Evaluating Cepharanthine Analogues as Natural Drugs Against SARS-CoV-2

    November 2021 in “ FEBS Open Bio ”
    Atsushi Hijikata, Clara Shionyu‐Mitsuyama, Setsu Nakae, Masafumi Shionyu, Motonori Ota, Shigehiko Kanaya, Takatsugu Hirokawa, Shogo Nakajima, Koichi Watashi, Tsuyoshi Shirai
    TLDR Cepharanthine analogues, especially tetrandrine, show potential for treating COVID-19.
    The study evaluated 24 cepharanthine (CEP) analogues for their potential as anti-COVID-19 drugs by analyzing their binding affinities to SARS-CoV-2 target proteins and human proteins NPC1 and TPC2 using molecular docking simulations. Selected analogues underwent further testing in a cell-based SARS-CoV-2 infection assay. The research found that the diphenyl ester moiety might be a key pharmacophore in these analogues, and the efficacies of CEP and its analogue tetrandrine were specifically assessed, indicating potential for these compounds in treating COVID-19.
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