Anti-Zika Activity of a Library of Synthetic Carbohydrate Receptors

The document from March 29, 2019, details the discovery and evaluation of 16 synthetic carbohydrate receptors (SCRs) for their potential as anti-Zika virus (ZIKV) agents. The study found that these SCRs, particularly compounds 3 and 15, exhibited potent anti-ZIKV activity in Vero and HeLa cells, with half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) values as low as 0.16 µM and low toxicity, indicated by high 50% toxic concentration (TC50) values. The most effective SCR, SCR 15, showed both a low IC50 and a high TC50 in Vero cells, suggesting a good therapeutic potential. Time-of-addition studies suggested that the SCRs likely work by inhibiting the early stages of ZIKV infection, possibly by blocking the virus's attachment to cell-surface glycans. The study concludes that SCRs, especially with increased multivalency and the incorporation of more pyrrolic heterocycles and secondary amine groups, could be promising anti-ZIKV therapeutic agents, although further research is needed to fully understand their mechanism of action.