Catching Common Cold Virus with a Net: Pyridostatin Forms Filaments in Tris Buffer That Trap Viruses-A Novel Antiviral Strategy?

The neutrophil extracellular trap (ET) is a eukaryotic host defense machinery that operates by capturing and concentrating pathogens in a filamentous network manufactured by neutrophils and made of DNA, histones, and many other components. Respiratory virus-induced ETs are involved in tissue damage and impairment of the alveolar-capillary barrier, but they also aid in fending off infection. We found that the small organic compound pyridostatin (PDS) forms somewhat similar fibrillary structures in Tris buffer in a concentration-dependent manner. Common cold viruses promote this process and become entrapped in the network, decreasing their infectivity by about 70% in tissue culture. We propose studying this novel mechanism of virus inhibition for its utility in preventing viral infection.