Broad spectrum anti-flavivirus pyridobenzothiazolones leading to less infective virions

• Published in: Antiviral research 2019-07, Vol.167, p.6-12
• Main Authors: Cannalire, Rolando, Tarantino, Delia, Piorkowski, Geraldine, Carletti, Tea, Massari, Serena, Felicetti, Tommaso, Barreca, Maria Letizia, Sabatini, Stefano, Tabarrini, Oriana, Marcello, Alessandro, Milani, Mario, Cecchetti, Violetta, Mastrangelo, Eloise, Manfroni, Giuseppe, Querat, Gilles
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; Antiviral Agents - chemical synthesis; Antiviral Agents - pharmacology; Antiviral small molecules; Antivirals; Dengue inhibitors; Dengue Virus - drug effects; Encephalitis Viruses, Tick-Borne - drug effects; Flaviviridae - drug effects; Flavivirus inhibitors; Flavivirus replication; Humans; Life Sciences; Microbiology and Parasitology; Oxazocines - chemical synthesis; Oxazocines - pharmacology; Pyridines - chemical synthesis; Pyridines - pharmacology; RNA, Viral - drug effects; Virion - drug effects; Virology; Virus Replication - drug effects; West Nile virus - drug effects; Yellow fever virus - drug effects; Zika virus; Zika Virus - drug effects
• ISSN: 0166-3542; 1872-9096
• DOI: 10.1016/j.antiviral.2019.03.004

We report the design, synthesis, and biological evaluation of a class of 1H-pyrido[2,1-b][1,3]benzothiazol-1-ones originated from compound 1, previously identified as anti-flavivirus agent. Some of the new compounds showed activity in low μM range with reasonable selectivity against Dengue 2, Yellow fever (Bolivia strain), and West Nile viruses. One of the most interesting molecules, compound 16, showed broad antiviral activity against additional flaviviruses such as Dengue 1, 3 and 4, Zika, Japanese encephalitis, several strains of Yellow fever, and tick-borne encephalitis viruses. Compound 16 did not exert any effect on alphaviruses and phleboviruses and its activity was maintained in YFV infected cells from different species. The activity of 16 appears specific for flavivirus with respect to other virus families, suggesting, but not proving, that it might be targeting a viral factor. We demonstrated that the antiviral effect of 16 is not related to reduced viral RNA synthesis or virion release. On the contrary, viral particles grown in the presence of 16 showed reduced infectivity, being unable to perform a second round of infection. The chemical class herein presented thus emerges as suitable to provide pan-flavivirus inhibitors.