Interferon-beta and interferon-gamma synergistically inhibit the replication of severe acute respiratory syndrome-associated coronavirus (SARS-CoV).
Recent studies have shown that interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) synergizes with IFN-alpha/beta to inhibit the replication of both RNA and DNA viruses. We investigated the effects of IFNs on the replication of two strains of severe acute respiratory syndrome-associated coronavirus (SARS-CoV). While treatment of Vero E6 cells with 100 U/ml of either IFN-beta or IFN-gamma marginally reduced viral replication, treatment with both IFN-beta and IFN-gamma inhibited SARS-CoV plaque formation by 30-fold and replication by 3000-fold at 24 h and by > 1 x 10(5)-fold at 48 and 72 h post-infection. These studies suggest that combination IFN treatment warrants further investigation as a treatment for SARS.
Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Program in Molecular Pathogenesis and Immunity, Tulane University Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA.
Bruno
B
Sainz
Eric C
EC
Mossel
C J
CJ
Peters
Robert F
RF
Garry
D000818:Animals; D002522:Chlorocebus aethiops; D003588:Cytopathogenic Effect, Viral / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D007370:Interferon Type I / Q000494:pharmacology; D016899:Interferon-beta / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007739:L Cells; D051379:Mice; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D045473:Severe acute respiratory syndrome-related coronavirus / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D014709:Vero Cells; D014779:Virus Replication / Q000187:drug effects*
D007370:Interferon Type I; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D016899:Interferon-beta; D007371:Interferon-gamma