The FDA-approved drug Auranofin has a dual inhibitory effect on SARS-CoV-2 entry and NF-κB signaling
Emmanuel Laplantine, Christine Chable-Bessia, Anne Oudin, Jitendryia Swain, Adèle Soria, Peggy Mérida, Manon Gourdelier, S Mestiri, Indira Besseghe, Erwan Brémaud, Aymeric Neyret, Sébastien Lyonnais, Cyril Favard, Philippe Benaroch, Mathieu Hubert, Olivier Schwartz, Maryse Guérin, Anne Danckaert, Elaine Del Nery, Delphine Muriaux, Robert Weil
Abstract
Among these, we show that Auranofin prevents post-translational modifications of NF-κB effectors and their recruitment into activating complexes in response to SARS-CoV-2 infection or cytokine stimulation. In addition, we demonstrate that Auranofin counteracts several steps of SARS-CoV-2 infection. First, it inhibits a raft-dependent endocytic pathway involved in SARS-CoV-2 entry into host cells; Second, Auranofin alters the ACE2 mobility at the plasma membrane. Overall, Auranofin should prevent SARS-CoV-2 infection and inflammatory damages, offering new opportunities as a repurposable drug candidate to treat COVID-19.