title: Reversal of the Progression of Fatal Coronavirus Infection in Cats by a Broad-Spectrum Coronavirus Protease Inhibitor.
abstract: Coronaviruses infect animals and humans causing a wide range of diseases. The diversity of coronaviruses in many mammalian species is contributed by relatively high mutation and recombination rates during replication. This dynamic nature of coronaviruses may facilitate cross-species transmission and shifts in tissue or cell tropism in a host, resulting in substantial change in virulence. Feline enteric coronavirus (FECV) causes inapparent or mild enteritis in cats, but a highly fatal disease, called feline infectious peritonitis (FIP), can arise through mutation of FECV to FIP virus (FIPV). The pathogenesis of FIP is intimately associated with immune responses and involves depletion of T cells, features shared by some other coronaviruses like Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus. The increasing risks of highly virulent coronavirus infections in humans or animals call for effective antiviral drugs, but no such measures are yet available. Previously, we have reported the inhibitors that target 3C-like protease (3CLpro) with broad-spectrum activity against important human and animal coronaviruses. Here, we evaluated the therapeutic efficacy of our 3CLpro inhibitor in laboratory cats with FIP. Experimental FIP is 100% fatal once certain clinical and laboratory signs become apparent. We found that antiviral treatment led to full recovery of cats when treatment was started at a stage of disease that would be otherwise fatal if left untreated. Antiviral treatment was associated with a rapid improvement in fever, ascites, lymphopenia and gross signs of illness and cats returned to normal health within 20 days or less of treatment. Significant reduction in viral titers was also observed in cats. These results indicate that continuous virus replication is required for progression of immune-mediated inflammatory disease of FIP. These findings may provide important insights into devising therapeutic strategies and selection of antiviral compounds for further development for important coronaviruses in animals and humans.
authors.affiliation: Department of Diagnostic Medicine and Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas, United States of America.
authors.forename: Yunjeong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine and Epidemiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California at Davis, Davis, California, United States of America.
authors.forename: Hongwei
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Wichita State University, Wichita, Kansas, United States of America.
authors.forename: Anushka C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Galasiti Kankanamalage
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas, United States of America.
authors.forename: Sahani
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Weerasekara
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas, United States of America.
authors.forename: Duy H
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Hua
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Wichita State University, Wichita, Kansas, United States of America.
authors.forename: William C
authors.initials: WC
authors.lastname: Groutas
authors.affiliation: Department of Diagnostic Medicine and Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas, United States of America.
authors.forename: Kyeong-Ok
authors.initials: KO
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine and Epidemiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California at Davis, Davis, California, United States of America.
authors.forename: Niels C
authors.initials: NC
authors.lastname: Pedersen
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002371:Cat Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000821:virology; D002415:Cats; D018352:Coronavirus Infections / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000821:virology; D016765:Coronavirus, Feline / Q000187:drug effects*; D016766:Feline Infectious Peritonitis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000821:virology; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D011480:Protease Inhibitors / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000494:pharmacology*; D014774:Virulence; D014779:Virus Replication / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D000998:Antiviral Agents; D011480:Protease Inhibitors