Anti-zika virus activity of polyoxometalates

Zika virus (ZIKV) is an emerging infectious viral pathogen associated with severe fetal cerebral anomalies and the paralytic Guillain-Barrè syndrome in adults. It was the cause of a recent global health crisis following its entrance into a naïve population in the Americas. Nowadays, no vaccine or specific antiviral against ZIKV is available. In this study, we identified three polyoxometalates (POMs), the Anderson-Evans type [TeW₆O₂₄]^6- (TeW₆), and the Keggin-type [TiW₁₁CoO₄₀]^8-_ (TiW₁₁Co), and [Ti₂PW₁₀O₄₀]^7- (Ti₂PW₁₀), that inhibit ZIKV infection with EC₅₀s in the low micromolar range. Ti₂PW₁₀, the POM with the greatest selectivity index (SI), was selected and the step of ZIKV replicative cycle putatively inhibited was investigated by specific antiviral assays. We demonstrated that Ti₂PW₁₀ targets the entry process of ZIKV infection and it is able to significantly reduce ZIKV progeny production. These results suggest that the polyanion Ti₂PW₁₀ could be a good starting point to develop an effective therapeutic to treat ZIKV infection.