Effects of the flavonoids Genkwanin and Sophoricoside on the inhibitions of the Human Respiratory Syncytial Virus (hRSV).

• Grant number: 22/01258-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: April 01, 2022
• End date: December 31, 2022
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Microbiology - Applied Microbiology
• Principal Investigator: Karina Alves de Toledo
• Grantee: Getúlio Henrique Ferreira Pereira
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Ciências e Letras (FCL-ASSIS). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Assis. Assis , SP, Brazil

Abstract

In the world, it is estimated that there are millions of serious and very serious cases of lower respiratory tract infection in children, of which the Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) is one of the main etiological agents. The most affected population is children and the elderly. Unfortunately, there is still no specific treatment or even vaccines against hRSV infections, which results in high rates of morbimortality worldwide and annually. Our research group has been dedicated to searching for compounds with anti-hRSV potential. Recently, we have developed an artificial intelligence (AI) strategy intended to predict flavonoids that can inhibit hRSV (submitted article). The analysis of hundreds of different flavonoids by the AI resulted in the classification of these compounds as active or inactive against hRSV, among them, genkwanin and sophoricoside, respectively. Our objective with this proposal is to continue these studies in a new stage, in which the compounds analyzed by the AI will be evaluated through in vitro assays against hRSV. Therefore, we selected a flavonoid classified as inactive by the AI (genkwanin) and another classified as active (sophoricoside) to be tested against hRSV in Hep-2 cell cultures. MTT assays and plaque formation will be carried out based on pre-, post-treatment and virucidal protocols. In addition to assisting in the search for effective compounds in the prevention and/or treatment of hRSV infections, the development of this project will provide support for improvements in the AI strategy.