Calcium signalling is important for entry of ebola virus (EBOV) into the host. Here, Sakurai et al. report that EBOV infection can be blocked in vitro by various calcium-channel antagonists — in particular, the small molecule tetrandrine. In vitro knockout, short interfering RNA (siRNA) and overexpression experiments revealed that two-pore channels were the specific calcium channels required for EBOV infection, and that these were inhibited by tetrandrine. Tetrandrine potently blocked EBOV infection of human monocyte-derived macrophages — an initial target of virus infection — and, when given every 2 days for a week to EBOV-challenged mice, eliminated virus and significantly enhanced survival.
References
Sakurai, Y. et al. Two-pore channels control Ebola virus host cell entry and are drug targets for disease treatment. Science 347, 995–998 (2015)
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Crunkhorn, S. Disrupting two-pore channels blocks Ebola virus infection. Nat Rev Drug Discov 14, 312 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1038/nrd4630
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nrd4630
