Identification and characterization of novel chikungunya virus polymerase inhibitors - PubMed
2 hours ago
- #antiviral
- #polymerase inhibitor
- #chikungunya virus
- The study focuses on identifying and characterizing novel small-molecule inhibitors of the chikungunya virus (CHIKV) polymerase.
- A high-throughput screening assay using a CHIKV nanoluciferase reporter virus was developed to discover inhibitors of viral replication.
- Two promising inhibitors were found to target the nsP4 RNA-dependent RNA polymerase, with resistance mutations identified that reduced viral fitness.
- In silico docking and resistance analyses suggested potential binding sites near the polymerase active site for these inhibitors.
- The findings provide multiple chemotypes for further antiviral development against CHIKV and related alphaviruses, addressing an unmet therapeutic need.