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Brilacidin Demonstrates Inhibition of SARS-CoV-2 in Cell Culture

Allison Bakovic1, Kenneth Risner1, Nishank Bhalla1

  • 1National Center for Biodefense and Infectious Diseases, George Mason University, Manassas, VA 20110, USA.

Viruses
|February 12, 2021
PubMed

Insights

Brilacidin, a synthetic small molecule, shows potent antiviral activity against SARS-CoV-2 by inhibiting viral entry and integrity. It also demonstrates synergistic effects with remdesivir, offering a potential therapeutic option for COVID-19 treatment.

Area of Science:

  • Virology
  • Drug Discovery
  • Antimicrobial Peptides

Background:

  • Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) causes COVID-19, a global health crisis with high mortality.
  • There is an urgent need for effective therapeutic interventions against SARS-CoV-2.
  • Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), or Host Defense Proteins/Peptides (HDPs), show promise in inhibiting SARS-CoV-2.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the antiviral activity of brilacidin, a synthetic HDP analog, against SARS-CoV-2.
  • To investigate the mechanism of action of brilacidin against SARS-CoV-2.
  • To assess the synergistic potential of brilacidin in combination with remdesivir.

Main Methods:

  • Testing brilacidin's antiviral efficacy in human lung (Calu-3) and monkey (Vero) cell lines infected with SARS-CoV-2.
  • Assessing the impact of brilacidin on viral entry and integrity.
  • Evaluating combination therapy with remdesivir.

Main Results:

  • Brilacidin demonstrated potent inhibition of SARS-CoV-2 in cell culture models.
  • The mechanism involves inhibiting viral entry and disrupting viral integrity.
  • Brilacidin exhibited synergistic antiviral activity when combined with remdesivir.

Conclusions:

  • Brilacidin is a potent inhibitor of SARS-CoV-2 with a dual mechanism of action.
  • Brilacidin shows promise as a therapeutic agent for COVID-19, particularly in combination with existing antivirals like remdesivir.
Keywords:
antiviralbrilacidincoronavirusdefensinentry inhibitionpeptidomimetic

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