Antiviral effect of The ImmunomodulatorAS101 on West Nile Virus by AlphaVBeta3 integrin inhibition (47.33)

Abstract

Abstract The identification of integrin αVβ3 as a receptor for West Nile virus (WNV) in recent years, created opportunities in the development of antiviral strategist against WNV infection. The immunomodulator AS101 [ammonium trichloro (dioxyethylene 0-0′)tellurate] has an antiviral effect in vivo and in vitro. Our study aimed at determining whether AS101 has an antiviral effect against WNV and its mechanism of work. Cell viability assay for Vero cells treated with AS101 before WNV infection, revealed up to 90% survival of the treated cells. More over, plaque forming unit (PFU) assay showed 83% inhibition at WNV-infected Vero cells after AS101 treatment. Significant decrease in the concentration of viral infectious particles was observed in supernatants of Vero cells infected with WNV at high MOI (5) after AS101 addition, and the viral envelope protein (E) expression decreased in Vero cells infected with WNV (MOI=5) and treated with AS101. In supernatants collected from virus infected and AS101 treated Vero cells immediately after inoculation were more virus particles, than in not treated cells. A novel AS101 effect was seen at attachment assay were AS101 inhibited Vero cells attachment to human integrin αVβ3 specific antibody in dose dependent manner. Thus, the results presented here shows that AS101 has an antiviral effect against WNV, and suggests that AS101 prevents WNV entry to the cells by inhibiting integrin αVβ3.