Broad-Spectrum Antivirals and Interaction with Viruses

A special issue of Viruses (ISSN 1999-4915). This special issue belongs to the section "Viral Immunology, Vaccines, and Antivirals".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 April 2024 | Viewed by 7526

Special Issue Editors

Broegelmann Research Laboratory, Department of Clinical Science, University of Bergen, 5020 Bergen, Norway
Interests: DNA repair; DNA damage response; genetics; primary immunodeficiency; B lymphocyte development; mouse models
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Department of Microbiology, Virology, and Immunology, I. Horbachevsky Ternopil National Medical University, 46001 Ternopil, Ukraine
Interests: microbiota; immune system; transcriptiome; experimental pathology; metagenomics; intestinal microbiome; diabetes; COVID-19

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

A recently released database summarizes the activity of over 500 antivirus combinations along with their development status, as well as the antiviral activities of over 100 investigational and approved broad-spectrum antiviral drugs (BSAs) safe for humans (https://drugvirus.info/). Many drugs and drug combinations have shown new activities against SARS-CoV-2 and other viruses in preclinical (in vitro, in vivo) and clinical trials.

We invite submissions to expand these databases to include host-virus interaction, experimental antiviral drugs, new investigational and approved BSAs, and new antiviral combinations, including information on their development status and targets. Such contributions will improve our understanding of the general principles of virus-cell interaction and virus inhibition.

Dr. Valentyn Oksenych
Prof. Dr. Aleksandr Kamyshnyi
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Viruses is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • antiviral combinations
  • antiviral drug development
  • broad-spectrum antivirals
  • virus–host interaction

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

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13 pages, 4475 KiB  
Article
Antiviral Potential of Azelastine against Major Respiratory Viruses
by Katrin Fischhuber, Zoltán Bánki, Janine Kimpel, Natalie Kragl, Annika Rössler, Annika Bolze, Brigitte Muellauer, Joachim Angerer, Gábor Nagy, Eszter Nagy and Valeria Szijarto
Viruses 2023, 15(12), 2300; https://doi.org/10.3390/v15122300 - 23 Nov 2023
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Abstract
The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and the subsequent increase in respiratory viral infections highlight the need for broad-spectrum antivirals to enable a quick and efficient reaction to current and emerging viral outbreaks. We previously demonstrated that the antihistamine azelastine hydrochloride (azelastine-HCl) exhibited [...] Read more.
The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and the subsequent increase in respiratory viral infections highlight the need for broad-spectrum antivirals to enable a quick and efficient reaction to current and emerging viral outbreaks. We previously demonstrated that the antihistamine azelastine hydrochloride (azelastine-HCl) exhibited in vitro antiviral activity against SARS-CoV-2. Furthermore, in a phase 2 clinical study, a commercial azelastine-containing nasal spray significantly reduced the viral load in SARS-CoV-2-infected individuals. Here, we evaluate the efficacy of azelastine-HCl against additional human coronaviruses, including the SARS-CoV-2 omicron variant and a seasonal human coronavirus, 229E, through in vitro infection assays, with azelastine showing a comparable potency against both. Furthermore, we determined that azelastine-HCl also inhibits the replication of Respiratory syncytial virus A (RSV A) in both prophylactic and therapeutic settings. In a human 3D nasal tissue model (MucilAirTM-Pool, Epithelix), azelastine-HCl protected tissue integrity and function from the effects of infection with influenza A H1N1 and resulted in a reduced viral load soon after infection. Our results suggest that azelastine-HCl has a broad antiviral effect and can be considered a safe option against the most common respiratory viruses to prevent or treat such infections locally in the form of a nasal spray that is commonly available globally. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Broad-Spectrum Antivirals and Interaction with Viruses)
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24 pages, 1526 KiB  
Article
The Relationship between COVID-19 Severity in Children and Immunoregulatory Gene Polymorphism
by Kateryna Kozak, Halyna Pavlyshyn, Oleksandr Kamyshnyi, Oksana Shevchuk, Mykhaylo Korda and Sandor G. Vari
Viruses 2023, 15(10), 2093; https://doi.org/10.3390/v15102093 - 14 Oct 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1312
Abstract
Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) and its outcomes remain one of the most challenging problems today. COVID-19 in children could be asymptomatic, but can result in a fatal outcome; therefore, predictions of the disease severity are important. The goal was to investigate the human genetic [...] Read more.
Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) and its outcomes remain one of the most challenging problems today. COVID-19 in children could be asymptomatic, but can result in a fatal outcome; therefore, predictions of the disease severity are important. The goal was to investigate the human genetic factors that could be associated with COVID-19 severity in children. Single-nucleotide polymorphisms of the following genes were studied: ACE2 (rs2074192), IFNAR2 (rs2236757), TYK2 (rs2304256), OAS1 (rs10774671), OAS3 (rs10735079), CD40 (rs4813003), FCGR2A (rs1801274) and CASP3 (rs113420705). In the case–control study were 30 children with mild or moderate course of the disease; 30 with severe COVID-19 symptoms and multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) and 15 who were healthy, and who did not have SARS-CoV-2 (PCR negative, Ig G negative). The study revealed that ACE2 rs2074192 (allele T), IFNAR2 rs2236757 (allele A), OAS1 rs10774671 (allele A), CD40 rs4813003 (allele C), CASP3 rs113420705 (allele C) and male sex contribute to severe COVID-19 course and MIS-C in 85.6% of cases. The World Health Organization reported that new SARS-CoV-2 variants may cause previously unseen symptoms in children. Although the study has limitations due to cohort size, the findings can help provide a better understanding of SARS-CoV-2 infection and proactive pediatric patient management. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Broad-Spectrum Antivirals and Interaction with Viruses)
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Review

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24 pages, 3513 KiB  
Review
The Functional Implications of Broad Spectrum Bioactive Compounds Targeting RNA-Dependent RNA Polymerase (RdRp) in the Context of the COVID-19 Pandemic
by Brittany A. Comunale, Robin J. Larson, Erin Jackson-Ward, Aditi Singh, Frances L. Koback and Lilly D. Engineer
Viruses 2023, 15(12), 2316; https://doi.org/10.3390/v15122316 - 25 Nov 2023
Viewed by 1163
Abstract
Background: As long as COVID-19 endures, viral surface proteins will keep changing and new viral strains will emerge, rendering prior vaccines and treatments decreasingly effective. To provide durable targets for preventive and therapeutic agents, there is increasing interest in slowly mutating viral proteins, [...] Read more.
Background: As long as COVID-19 endures, viral surface proteins will keep changing and new viral strains will emerge, rendering prior vaccines and treatments decreasingly effective. To provide durable targets for preventive and therapeutic agents, there is increasing interest in slowly mutating viral proteins, including non-surface proteins like RdRp. Methods: A scoping review of studies was conducted describing RdRp in the context of COVID-19 through MEDLINE/PubMed and EMBASE. An iterative approach was used with input from content experts and three independent reviewers, focused on studies related to either RdRp activity inhibition or RdRp mechanisms against SARS-CoV-2. Results: Of the 205 records screened, 43 studies were included in the review. Twenty-five evaluated RdRp activity inhibition, and eighteen described RdRp mechanisms of existing drugs or compounds against SARS-CoV-2. In silico experiments suggested that RdRp inhibitors developed for other RNA viruses may be effective in disrupting SARS-CoV-2 replication, indicating a possible reduction of disease progression from current and future variants. In vitro, in vivo, and human clinical trial studies were largely consistent with these findings. Conclusions: Future risk mitigation and treatment strategies against forthcoming SARS-CoV-2 variants should consider targeting RdRp proteins instead of surface proteins. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Broad-Spectrum Antivirals and Interaction with Viruses)
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25 pages, 14146 KiB  
Review
The Intersection of COVID-19 and Metabolic-Associated Fatty Liver Disease: An Overview of the Current Evidence
by Mykhailo Buchynskyi, Iryna Kamyshna, Valentyn Oksenych, Nataliia Zavidniuk and Aleksandr Kamyshnyi
Viruses 2023, 15(5), 1072; https://doi.org/10.3390/v15051072 - 27 Apr 2023
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1921
Abstract
The global population is currently experiencing the impact of the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus, which has caused the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. With our profound comprehension of COVID-19, encompassing the involvement sequence of the respiratory tract, gastrointestinal system, and cardiovascular apparatus, the multiorgan symptoms [...] Read more.
The global population is currently experiencing the impact of the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus, which has caused the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. With our profound comprehension of COVID-19, encompassing the involvement sequence of the respiratory tract, gastrointestinal system, and cardiovascular apparatus, the multiorgan symptoms of this infectious disease have been discerned. Metabolic-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD), formerly known as non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), is a pervasive public health concern intricately linked with metabolic dysregulation and estimated to afflict one-fourth of the global adult population. The burgeoning focus on the association between COVID-19 and MAFLD is justified by the potential role of the latter as a risk factor for both SARS-CoV-2 infection and the subsequent emergence of severe COVID-19 symptoms. Investigations have suggested that changes in both innate and adaptive immune responses among MAFLD patients may play a role in determining the severity of COVID-19. The remarkable similarities observed in the cytokine pathways implicated in both diseases imply the existence of shared mechanisms governing the chronic inflammatory responses characterizing these conditions. The effect of MAFLD on the severity of COVID-19 illness remains uncertain, as indicated by conflicting results in cohort investigations. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Broad-Spectrum Antivirals and Interaction with Viruses)
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