Vemurafenib Limits Influenza A Virus Propagation by Targeting Multiple Signaling Pathways.

ABSTRACT: Influenza A viruses (IAV) can cause severe global pandemic outbreaks. The currently licensed antiviral drugs are not very effective and prone to viral resistance. Thus, novel effective and broadly active drugs are urgently needed. We have identified the cellular Raf/MEK/ERK signaling cascade as crucial for IAV replication and suitable target for an antiviral intervention. Since this signaling cascade is aberrantly activated in many human cancers, several clinically approved inhibitors of Raf and MEK are now available. Here we explored the anti-IAV action of the licensed B-Raf^V600E inhibitor Vemurafenib. Treatment of B-Raf^WT cells with Vemurafenib induced a hyperactivation of the Raf/MEK/ERK cascade rather than inhibiting its activation upon IAV infection. Despite this

SUBMITTER: Holzberg M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5735105 | biostudies-literature | 2017

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature