The molecular tweezer CLR01 inhibits Ebola and Zika virus infection
Authors: Jonas Schmidt-Chanasit
Christian Heid
Camilla Frich Riber
Gal Bitan
Alexander N Zelikin
Erik Dietzel
Annika E Röcker
Judith Beer
Jens von Einem
Mirja Harms
Alexandra Kupke
Andrea Sowislok
Olli Vapalahti
Bernd Knöll
Franziska Krüger
Janis A Müller
Thomas Schrader
Sina Lippold
Stephan Becker
Markus Otto
Jan Münch
Journal: Antiviral Research (2018)
Discipline: PHARMACOLOGY & TOXICOLOGY
Keywords: Broadly active antiviral agents; Ebola virus; Lipid rafts; Virus inactivation; Zika virus.
Affiliations: Institute of Molecular Virology, Ulm University Medical Center, 89081 Ulm, Germany., Institute of Virology, Philipps University of Marburg, 35043 Marburg, Germany; German Centre for Infection Research (DZIF), Partner Site Gießen-Marburg-Langen, 35043 Marburg, Germany., Faculty of Chemistry, University of Duisburg-Essen, 45117 Essen, Germany., Department of Chemistry, Aarhus University, 8000 Aarhus C, Denmark., Institute of Virology, Ulm University Medical Center, 89081 Ulm, Germany., Institute of Physiological Chemistry, University of Ulm, 89081 Ulm, Germany., Bernhard-Nocht-Institut für Tropenmedizin, 20359 Hamburg, Germany; German Centre for Infection Research (DZIF), Partner Site Hamburg-Luebeck-Borstel, 20359 Hamburg, Germany., Department of Neurology, University of Ulm, 89081 Ulm, Germany., Department of Virology and Immunology, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, 00014 Helsinki, Finland; Department of Veterinary Biosciences, University of Helsinki, 00014 Helsinki, Finland., David Geffen School of Medicine, Brain Research Institute, and Molecular Biology Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA., Institute of Molecular Virology, Ulm University Medical Center, 89081 Ulm, Germany; U-PEP and Core Facility Functional Peptidomics, Ulm University, 89081 Ulm, Germany. Electronic address: .

Abstract:  Ebola (EBOV) and Zika viruses (ZIKV) are responsible for recent global health threats. As no preventive vaccines or antiviral drugs against these two re-emerging pathogens are available, we evaluated whether the molecular tweezer CLR01 may inhibit EBOV and ZIKV infection. This small molecule has previously been shown to inactivate HIV-1 and herpes viruses through a selective interaction with lipid-raft-rich regions in the viral envelope, which results in membrane disruption and loss of infectivity. We found that CLR01 indeed blocked infection of EBOV and ZIKV in a dose-dependent manner. The tweezer inhibited infection of epidemic ZIKV strains in cells derived from the anogenital tract and the central nervous system, and remained antivirally active in the presence of semen, saliva, urine and cerebrospinal fluid. Our findings show that CLR01 is a broad-spectrum inhibitor of enveloped viruses with prospects as a preventative microbicide or antiviral agent. 

Retracted: No

PubPeer comments:
 Could the authors please review these two plots in Figure 2? To my eye they appear to be identical. *** Closeup ![file] *** Full figure ![file] , 
 Dear Actinopolyspora Biskrensis, thanks for your message. We will check primary data and get back to you. Best Jan , 
 Dear Actinopolyspora Biskrensis, in fact we accidentally exported the same plot twice. The correct one is attached (tube 004). However, the percentages of infected cells, the relevant information in the FACS plots, is correct. ![file] Kind regards Jan , 
 #3 Thank you for following up here. Will you be contacting the journal? ,