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Antiviral Res 2019 Apr 13;167:83-88. Epub 2019 Apr 13.

School of Pharmacy & Health Professions, Creighton University, Omaha, NE 68178, USA; School of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, Creighton University, Omaha, NE 68178, USA. Electronic address:

Bictegravir (BIC), a newly FDA-approved integrase strand transfer inhibitor (INSTI), as a single tablet regimen has proven efficacious in treating HIV-1 and SIV viruses, with reduced resistance. BIC clinical trials have not investigated its prophylaxis potency. This study investigates the HIV prevention potency of a novel long-acting BIC nano-formulation aimed to improve adherence. Read More

Antiviral Res 2019 Apr 13;167:78-82. Epub 2019 Apr 13.

Group of Antiviral Defense Mechanisms, Institute of Molecular of Biology of NAS, 0014, Yerevan, Armenia. Electronic address:

African swine fever virus (ASFV) is the causative agent of an economically important disease of pigs for which no effective vaccines or antiviral drugs are available. Recent outbreaks in EU countries and China have highlighted the critical role of antiviral research in combating this disease. We have previously shown that apigenin, a naturally occurring plant flavone, possesses significant anti-ASFV activity. Read More

Antiviral Res 2019 Apr 8;167:45-67. Epub 2019 Apr 8.

Gillings School of Global Public Health, Department of Epidemiology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.

The International Society for Influenza and other Respiratory Virus Diseases held its 6th Antiviral Group (isirv-AVG) conference in Rockville, Maryland, November 13-15, 2018. The three-day program was focused on therapeutics towards seasonal and pandemic influenza, respiratory syncytial virus, coronaviruses including MERS-CoV and SARS-CoV, human rhinovirus, and other respiratory viruses. Updates were presented on several influenza antivirals including baloxavir, CC-42344, VIS410, immunoglobulin, immune plasma, MHAA4549A, pimodivir (JNJ-63623872), umifenovir, and HA minibinders; RSV antivirals including presatovir (GS-5806), ziresovir (AK0529), lumicitabine (ALS-008176), JNJ-53718678, JNJ-64417184, and EDP-938; broad spectrum antivirals such as favipiravir, VH244, remdesivir, and EIDD-1931/EIDD-2801; and host directed strategies including nitazoxanide, eritoran, and diltiazem. Read More

Antiviral Res 2019 Apr 8;167:35-44. Epub 2019 Apr 8.

Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Erasmus MC-University Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands. Electronic address:

Rotavirus infection remains a great health burden worldwide especially in some developing countries. It causes severe dehydrating diarrhea in infants, young children, as well as immunocompromised and organ transplanted patients. Viral replication heavily relies on the host to supply nucleosides. Read More

Antiviral Res 2019 Apr 7;167:25-34. Epub 2019 Apr 7.

Pharmaceutical Sciences Division, School of Pharmacy, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, 53705-2222, USA. Electronic address:

Currently, there are no licensed human vaccines or antivirals for treatment of or prevention from infection with encephalitic alphaviruses. Because epidemics are sporadic and unpredictable, and endemic disease is common but rarely diagnosed, it is difficult to identify all populations requiring vaccination; thus, an effective post-exposure treatment method is needed to interrupt ongoing outbreaks. To address this public health need, we have continued development of ML336 to deliver a molecule with prophylactic and therapeutic potential that could be relevant for use in natural epidemics or deliberate release scenario for Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus (VEEV). Read More

Antiviral Res 2019 Apr 5;167:13-24. Epub 2019 Apr 5.

Laboratory of Molecular RNA Virology and Antiviral Strategies, Department of Microbiology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University Health System, National University of Singapore, Singapore; Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore. Electronic address:

Zika virus (ZIKV) is a mosquito-borne virus that has garnered a lot of attention in recent years, due to the explosive epidemic from 2014 to 2016. Since its introduction in the Americas in late 2014, ZIKV has spread at an unprecedented rate and scale throughout the world and infected millions of people. Its infection has also been associated with severe neurological disorders like Guillain-Barré syndrome and microcephaly in fetuses. Read More

Antiviral Res 2019 Apr 4;167:68-77. Epub 2019 Apr 4.

State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Substance and Function of Natural Medicines, Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100050, China; Department of Pharmacology, Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100050, China. Electronic address:

Lassa virus (LASV) causes Lassa hemorrhagic fever in humans and poses a significant threat to public health in West Africa. Current therapeutic treatments for Lassa fever are limited, making the development of novel countermeasures an urgent priority. In this study, we identified losmapimod, a p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) inhibitor, from 102 screened compounds as an inhibitor of LASV infection. Read More

Antiviral Res 2019 Apr 2. Epub 2019 Apr 2.

Institute for Glycomics, Griffith University, Gold Coast Campus, Gold Coast, Queensland 4222, Australia. Electronic address:

Human parainfluenza viruses cause acute respiratory tract infections and disease predominantly in young children and immunocompromised individuals. Currently, there are no vaccines to prevent hPIV infections, nor licensed anti-hPIV drugs. There is therefore a need for specific antiviral therapies to decrease the morbidity and mortality associated with hPIV diseases. Read More

Antiviral Res 2019 Apr 2;167:1-5. Epub 2019 Apr 2.

KU Leuven, Rega Institute for Medical Research, Herestraat 49, B-3000 Leuven, Belgium. Electronic address:

The antiviral drug T-705 (favipiravir) and its non-fluorinated analogue T-1105 inhibit the polymerases of RNA viruses after being converted to their ribonucleoside triphosphate (RTP) metabolite. We here compared the activation efficiency of T-705 and T-1105 in four cell lines that are commonly used for their antiviral evaluation. In MDCK cells, the levels of T-705-RTP were markedly lower than those of T-1105-RTP, while the opposite was seen in A549, Vero and HEK293T cells. Read More

Antiviral Res 2019 Mar 30;166:35-41. Epub 2019 Mar 30.

Viral Research and Experimental Medicine Centre @ SingHealth-Duke NUS, Singapore; Programme in Emerging Infectious Diseases, Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore; Department of Infectious Diseases, Singapore General Hospital, Singapore. Electronic address:

Vaccination is an effective approach to reduce disease burden. High vaccination coverage blocks pathogen transmission to ensure herd immunity. However, the concept of herd immunity assumes that vaccinated individuals cannot be infected and mediate silent pathogen transmission. Read More

Antiviral Res 2019 Mar 27;166:42-55. Epub 2019 Mar 27.

Siriraj Center of Research Excellence for Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand; Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand. Electronic address:

Liver injury is one of the hallmark features of severe dengue virus (DENV) infection since DENV can replicate in the liver and induce hepatocytes to undergo apoptosis. N-acetyl cysteine (NAC), which is a clinically-used drug for treating acetaminophen toxicity, was found to benefit patients with DENV-induced liver injury; however, its mechanism of action remains unclear. Accordingly, our aim was to repurpose NAC in the preclinical studies to investigate its mechanism of action. Read More

Antiviral Res 2019 Mar 26. Epub 2019 Mar 26.

Department of Biological Sciences, Michigan Technological University, Houghton, MI, 49931, USA. Electronic address:

Human papillomaviruses (HPVs) are the most common sexually transmitted infections. HPVs are transmitted through anogenital sex or oral sex. Anogenital transmission/infection is associated with anogenital cancers and genital warts while oral transmission/infection is associated with head and neck cancers (HNCs) including recurrent respiratory papillomatosis. Read More

Antiviral Res 2019 Mar 23;166:19-34. Epub 2019 Mar 23.

Molecular Biology Institute of Barcelona (IBMB-CSIC), Barcelona, Spain. Electronic address:

The implementation of antiretroviral therapy 23 years ago has rendered HIV infection clinically manageable. However, the disease remains incurable, since it establishes latent proviral reservoirs, which in turn can stochastically begin reproducing viral particles throughout the patient's lifetime. Viral latency itself depends in large part on the silencing environment of the infected host cell, which can be chemically manipulated. Read More

Antiviral Res 2019 Mar 21;166:11-18. Epub 2019 Mar 21.

Department of Preventive Veterinary Medicine, College of Animal Science and Technology, Jiangxi Agricultural University, Nanchang, Jiangxi, 330045, China; Key Laboratory for Animal Health of Jiangxi Province, Nanchang, Jiangxi, 330045, China. Electronic address:

Swine enteric coronaviruses (SECoVs), including porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV), swine acute diarrhea syndrome coronavirus (SADS-CoV), and porcine deltacoronavirus (PDCoV) have emerged and been prevalent in pig populations in China for the last several years. However, current traditional inactivated and attenuated PEDV vaccines are of limited efficacy against circulating PEDV variants, and there are no commercial vaccines for prevention of PDCoV and SADS-CoV. RNA interference (RNAi) is a powerful tool in therapeutic applications to inhibit viral replication in vitro. Read More

Antiviral Res 2019 Mar 21. Epub 2019 Mar 21.

Laboratory of Vector Control Research, Environment and Health Unit, Institut Pasteur de la Guadeloupe, Guadeloupe.

The GloPID-R (Global Research Collaboration for Infectious Disease Preparedness) Chikungunya (CHIKV), O'nyong-nyong (ONNV) and Mayaro virus (MAYV) Working Group is investigating the natural history, epidemiology and medical management of infection by these viruses, to identify knowledge gaps and to propose recommendations for direct future investigations and rectification measures. Here, we present the first report dedicated to diagnostic aspects of CHIKV, ONNV and MAYV. Regarding diagnosis of the disease at the acute phase, molecular assays previously described for the three viruses require further evaluation, standardized protocols and the availability of international standards representing the genetic diversity of the viruses. Read More

Antiviral Res 2019 Mar 20;166:1-10. Epub 2019 Mar 20.

Department of Microbiology, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China; Heilongjiang Key Laboratory of Immunity and Infection, Harbin, China. Electronic address:

Coxsackievirus group B (CVB) is considered as one of the most common pathogens of human viral myocarditis. CVB-induced myocarditis is mainly characterized by the persistence of the virus infection and immune-mediated inflammatory injury. Costimulatory signals are crucial for the activation of adaptive immunity. Read More

Antiviral Res 2019 May 19;165:47-54. Epub 2019 Mar 19.

Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA. Electronic address:

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) replicates its DNA genome through reverse transcription of an RNA intermediate. The lack of proofreading capacity of the viral DNA polymerase results in a high mutation rate of HBV genome. Under the selective pressure created by the nucleos(t)ide analogue (NA) antiviral drugs, viruses with resistance mutations are selected. Read More

Antiviral Res 2019 May 15;165:55-64. Epub 2019 Mar 15.

Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Padua, Padua, Italy. Electronic address:

Influenza viruses are major respiratory pathogens responsible for both seasonal epidemics and occasional pandemics worldwide. The current available treatment options have limited efficacy and thus the development of new antivirals is highly needed. We previously reported the identification of a series of cycloheptathiophene-3-carboxamide compounds as influenza A virus inhibitors that act by targeting the protein-protein interactions between the PA-PB1 subunits of the viral polymerase. Read More

Antiviral Res 2019 04;164:177

OOO ''NPF ''MATERIA MEDICA HOLDING'', 3rd Samotyochnyi per. 9, Moscow 127473, Russia.

Antiviral Res 2019 04;164:176

Research Institute of General Pathology and Pathophysiology, 125315 Moscow, Russia.

Antiviral Res 2019 May 9;165:23-33. Epub 2019 Mar 9.

Beijing Key Laboratory of Antimicrobial Agents, Institute of Medicinal Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China; NHC Key Laboratory of Biotechnology of Antibiotics, Institute of Medicinal Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Medical Science, Beijing, 100050, China. Electronic address:

Enterovirus 71 (EV71), a single-stranded positive-sense RNA virus, is the causative agent of hand, foot, and mouth disease (HFMD), for which no effective antiviral therapy is currently available. Apolipoprotein B messenger RNA-editing enzyme catalytic polypeptide-like 3G (APOBEC3G or A3G) is a cytidine deaminase that inhibits the replication of several viruses, such as human immunodeficiency virus-1, hepatitis B virus and hepatitis C virus. In our efforts toward understanding the antiviral spectrum and mechanism of A3G, we found that ectopic expression of A3G inhibited EV71 replication, whereas knockdown of endogenous A3G expression promoted EV71 replication. Read More

Antiviral Res 2019 May 7;165:42-46. Epub 2019 Mar 7.

Kanagawa Prefectural Institute of Public Health, Kanagawa, Japan.

Dengue virus (DENV) is the most prevalent human arthropod-borne virus and causes severe problems worldwide, mainly in tropical and sub-tropical regions. However, there is no specific antiviral drug against DENV infection. We and others recently reported that stearoyl-CoA desaturase-1 (SCD1) inhibitor showed potent suppression of hepatitis C virus replication. Read More

Antiviral Res 2019 Mar 6;167:6-12. Epub 2019 Mar 6.

UMR "Emergence des Pathologies Virales" (Aix-Marseille University - IRD 190 - Inserm 1207 - EHESP), Fondation IHU Méditerranée Infection, APHM Public Hospitals of Marseille, Faculté de Médecine, 27 bd Jean Moulin, 13005 Marseille, France. Electronic address:

We report the design, synthesis, and biological evaluation of a class of 1H-pyrido[2,1-b][1,3]benzothiazol-1-ones originated from compound 1, previously identified as anti-flavivirus agent. Some of the new compounds showed activity in low μM range with reasonable selectivity against Dengue 2, Yellow fever (Bolivia strain), and West Nile viruses. One of the most interesting molecules, compound 16, showed broad antiviral activity against additional flaviviruses such as Dengue 1, 3 and 4, Zika, Japanese encephalitis, several strains of Yellow fever, and tick-borne encephalitis viruses. Read More

Antiviral Res 2019 May 2;165:1-10. Epub 2019 Mar 2.

Special Pathogens Program, National Microbiology Laboratory, Public Health Agency of Canada, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada; Department of Medical Microbiology, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. Electronic address:

Among the five currently recognized type viruses within the genus Ebolavirus, Reston virus (RESTV) is not known to cause disease in humans, although asymptomatic infections have been confirmed in the past. Intriguingly, despite the absence of pathogenicity in humans, RESTV is highly lethal to nonhuman primates and has been isolated from domestic pigs co-infected with other viruses in the Philippines and China. Whether infection in these animals can support the eventual emergence of a human-pathogenic RESTV remains unclear and requires further investigation. Read More

Antiviral Res 2019 May 2;165:34-41. Epub 2019 Mar 2.

Exotic Disease Control Team, Defra, Nobel House, 17 Smith Square, London, SW1P 3JR, UK.

The continuing spread of African swine fever (ASF) outside Africa in Europe, the Russian Federation, China and most recently to Mongolia and Vietnam, has heightened awareness of the threat posed by this devastating disease to the global pig industry and food security. In this review we summarise what we know about the African swine fever virus (ASFV), the disease it causes, how it spreads and the current global situation. We discuss current control methods in domestic and wild pigs and prospects for development of vaccines and other tools for control. Read More

Antiviral Res 2019 Apr 27;164:162-175. Epub 2019 Feb 27.

Institut de Recherche en Infectiologie de Montpellier (IRIM), Université de Montpellier, CNRS, 1919 Route de Mende, 34293 Montpellier cedex 5, France. Electronic address:

Maturation of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) particles is a key step for viral infectivity. This process can be blocked using maturation inhibitors (MIs) that affect the cleavage of the capsid-spacer peptide 1 (CA-SP1) junction. Here, we investigated the mechanisms underlying the activity of EP-39, a bevirimat (BVM) derivative with better hydrosolubility. Read More

Antiviral Res 2019 May 26;165:11-22. Epub 2019 Feb 26.

State Key Laboratory of Virology, Wuhan Institute of Virology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430071, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China. Electronic address:

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection causes significant disease in the lower respiratory tract of young children, and there is currently no licensed vaccine to prevent RSV infection. The F glycoprotein is considered a major antigenic target for RSV vaccine development. Recent evidence indicates that the pre-fusion F state, compared with the post-fusion F state, is a superior antigen for generation of neutralizing antibodies. Read More

Antiviral Res 2019 Apr 25;164:139-146. Epub 2019 Feb 25.

Vaccine Research Center, CAS Key Laboratory of Molecular Virology & Immunology, Institut Pasteur of Shanghai, Chinese Academy of Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China; Joint Center for Infection and Immunity, Guangzhou Institute of Pediatrics, Department of Gastroenterology, Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China. Electronic address:

Coxsackievirus A10 (CVA10) has emerged as one of the major pathogens of hand, foot, and mouth disease in recent years. However, there are no approved vaccines or effective drugs against CVA10. Several experimental CVA10 vaccines have been shown to elicit neutralizing antibodies that could confer protection against viral infection. Read More

Antiviral Res 2019 Apr 25;164:123-130. Epub 2019 Feb 25.

Institute of Medical Sciences, Tzu Chi University, Hualien, Taiwan; Department of Life Sciences, Tzu Chi University, Hualien, 97004, Taiwan. Electronic address:

Since it was discovered as the first human tumor virus in 1964, Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV) is now implicated in several types of malignancies. Accordingly, certain aspects of EBV pathobiology have shown promise in anti-cancer research in developing virus-targeting methods for EBV-associated cancers. The unique role of EBV nuclear antigen 1 (EBNA1) in triggering episome-dependent functions has made it as the only latent gene to be expressed in most EBV+ neoplasms. Read More

Antiviral Res 2019 Apr 23;164:154-161. Epub 2019 Feb 23.

National Institute of Diagnostics and Vaccine Development in Infectious Disease, School of Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361102, China; State Key Laboratory of Molecular Vaccinology and Molecular Diagnostics, School of Public Health, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361102, China.

The Hepatitis E vaccine (Hecolin, licensed in China) harbors a potent particulate immunogen, p239, designed from a 26-aa N-terminal extension of its poorly immunogenic parental protein, E2. Although an effective vaccine, we sought to design a fusion protein in a non-particulate form that could improve the delivery and immunogenicity of E2 epitopes. The non-toxic mutant of diphtheria toxin, CRM197 (Cross-Reacting Material 197) has been successfully used as a carrier protein for conjugated vaccines to enhance the immunogenicity of polysaccharides. Read More

Antiviral Res 2019 Apr 20;164:131-138. Epub 2019 Feb 20.

Institute of Infectious Diseases, Beijing 302 Hospital/The Fifth Medical Center of PLA General Hospital, Beijing 100039, China; Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Diagnostics/Institute of Aging Research, Guangdong Medical University, Dongguan 523808, Guangdong Province, China. Electronic address:

This study aimed to clarify whether rtA186T and rtI163V substitutions of hepatitis B virus (HBV) contributed to entecavir (ETV) resistance. A total of 22,009 Chinese patients with chronic HBV infection who received resistance testing at Beijing 302 Hospital from 2007 to 2016 were enrolled. Among them, 6170 patients had been treated with ETV. Read More

Antiviral Res 2019 Apr 13;164:147-153. Epub 2019 Feb 13.

Department of Microbiology and Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, 77 Avenue Louis Pasteur, Boston, MA 02115, USA. Electronic address:

The recent emergence of Zika virus, a mosquito-borne flavivirus, in the Americas has shed light on the severe neurological diseases associated with infection, notably congenital microcephaly in newborns and Guillain-Barré syndrome in adults. Despite the recent focus on Zika virus, there are currently no approved vaccines or antiviral therapies available to treat or prevent infection. In this study we established a competitive amplified luminescent proximity homogeneous assay (ALPHAscreen) to identify small molecule inhibitors targeting the envelope protein of Zika virus (Zika E). Read More

Antiviral Res 2019 Apr 13;164:91-96. Epub 2019 Feb 13.

WHO Collaborating Centre for Reference and Research on Influenza, VIDRL, Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, Melbourne, VIC 3000, Australia; University of Melbourne, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Parkville, VIC 3010, Australia. Electronic address:

Baloxavir Marboxil (BXM) is an influenza polymerase inhibitor antiviral that binds to the endonuclease region in the PA subunit of influenza A and B viruses. To establish the baseline susceptibility of viruses circulating prior to licensure of BXM and to monitor for susceptibility post-BXM use, a cell culture-based focus reduction assay was developed to determine the susceptibility of 286 circulating seasonal influenza viruses, A(H1N1)pdm09, A(H3N2), B (Yamagata/Victoria) lineage viruses, including neuraminidase inhibitor (NAI) resistant viruses, to Baloxavir Acid (BXA), the active metabolic form of BXM. BXA was effective against all influenza subtypes tested with mean EC values (minimum-maximum) of 0. Read More

Antiviral Res 2019 Apr 13;164:97-105. Epub 2019 Feb 13.

INRS-Institut Armand-Frappier, Institut National de la Recherche Scientifique, Laval, Canada. Electronic address:

More than 290 million people have chronic HBV infection and are at risk of developing cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. HBV subviral particles are produced in large excess over virions in infected patients and are the primary source of HBsAg, which is postulated to be important in allowing HBV to chronically persist by interfering with immune function. Nucleic acid polymers (NAPs) have been shown to result in clearance of HBsAg from the blood in pre-clinical and clinical studies. Read More

Antiviral Res 2019 Apr 12;164:70-80. Epub 2019 Feb 12.

Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Saint Louis University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA; Saint Louis University Liver Center, Saint Louis University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA. Electronic address:

We recently developed a screening system capable of identifying and evaluating inhibitors of the Hepatitis B virus (HBV) ribonuclease H (RNaseH), which is the only HBV enzyme not targeted by current anti-HBV therapies. Inhibiting the HBV RNaseH blocks synthesis of the positive-polarity DNA strand, causing early termination of negative-polarity DNA synthesis and accumulation of RNA:DNA heteroduplexes. We previously reported inhibition of HBV replication by N-hydroxyisoquinolinediones (HID) and N-hydroxypyridinediones (HPD) in human hepatoma cells. Read More

Antiviral Res 2019 Apr 8;164:81-90. Epub 2019 Feb 8.

Department of Physiology and Developmental Biology, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT 84602, USA. Electronic address:

In search of novel targets for influenza inhibitors, a site on PB1 was selected for its high conservation and probable interaction with a host protein, RanBP5, that is key to nuclear import of PB1, where it complexes with PB2, PA, and NP to transcribe viral RNA. Docking with libraries of drug-like compounds led to a selection of five candidates that bound tightly and with a pose likely to inhibit protein binding. These were purchased and tested in vitro, found to be active, and then one was synthetically expanded to explore the structure-activity relationship. Read More

Antiviral Res 2019 Apr 10;164:106-122. Epub 2019 Feb 10.

Center for Bio/molecular Science and Engineering, U.S. Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, DC 20375, USA. Electronic address:

The alphaviral nonstructural protein 2 (nsP2) cysteine proteases (EC 3.4.22. Read More

Antiviral Res 2019 Apr 8;164:61-69. Epub 2019 Feb 8.

National Center for Biodefense and Infectious Disease, School of Systems Biology, George Mason University, Manassas, VA, USA.

Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus (VEEV), a new world alphavirus belonging to the Togaviridae family, causes periodic disease outbreaks in humans and equines with high associated mortality and morbidity. VEEV is highly infectious via the aerosol route and so has been developed as a biological weapon (Hawley and Eitzen, 2001). Despite its current classification as a category B select agent, there are no FDA approved vaccines or therapeutics to counter VEEV infections. Read More

Antiviral Res 2019 Apr 8;164:52-60. Epub 2019 Feb 8.

Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Padua, 35121, Padua, Italy. Electronic address:

The identification and validation of new small molecules able to inhibit the replication of human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) remains a priority to develop alternatives to the currently used DNA polymerase inhibitors, which are often burdened by long-term toxicity and emergence of cross-resistance. To contribute to this advancement, here we report on the characterization of the mechanism of action of a bioactive plant-derived alkaloid, berberine (BBR), selected in a previous drug repurposing screen expressly devised to identify early inhibitors of HCMV replication. Low micromolar concentrations of BBR were confirmed to suppress the replication of different HCMV strains, including clinical isolates and strains resistant to approved DNA polymerase inhibitors. Read More

Antiviral Res 2019 Apr 6;164:12-22. Epub 2019 Feb 6.

Institute of Biotechnology, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, Taiwan; Department of Medical Science, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, Taiwan. Electronic address:

Virus-like particle (VLP) technology is an attractive platform for the development of seasonal and pandemic influenza vaccines. Influenza VLPs can be obtained by the overexpression of HA, M1, NA, and/or M2 viral proteins in insect, mammalian, or plant cells. In this study, we reported to obtain highly immunogenic influenza VLPs by molecular incorporation with B-cell-activating factor (BAFF) or proliferation-inducing ligand (APRIL). Read More

Antiviral Res 2019 Apr 31;164:1-11. Epub 2019 Jan 31.

Universidad de Buenos Aires, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Departamento de Química Biológica, Laboratorio de Virología, Buenos Aires, Argentina; CONICET, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Instituto de Química Biológica de la Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales (IQUIBICEN), Buenos Aires, Argentina. Electronic address:

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a leading cause of lower respiratory tract disease and bronchiolitis in children worldwide. No vaccine or specific, effective treatment is currently available. β-escin is one of the main bioactive constituents of Aesculus hippocastanum L. Read More

Antiviral Res 2019 Mar 31;163:185-192. Epub 2019 Jan 31.

RECAMO, Masaryk Memorial Cancer Institute, Zluty kopec 7, 656 53, Brno, Czech Republic. Electronic address:

Cervical cancer is one of the most common malignancies in women. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are involved in a variety of fundamental cellular processes, including carcinogenesis. The potential utilization of aberrantly expressed miRNAs as novel biomarkers in cervical cancer diagnostics is growing. Read More

Antiviral Res 2019 Mar 31;163:149-155. Epub 2019 Jan 31.

Liver Diseases Branch, National Institute of Diabetes & Digestive & Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA. Electronic address:

Background & Aims: Chlorcyclizine HCl (CCZ) is a piperazine-class antihistamine with anti-hepatitis C virus (HCV) activity in vitro and in vivo. In a first-in-humans study for HCV, we evaluated the antiviral effects and safety of CCZ±ribavirin (RBV), characterized pharmacokinetic (PK) and viral kinetic (VK) patterns, and provide insights into CCZs mode of action against HCV.

Methods: Chronic HCV patients were randomized to CCZ (75 mg twice daily) or CCZ+weight-based RBV (1000/1200 mg daily) for 28 days. Read More

Antiviral Res 2019 Apr 31;164:23-51. Epub 2019 Jan 31.

Department of Infectious Diseases and Neuroinfections, Medical University of Bialystok, Bialystok, Poland.

Tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) is an illness caused by tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV) infection which is often limited to a febrile illness, but may lead to very aggressive downstream neurological manifestations. The disease is prevalent in forested areas of Europe and northeastern Asia, and is typically caused by infection involving one of three TBEV subtypes, namely the European (TBEV-Eu), the Siberian (TBEV-Sib), or the Far Eastern (TBEV-FE) subtypes. In addition to the three main TBEV subtypes, two other subtypes; i. Read More

Antiviral Res 2019 Mar 26;163:125-139. Epub 2019 Jan 26.

National Center for Biodefense and Infectious Diseases, School of Systems Biology, George Mason University, Manassas, VA, USA. Electronic address:

The New World alphaviruses, Venezuelan, eastern and western equine encephalitis viruses (VEEV, EEEV, and WEEV), are important human pathogens due to their ability to cause varying levels of morbidity and mortality in humans. There is also concern about VEEV and EEEV being used as bioweapons. Currently, a FDA-approved antiviral is lacking for New World alphaviruses. Read More

Antiviral Res 2019 Mar 25;163:140-148. Epub 2019 Jan 25.

The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, USA.

The Global Virus Network (GVN) was established in 2011 to strengthen research and responses to emerging viral causes of human disease and to prepare against new viral pandemics. There are now 45 GVN Centers of Excellence and 7 Affiliate laboratories in 29 countries. The 10th International GVN meeting was held from November 28-30, 2018 in Veyrier du Lac, France and was co-hosted by the two GVN Centers of Excellence, the Mérieux Foundation and the University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover (TiHo). Read More

Antiviral Res 2019 Mar 25;163:91-105. Epub 2019 Jan 25.

Research Center in Infectious Diseases, CHU of Quebec and Laval University, Quebec City, QC, Canada. Electronic address:

The prevention and treatment of human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) infections is based on the use of antiviral agents that currently target the viral DNA polymerase and that may cause serious side effects. The search for novel inhibitors against HCMV infection led to the discovery of new molecular targets, the viral terminase complex and the viral pUL97 kinase. The most advanced compounds consist of letermovir (LMV) and maribavir (MBV). Read More

Antiviral Res 2019 Mar 23;163:75-81. Epub 2019 Jan 23.

Shionogi & Co., Ltd., Osaka, Japan.

Background: Baloxavir marboxil (baloxavir) is an antiviral drug that inhibits the viral "cap-snatching" step in virus RNA transcription initiation. In Phase 2 study, baloxavir significantly shortend the time to alleviation of symptoms (TTAS) and showed significantly greater reduction in influenza virus titer compared with placebo. This provides additional outcomes including efficacy against virus types/subtypes and pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic (PK/PD) analysis. Read More

Antiviral Res 2019 Mar 23;163:117-124. Epub 2019 Jan 23.

Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow 117997, Russia. Electronic address:

The phenoxazine scaffold is widely used to stabilize nucleic acid duplexes, as a part of fluorescent probes for the study of nucleic acid structure, recognition, and metabolism, etc. Here we present the synthesis of phenoxazine-based nucleoside derivatives and their antiviral activity against a panel of structurally diverse viruses: enveloped DNA herpesviruses varicella zoster virus (VZV) and human cytomegalovirus, enveloped RNA tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV), and non-enveloped RNA enteroviruses. Studied compounds were effective against DNA and RNA viruses reproduction in cell culture. Read More

Antiviral Res 2019 Mar 24;163:70-74. Epub 2019 Jan 24.

Laboratory of Virology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Hamilton, MT, USA. Electronic address:

Effective antiviral treatments for MERS-CoV are urgently needed. LCA60 is a MERS-CoV-neutralizing monoclonal antibody isolated from a convalescent MERS patient. Previously, it was shown that treatment with LCA60 resulted in reduced disease and virus titers in mouse models of MERS-CoV infection. Read More