In vitro antiviral activity of arbidol against Chikungunya virus and characteristics of a selected resistant mutant.

DELOGU, ILENIA
Pastorino Boris
Cécile Baronti
Antoine Nougairède
Emilie Bonnet
Xavier de Lamballerie

Publication date

January 2011

DOI

10.1016/j.antiviral.2011.03.182

Abstract

Arbidol (ARB) is an antiviral drug originally licensed in Russia for use against influenza and other respiratory viral infections. Although a broad-spectrum antiviral activity has been reported for this drug, there is until now no data regarding its effects against alphavirus infection. Here, the in vitro antiviral effect of ARB on Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) replication was investigated and this compound was found to present potent inhibitory activity against the virus propagated onto immortalized Vero cells or primary human fibroblasts (MRC-5 lung cells) (IC 50<10μg/ml). A CHIKV resistant mutant was then selected and adapted to growth in the presence of 30μg/ml ARB in MRC5 cells; its complete sequence analysis revealed a single amino acid s...