Antidepressant Sertraline Is a Broad-Spectrum Inhibitor of Enteroviruses Targeting Viral Entry through Neutralization of Endolysosomal Acidification.

ABSTRACT: Enterovirus 71 (EV71) is an etiological agent of hand foot and mouth disease and can also cause neurological complications in young children. However, there are no approved drugs as of yet to treat EV71 infections. In this study, we conducted antiviral drug screening by using a Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved drug library. We identified five drugs that showed dose-dependent inhibition of viral replication. Sertraline was further characterized because it exhibited the most potent antiviral activity with the highest selectivity index among the five hits. The antiviral activity of sertraline was noted for other EV serotypes. The drug's antiviral effect is not likely associated with its approved indications as an antidepressant and its mode-of-action as a selective serotonin reupta

SUBMITTER: Tseng KC 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8780434 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature