Coronaviruses such as the Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV), severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV), and SARS-CoV-2, causing MERS, SARS, and Coronavirus disease-19, respectively, are highly pathogenic to humans. Notably, several antiviral drugs against SARS-CoV-2, such as nirmatrelvir and remdesivir, have been approved. However, no approved vaccines or antiviral agents are available for other highly pathogenic β-coronaviruses. In this study, we identified two compounds, thapsigargin and X-206, that exhibit antiviral activities against SARS-CoV, MERS-CoV, and SARS-CoV-2. Notably, both compounds effectively inhibited the cell-to-cell fusion mediated by the Spike proteins of all three β-coronaviruses. X-206 exhibited antiviral activity against nirmatrelvir- and remdesivir-resistant SARS-CoV-2 isolates and SARS-CoV-2 variants, including Delta, BA.5, and XBB.1. Consequently, the mechanism of action of these compounds with anti-β-coronavirus activities may differ from that of the approved direct-acting drugs for SARS-CoV-2, thereby offering potential use as a cocktail with other antivirals, and serving as a chemical basis for developing therapeutic agents against β-coronaviruses in preparation for the next spillover and pandemic.
Keywords: Antiviral compound; COVID-19; Coronavirus; MERS; SARS.
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