Preclinical characterization of GS-9669, a thumb site II inhibitor of the hepatitis C virus NS5B polymerase.

GS-9669 is a highly optimized thumb site II nonnucleoside inhibitor of the hepatitis C virus (HCV) RNA polymerase, with a binding affinity of 1.35 nM for the genotype (GT) 1b protein. It is a selective inhibitor of HCV RNA replication, with a mean 50% effective concentration (EC(50)) of ≤ 11 nM in genotype 1 and 5 replicon assays, but lacks useful activity against genotypes 2 to 4.

The Drosophila TNF ortholog eiger is required in the fat body for a robust immune response.

Eiger is the sole TNF family member found in Drosophila melanogaster. This signaling molecule is induced during infection and is required for an appropriate immune response to many microbes; however, little is known about where eiger is produced. Here, we show that eiger is made in the fly's fat body during a Salmonella typhimurium infection.

Comparison of HCV NS3 protease and NS5B polymerase inhibitor activity in 1a, 1b and 2a replicons and 2a infectious virus.

The hepatitis C virus infection system represents an important new tool for drug discovery. In this study, we compared the in vitro antiviral efficacy of several NS3 and NS5B inhibitors in genotype 1a, 1b, and 2a replicons and in the 2a infectious virus system. The nucleoside inhibitor 2'-C-methyl adenosine showed similar efficacy in each system tested.

Drosophila eiger mutants are sensitive to extracellular pathogens.

We showed previously that eiger, the Drosophila tumor necrosis factor homolog, contributes to the pathology induced by infection with Salmonella typhimurium. We were curious whether eiger is always detrimental in the context of infection or if it plays a role in fighting some types of microbes. We challenged wild-type and eiger mutant flies with a collection of facultative intracellular and extracellular pathogens, including a fungus and Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria.