2. Academic Validation
  3. Monkeypox Virus Is Inhibited by Nucleoside Analogues Including the Acyclic Phosphonates Adefovir and Tenofovir In Vitro

Monkeypox Virus Is Inhibited by Nucleoside Analogues Including the Acyclic Phosphonates Adefovir and Tenofovir In Vitro

  • J Med Virol. 2025 Nov;97(11):e70669. doi: 10.1002/jmv.70669.
Jasper Lee 1 2,  Huanchun Zhang 1 2,  Emerson Ailidh Boggs 1 2,  Jesse Kilcullen 1 2,  Margaret Moriarty 3,  Yuhong Du 4 5 6,  Haian Fu 4 5 6 7,  Shuiyun Lan 1 2,  Christina L Hutson 3,  Panayampalli S Satheshkumar 3,  Philip R Tedbury 1 2,  Stefan G Sarafianos 1 2
Affiliations

Affiliations

  • 1 Laboratory of Biochemical Pharmacology, Department of Pediatrics, Emory University School of Medicine, Center for ViroScience and Cure, Atlanta, Georgia, USA.
  • 2 Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, Atlanta, Georgia, USA.
  • 3 Poxvirus and Rabies Branch, National Center for Emerging Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Division of High-Consequence Pathogens and Pathology, Atlanta, Georgia, USA.
  • 4 Department of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, USA.
  • 5 Emory University School of Medicine, Emory Chemical Biology Discovery Center, Atlanta, Georgia, USA.
  • 6 Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA.
  • 7 Department of Hematology and Medical Oncology, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA.
PMID: 41137742 DOI: 10.1002/jmv.70669
Abstract

Mpox, caused by the Orthopoxvirus monkeypox virus (MPXV), has garnered worldwide attention during a global outbreak in 2022 and in an ongoing outbreak in Central Africa. Because of drug resistance and toxicity risks with current Antiviral treatments, there is still a need for additional antivirals to treat mpox and other Orthopoxvirus diseases. We developed in vitro screening assays using recombinant strains of vaccinia virus and MPXV to measure the Antiviral potency of compounds, finding that adefovir dipivoxil and tenofovir alafenamide had potent anti-orthopoxvirus activity and low toxicity. These data reinforce interest in repurposing nucleoside analogues as antivirals to treat poxvirus infections and provide a basis for high throughput screening and mechanistic and Antiviral resistance studies.

Keywords

acyclic nucleoside phosphonate; antiviral agents; poxvirus.

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