Targeting the Spike: Repurposing Mithramycin and Dihydroergotamine to Block SARS-CoV-2 Infection

S Stagnoli and G Macari and P Corsi and B Capone and A Vidaurrazaga and J Ereño-Orbea and A Ardá and F Polticelli and J Jiménez-Barbero and NGA Abrescia and I Coluzza, ACS OMEGA, 8, 43490-43499 (2023).

DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.3c02921

The urgency to find complementary therapies to current SARS-CoV-2 vaccines, whose effectiveness is preserved over time and not compromised by the emergence of new and emerging variants, has become a critical health challenge. We investigate the possibility of jamming the opening of the Receptor Binding Domain (RBD) of the spike protein of SARS-CoV-2 with small compounds. Through in silico screening, we identified two potential candidates that would lock the Receptor Binding Domain (RBD) in a closed configuration, preventing the virus from infecting the host cells. We show that two drugs already approved by the FDA, mithramycin and dihydroergotamine, can block infection using concentrations in the mu M range in cell-based assays. Further STD-NMR experiments support dihydroergotamine's direct interaction with the spike protein. Overall, our results indicate that repurposing of these compounds might lead to potential clinical drug candidates for the treatment of SARS-CoV-2 infection.

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