Inhibition of Ebola Virus Infection with Cathepsin L Inhibitors

描述(申请人提供)：埃博拉病毒是对人类最致命的传染病威胁之一。这些感染会在人类和非人类灵长类动物中引起严重的出血热，并产生高达90%的死亡率。埃博拉病毒在美国疾病控制与预防中心的NIAID生物防御研究议程中被归类为A类病毒(USDHHS-NIH)，是一种生物安全4级(BSL4)病原体。埃博拉病毒有四种，目前还没有针对人类感染埃博拉病毒的疫苗或抗病毒疗法。天然蓄水池的难以捉摸的性质使根除病毒剂变得不可能，并将通过接种疫苗或治疗手段控制这种病毒和生物恐怖主义威胁提升到最重要的程度。目前，只有英勇的、对症的措施可用于治疗埃博拉感染。这项研究的总体目标是通过开发埃博拉病毒感染的小分子、口服活性解毒剂来满足这一迫切需求，这种解毒剂可以预防性使用，也可以在感染后4-16天出现发烧和疾病出血症状时使用。半胱氨酸蛋白酶L是一种溶酶体酶，最近被报道成为抑制SARS病毒感染的新靶点。此外，组织蛋白酶抑制剂L可以阻止SARS冠状病毒进入靶细胞。埃博拉病毒和非典病毒都利用组织蛋白酶L活性进入病毒，组织蛋白酶L强烈参与埃博拉病毒糖蛋白的加工。我们的战略是利用这一发现开发这种新的抗埃博拉靶点组织蛋白L的抑制剂，组织蛋白是病毒进入所必需的。这种创新的方法涉及到针对宿主酶而不是病毒成分。在初步研究中，我们构建了一个携带埃博拉糖蛋白的假病毒，可以在BSL2遏制下进行研究，并证明了该假病毒感染293T细胞的能力。使用首批组织蛋白酶L抑制剂，我们证明：(I)与重组酶相比，组织蛋白酶L具有有效和选择性的抑制活性；(Ii)细胞内含有的酶；(Iii)无细胞毒性；(Iv)抑制假型埃博拉病毒进入293T细胞。这些结果首次在细胞水平上验证了这种宿主酶作为抗埃博拉治疗的靶点。在第一阶段，我们将通过合理的药物设计和基于结构的药物设计方法，采用快速灵敏的荧光分析方法，设计和合成组织蛋白酶L抑制和抑制剂-酶共晶结构的新的有效和选择性的抑制剂。我们将优先考虑最有效的抑制剂的选择性(例如，对组织蛋白酶B和钙蛋白酶的最低亲和力)、最小的细胞毒性、细胞渗透性、良好的ADME特性和在埃博拉假型测试中的有效性，以及在BSL4设施中测试的强毒野生型埃博拉病毒。我们将通过在USMARIID的BSL4遏制设施中展示假型病毒抑制物在传染性埃博拉病毒空斑分析中的活性来建立概念证明。在第二阶段，这些先导药物将被开发为临床前候选药物，并将进行体内IND疗效以及药代动力学和毒理学研究。 埃博拉病毒感染是人类感染的最严重威胁之一。埃博拉病毒的自然宿主尚不清楚，这增加了治疗干预的必要性。该建议描述了一种制备埃博拉病毒感染小分子抑制剂的合理方法。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Ebola virus is one of the most lethal infectious threats to mankind. These infections cause severe hemorrhagic fevers in humans and non-human primates and produce mortality rates of up to 90%. Ebola virus is classified in the NIAID Biodefense Research Agenda for CDC as a Category A Agent (USDHHS-NIH) and is a biosafety level 4 (BSL4) pathogen. There are four species of the Ebola virus, and there is currently no vaccine or antiviral therapy against Ebola virus infections for humans. The elusive nature of the natural reservoir makes eradication of the agent impossible and elevates the control of this virus and bioterrorist threat through vaccination or therapeutic means to a level of paramount importance. Currently, only heroic, symptomatic measures are available for the treatment of Ebola infections. The overall goal of this research is to address this critical need by developing small molecule, orally active antidotes to Ebola virus infections, which can be used prophylactically or in the 4-16 day post-infection period when fever and hemorrhagic symptoms of disease are present. The cysteine proteinase cathepsin L, a lysosomal enzyme, has been reported recently to be a new target for inhibition of SARS virus infections. Furthermore, inhibitors of cathepsin L can prevent SARS coronavirus entry into target cells. Ebola virus and SARS virus both employ cathepsin L activity for viral entry and cathepsin L is strongly implicated in the processing of the Ebola virus glycoprotein. Our strategy is to take advantage of this discovery to develop inhibitors of this new anti-Ebola target, cathepsin L, which is required for virus entry. This innovative approach involves targeting a host enzyme rather than a viral component. In preliminary studies, we built a pseudovirus carrying the Ebola glycoprotein, which can be studied under BSL2 containment, and demonstrated the capability of the pseudovirus to infect 293T cells. With an initial set of cathepsin L inhibitors, we demonstrated (i) potent and selective cathepsin L inhibitory activity versus recombinant enzyme and (ii) cell-contained enzyme; (iii) lack of cytotoxicity; and (iv) inhibition of pseudotype Ebola virus entry into 293T cells. These results validate this host enzyme at the cellular level as a target for anti-Ebola therapy for the first time. In Phase I, we will design and build new potent and selective inhibitors of cathepsin L by rational drug design and structure-based drug design methods, employing a rapid sensitive fluorescence assay for cathepsin L inhibition and inhibitor-enzyme co-crystal structures. We will prioritize the most potent inhibitors for their selectivity (eg, minimal affinity for cathepsin B and calpain), minimal cytotoxicity, cell permeability, favorable ADME properties and efficacy in an Ebola pseudotype assay as well as a virulent wild-type Ebola virus tested in a BSL4 facility. We will establish Proof of Concept by demonstrating the activity of pseudotype virus inhibitors in an infectious Ebola virus plaque assay in a BSL4 containment facility at USMARIID. In Phase II, these leads will be developed into preclinical candidates and in vivo IND enabling efficacy and pharmacokinetic and toxicology studies will be performed. Ebola virus infections constitute one of the most severe threats of infection to mankind. The natural reservoir for the Ebola virus is unknown, which increases the need for therapeutic intervention. This proposal describes a rational approach for the preparation of small molecule inhibitors of Ebola virus infection.