Exploring suramin's antiviral effects: targeting Lymphocytic Choriomeningitis virus cell entry and replication/transcription processes

Abstract

The Arenavirus family comprises of multiple pathogenic human viruses. Currently, there are no licensed vaccines or antiviral agents against arenavirus infections; therefore, there is a pressing need to develop prophylaxis and/or countermeasures. Suramin is an approved antiparasitic drug that also blocks the propagation of multiple viruses. In this study, the antiviral effect of suramin against lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV), a prototype of the arenavirus, was examined. Our results showed that suramin targeted at least two replication steps of LCMV, an entry step and a replication step, but not the particle production step. Our in silico study revealed that the target of suramin in replication could be an RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (L), and this observation was consistent with previous reports from other viral families, including coronaviruses and filoviruses. These results imply that suramin has less potential to emerge as a suramin-resistant LCMV due to its dual viral targets.