Allopregnanolone Targets Nucleoprotein As a Novel Influenza Virus Inhibitor

Overview

Journal Virol Sin

Specialty Microbiology

Date 2023 Sep 23

PMID 37741571

Authors

Meiyue Dong

Yanyan Wang

Ping Li

Zinuo Chen

Varada Anirudhan

Qinghua Cui

Lijun Rong

Ruikun Du

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Influenza A virus (IAV) poses a global public health concern and remains an imminent threat to human health. Emerging antiviral resistance to the currently approved influenza drugs emphasizes the urgent need for new therapeutic entities against IAV. Allopregnanolone (ALLO) is a natural product that has been approved as an antidepressant drug. In the present study, we repurposed ALLO as a novel inhibitor against IAVs. Mechanistic studies demonstrated that ALLO inhibited virus replication by interfering with the nucleus translocation of viral nucleoprotein (NP). In addition, ALLO showed significant synergistic activity with compound 16, a hemagglutinin inhibitor of IAVs. In summary, we have identified ALLO as a novel influenza virus inhibitor targeting NP, providing a promising candidate that deserves further investigation as a useful anti-influenza strategy in the future.

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