Prophylactic Antiviral Activity of Sulfated Glycomimetic Oligomers and Polymers

J Am Chem Soc. 2020 Mar 18;142(11):5252-5265. doi: 10.1021/jacs.9b13484. Epub 2020 Mar 10.

Abstract

In this work, we investigate the potential of highly sulfated synthetic glycomimetics to act as inhibitors of viral binding/infection. Our results indicate that both long-chain glycopolymers and short-chain glycooligomers are capable of preventing viral infection. Notably, glycopolymers efficiently inhibit Human Papillomavirus (HPV16) infection in vitro and maintain their antiviral activity in vivo, while the glycooligomers exert their inhibitory function post attachment of viruses to cells. Moreover, when we tested the potential for broader activity against several other human pathogenic viruses, we observed broad-spectrum antiviral activity of these compounds beyond our initial assumptions. While the compounds tested displayed a range of antiviral efficacies, viruses with rather diverse glycan specificities such as Herpes Simplex Virus (HSV), Influenza A Virus (IAV), and Merkel Cell Polyomavirus (MCPyV) could be targeted. This opens new opportunities to develop broadly active glycomimetic inhibitors of viral entry and infection.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Acrylic Resins / chemical synthesis
  • Acrylic Resins / therapeutic use*
  • Alkanesulfonates / chemical synthesis
  • Alkanesulfonates / therapeutic use*
  • Animals
  • Antiviral Agents / chemical synthesis
  • Antiviral Agents / therapeutic use*
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Female
  • Galactosides / chemical synthesis
  • Galactosides / therapeutic use*
  • Humans
  • Mannosides / chemical synthesis
  • Mannosides / therapeutic use*
  • Mice, Inbred BALB C
  • Papillomavirus Infections / drug therapy*
  • Viruses / drug effects

Substances

  • Acrylic Resins
  • Alkanesulfonates
  • Antiviral Agents
  • Galactosides
  • Mannosides