SARS‐CoV‐2 PLpro Inhibition: Evaluating in Silico Repurposed Fidaxomicin's Antiviral Activity Through In Vitro Assessment
B.Sc. Sara Protić,
M.Sc. Milica Crnoglavac Popović,
M.Sc. Nevena Kaličanin,
Dr. Olivera Prodanović,
Dr. Milan Senćanski,
Dr. Jelena Milićević,
Dr. Kristina Stevanović,
Dr. Vladimir Perović,
Dr. Slobodan Paessler,
Dr. Radivoje Prodanović,
Dr. Sanja Glišić
Affiliations
B.Sc. Sara Protić
Faculty of Chemistry University of Belgrade Studentski Trg 12–16 Belgrade Serbia
M.Sc. Milica Crnoglavac Popović
Faculty of Chemistry University of Belgrade Studentski Trg 12–16 Belgrade Serbia
M.Sc. Nevena Kaličanin
Institute of Chemistry Technology and Metallurgy University of Belgrade Njegoševa 12 Belgrade Serbia
Dr. Olivera Prodanović
Institute for Multidisciplinary Research University of Belgrade Kneza Višeslava 1 Belgrade Serbia
Dr. Milan Senćanski
Laboratory of Bioinformatics and Computational Chemistry Institute of Nuclear Sciences Vinca National Institute of the Republic of Serbia University of Belgrade Mike Petrovica Alasa 12–14 Belgrade Serbia
Dr. Jelena Milićević
Laboratory of Bioinformatics and Computational Chemistry Institute of Nuclear Sciences Vinca National Institute of the Republic of Serbia University of Belgrade Mike Petrovica Alasa 12–14 Belgrade Serbia
Dr. Kristina Stevanović
Laboratory of Bioinformatics and Computational Chemistry Institute of Nuclear Sciences Vinca National Institute of the Republic of Serbia University of Belgrade Mike Petrovica Alasa 12–14 Belgrade Serbia
Dr. Vladimir Perović
Laboratory of Bioinformatics and Computational Chemistry Institute of Nuclear Sciences Vinca National Institute of the Republic of Serbia University of Belgrade Mike Petrovica Alasa 12–14 Belgrade Serbia
Dr. Slobodan Paessler
Department of Pathology University of Texas Medical Branch Galveston Texas United States
Dr. Radivoje Prodanović
Faculty of Chemistry University of Belgrade Studentski Trg 12–16 Belgrade Serbia
Dr. Sanja Glišić
Laboratory of Bioinformatics and Computational Chemistry Institute of Nuclear Sciences Vinca National Institute of the Republic of Serbia University of Belgrade Mike Petrovica Alasa 12–14 Belgrade Serbia
Abstract The emergence of drug‐resistant viruses and novel strains necessitates the rapid development of novel antiviral therapies. This need was particularly demanding during the COVID‐19 pandemic. While de novo drug development is a time‐consuming process, repurposing existing approved medications offers a more expedient approach. In our prior in silico screening of the DrugBank database, fidaxomicin emerged as a potential SARS‐CoV‐2 papain‐like protease inhibitor. This study extends those findings by investigating fidaxomicin‘s antiviral properties in vitro. Our results support further exploration of fidaxomicin as a therapeutic candidate against SARS‐CoV‐2, given its promising in vitro antiviral activity and favorable safety profile.
