Related Experiment Video
Updated: Sep 11, 2025
05:23
Visualization of SARS-CoV-2 using Immuno RNA-Fluorescence In Situ Hybridization
Published on: December 23, 2020
6.2K
Hydroxypropyl-Beta-Cyclodextrin (HP-BCD) inhibits SARS-CoV-2 replication by modulating intracellular lipid dynamics
Bruno Braz Bezerra1, Keylla Vitória Gomes Macedo1, Isadora Alonso Correa1
1Laboratório de Genética e Imunologia das Infecções Virais, Departamento de Virologia, Instituto de Microbiologia Paulo de Góes, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.
Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy = Biomedecine & Pharmacotherapie
|August 14, 2025
Summary
Hydroxypropyl-beta-cyclodextrin (HP-BCD) inhibits SARS-CoV-2 by disrupting viral replication mechanisms and host cell processes. This cholesterol-sequestering agent shows promise as an antiviral by interfering with multiple stages of the virus life cycle.
Area of Science:
- Virology
- Molecular Biology
- Drug Discovery
Background:
- Hydroxypropyl-beta-cyclodextrin (HP-BCD) is a cholesterol-sequestering agent with potential antiviral applications.
- Previous studies showed HP-BCD inhibits SARS-CoV-2 replication and infectivity.
- HP-BCD is under clinical investigation for Niemann Pick C disease.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the molecular mechanisms of HP-BCD's antiviral activity against SARS-CoV-2 in vitro.
- To elucidate how HP-BCD affects host cells and viral particles during infection.
Main Methods:
- Treatment of Vero cells with HP-BCD before and after SARS-CoV-2 inoculation.
- Analysis of intracellular compartmentalization using early endosome markers.
- Assessment of nucleocapsid protein accumulation.
- Quantification of cellular cholesterol and lipid droplets.
- Detection of viral replication complexes and membrane-associated virus particles.
Main Results:
- HP-BCD treatment altered intracellular compartmentalization and promoted nucleocapsid protein accumulation.
- Reduced cholesterol and lipid droplets in HP-BCD treated cells potentially hampered double-membrane vesicle formation.
- Viral replication complexes and membrane-associated virus particles were significantly reduced.
- HP-BCD demonstrated efficacy even when administered post-adsorption, indicating interference with multiple viral life cycle stages.
Conclusions:
- HP-BCD impairs SARS-CoV-2 biosynthesis through multiple mechanisms.
- The compound exhibits minimal cytotoxicity.
- HP-BCD is a promising antiviral candidate against SARS-CoV-2.
Related Concept Videos
02:34Inhibition of Cdk Activity
4.9K
The orderly progression of the cell cycle depends on the activation of Cdk protein by binding to its cyclin partner. However, the cell cycle must be restricted when undergoing abnormal changes. Most cancers correlate to the deregulated cell cycle, and since Cdks are a central component of the cell cycle, Cdk inhibitors are extensively studied to develop anticancer agents. For instance, cyclin D associates with several Cdks, such as Cdk 4/6, to form an active complex. The cyclin D-Cdk4/6 complex...
4.9K
02:50Conjugated Proteins
18.5K
Simple proteins and protein complexes contain only amino acids. In contrast, many other proteins, called conjugated proteins, covalently bond with non-protein moieties.
Nucleoproteins are protein complexes that contain nucleic acids, categorized as deoxyribonucleoproteins (DNPs) or ribonucleoproteins (RNPs) respectively. The nucleosome is a typical example of a DNP where nuclear DNA is associated with histone proteins. The major antigen for the Covid-19 virus SARS-CoV is an RNP that is critical...
Nucleoproteins are protein complexes that contain nucleic acids, categorized as deoxyribonucleoproteins (DNPs) or ribonucleoproteins (RNPs) respectively. The nucleosome is a typical example of a DNP where nuclear DNA is associated with histone proteins. The major antigen for the Covid-19 virus SARS-CoV is an RNP that is critical...
18.5K
01:23Negative Regulator Molecules
35.9K
Positive regulators allow a cell to advance through cell cycle checkpoints. Negative regulators have an equally important role as they terminate a cell’s progression through the cell cycle—or pause it—until the cell meets specific criteria.
35.9K
02:38S-Cdk Initiates DNA Replication
4.8K
The cell cycle is a series of events leading to DNA duplication followed by the division of cell content to form two daughter cells. The cell cycle progresses in four stages—the cell increases in size (gap 1 or G1-phase), duplicates its DNA (synthesis or S-phase), prepares to divide (gap 2 or G2-phase), and divides (mitosis or M-phase).
Two states at the origin of replication
In eukaryotes, the initiation of replication occurs at many sites on the chromosomes, called the origins of...
Two states at the origin of replication
In eukaryotes, the initiation of replication occurs at many sites on the chromosomes, called the origins of...
4.8K
01:29Viruses with RNA Genomes
119
RNA viruses are categorized into positive-strand, negative-strand, or double-stranded groups based on their genomic structure and replication mechanisms. This classification dictates how they exploit host cellular machinery for protein synthesis and replication. Some RNA viruses also utilize reverse transcription as part of their life cycle, further diversifying their replication strategies.Positive-Strand RNA VirusesPositive-strand RNA viruses have genomes that function directly as messenger...
119
02:39Positive Regulator Molecules
5.7K
Mitotic cell division results in daughter cells that exactly resemble the parent cell. However, errors in the DNA replication or distribution of genetic material may lead to genetic mutations that may be passed down to every new cell formed from the resulting abnormal cell. Propagation of such mutant cells is restricted through checkpoint mechanisms present at different stages of the cell cycle. These checkpoints involve regulator molecules that either promote or demote cell cycle events.
5.7K