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The tyrosine kinase inhibitor nilotinib inhibits SARS-CoV-2 in vitro

Valeria Cagno1, Gaelle Magliocco2,3, Caroline Tapparel1

  • 1Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.

Basic & Clinical Pharmacology & Toxicology
|November 24, 2020
PubMed

Insights

Nilotinib, an Abl tyrosine kinase inhibitor, shows in vitro antiviral activity against SARS-CoV-2. This finding suggests nilotinib as a potential therapeutic candidate for treating coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in vivo.

Area of Science:

  • Virology
  • Pharmacology
  • Drug Discovery

Background:

  • The COVID-19 pandemic caused by SARS-CoV-2 urgently requires effective treatments.
  • Current treatments primarily address immune pathology, not the virus itself.
  • Drug repurposing offers a rapid strategy for antiviral response.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the in vitro antiviral activity of three Abl tyrosine kinase inhibitors: nilotinib, imatinib, and dasatinib against SARS-CoV-2.
  • To identify potential drug candidates for COVID-19 treatment through drug repurposing.

Main Methods:

  • In vitro assessment of nilotinib, imatinib, and dasatinib against SARS-CoV-2.
  • Testing conducted in Vero-E6 and Calu-3 cell lines.
  • Determination of EC50 values for compounds exhibiting antiviral activity.

Main Results:

  • Nilotinib demonstrated significant in vitro antiviral efficacy against SARS-CoV-2 in both cell lines.
  • EC50 values for nilotinib were 1.44 μM in Vero-E6 cells and 3.06 μM in Calu-3 cells.
  • Imatinib and dasatinib did not exhibit antiviral efficacy against SARS-CoV-2.

Conclusions:

  • Nilotinib shows promising in vitro antiviral activity against SARS-CoV-2.
  • The observed EC50 values for nilotinib are comparable to its therapeutic serum concentrations.
  • Nilotinib is a potential candidate for further investigation and in vivo treatment of COVID-19.
Keywords:
COVID-19SARS-CoV-2nilotinibtyrosine kinases inhibitors

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