TY - JOUR
T1 - The macrolide antibiotic azithromycin potently inhibits hepatitis E virus in cell culture models
AU - Miao, Zhijiang
AU - Zhang, Ruyi
AU - Yu, Peifa
AU - Li, Yang
AU - Pan, Qiuwei
AU - Li, Yunlong
N1 - Acknowledgements:
The authors declare that they have no competing interests. Not required. The authors would like to thank Dr Suzanne U. Emerson (National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, NIH, USA) for generously providing the HEV plasmids.
Funding: We thank the support by a VIDI grant (No. 91719300) from the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO) to Q. Pan, and the China Scholarship Council for funding Ph.D. fellowships to Z.M. (No. 201708530234), R.Z. (No. 201808530490), P.Y. (No. 201708620177), Ya.L. (No. 201703250073), and Yu.L. (No. 201708530243).
Publisher Copyright:
© 2021 The Authors
PY - 2021/9
Y1 - 2021/9
N2 - Hepatitis E virus (HEV) infection in immunocompromised patients, pregnant women and children requires treatment; however, no approved medication is currently available. The macrolide antibiotic azithromycin has been identified as a potent HEV inhibitor. Azithromycin inhibits HEV replication and viral protein expression in multiple cell culture models with genotype 1 and 3 strains. This is largely independent of its induction of an interferon-like response. Because it is safe and cheap, repurposing azithromycin for treating HEV infection is attractive, particularly in resource-limited settings.
AB - Hepatitis E virus (HEV) infection in immunocompromised patients, pregnant women and children requires treatment; however, no approved medication is currently available. The macrolide antibiotic azithromycin has been identified as a potent HEV inhibitor. Azithromycin inhibits HEV replication and viral protein expression in multiple cell culture models with genotype 1 and 3 strains. This is largely independent of its induction of an interferon-like response. Because it is safe and cheap, repurposing azithromycin for treating HEV infection is attractive, particularly in resource-limited settings.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85110765703&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.ijantimicag.2021.106383
DO - 10.1016/j.ijantimicag.2021.106383
M3 - Article
C2 - 34157403
AN - SCOPUS:85110765703
VL - 58
JO - International Journal of Antimicrobial Agents
JF - International Journal of Antimicrobial Agents
SN - 0924-8579
IS - 3
M1 - 106383
ER -
