translational Cell and Tissue Research, Department of Imaging and Pathology, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, B-3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Pieter Annaert
- Drug Delivery & Disposition, Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Isabel Spriet
- Pharmacy Department, University Hospitals Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven-University of Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Greetje Vande Velde
- Biomedical MRI and Molecular Small Animal Imaging Centre, Department of Imaging and Pathology, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, B-3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Johan Neyts
- Laboratory of Virology and Chemotherapy, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Rega Institute for Medical Research, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, B-3000 Leuven, Belgium;
- Global Virus Network, Baltimore, MD 21201
| | - Joana Rocha-Pereira
- Laboratory of Virology and Chemotherapy, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Rega Institute for Medical Research, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, B-3000 Leuven, Belgium;
| | - Leen Delang
- Laboratory of Virology and Chemotherapy, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Rega Institute for Medical Research, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, B-3000 Leuven, Belgium;
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Fernández-García Y, Horst ST, Bassetto M, Brancale A, Neyts J, Rogolino D, Sechi M, Carcelli M, Günther S, Rocha-Pereira J. Diketo acids inhibit the cap-snatching endonuclease of several Bunyavirales. Antiviral Res 2020; 183:104947. [PMID: 32980445 DOI: 10.1016/j.antiviral.2020.104947] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2020] [Revised: 08/26/2020] [Accepted: 08/29/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Several fatal bunyavirus infections lack specific treatment. Here, we show that diketo acids engage a panel of bunyavirus cap-snatching endonucleases, inhibit their catalytic activity and reduce viral replication of a taxonomic representative in vitro. Specifically, the non-salt form of L-742,001 and its derivatives exhibited EC50 values between 5.6 and 6.9 μM against a recombinant BUNV-mCherry virus. Structural analysis and molecular docking simulations identified traits of both the class of chemical entities and the viral target that could help the design of novel, more potent molecules for the development of pan-bunyavirus antivirals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yaiza Fernández-García
- Department of Virology, Bernhard-Nocht-Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany.
| | | | - Marcella Bassetto
- Department of Chemistry, College of Science, Swansea University, United Kingdom
| | - Andrea Brancale
- Cardiff School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Cardiff University, United Kingdom
| | - Johan Neyts
- KU Leuven, Rega Institute for Medical Research, Belgium
| | - Dominga Rogolino
- Department of Chemistry, Life Sciences and Environmental Sustainability, University of Parma, Parco Area Delle Scienze, Parma, Italy
| | - Mario Sechi
- Department of Chemistry and Pharmacy, Laboratory of Drug Design and Nanomedicine, University of Sassari, Italy
| | - Mauro Carcelli
- Department of Chemistry, Life Sciences and Environmental Sustainability, University of Parma, Parco Area Delle Scienze, Parma, Italy
| | - Stephan Günther
- Department of Virology, Bernhard-Nocht-Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany
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8
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Ter Horst S, Conceição-Neto N, Neyts J, Rocha-Pereira J. Structural and functional similarities in bunyaviruses: Perspectives for pan-bunya antivirals. Rev Med Virol 2019; 29:e2039. [PMID: 30746831 PMCID: PMC7169261 DOI: 10.1002/rmv.2039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2018] [Revised: 11/29/2018] [Accepted: 01/17/2019] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
The order of Bunyavirales includes numerous (re)emerging viruses that collectively have a major impact on human and animal health worldwide. There are no vaccines for human use or antiviral drugs available to prevent or treat infections with any of these viruses. The development of efficacious and safe drugs and vaccines is a pressing matter. Ideally, such antivirals possess pan‐bunyavirus antiviral activity, allowing the containment of every bunya‐related threat. The fact that many bunyaviruses need to be handled in laboratories with biosafety level 3 or 4, the great variety of species and the frequent emergence of novel species complicate such efforts. We here examined the potential druggable targets of bunyaviruses, together with the level of conservation of their biological functions, structure, and genetic similarity by means of heatmap analysis. In the light of this, we revised the available models and tools currently available, pointing out directions for antiviral drug discovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sebastiaan Ter Horst
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Rega Institute for Medical Research, Laboratory of Virology and Chemotherapy, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Nádia Conceição-Neto
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Rega Institute for Medical Research, Laboratory of Clinical and Epidemiological Virology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Johan Neyts
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Rega Institute for Medical Research, Laboratory of Virology and Chemotherapy, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Joana Rocha-Pereira
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Rega Institute for Medical Research, Laboratory of Virology and Chemotherapy, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
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