AI Article Synopsis

  • Flaviviruses, including Zika virus, cause major health issues, highlighting the urgent need for effective treatments.
  • Researchers discovered a new compound, JMX0207, derived from niclosamide, which shows better drug properties and effectiveness against the Zika virus by targeting the NS3-NS2B interaction.
  • In laboratory tests and animal models, JMX0207 significantly reduced Zika virus infection and viremia, indicating its potential as a therapeutic option.

Article Abstract

Flaviviruses causes significant human disease. Recent outbreaks of the Zika virus highlight the need to develop effective therapies for this class of viruses. Previously we identified niclosamide as a broad-spectrum inhibitor for flaviviruses by targeting the interface between viral protease NS3 and its cofactor NS2B. Here, we screened a small library of niclosamide derivatives and identified a new analogue with improved pharmacokinetic properties. Compound JMX0207 showed improved efficacy in inhibition of the molecular interaction between NS3 and NS2B, better inhibition of viral protease function, and enhanced antiviral efficacy in the cell-based antiviral assay. The derivative also significantly reduced Zika virus infection on 3D mini-brain organoids derived from pluripotent neural stem cells. Intriguingly, the compound significantly reduced viremia in a Zika virus (ZIKV) animal model. In summary, a niclosamide derivative, JMX0207, was identified, which shows improved pharmacokinetics and efficacy against Zika virus both and .

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http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7559020PMC
http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/acsinfecdis.0c00217DOI Listing

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