1. Academic Validation
  2. Potential antiviral therapeutics for smallpox, monkeypox and other orthopoxvirus infections

Potential antiviral therapeutics for smallpox, monkeypox and other orthopoxvirus infections

  • Antiviral Res. 2003 Jan;57(1-2):13-23. doi: 10.1016/s0166-3542(02)00196-1.
Robert O Baker 1 Mike Bray John W Huggins
Affiliations

Affiliation

  • 1 Department of Viral Therapeutics, Virology Division, U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, Fort Detrick, Frederick, MD 21702-5011, USA. robert.baker@det.amedd.army.army.mil
Abstract

We assessed the activities of 24 different Antiviral compounds against smallpox (two strains of variola major and one of variola minor), monkeypox, vaccinia and cowpox viruses by a neutral red uptake assay. To establish assay parameters, we examined viral replication and its inhibition at various times postinfection and at several multiplicities of Infection. Drugs were selected to target a range of functions involved in viral replication. Eight compounds (cidofovir, cyclic HPMPC (cHPMPC), HPMPA, ribavirin, tiazofurin, carbocyclic 3-deazaadenosine, 3-deazaneplanocin A and DFBA (1-(2,4-difluorobenzyloxy)adenosine perchlorate)-a derivative of adenosine N1-oxide) inhibited the replication of all three variola strains and the other orthopoxviruses at drug concentrations within a pharmacologically achievable range. Two Others (methisazone and bis-POM-PMEA) showed a lesser degree of Antiviral effect, while the remainder were inactive. To examine possible naturally occurring drug resistance among a large number of variola isolates obtained from different geographical regions and at different times, we examined the sensitivity of 35 different strains of variola as well as other orthopoxviruses to a subset of three of the most active compounds: cidofovir, cHPMPC, and ribavirin. Preliminary data indicate that nearly all isolates appear to have similar drug sensitivities. These findings are currently being verified and expanded.

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