Cdk inhibitors: novel antivirals for VZV

描述（由申请人提供）：免疫功能低下的个体因水痘带状疱疹病毒（VZV）的再激活而具有带状疱疹的高风险。长期的疼痛、视力下降、脑炎、传播、复发和持续性导致艾滋病患者的显著发病率，极大地影响了他们的生活质量。目前使用阿昔洛韦及其衍生物的治疗已经取得了一些成功，但疼痛和其他后遗症往往持续存在，尽管治疗。研究阻止HZ病变扩散的新疗法可能会减少并发症的痛苦，这些并发症继续给艾滋病患者、他们的护理人员和社会带来负担。一种防止VZV复制的新方法是用抑制细胞周期蛋白依赖性激酶的化合物处理宿主细胞，引起细胞周期停滞并阻断VZV生长。主要假设是VZV复制依赖于作为cdk抑制剂靶标的细胞和/或病毒激酶的活性。该提案的目标是测试药物在细胞模型和VZV复制动物模型中的抗病毒作用，并最终描述cdk抑制剂药物使细胞不允许VZV复制的机制。第一个目的是评估cdk抑制剂在体外阻断VZV复制的能力。Roscovitine，purvalanol和flavopiridol是三种cdk抑制剂，可引起细胞周期停滞，并将测试其在细胞培养中阻断VZV生长的能力。第二个目的是评估cdk抑制剂在体内阻断VZV复制的能力。人皮肤外植体和植入人皮肤或胸腺/肝组织（T细胞来源）的SCID-hu小鼠将用于研究cdk抑制剂对VZV复制的影响。第三个目的是确定cdk抑制VZV复制的分子机制。将研究VZV感染对细胞周期调控组分的影响，并鉴定参与这些相互作用的蛋白质。该提案旨在在分子水平上解决cdk抑制剂如何在体外和体内阻止VZV复制。准确理解cdk抑制剂如何阻断VZV生长是开发有效抗病毒剂的起点。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Immunocompromised individuals are at high risk for herpes zoster caused by reactivation of varicella zoster virus (VZV). Long-lasting pain, vision loss, encephalitis, dissemination, recurrence and persistence cause significant morbidity in AIDS patients and greatly impact their quality of life. Current treatments with acyclovir and its derivatives have met with some success, but pain and other sequelae often persist despite therapy. Research into new treatments that stop the spread of HZ lesions may reduce the suffering from complications that continue to place a burden on AIDS patients, their caregivers, and on society. A novel approach to preventing VZV replication is to treat the host cell with compounds that inhibit cyclin-dependent kinases, causing cell cycle arrest and blocking VZV growth. The primary hypothesis is that VZV replication is dependent on the activity of cellular and/or viral kinases that are targets of cdk inhibitors. The goals of this proposal are to test the antiviral effects of the drugs in cell models and in an animal model of VZV replication and ultimately describe the mechanisms whereby cdk inhibitor drugs render cells nonpermissive for VZV replication. The first aim is to evaluate the ability of cdk inhibitors to block VZV replication in vitro. Roscovitine, purvalanol, and flavopiridol are three cdk inhibitors that cause cell-cycle arrest and will be tested for their ability to block VZV growth in cell culture. The second aim is to evaluate the ability of cdk inhibitors to block VZV replication in vivo. Human skin explants and the SCID-hu mouse implanted with human skin or thymus/liver tissues (a source of T cells) will be used to study the effects of cdk inhibitors on VZV replication. The third aim is to define the molecular mechanisms of cdk inhibition of VZV replication. The effects of VZV infection on cell cycle regulatory components will be studied and the proteins involved in these interactions will be identified. This proposal is designed to address at the molecular level how cdk inhibitors prevent VZV replication in vitro and in vivo. Understanding precisely how cdk inhibitors block VZV growth is the starting point for development of effective antiviral agents.