Citation: Jia Quan, Xiangjun Zhang, Yuanfu Ding, Shengke Li, Yang Qiu, Ruibing Wang, Xi Zhou. Cucurbit[7]uril as a Broad-Spectrum Antiviral Agent against Diverse RNA Viruses .VIROLOGICA SINICA, 2021, 36(5) : 1165-1176.  http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s12250-021-00404-9

Cucurbit[7]uril as a Broad-Spectrum Antiviral Agent against Diverse RNA Viruses

  • Corresponding author: Ruibing Wang, rwang@um.edu.mo, ORCID: http://orcid.org/0000-0001-9489-4241
    Xi Zhou, zhouxi@wh.iov.cn, ORCID: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-3846-5079
  • Received Date: 25 March 2021
    Accepted Date: 06 April 2021
    Published Date: 26 May 2021
    Available online: 01 October 2021
  • The emergence and re-emergence of RNA virus outbreaks highlight the urgent need for the development of broad-spectrum antivirals. Polyamines are positively-charged small molecules required for the infectivity of a wide range of RNA viruses, therefore may become good antiviral targets. Cucurbit[7]uril (CB[7]), a synthetic macrocyclic molecule, which can bind with amine-based organic compounds with high affinity, has been shown to regulate bioactive molecules through competitive binding. In this study, we tested the antiviral activity of CB[7] against diverse RNA viruses, including a panel of enteroviruses (i.e. human enterovirus A71, coxsackievirus A16, coxsackievirus B3, and echovirus 11), some flaviviruses (i.e. dengue virus and Zika virus), and an alphavirus representative Semliki forest virus. CB[7] can inhibit virus replications in a variety of cell lines, and its mechanism of action is through the competitive binding with polyamines. Our findings not only for the first time provide evidence that CB[7] can be a promising broad-spectrum antiviral agent, but more importantly, offer a novel therapeutic strategy to fight against RNA viruses by supramolecular sequestration of polyamines.


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    Cucurbit[7]uril as a Broad-Spectrum Antiviral Agent against Diverse RNA Viruses

      Corresponding author: Ruibing Wang, rwang@um.edu.mo
      Corresponding author: Xi Zhou, zhouxi@wh.iov.cn
    • 1. State Key Laboratory of Virology, College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430072, China
    • 2. State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Macau, 999078, China
    • 3. State Key Laboratory of Virology, Wuhan Institute of Virology, Center for Biosafety Mega-Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430071, China

    Abstract: 

    The emergence and re-emergence of RNA virus outbreaks highlight the urgent need for the development of broad-spectrum antivirals. Polyamines are positively-charged small molecules required for the infectivity of a wide range of RNA viruses, therefore may become good antiviral targets. Cucurbit[7]uril (CB[7]), a synthetic macrocyclic molecule, which can bind with amine-based organic compounds with high affinity, has been shown to regulate bioactive molecules through competitive binding. In this study, we tested the antiviral activity of CB[7] against diverse RNA viruses, including a panel of enteroviruses (i.e. human enterovirus A71, coxsackievirus A16, coxsackievirus B3, and echovirus 11), some flaviviruses (i.e. dengue virus and Zika virus), and an alphavirus representative Semliki forest virus. CB[7] can inhibit virus replications in a variety of cell lines, and its mechanism of action is through the competitive binding with polyamines. Our findings not only for the first time provide evidence that CB[7] can be a promising broad-spectrum antiviral agent, but more importantly, offer a novel therapeutic strategy to fight against RNA viruses by supramolecular sequestration of polyamines.