1. Molnupiravir inhibits human norovirus and rotavirus replication in 3D human intestinal enteroids.
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Santos-Ferreira, Nanci, Van Dycke, Jana, Chiu, Winston, Neyts, Johan, Matthijnssens, Jelle, and Rocha-Pereira, Joana
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ROTAVIRUSES , *MOLNUPIRAVIR , *NOROVIRUSES , *COVID-19 , *ROTAVIRUS vaccines , *INTESTINES , *OFF-label use (Drugs) - Abstract
Human norovirus (HuNoV) and human rotavirus (HRV) are the leading causes of gastrointestinal diarrhea. There are no approved antivirals and rotavirus vaccines are insufficient to cease HRV associated mortality. Furthermore, treatment of chronically infected immunocompromised patients is limited to off-label compassionate use of repurposed antivirals with limited efficacy, highlighting the urgent need of potent and specific antivirals for HuNoV and HRV. Recently, a major breakthrough in the in vitro cultivation of HuNoV and HRV derived from the use of human intestinal enteroids (HIEs). The replication of multiple circulating HuNoV and HRV genotypes can finally be studied and both in the same non-transformed and physiologically relevant model. Activity of previously described anti-norovirus or anti-rotavirus drugs, such as 2′- C -methylcytidine (2CMC), 7-deaza-2′- C -methyladenosine (7DMA), nitazoxanide, favipiravir and dasabuvir, was assessed against clinically relevant human genotypes using 3D-HIEs. 2CMC showed the best activity against HuNoV GII.4, while 7DMA was the most potent antiviral against HRV. We identified the anti-norovirus and -rotavirus activity of molnupiravir and its active metabolite, N4-hydroxycytidine (NHC), a broad-spectrum antiviral used to treat coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Molnupiravir and NHC inhibit HuNoV GII.4, HRV G1P[8], G2P[4] and G4P[6] in 3D-HIEs with high selectivity and show a potency comparable to 2CMC against HuNoV. Moreover, molnupiravir and NHC block HRV viroplasm formation, but do not alter its size or subcellular localization. Taken together, molnupiravir inhibits both HuNoV and HRV replication, suggesting that the drug could be a candidate for the treatment of patients chronically infected with either one of these diarrhea causing viruses. • HIEs allow antiviral testing against HuNoV and HRV in the same in vitro model. • Antiviral effect of 2CMC and 7DMA against HuNoV and HRV confirmed in 3D-HIEs. • Molnupiravir and NHC inhibit HuNoV GII.4, HRV (Wa- and DS-1-like) in 3D-HIEs. • Molnupiravir could be a candidate for the treatment of chronic HuNoV or HRV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2024
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