Design, Synthesis, Molecular Dynamics Simulations, and Biological Evaluation of PB2 Inhibitors as Anti-Influenza A Virus Agent

Influenza A virus continues to pose a significant global health threat, causing seasonal epidemics and occasional pandemics. Viral transcription and replication rely on the heterotrimeric polymerase complex where the PB2 subunit initiates RNA synthesis through binding to the host mRNA cap structure. In this study, we began with a structure-activity relationship analysis of the pioneering PB2 inhibitor VX-787. Through computer-aided drug design, combined with considerations of molecular docking scores, ADMET property predictions, and a prodrug esterification strategy, we ultimately designed eight novel compounds. Cytopathic effect assays demonstrated that all compounds exhibited superior inhibitory activity against both H1N1 and H3N2 strains compared to oseltamivir acid. In particular, compounds 11 and 15 displayed nanomolar-level activity against H1N1, while compound 18 showed activity against H3N2 superior to that of VX-787. These findings propose a rational design strategy that may offer new avenues for addressing the resistance and metabolic limitations associated with VX-787 and hold potential for advancing the development of next-generation PB2-targeted anti-influenza therapeutics.

Influenza A virus; PB2 inhibitors; VX-787; antiviral drug design; cap-binding pocket; structure optimization.