Fatal Measles Virus Infection Prevented by Brain-Penetrant Fusion Inhibitors |
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| Authors: | Jeremy C. Welsch Aparna Talekar Cyrille Mathieu Antonello Pessi Anne Moscona Branka Horvat Matteo Porotto |
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| Affiliation: | International Center for Research in Infectious Diseases—CIRI, INSERM U1111, CNRS UMR5308, ENS—Lyon, University of Lyon 1, Lyon, Francea;Departments of Pediatricsb;Microbiology and Immunology, Weill Medical College of Cornell University, New York, New York, USAc;JV Bio and CEINGE, Naples, Italyd;PeptiPharma, Pomezia, Rome, Italye |
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| Abstract: | Measles virus (MV) infection causes an acute childhood disease that can include infection of the central nervous system and can rarely progress to severe neurological disease for which there is no specific treatment. We generated potent antiviral peptide inhibitors of MV entry and spreading and MV-induced cell fusion. Dimers of MV-specific peptides derived from the C-terminal heptad repeat region of the MV fusion protein, conjugated to cholesterol, efficiently protect SLAM transgenic mice from fatal MV infection. Fusion inhibitors hold promise for the prophylaxis of MV infection in unvaccinated and immunocompromised people, as well as potential for the treatment of grave neurological complications of measles. |
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