Phosphoinositide kinase PIKfyve inhibitor apilimod blocks hepatitis E virus infection - PubMed
6 hours ago
- #PIKfyve
- #Antiviral
- #Hepatitis E Virus
- Hepatitis E virus (HEV) is a major cause of viral hepatitis with limited treatment options.
- HEV infection relies on endolysosomal trafficking for host cell entry.
- Apilimod, a PIKfyve inhibitor, showed the highest antiviral potency among screened compounds.
- Apilimod acts during viral entry by disrupting lysosomal organization and impairing HEV trafficking.
- PIKfyve is crucial for HEV entry, confirmed via siRNA knockdown and time-of-addition assays.
- Apilimod reduced HEV infectivity in primary human hepatocytes and in a rat HEV infection model.
- Targeting PIKfyve kinase activity could lead to novel antiviral strategies against HEV.