In silico Evaluation of H1-Antihistamine as Potential Inhibitors of SARS-CoV-2 RNA-dependent RNA Polymerase: Repurposing Study of COVID-19 Therapy.

Abstract

Introduction: Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), from the family Coronaviridae, is the seventh known coronavirus to infect humans and cause acute respiratory syndrome. Although vaccination efforts have been conducted against this virus, which emerged in Wuhan, China, in December 2019 and has spread rapidly around the world, the lack of an Food and Drug Administration-approved antiviral agent has made drug repurposing an important approach for emergency response during the COVID-19 pandemic. The aim of this study was to investigate the potential of H1-antihistamines as antiviral agents against SARS-CoV-2 RNA-dependent RNA polymerase enzyme.

Materials and methods: Using molecular docking techniques, we explored the interactions between H1-antihistamines and RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp), a key enzyme involved in viral replication. The three-dimensional structure of 37 H1-antihistamine molecules was drawn and their energies were minimized using Spartan 0.4. Subsequently, we conducted a docking study with Autodock Vina to assess the binding affinity of these molecules to the target site. The docking scores and conformations were then visualized using Discovery Studio.

Results: The results examined showed that the docking scores of the H1-antihistamines were between 5.0 and 8.3 kcal/mol. These findings suggested that among all the analyzed drugs, bilastine, fexofenadine, montelukast, zafirlukast, mizolastine, and rupatadine might bind with the best binding energy (< -7.0 kcal/mol) and inhibit RdRp, potentially halting the replication of the virus.

Conclusion: This study highlights the potential of H1-antihistamines in combating COVID-19 and underscores the value of computational approaches in rapid drug discovery and repurposing efforts. Finally, experimental studies are required to measure the potency of H1-antihistamines before their clinical use against COVID-19 as RdRp inhibitors.