Identification of inhibitors of SARS-Cov2 M-Pro enzymatic activity using a small molecule repurposing screen
Maria Kuzikov, Elisa Costanzi, Jeanette Reinshagen, Francesca Esposito, Laura Vangeel, Markus Wolf, Bernhard Ellinger, Carsten Claussen, Gerd Geisslinger, Angela Corona, Daniela Iaconis, Carmine Talarico, Candida Manelfi, Rolando Cannalire, Giulia Rossetti, Jonas Gossen, Simone Albani, Francesco Musiani, Katja Herzog, Yang Ye, Barbara Giabbai, Nicola Demitri, Dirk Jochmans, Steven De Jonghe, Jasper Rymenants, Vincenzo Summa, Enzo Tramontano, Andrea R. Beccari, Pieter Leyssen, Paola Storici, Johan Neyts, Philip Gribbon, and Andrea Zaliani
Compound repurposing is an important strategy being pursued in the identification of effective treatment against the SARS-CoV-2 infection and COVID-19 disease. In this regard, SARS-CoV-2 main protease (M-Pro), also termed 3CL-Pro, is an attractive drug target as it plays a central role in viral replication by processing the viral polyprotein into 11 non-structural proteins. We report the results of a screening campaign involving ca 8.7 K compounds containing marketed drugs, clinical and preclinical candidates, and chemicals regarded as safe in humans. We confirmed previously reported inhibitors of 3CL-Pro, but we have also identified 68 compounds with IC50 lower than 1 uM and 127 compounds with IC50 lower than 5 uM. Profiling showed 67% of confirmed hits were selective (> 5 fold) against other Cys- and Ser- proteases (Chymotrypsin and Cathepsin-L) and MERS 3CL-Pro. Selected compounds were also analysed in their binding characteristics.