IDEA #24PRR5 Carbohydrate-binding small molecules with antiviral activity. 19A0003

Key words: Zika virus (ZIKV), antiviral agents, carbohydrate binding, flaviviruses. Zika virus (ZIKV) is posing an emerging threat to human lives, and it is a particular concern in the US since it spread to the Americas in 2015. There is still no specific antiviral therapy or vaccine against ZIKV available, and treatment is rather focused on relieving symptoms. Part of ZIKV infection involves binding of the virus to cell-surface carbohydrates. We have been working on the development of synthetic carbohydrate receptors that mimic natural carbohydrate binding proteins, like those involved in ZIKV infection. As a result, we have developed a set of compounds, which have been shown to exhibit inhibition against ZIKV proliferation at sub-micromolar concentrations by blocking the ability of the virus to bind to the cell surface.