Suramin inhibits EV71 infection

Antiviral Res. 2014 Mar:103:1-6. doi: 10.1016/j.antiviral.2013.12.008. Epub 2013 Dec 25.

Abstract

Enterovirus-71 (EV71) is one of the major causative reagents for hand-foot-and-mouth disease. In particular, EV71 causes severe central nervous system infections and leads to numerous dead cases. Although several inactivated whole-virus vaccines have entered in clinical trials, no antiviral agent has been provided for clinical therapy. In the present work, we screened our compound library and identified that suramin, which has been clinically used to treat variable diseases, could inhibit EV71 proliferation with an IC50 value of 40 μM. We further revealed that suramin could block the attachment of EV71 to host cells to regulate the early stage of EV71 infection, as well as affected other steps of EV71 life cycle. Our results are helpful to understand the mechanism for EV71 life cycle and provide a potential for the usage of an approved drug, suramin, as the antiviral against EV71 infection.

Keywords: Antiviral; Enterovirus 71; Suramin.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Antiviral Agents / metabolism*
  • Cell Line
  • Enterovirus A, Human / drug effects*
  • Enterovirus A, Human / physiology*
  • Humans
  • Inhibitory Concentration 50
  • Microbial Sensitivity Tests
  • Suramin / metabolism*
  • Virus Attachment / drug effects

Substances

  • Antiviral Agents
  • Suramin