tetano
Editor, Senior Moderator
Chin Med J (Engl). 2020 Mar 6. doi: 10.1097/CM9.0000000000000797. [Epub ahead of print] [h=1]Repurposing of clinically approved drugs for treatment of coronavirus disease 2019 in a 2019-novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) related coronavirus model.[/h]
Fan HH[SUP]1[/SUP], Wang LQ, Liu WL, An XP, Liu ZD, He XQ, Song LH, Tong YG.
[h=3]Author information[/h]
[h=3]Abstract[/h] [h=4]BACKGROUND:[/h] Medicines for the treatment of 2019-novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) infections are urgently needed. However, drug screening using live 2019-nCoV requires high-level biosafety facilities, which imposes an obstacle for those without such facilities or 2019-novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV). This study aims to repurpose the clinically approved drugs for the treatment of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in a 2019-nCoV related coronavirus model.
[h=4]METHODS:[/h] A 2019-nCoV related pangolin coronavirus GX_P2V/pangolin/2017/ Guangxi was described. Whether GX_P2X uses angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) as the cell receptor was investigated by using small interfering RNA (siRNA) -mediated silencing of ACE2. The pangolin coronavirus model was used to identify drug candidates for treating 2019-nCoV infection. Two libraries of 2406 clinically approved drugs were screened for their ability to inhibit cytopathic effects on Vero E6 cells by GX_P2X infection. The antiviral activities and antiviral mechanisms of potential drugs were further investigated. Viral yields of RNAs and infectious particles were quantified by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and plaque assay, respectively.
[h=4]RESULTS:[/h] The spike protein of coronavirus GX_P2V shares 92.2% amino acid identity with that of 2019-nCoV isolate Wuhan-hu-1, and uses ACE2 as the receptor for infection just like 2019-nCoV. Three drugs-cepharanthine (CEP), selamectin and mefloquine hydrochloride exhibited complete inhibition of cytopathic effects in cell culture at 10 μmol/L. CEP demonstrated the most potent inhibition of GX_P2V infection, with a concentration for 50% of maximal effect [EC50] of 0.98 μmol/L. The viral RNA yield in cells treated with 10 μmol/L CEP was 15,393-fold lower than in cells without CEP treatment ([6.48 ? 0.02] ? 10vs. 1.00 ? 0.12, t = 150.38, P < 0.001) at 72 h post-infection (p.i.). Plaque assays found no production of live viruses in media containing 10 μmol/L CEP at 48 h p.i. Furthermore, we found CEP has potent antiviral activities against both viral entry (1.00 ? 0.37 vs. 0.46 ? 0.12, t = 2.42, P < 0.05) and viral replication (1.00 ? 0.43 vs. [6.18 ? 0.95] ? 10, t = 3.98, P < 0.05).
[h=4]CONCLUSIONS:[/h] Our pangolin coronavirus GX_P2V is a workable model for 2019-nCoV research. CEP, selamectin and mefloquine hydrochloride are potential drugs for treating 2019-nCoV infection. Our results strongly suggest that CEP is a wide-spectrum inhibitor of pan-betacoronavirus, and clinical trial of CEP for treatment of 2019-nCoV infection is warranted.
PMID: 32149769 DOI: 10.1097/CM9.0000000000000797
Fan HH[SUP]1[/SUP], Wang LQ, Liu WL, An XP, Liu ZD, He XQ, Song LH, Tong YG.
[h=3]Author information[/h]
[h=3]Abstract[/h] [h=4]BACKGROUND:[/h] Medicines for the treatment of 2019-novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) infections are urgently needed. However, drug screening using live 2019-nCoV requires high-level biosafety facilities, which imposes an obstacle for those without such facilities or 2019-novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV). This study aims to repurpose the clinically approved drugs for the treatment of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in a 2019-nCoV related coronavirus model.
[h=4]METHODS:[/h] A 2019-nCoV related pangolin coronavirus GX_P2V/pangolin/2017/ Guangxi was described. Whether GX_P2X uses angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) as the cell receptor was investigated by using small interfering RNA (siRNA) -mediated silencing of ACE2. The pangolin coronavirus model was used to identify drug candidates for treating 2019-nCoV infection. Two libraries of 2406 clinically approved drugs were screened for their ability to inhibit cytopathic effects on Vero E6 cells by GX_P2X infection. The antiviral activities and antiviral mechanisms of potential drugs were further investigated. Viral yields of RNAs and infectious particles were quantified by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and plaque assay, respectively.
[h=4]RESULTS:[/h] The spike protein of coronavirus GX_P2V shares 92.2% amino acid identity with that of 2019-nCoV isolate Wuhan-hu-1, and uses ACE2 as the receptor for infection just like 2019-nCoV. Three drugs-cepharanthine (CEP), selamectin and mefloquine hydrochloride exhibited complete inhibition of cytopathic effects in cell culture at 10 μmol/L. CEP demonstrated the most potent inhibition of GX_P2V infection, with a concentration for 50% of maximal effect [EC50] of 0.98 μmol/L. The viral RNA yield in cells treated with 10 μmol/L CEP was 15,393-fold lower than in cells without CEP treatment ([6.48 ? 0.02] ? 10vs. 1.00 ? 0.12, t = 150.38, P < 0.001) at 72 h post-infection (p.i.). Plaque assays found no production of live viruses in media containing 10 μmol/L CEP at 48 h p.i. Furthermore, we found CEP has potent antiviral activities against both viral entry (1.00 ? 0.37 vs. 0.46 ? 0.12, t = 2.42, P < 0.05) and viral replication (1.00 ? 0.43 vs. [6.18 ? 0.95] ? 10, t = 3.98, P < 0.05).
[h=4]CONCLUSIONS:[/h] Our pangolin coronavirus GX_P2V is a workable model for 2019-nCoV research. CEP, selamectin and mefloquine hydrochloride are potential drugs for treating 2019-nCoV infection. Our results strongly suggest that CEP is a wide-spectrum inhibitor of pan-betacoronavirus, and clinical trial of CEP for treatment of 2019-nCoV infection is warranted.
PMID: 32149769 DOI: 10.1097/CM9.0000000000000797