Ethacridine inhibits SARS-CoV-2 by inactivating viral particles.
PLoS Pathog
; 17(9): e1009898, 2021 09.
Article
in En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-34478458
The respiratory disease COVID-19 is caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. Here we report the discovery of ethacridine as a potent drug against SARS-CoV-2 (EC50 ~ 0.08 µM). Ethacridine was identified via high-throughput screening of an FDA-approved drug library in living cells using a fluorescence assay. Plaque assays, RT-PCR and immunofluorescence imaging at various stages of viral infection demonstrate that the main mode of action of ethacridine is through inactivation of viral particles, preventing their binding to the host cells. Consistently, ethacridine is effective in various cell types, including primary human nasal epithelial cells that are cultured in an air-liquid interface. Taken together, our work identifies a promising, potent, and new use of the old drug via a distinct mode of action for inhibiting SARS-CoV-2.
Full text:
1
Collection:
01-internacional
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Antiviral Agents
/
Protease Inhibitors
/
Virus Activation
/
Ethacridine
Limits:
Animals
/
Humans
Language:
En
Journal:
PLoS Pathog
Year:
2021
Document type:
Article