Picolinic acid is a broad-spectrum inhibitor of enveloped virus entry that restricts SARS-CoV-2 and influenza A virus in vivo.
basic_science · Level V
Where this comes from
- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 37463584.
- Also identified by DOI 10.1016/j.xcrm.2023.101127 and PMC identifier 10439173.
- Licence recorded as CC BY.
- The licence permits redistribution, so the abstract is shown in full and the full text is available from the publisher.
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic highlights an urgent need for effective antivirals. Targeting host processes co-opted by viruses is an attractive antiviral strategy with a high resistance barrier. Picolinic acid (PA) is a tryptophan metabolite endogenously produced in mammals. Here, we report the broad-spectrum antiviral activity of PA against enveloped viruses, including severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), influenza A virus (IAV), flaviviruses, herpes simplex virus, and parainfluenza virus. Mechanistic studies reveal that PA inhibits enveloped virus entry by compromising viral membrane integrity, inhibiting virus-cellular membrane fusion, and interfering with cellular endocytosis. More importantly, in pre-clinical animal models, PA exhibits promising antiviral efficacy against SARS-CoV-2 and IAV. Overall, our data establish PA as a broad-spectrum antiviral with promising pre-clinical efficacy against pandemic viruses SARS-CoV-2 and IAV.
Medical subject headings
- COVID-19
- Influenza A virus