Conjugating drug candidates to polymeric chains does not necessarily enhance anti-influenza activity.

Abstract

Using the plaque reduction assay, relatively simple bicyclic quinone molecules, as well as multiple copies thereof covalently attached to a long polyglutamate-based polymeric chain, were examined as new inhibitors of various naturally occurring strains of influenza A virus. The polymer-conjugated inhibitors were found to have a far greater potency (for some as high as two orders of magnitude when a long spacer arm was employed) than their corresponding parent molecules against the human Wuhan influenza strain. However, such polymeric inhibitors failed to exhibit higher potency compared with their small molecule predecessors against the human Puerto Rico and avian turkey influenza strains. These observations, further explored by means of molecular modeling, reveal the previously unrecognized unpredictability of the benefits of multivalency, possibly because of poor accessibility of the viral targets to polymeric agents.

• Authors: Alyssa M Larson, Hongmei Wang, Yang Cao, Taijiao Jiang, Jianzhu Chen, Alexander M Klibanov
• Journal: Journal of pharmaceutical sciences (J Pharm Sci) Vol. 101 Issue 10 Pg. 3896-905 (Oct 2012) ISSN: 1520-6017 [Electronic] United States
• PMID: 22786697 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)
• Copyright: Copyright © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Chemical References

• Antiviral Agents
• Polymers
• Quinones
• Polyglutamic Acid

Topics

• Animals
• Antiviral Agents (chemistry, pharmacology)
• Birds
• Cell Line
• Dogs
• Drug Synergism
• Humans
• Influenza A virus (drug effects)
• Influenza in Birds (drug therapy, virology)
• Influenza, Human (drug therapy, virology)
• Madin Darby Canine Kidney Cells
• Models, Molecular
• Orthomyxoviridae Infections (drug therapy, virology)
• Polyglutamic Acid (chemistry)
• Polymers (chemistry)
• Quinones (chemistry, pharmacology)