Evaluation of anti-hRSV potential of carpachromene and C7 chalcone flavonoids

• Grant number: 23/14758-4
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: February 01, 2024
• End date: December 31, 2024
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Immunology - Applied Immunology
• Principal Investigator: Karina Alves de Toledo
• Grantee: Helena Santolini Munhoz
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Ciências e Letras (FCL-ASSIS). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Assis. Assis , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 18/22214-6 - Towards a convergence of technologies: from sensing and biosensing to information visualization and machine learning for data analysis in clinical diagnosis, AP.TEM

Abstract

The Orthopneumovirus, commonly called Human Respiratory Syncytial Virus (hRSV), is one of the main etiological agents of lower respiratory tract diseases and is frequently responsible for the hospitalization and death of children and the elderly. So far, treatments are only palliative and the available vaccines do not cover all risk groups. Plant-derived biomolecules are vital research targets for discovering new medicines. In this research, computational methods have been of great help. Recently, the anti-hRSV activity of hundreds of flavonoids was evaluated by a neural network, which indicated carpachromene and chalcone C7 as potential anti-hRSV compounds. In this project, our main objective is the in vitro evaluation of the anti-hRSV activity of carpachromene and chalcone C7. In order to achieve this, Hep-2 cells (permissive to hRSV infection) will be cultured, infected and/or incubated with the compounds in pre-, post-treatment and virucidal evaluation protocols. The protective potential of flavonoids will be evaluated by MTT salt addition and plaque formation assays. Finally, the interaction of these flavonoids with the viral F protein, fundamental for the cellular infection process, will be evaluated through molecular docking analyses. The development of the project could assist in the design of new pharmacological strategies against hRSV.