Digital Commons Network^™

Hypoxia Inhibits Colonic Uptake Of The Microbiota-Generated Forms Of Vitamin B1 Via Hif-1Α-Mediated Transcriptional Regulation Of Their Transporters, Subrata Sabui, Kalidas Ramamoorthy, Jose M Romero, Rita D Simoes, James M Fleckenstein, Hamid M Said

Open Access Publications

Hypoxia exerts profound effects on cell physiology, but its effect on colonic uptake of the microbiota-generated forms of vitamin B1 (i.e., thiamin pyrophosphate [TPP] and free thiamine) has not been described. Here, we used human colonic epithelial NCM460 cells and human differentiated colonoid monolayers as in vitro and ex vivo models, respectively, and were subjected to either chamber (1% O

Enzymatic And Structural Characterization Of Had5, An Essential Phosphomannomutase Of Malaria-Causing Parasites, Philip M Frasse, Justin J Miller, Alexander J Polino, Ebrahim Soleimani, Jian-She Zhu, David L Jakeman, Joseph M Jez, Daniel E Goldberg, Audrey R Odom John

Open Access Publications

The malaria-causing parasite Plasmodium falciparum is responsible for over 200 million infections and 400,000 deaths per year. At multiple stages during its complex life cycle, P. falciparum expresses several essential proteins tethered to its surface by glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI) anchors, which are critical for biological processes such as parasite egress and reinvasion of host red blood cells. Targeting this pathway therapeutically has the potential to broadly impact parasite development across several life stages. Here, we characterize an upstream component of parasite GPI anchor biosynthesis, the putative phosphomannomutase (PMM) (EC 5.4.2.8), HAD5 (PF3D7_1017400). We confirmed the PMM and phosphoglucomutase activities of purified …

Rxra Dt448/9pp Generates A Dominant Active Variant Capable Of Inducing Maturation In Acute Myeloid Leukemia Cells, Orsola Di Martino, Margaret A. Ferris, Gayla Hadwiger, Soyi Sarkar, Anh Vu, María P. Menéndez-Gutiérrez, Mercedes Ricote, John S Welch

Open Access Publications

RARA and RXRA contribute to myeloid maturation in both mice and humans, and deletion of Rxra and Rxrb augments leukemic growth in mice. While defining the domains of RXRA that are required for anti-leukemic effects in murine KMT2A-MLLT3 leukemia cells, we unexpectedly identified RXRA DT448/9PP as a constitutively active variant capable of inducing maturation and loss of their proliferative phenotype. RXRA DT448/9PP was associated with ligand-independent activity in reporter assays, with enhanced co-activator interactions, reduced engraftment in vivo, and activation of myeloid maturation transcriptional signatures that overlapped with those of cells treated with the potent RXRA agonist bexarotene, suggestive of …

Coronavirus Disease 2019 (Covid-19) Research Agenda For Healthcare Epidemiology, Lona Mody, Hilary M Babcock, Jennie H Kwon, Et Al

Open Access Publications

This SHEA white paper identifies knowledge gaps and challenges in healthcare epidemiology research related to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) with a focus on core principles of healthcare epidemiology. These gaps, revealed during the worst phases of the COVID-19 pandemic, are described in 10 sections: epidemiology, outbreak investigation, surveillance, isolation precaution practices, personal protective equipment (PPE), environmental contamination and disinfection, drug and supply shortages, antimicrobial stewardship, healthcare personnel (HCP) occupational safety, and return to work policies. Each section highlights three critical healthcare epidemiology research questions with detailed description provided in supplementary materials. This research agenda calls for translational studies from laboratory-based …

Alterations Of Host-Gut Microbiome Interactions In Multiple Sclerosis, Claudia Cantoni, Laura Ghezzi, Emily Evans, Li Deng, Alberto Locca, Robert Mikesell, Kathleen Obert, Amber Salter, Anne H Cross, Phillip I Tarr, Laura Piccio, Yanjiao Zhou, Et Al

Open Access Publications

BACKGROUND: Multiple sclerosis (MS) has a complex genetic, immune and metabolic pathophysiology. Recent studies implicated the gut microbiome in MS pathogenesis. However, interactions between the microbiome and host immune system, metabolism and diet have not been studied over time in this disorder.

METHODS: We performed a six-month longitudinal multi-omics study of 49 participants (24 untreated relapse remitting MS patients and 25 age, sex, race matched healthy control individuals. Gut microbiome composition and function were characterized using 16S and metagenomic shotgun sequencing. Flow cytometry was used to characterize blood immune cell populations and cytokine profiles. Circulating metabolites were profiled by untargeted …

Mitochondrial Pyruvate Carrier Inhibitors Improve Metabolic Parameters In Diet-Induced Obese Mice, Wesley T Hodges, Chaowapong Jarasvaraparn, Daniel Ferguson, Kristine Griffett, Lauren E Gill, Yana Chen, Ma Xenia G Ilagan, Lamees Hegazy, Bahaa Elgendy, Kevin Cho, Gary J Patti, Kyle S Mccommis, Brian N Finck

Open Access Publications

The mitochondrial pyruvate carrier (MPC) is an inner mitochondrial membrane complex that plays a critical role in intermediary metabolism. Inhibition of the MPC, especially in liver, may have efficacy for treating type 2 diabetes mellitus. Herein, we examined the antidiabetic effects of zaprinast and 7ACC2, small molecules which have been reported to act as MPC inhibitors. Both compounds activated a bioluminescence resonance energy transfer-based MPC reporter assay (reporter sensitive to pyruvate) and potently inhibited pyruvate-mediated respiration in isolated mitochondria. Furthermore, zaprinast and 7ACC2 acutely improved glucose tolerance in diet-induced obese mice in vivo. Although some findings were suggestive of improved …

The Foundations And Development Of Lipidomics, Xianlin Han, Richard W Gross

Open Access Publications

For over a century, the importance of lipid metabolism in biology was recognized but difficult to mechanistically understand due to the lack of sensitive and robust technologies for identification and quantification of lipid molecular species. The enabling technological breakthroughs emerged in the 1980s with the development of soft ionization methods (Electrospray Ionization and Matrix Assisted Laser Desorption/Ionization) that could identify and quantify intact individual lipid molecular species. These soft ionization technologies laid the foundations for what was to be later named the field of lipidomics. Further innovative advances in multistage fragmentation, dramatic improvements in resolution and mass accuracy, and multiplexed …

Racial And Ethnic Minorities Have A Lower Prevalence Of Airflow Obstruction Than Non-Hispanic Whites, Akshay Sood, Hans Petersen, Congjian Liu, Orrin Myers, Xin Wang Shore, Bobbi A Gore, Rodrigo Vazquez-Guillamet, Linda S Cook, Paula Meek, Yohannes Tesfaigzi

Open Access Publications

Racial and ethnic disparities in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are not well-studied. Our objective was to examine differences in limited COPD-related outcomes between three minority groups-African Americans (AAs), Hispanics, and American Indians (AIs) versus non-Hispanic Whites (NHWs), as the referent group, in separate cohorts. Separate cross-sectional evaluations were performed of three US-based cohorts of subjects at risk for COPD: COPDGene Study with 6,884 NHW and 3,416 AA smokers; Lovelace Smokers' Cohort with 1,598 NHW and 378 Hispanic smokers; and Mining Dust Exposure in the United States Cohort with 2,115 NHW, 2,682 Hispanic, and 2,467 AI miners. Prebronchodilator spirometry tests …

Computational Genomics In The Era Of Precision Medicine: Applications To Variant Analysis And Gene Therapy, Yung-Chun Wang, Julie Choi, Shujuan Zhao, Mariam Khanfar, Kuangying Yang, Po-Ying Fu, Max Wrubel, Xiaobing Yu, Sheng Chih Jin, Et Al

Open Access Publications

Rapid methodological advances in statistical and computational genomics have enabled researchers to better identify and interpret both rare and common variants responsible for complex human diseases. As we continue to see an expansion of these advances in the field, it is now imperative for researchers to understand the resources and methodologies available for various data types and study designs. In this review, we provide an overview of recent methods for identifying rare and common variants and understanding their roles in disease etiology. Additionally, we discuss the strategy, challenge, and promise of gene therapy. As computational and statistical approaches continue to …

Importance Of Csf-Based Aβ Clearance With Age In Humans Increases With Declining Efficacy Of Blood-Brain Barrier/Proteolytic Pathways, Donald L Elbert, Bruce W Patterson, Brendan P Lucey, Tammie L S Benzinger, Randall J Bateman

Open Access Publications

The kinetics of amyloid beta turnover within human brain is still poorly understood. We previously found a dramatic decline in the turnover of Aβ peptides in normal aging. It was not known if brain interstitial fluid/cerebrospinal fluid (ISF/CSF) fluid exchange, CSF turnover, blood-brain barrier function or proteolysis were affected by aging or the presence of β amyloid plaques. Here, we describe a non-steady state physiological model developed to decouple CSF fluid transport from other processes. Kinetic parameters were estimated using: (1) MRI-derived brain volumes, (2) stable isotope labeling kinetics (SILK) of amyloid-β peptide (Aβ), and (3) lumbar CSF Aβ concentration …

Longitudinal Study After Sputnik V Vaccination Shows Durable Sars-Cov-2 Neutralizing Antibodies And Reduced Viral Variant Escape To Neutralization Over Time, María M Gonzalez Lopez Ledesma, Paul W Rothlauf, Zhuoming Liu, Louis-Marie Bloyet, Marjorie Cornejo Pontelli, Et Al

Open Access Publications

Recent studies have shown a temporal increase in the neutralizing antibody potency and breadth to SARS-CoV-2 variants in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) convalescent individuals. Here, we examined longitudinal antibody responses and viral neutralizing capacity to the B.1 lineage virus (Wuhan related), to variants of concern (VOC; Alpha, Beta, Gamma, and Delta), and to a local variant of interest (VOI; Lambda) in volunteers receiving the Sputnik V vaccine in Argentina. Longitudinal serum samples (

Inhibiting Mycobacterium Abscessus Cell Wall Synthesis: Using A Novel Diazabicyclooctane Β-Lactamase Inhibitor To Augment Β-Lactam Action, Khalid M Dousa, David C Nguyen, Sebastian G Kurz, Magdalena A Taracila, Christopher R Bethel, William Schinabeck, Barry N Kreiswirth, Sheldon T Brown, W Henry Boom, Richard S Hotchkiss, Kenneth E Remy, Frank J Jacono, Charles L Daley, Steven M Holland, Alita A Miller, Robert A Bonomo

Open Access Publications

Mycobacterium abscessus (

Whole-Exome Analysis Of Adolescents With Low Vwf And Heavy Menstrual Bleeding Identifies Novel Genetic Associations, Brooke Sadler, Christina A Gurnett, Jorge Di Paola, Et Al

Open Access Publications

Adolescents with low von Willebrand factor (VWF) levels and heavy menstrual bleeding (HMB) experience significant morbidity. There is a need to better characterize these patients genetically and improve our understanding of the pathophysiology of bleeding. We performed whole-exome sequencing on 86 postmenarchal patients diagnosed with low VWF levels (30-50 IU/dL) and HMB and compared them with 660 in-house controls. We compared the number of rare stop-gain/stop-loss and rare ClinVar "pathogenic" variants between cases and controls, as well as performed gene burden and gene-set burden analyses. We found an enrichment in cases of rare stop-gain/stop-loss variants in genes involved in bleeding …

Neural Signatures Of Data-Driven Psychopathology Dimensions At The Transition To Adolescence, Amirhossein Modabbernia, Giorgia Michelini, Abraham Reichenberg, Roman Kotov, Deanna Barch, Sophia Frangou

Open Access Publications

BACKGROUND: One of the challenges in human neuroscience is to uncover associations between brain organization and psychopathology in order to better understand the biological underpinnings of mental disorders. Here, we aimed to characterize the neural correlates of psychopathology dimensions obtained using two conceptually different data-driven approaches.

METHODS: Dimensions of psychopathology that were either maximally dissociable or correlated were respectively extracted by independent component analysis (ICA) and exploratory factor analysis (EFA) applied to the Childhood Behavior Checklist items from 9- to 10-year-olds (n = 9983; 47.8% female, 50.8% white) participating in the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development study. The patterns of brain …

Bicyclic Azetidines Target Acute And Chronic Stages Of Toxoplasma Gondii By Inhibiting Parasite Phenylalanyl T-Rna Synthetase, Joshua B Radke, Bruno Melillo, Payal Mittal, Manmohan Sharma, Amit Sharma, Yong Fu, Taher Uddin, Arthur Gonse, Eamon Comer, Stuart L Schreiber, Anil K Gupta, Arnab K Chatterjee, L David Sibley

Open Access Publications

Toxoplasma gondii commonly infects humans and while most infections are controlled by the immune response, currently approved drugs are not capable of clearing chronic infection in humans. Hence, approximately one third of the world's human population is at risk of reactivation, potentially leading to severe sequelae. To identify new candidates for treating chronic infection, we investigated a series of compounds derived from diversity-oriented synthesis. Bicyclic azetidines are potent low nanomolar inhibitors of phenylalanine tRNA synthetase (PheRS) in T. gondii, with excellent selectivity. Biochemical and genetic studies validate PheRS as the primary target of bicyclic azetidines in T. gondii, providing a …

The Immunoregulatory Landscape Of Human Tuberculosis Granulomas, Erin F. Mccaffrey, Shabaana A. Khader, Et Al

Open Access Publications

No abstract provided.

Enrichment Of The Exocytosis Protein Stx4 In Skeletal Muscle Remediates Peripheral Insulin Resistance And Alters Mitochondrial Dynamics Via Drp1, Karla E Merz, Jinhee Hwang, Chunxue Zhou, Rajakrishnan Veluthakal, Erika M Mccown, Angelica Hamilton, Eunjin Oh, Wenting Dai, Patrick T Fueger, Lei Jiang, Janice M Huss, Debbie C Thurmond

Open Access Publications

Mitochondrial dysfunction is implicated in skeletal muscle insulin resistance. Syntaxin 4 (STX4) levels are reduced in human diabetic skeletal muscle, and global transgenic enrichment of STX4 expression improves insulin sensitivity in mice. Here, we show that transgenic skeletal muscle-specific STX4 enrichment (skmSTX4tg) in mice reverses established insulin resistance and improves mitochondrial function in the context of diabetogenic stress. Specifically, skmSTX4tg reversed insulin resistance caused by high-fat diet (HFD) without altering body weight or food consumption. Electron microscopy of wild-type mouse muscle revealed STX4 localisation at or proximal to the mitochondrial membrane. STX4 enrichment prevented HFD-induced mitochondrial fragmentation and dysfunction through …

The Gut Microbiota Of Chickens In A Commercial Farm Treated With A Salmonella Phage Cocktail, Viviana Clavijo, Tatiana Morales, Martha Josefina Vives-Flores, Alejandro Reyes Muñoz

Open Access Publications

The microbiota in broiler chicken intestines affects the animals' health, metabolism, and immunity both positively and negatively. Accordingly, it has a significant impact on animal productivity. Phages, host-specific parasites of bacterial cells, are a promising antimicrobial alternative that selectively target pathogens without disturbing the microbiota. The purpose of this study is to further characterize the commensal microbial community at production scale in broiler chickens treated with a Salmonella phage treatment. We evaluated the cecal microbiota of broilers reared in a commercial farming system where a phage cocktail against Salmonella, SalmoFree was supplied to animals. To do so, two field trials …

Comparative Genomics Of Bacteroides Fragilis Group Isolates Reveals Species-Dependent Resistance Mechanisms And Validates Clinical Tools For Resistance Prediction, Miranda J Wallace, Sophonie Jean, Meghan A Wallace, Carey-Ann D Burnham, Gautam Dantas

Open Access Publications

Bacteroides fragilis group (BFG) are the most frequently recovered anaerobic bacteria from human infections, and resistance to frontline antibiotics is emerging. In the absence of routine antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST) for BFG in most clinical settings, we assessed the utility of clinical and modern genomics tools to determine BFG species-level identification and resistance patterns. A total of 174 BFG clinical isolates supplemented with 20 archived carbapenem-resistant B. fragilis

Comparative Genomics Of Borderline Oxacillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus Detected During A Pseudo-Outbreak Of Methicillin-Resistant S. Aureus In A Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Sanjam S Sawhney, Eric M Ransom, Meghan A Wallace, Patrick J Reich, Gautam Dantas, Carey-Ann D Burnham

Open Access Publications

Active surveillance for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a component of our neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) infection prevention efforts. Recent atypical trends prompted review of 42 suspected MRSA isolates. Species identification was confirmed by matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS), and methicillin resistance was reevaluated by PBP2a lateral flow assay, cefoxitin/oxacillin susceptibility testing,

Spotlight On Nociceptin/Orphanin Fq Receptor In The Treatment Of Pain, Amal El Daibani, Tao Che

Open Access Publications

No abstract provided.

Reevaluation Of The Role Of Lip-1 As An Erk/Mpk-1 Dual Specificity Phosphatase In The C. Elegans Germline, Debabrata Das, Jacob Seemann, David Greenstein, Tim Schedl, Swathi Arur

Open Access Publications

The fidelity of a signaling pathway depends on its tight regulation in space and time. Extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) controls wide-ranging cellular processes to promote organismal development and tissue homeostasis. ERK activation depends on a reversible dual phosphorylation on the TEY motif in its active site by ERK kinase (MEK) and dephosphorylation by DUSPs (dual specificity phosphatases). LIP-1, a DUSP6/7 homolog, was proposed to function as an ERK (MPK-1) DUSP in the

Jib-04 Has Broad-Spectrum Antiviral Activity And Inhibits Sars-Cov-2 Replication And Coronavirus Pathogenesis, Juhee Son, Shimeng Huang, Qiru Zeng, Traci L Bricker, James Brett Case, Ruochen Zang, Zhuoming Liu, Tamarand L Darling, Jian Xu, Houda H Harastani, Maria Florencia Gomez Castro, Hinissan P Kohio, Gaopeng Hou, Paul W Rothlauf, Adam L Bailey, Steven L Brody, Sean P J Whelan, Michael S Diamond, Adrianus C M Boon, Siyuan Ding, Et Al

Open Access Publications

Pathogenic coronaviruses are a major threat to global public health. Here, using a recombinant reporter virus-based compound screening approach, we identified small-molecule inhibitors that potently block the replication of severe acute respiratory syndrome virus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Among them, JIB-04 inhibited SARS-CoV-2 replication in Vero E6 cells with a 50% effective concentration of 695 nM, with a specificity index of greater than 1,000. JIB-04 showed

Post-Hpv-Vaccination Mast Cell Activation Syndrome: Possible Vaccine-Triggered Escalation Of Undiagnosed Pre-Existing Mast Cell Disease?, Lawrence B Afrin, Tania T Dempsey, Leonard B Weinstock

Open Access Publications

For nearly a decade, case reports and series have emerged regarding dysautonomias-particularly postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS)-presenting soon after vaccination against human papilloma virus (HPV). We too have observed a number of such cases (all following vaccination with the Gardasil product), and have found several to have detectable mast cell activation syndrome (MCAS) as well as histories suggesting that MCAS was likely present long before vaccination. We detail 11 such cases here, posing a hypothesis that HPV vaccination (at least with the Gardasil product) may have triggered or exacerbated MCAS in teenagers previously not recognized to have it. Only recently …

Dansr: A Tool For The Detection Of Annotated And Novel Small Rnas, Jin Zhang, Abdallah M Eteleeb, Emily B Rozycki, Matthew J Inkman, Amy Ly, Russell E Scharf, Kay Jayachandran, Bradley A Krasnick, Thomas Mazur, Nicole M White, Ryan C Fields, Christopher A Maher

Open Access Publications

Existing small noncoding RNA analysis tools are optimized for processing short sequencing reads (17-35 nucleotides) to monitor microRNA expression. However, these strategies under-represent many biologically relevant classes of small noncoding RNAs in the 36-200 nucleotides length range (tRNAs, snoRNAs, etc.). To address this, we developed DANSR, a tool for the detection of annotated and novel small RNAs using sequencing reads with variable lengths (ranging from 17-200 nt). While DANSR is broadly applicable to any small RNA dataset, we applied it to a cohort of matched normal, primary, and distant metastatic colorectal cancer specimens to demonstrate its ability to quantify annotated …

Myocardial Afterload Is A Key Biomechanical Regulator Of Atrioventricular Myocyte Differentiation In Zebrafish, Neha Ahuja, Paige Ostwald, Alex Gendernalik, Elena Guzzolino, Letizia Pitto, David Bark, Deborah M Garrity

Open Access Publications

Heart valve development is governed by both genetic and biomechanical inputs. Prior work has demonstrated that oscillating shear stress associated with blood flow is required for normal atrioventricular (AV) valve development. Cardiac afterload is defined as the pressure the ventricle must overcome in order to pump blood throughout the circulatory system. In human patients, conditions of high afterload can cause valve pathology. Whether high afterload adversely affects embryonic valve development remains poorly understood. Here we describe a zebrafish model exhibiting increased myocardial afterload, caused by vasopressin, a vasoconstrictive drug. We show that the application of vasopressin reliably produces an increase …

Metabolic Sensing In Agrp Neurons Integrates Homeostatic State With Dopamine Signalling In The Striatum, Alex Reichenbach, Alexxai V. Kravitz, Et Al

Open Access Publications

Agouti-related peptide (AgRP) neurons increase motivation for food, however, whether metabolic sensing of homeostatic state in AgRP neurons potentiates motivation by interacting with dopamine reward systems is unexplored. As a model of impaired metabolic-sensing, we used the AgRP-specific deletion of carnitine acetyltransferase (

Lysoptosis Is An Evolutionarily Conserved Cell Death Pathway Moderated By Intracellular Serpins, Cliff J Luke, Stephanie Markovina, Misty Good, Ira E Wight, Brian J Thomas, John M Linneman, Wyatt E Lanik, Olga Koroleva, Maggie R Coffman, Mark T Miedel, Qingqing Gong, Arlise Andress, Marlene Campos Guerrero, Songyan Wang, Liyun Chen, Wandy L Beatty, Kelsey N Hausmann, Frances V White, James A J Fitzpatrick, Anthony Orvedahl, Stephen C Pak, Gary A Silverman

Open Access Publications

Lysosomal membrane permeabilization (LMP) and cathepsin release typifies lysosome-dependent cell death (LDCD). However, LMP occurs in most regulated cell death programs suggesting LDCD is not an independent cell death pathway, but is conscripted to facilitate the final cellular demise by other cell death routines. Previously, we demonstrated that Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) null for a cysteine protease inhibitor, srp-6, undergo a specific LDCD pathway characterized by LMP and cathepsin-dependent cytoplasmic proteolysis. We designated this cell death routine, lysoptosis, to distinguish it from other pathways employing LMP. In this study, mouse and human epithelial cells lacking srp-6 homologues, mSerpinb3a and SERPINB3, …

Serpinb3 (Scca1) Inhibits Cathepsin L And Lysoptosis, Protecting Cervical Cancer Cells From Chemoradiation, Songyan Wang, Cliff J Luke, Stephen C Pak, Victoria Shi, Liyun Chen, Jonathan Moore, Arlise P Andress, Kay Jayachandran, Jin Zhang, Yi Huang, Marina Platik, Anthony A Apicelli, Julie K Schwarz, Perry W Grigsby, Gary A Silverman, Stephanie Markovina

Open Access Publications

The endogenous lysosomal cysteine protease inhibitor SERPINB3 (squamous cell carcinoma antigen 1, SCCA1) is elevated in patients with cervical cancer and other malignancies. High serum SERPINB3 is prognostic for recurrence and death following chemoradiation therapy. Cervical cancer cells genetically lacking SERPINB3 are more sensitive to ionizing radiation (IR), suggesting this protease inhibitor plays a role in therapeutic response. Here we demonstrate that SERPINB3-deficient cells have enhanced sensitivity to IR-induced cell death. Knock out of SERPINB3 sensitizes cells to a greater extent than cisplatin, the current standard of care. IR in SERPINB3 deficient cervical carcinoma cells induces predominantly necrotic cell death, …

Targeting The Fusion Process Of Sars-Cov-2 Infection By Small Molecule Inhibitors, Seung Bum Park, Parker Irvin, Zongyi Hu, Mohsin Khan, Xin Hu, Qiru Zeng, Catherine Chen, Miao Xu, Madeleine Leek, Ruochen Zang, James Brett Case, Wei Zheng, Siyuan Ding, T. Jake Liang

Open Access Publications

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), has become a serious threat to global public health, underscoring the urgency of developing effective therapies. Therapeutics and, more specifically, direct-acting antiviral development are still very much in their infancy. Here, we report that two hepatitis C virus (HCV) fusion inhibitors identified in our previous study, dichlorcyclizine and fluoxazolevir, broadly block human coronavirus entry into various cell types. Both compounds were effective against various human-pathogenic CoVs in multiple assays based on vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) pseudotyped with the spike protein and spike-mediated syncytium formation. The antiviral effects …