Download MendeleyIdentification of Potent, Broad-Spectrum Coronavirus Main Protease Inhibitors for Pandemic Preparedness.
Barkan, D.T., Garland, K., Zhang, L., Eastman, R.T., Hesse, M., Knapp, M., Ornelas, E., Tang, J., Cortopassi, W.A., Wang, Y., King, F., Jia, W., Nguyen, Z., Frank, A.O., Chan, R., Fang, E., Fuller, D., Busby, S., Carias, H., Donahue, K., Tandeske, L., Diagana, T.T., Jarrousse, N., Moser, H., Sarko, C., Dovala, D., Moquin, S., Marx, V.M.(2024) J Med Chem
- PubMed: 39332817
- DOI: https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jmedchem.4c01404
- Primary Citation of Related Structures:
9C7W, 9C80, 9C8Q - PubMed Abstract:
The COVID-19 pandemic highlights the ongoing risk of zoonotic transmission of coronaviruses to global health. To prepare for future pandemics, it is essential to develop effective antivirals targeting a broad range of coronaviruses. Targeting the essential and clinically validated coronavirus main protease (M pro ), we constructed a structurally diverse M pro panel by clustering all known coronavirus sequences by M pro active site sequence similarity. Through screening, we identified a potent covalent inhibitor that engaged the catalytic cysteine of SARS-CoV-2 Mpro and used structure-based medicinal chemistry to develop compounds in the pyrazolopyrimidine sulfone series that exhibit submicromolar activity against multiple M pro homologues. Additionally, we solved the first X-ray cocrystal structure of M pro from the human-infecting OC43 coronavirus, providing insights into potency differences among compound-target pairs. Overall, the chemical compounds described in this study serve as starting points for the development of antivirals with broad-spectrum activity, enhancing our preparedness for emerging human-infecting coronaviruses.
Organizational Affiliation:
Discovery Sciences, Novartis Biomedical Research, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States.
