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Updated: Jul 7, 2025
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High-throughput Antiviral Assays to Screen for Inhibitors of Zika Virus Replication
Published on: October 30, 2021
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Dapoxetine, a Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor, Suppresses Zika Virus Infection In Vitro.
Bingzhi Zhang1,2, Jianchen Yu2, Ge Zhu2,3
1School of Pharmacy, Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou 510006, China.
Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)
|December 23, 2023
Summary
Dapoxetine, a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI), shows promise as an antiviral drug against Zika virus (ZIKV). It inhibits ZIKV RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) and reduces viral replication with low toxicity.
Area of Science:
- Virology
- Drug Discovery
- Molecular Biology
Background:
- Zika virus (ZIKV) is a significant global health threat.
- No approved antiviral treatments exist for ZIKV infection.
- Developing new anti-ZIKV agents is crucial.
Purpose of the Study:
- To screen FDA-approved drugs for anti-ZIKV activity.
- To identify potential therapeutic candidates for Zika virus infection.
Main Methods:
- Screened 1789 FDA-approved drugs.
- Identified dapoxetine as a potential ZIKV inhibitor.
- Validated dapoxetine's binding to ZIKV RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) using SPR.
- Assessed dapoxetine's inhibitory effect on ZIKV replication and protein expression.
Main Results:
- Dapoxetine demonstrated concentration-dependent inhibition of ZIKV replication (EC50: 4.20–12.6 μM).
- Dapoxetine exhibited low cytotoxicity (CC50 > 50 μM) across cell lines.
- Dapoxetine reduced ZIKV protein expression.
Conclusions:
- Dapoxetine inhibits ZIKV by targeting ZIKV RdRp.
- Dapoxetine is a potential therapeutic candidate for Zika virus infection.
