Eltrombopag, an FDA-approved drug, inhibits dengue virus type 2 by targeting NS2B-NS3 protease.

ABSTRACT: Dengue viruses (DENV) have spread throughout the world and pose a huge threat to human life. The most widespread serotype is type 2 DENV (DENV 2), which has no specific treatment. NS2B-NS3 protease plays a pivotal role in DENV replication because of its function in cleavage of the viral polyprotein; thus, it is considered a promising target for antiviral discovery. In this study, we developed a high-throughput screening system based on the NS2B-NS3 protease to identify candidates from an FDA-approved drug library. Eltrombopag was screened out of 3273 drugs, and demonstrated inhibition on DENV 2 ​at the micromolar level in vitro, significantly reducing viral loads in the targeted organs of challenged mice following intraperitoneal injection. Further mechanistic analysis showed that eltrombo

SUBMITTER: Zhu X 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12282411 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature