Influenza A virus replication has a stronger dependency on Raf/MEK/ERK signaling pathway activity than SARS-CoV-2.

ABSTRACT: The recent COVID-19 pandemic again highlighted the urgent need for broad-spectrum antivirals, both for therapeutic use in acute viral infection and for pandemic preparedness in general. The targeting of host cell factors hijacked by viruses during their replication cycle presents one possible strategy for development of broad-spectrum antivirals. By inhibiting the Raf/MEK/ERK signaling pathway, a central kinase cascade of eukaryotic cells, which is being exploited by numerous viruses of different virus phyla, the small-molecule MEK inhibitor zapnometinib has the potential to address this need. We here performed a side-by-side comparison of the antiviral efficacy of zapnometinib against IAV and SARS-CoV-2 to determine the concentration leading to 50% of its effect on the virus (EC₅₀

SUBMITTER: Hoffmann H 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10641236 | biostudies-literature | 2023

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature