The macrolide antibiotic azithromycin potently inhibits hepatitis E virus in cell culture models

Zhijiang Miao; Ruyi Zhang; Peifa Yu; Yang Li; Qiuwei Pan; Yunlong Li

doi:10.1016/j.ijantimicag.2021.106383

The macrolide antibiotic azithromycin potently inhibits hepatitis E virus in cell culture models

Zhijiang Miao
, Ruyi Zhang
, Peifa Yu
, Yang Li
, Qiuwei Pan^*
, Yunlong Li

^*Corresponding author for this work

Gastroenterology & Hepatology

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Academic › peer-review

7 Citations (Scopus)

214 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

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.

Original language	English
Article number	106383
Journal	International Journal of Antimicrobial Agents
Volume	58
Issue number	3
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijantimicag.2021.106383
Publication status	Published - Sept 2021

Bibliographical note

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

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This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

SDG 3 Good Health and Well-being

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10.1016/j.ijantimicag.2021.106383

1-s2.0-S0924857921001424-mainFinal published version, 1.93 MBLicence: CC BY

Cite this

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title = "The macrolide antibiotic azithromycin potently inhibits hepatitis E virus in cell culture models",

abstract = "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.",

author = "Zhijiang Miao and Ruyi Zhang and Peifa Yu and Yang Li and Qiuwei Pan and Yunlong Li",

note = "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: {\textcopyright} 2021 The Authors",

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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

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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.

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The macrolide antibiotic azithromycin potently inhibits hepatitis E virus in cell culture models

Abstract

Bibliographical note

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