title: Inhibition of SARS coronavirus infection in vitro with clinically approved antiviral drugs.
abstract: Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) is an infectious disease caused by a newly identified human coronavirus (SARS-CoV). Currently, no effective drug exists to treat SARS-CoV infection. In this study, we investigated whether a panel of commercially available antiviral drugs exhibit in vitro anti-SARS-CoV activity. A drug-screening assay that scores for virus-induced cytopathic effects on cultured cells was used. Tested were 19 clinically approved compounds from several major antiviral pharmacologic classes: nucleoside analogs, interferons, protease inhibitors, reverse transcriptase inhibitors, and neuraminidase inhibitors. Complete inhibition of cytopathic effects of SARS-CoV in culture was observed for interferon subtypes, b-1b, a-n1, a-n3, and human leukocyte interferon a. These findings support clinical testing of approved interferons for the treatment of SARS.
authors.affiliation: Genome Institute of Singapore, Singapore.
authors.forename: Emily L C
authors.initials: EL
authors.lastname: Tan
authors.forename: Eng Eong
authors.initials: EE
authors.lastname: Ooi
authors.forename: Chin-Yo
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Hwee Cheng
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Tan
authors.forename: Ai Ee
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Ling
authors.forename: Bing
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Lim
authors.forename: Lawrence W
authors.initials: LW
authors.lastname: Stanton
mesh_terms: D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D006801:Humans; D045473:Severe acute respiratory syndrome-related coronavirus / Q000187:drug effects*
chemical_list: D000998:Antiviral Agents