Potent Inhibition of Opportunistic Viruses
ID# 2016-4468
Technology Summary
In immunocompromised and transplant patients, infections with opportunistic viruses such as human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) and polyomaviruses are typically symptomatic and are associated with increased morbidity and mortality. The inventors have developed a trafficking inhibitor, Retro94, that targets a host protein and greatly reduces the replication of HCMV while showing moderate effectiveness against polyomaviruses. Building on that finding, the inventors have created a panel of more efficient, less toxic analogs for this inhibitor and have shown that these analogs maintain high efficacy against HCMV while substantially lowering the concentration required to inhibit polyomavirus replication. By targeting a host protein, these compounds are able to inhibit the replication of two very different viruses.
Application & Market Utility
There are few current therapeutics to treat opportunistic viruses, and those that are available are limited by toxicity, intravenous infusion, and development of resistance by the virus. This leaves a significant demand for new therapies to address this unmet need, particularly in prophylactic treatment. The compounds identified by the inventors open up the possibility of pan-viral inhibitors for immunosuppressed individuals that are effective against multiple, diverse opportunistic viruses.
Next Steps
Compound synthesis; culture validation; mouse studies investigating bioavailability and efficacy against viral infections.