With over 50 million currently confirmed cases worldwide, including more than 1.3 million deaths, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic has a major impact on the economy and health care system. Currently, limited prophylactic or therapeutic intervention options are available against SARS-CoV-2. In this study, 400 compounds from the antimicrobial “pandemic response box” library were screened for inhibiting properties against SARS-CoV-2. An initial screen on Vero E6 cells identified five compounds that inhibited SARS-CoV-2 replication. However, validation of the selected hits in a human lung cell line highlighted that only a single compound, namely Retro-2.1, efficiently inhibited SARS-CoV-2 replication. Additional analysis revealed that the antiviral activity of Retro-2.1 occurs at a post-entry stage of the viral replication cycle. Combined, these data demonstrate that stringent in vitro screening of preselected compounds in multiple cell lines refines the rapid identification of new potential antiviral candidate drugs targeting SARS-CoV-2.
【저자키워드】 Drug repurposing, SARS-CoV-2, Remdesivir, Calu-3, pandemic response box, Vero E6, compound screen, Retro-2.1, 【초록키워드】 coronavirus, pandemic, Antiviral, in vitro, antiviral activity, Prophylactic, Health, viral replication, human lung, Vero E6 cell, Care, SARS-CoV-2 replication, Analysis, deaths, confirmed case, acute respiratory syndrome, These data, Compound, therapeutic intervention, cell line, FIVE, Combined, initial, selected, inhibited, screened, occur, inhibiting, candidate drug, multiple cell line, 【제목키워드】 response, identification, Compound, Box,