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1.
mBio ; 13(2): e0370521, 2022 04 26.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-1714363

ABSTRACT

Combinations of direct-acting antivirals are needed to minimize drug resistance mutations and stably suppress replication of RNA viruses. Currently, there are limited therapeutic options against the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), and testing of a number of drug regimens has led to conflicting results. Here, we show that cobicistat, which is an FDA-approved drug booster that blocks the activity of the drug-metabolizing proteins cytochrome P450-3As (CYP3As) and P-glycoprotein (P-gp), inhibits SARS-CoV-2 replication. Two independent cell-to-cell membrane fusion assays showed that the antiviral effect of cobicistat is exerted through inhibition of spike protein-mediated membrane fusion. In line with this, incubation with low-micromolar concentrations of cobicistat decreased viral replication in three different cell lines including cells of lung and gut origin. When cobicistat was used in combination with remdesivir, a synergistic effect on the inhibition of viral replication was observed in cell lines and in a primary human colon organoid. This was consistent with the effects of cobicistat on two of its known targets, CYP3A4 and P-gp, the silencing of which boosted the in vitro antiviral activity of remdesivir in a cobicistat-like manner. When administered in vivo to Syrian hamsters at a high dose, cobicistat decreased viral load and mitigated clinical progression. These data highlight cobicistat as a therapeutic candidate for treating SARS-CoV-2 infection and as a potential building block of combination therapies for COVID-19. IMPORTANCE The lack of effective antiviral treatments against SARS-CoV-2 is a significant limitation in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. Single-drug regimens have so far yielded limited results, indicating that combinations of antivirals might be required, as previously seen for other RNA viruses. Our work introduces the drug booster cobicistat, which is approved by the FDA and typically used to potentiate the effect of anti-HIV protease inhibitors, as a candidate inhibitor of SARS-CoV-2 replication. Beyond its direct activity as an antiviral, we show that cobicistat can enhance the effect of remdesivir, which was one of the first drugs proposed for treatment of SARS-CoV-2. Overall, the dual action of cobicistat as a direct antiviral and a drug booster can provide a new approach to design combination therapies and rescue the activity of compounds that are only partially effective in monotherapy.


Subject(s)
COVID-19 Drug Treatment , Hepatitis C, Chronic , Adenosine Monophosphate/analogs & derivatives , Alanine/analogs & derivatives , Animals , Antiviral Agents/pharmacology , Antiviral Agents/therapeutic use , Cobicistat , Cricetinae , Disease Progression , Humans , Mesocricetus , Pandemics , SARS-CoV-2 , Viral Load
2.
Fundam Clin Pharmacol ; 36(1): 160-170, 2022 Feb.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-1314051

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND/AIM: SARS-CoV-2 is one of the coronavirus families that emerged at the end of 2019. It infected the respiratory system and caused a pandemic worldwide. Fluoroquinolones (FQs) have been safely used as antibacterial agents for decades. The antiviral activity of FQs was observed. Moreover, substitution on the C-7 position of ciprofloxacin enhanced its antiviral activity. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the antiviral activity of 7-(4-(N-substituted-carbamoyl-methyl)piperazin-1yl)-chalcone in comparison with ciprofloxacin against SARS-CoV-2 main protease (Mpro ). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Vero cells were infected with SARS-CoV-2. After treatment with ciprofloxacin and the chalcone at the concentrations of 1.6, 16, 160 nmol/L for 48 h, SARS-CoV-2 viral load was detected using real-time qPCR, SARS-CoV-2 infectivity was determined using plaque assay, and the main protease enzyme activity was detected using in vitro 3CL-protease inhibition assay. The activity of the chalcone was justified through molecular docking within SARS-CoV-2 Mpro , in comparison with ciprofloxacin. RESULTS: The new chalcone significantly inhibited viral load replication where the EC50 was 3.93 nmol/L, the plaque formation ability of the virus was inhibited to 86.8% ± 2.47. The chalcone exhibited a significant inhibitory effect against SARS-CoV-2 Mpro in vitro in a dose-dependent manner. The docking study into SARS-CoV-2 Mpro active site justified the importance of adding a substitution to the parent drug. Additionally, the assessment of the drug-likeness properties indicated that the chalcone might have acceptable ADMET properties. CONCLUSION: The new chalcone might be useful and has new insights for the inhibition of SARS-CoV-2 Mpro .


Subject(s)
Antiviral Agents/pharmacology , Chalcones , Ciprofloxacin , Coronavirus 3C Proteases/antagonists & inhibitors , SARS-CoV-2/drug effects , Animals , Chalcones/pharmacology , Chlorocebus aethiops , Ciprofloxacin/pharmacology , Molecular Docking Simulation , Molecular Dynamics Simulation , Vero Cells
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