Inhibition of SARS Coronavirus Infection In Vitro with Clinically Approved Antiviral Drugs

TLDR

SARS is an infectious disease caused by SARS‑CoV, and no effective drug has yet been identified. The study examined whether commercially available antiviral drugs can inhibit SARS‑CoV in vitro. A cytopathic‑effect assay on cultured cells was used to screen 19 clinically approved antiviral compounds from multiple pharmacologic classes. Interferon subtypes b‑1b, a‑n1, a‑n3, and human leukocyte interferon a completely inhibited SARS‑CoV cytopathic effects, supporting their clinical evaluation.

Abstract

Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) is an infectious disease caused by a newly identified human coronavirus (SARS-CoV). Currently, no effective drug exists to treat SARS-CoV infection. In this study, we investigated whether a panel of commercially available antiviral drugs exhibit in vitro anti-SARS-CoV activity. A drug-screening assay that scores for virus-induced cytopathic effects on cultured cells was used. Tested were 19 clinically approved compounds from several major antiviral pharmacologic classes: nucleoside analogs, interferons, protease inhibitors, reverse transcriptase inhibitors, and neuraminidase inhibitors. Complete inhibition of cytopathic effects of SARS-CoV in culture was observed for interferon subtypes, b-1b, a-n1, a-n3, and human leukocyte interferon a. These findings support clinical testing of approved interferons for the treatment of SARS.