Potential Antibiotic Targets Viruses with a Lipid Envelope

A team of molecular virologists has identified an antibiotic compound that inhibits the growth of viruses such as Ebola, HIV, hepatitis C, West Nile fever, Rift Valley fever, and yellow fever that are enclosed by a lipid envelope.

The compound, which has been labeled LJ001, was discovered during the large-scale screening of over 30,000 compounds for drugs that could prevent the invasion of host cells by the Nipah virus. Subsequent studies revealed that the compound inhibited growth of a wide range of viruses that were enclosed by a lipid envelope. Viruses lacking a lipid envelope were not affected by the drug.

LJ001 is a rhodanine derivative, and apparently, both its polar and nonpolar ends contribute to the antiviral activity. Details published in the January 28, 2010, online edition of the journal Proceedings of the [U.S.] National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) indicated that LJ001 specifically inhibited virus-cell but not cell-cell fusion. The authors speculated that while the compound caused the same damage to the cell's lipid membrane, the cell – unlike the static virus – could repair the damage and survive.

"At antiviral concentrations, any damage it does to the cell's membrane can be repaired, while damage done to static viral envelopes, which have no inherent regenerative capacity, is permanent and irreversible,” explained senior author Dr. Benhur Lee, professor of pathology at the University of California, Los Angeles (USA).

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