Taurultam shows antiviral activity against SARS-CoV-2 and influenza virus

Abstract Background SARS-CoV-2 and influenza virus are highly contagious respiratory viruses that continuously pose major threats to human and public health. The high frequency of viral mutations led to the emergence of resistant isolates and caused virus epidemics repeatedly, emphasizing the urgent...

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Main Authors: Rongbo Luo, Beilei Shen, Bingshuo Qian, Lingjun Fan, Junkui Zhang, Xiuwen Deng, Yan Sun, Shijun Zhang, Tiecheng Wang, Yuanguo Li, Weiyang Sun, Xiaobin Pang, Wu Zhong, Yuwei Gao
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: BMC 2025-05-01
Series:BMC Microbiology
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Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1186/s12866-025-03847-2
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author Rongbo Luo
Beilei Shen
Bingshuo Qian
Lingjun Fan
Junkui Zhang
Xiuwen Deng
Yan Sun
Shijun Zhang
Tiecheng Wang
Yuanguo Li
Weiyang Sun
Xiaobin Pang
Wu Zhong
Yuwei Gao
author_facet Rongbo Luo
Beilei Shen
Bingshuo Qian
Lingjun Fan
Junkui Zhang
Xiuwen Deng
Yan Sun
Shijun Zhang
Tiecheng Wang
Yuanguo Li
Weiyang Sun
Xiaobin Pang
Wu Zhong
Yuwei Gao
author_sort Rongbo Luo
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Background SARS-CoV-2 and influenza virus are highly contagious respiratory viruses that continuously pose major threats to human and public health. The high frequency of viral mutations led to the emergence of resistant isolates and caused virus epidemics repeatedly, emphasizing the urgent need to develop new antivirals. Taurultam is a metabolite of taurolidine. Moreover, taurolidine has been shown to have potent antiviral activities against multiple viruses and to have antiviral effects through its metabolites. Results In this study, we sought to determine the antiviral activities of taurultam against SARS-CoV-2 and influenza virus in Vero-E6, Huh7, 293T-ACE2, and MDCK cell lines and mouse infection models. The results showed that taurultam exhibited potent antiviral activity against multiple SARS-CoV-2 variants, influenza A (H1N1, H3N2) virus and influenza B virus, in vitro. Moreover, in influenza A (H1N1) virus, influenza B virus and SARS-CoV-2 infection models, taurultam significantly reduced viral loads, increased survival, improved mouse body weight and lung injury. Surprisingly, taurultam treatment not only inhibited the influenza A virus and SARS-CoV-2, but also benefited for therapy of mixed infection of these two viruses in vitro, demonstrating the great antiviral potential of taurultam for the treatment of SARS-CoV-2 and influenza virus infections. Conclusions Together, our findings identify taurultam as a new candidate for the treatment of SARS-CoV-2 and influenza virus infections, especially virus-induced lung pathology. Clinical trial number Not applicable.
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spelling doaj-art-a218c19cf635433d80e533e5dc9261b02025-08-20T03:10:12ZengBMCBMC Microbiology1471-21802025-05-0125111010.1186/s12866-025-03847-2Taurultam shows antiviral activity against SARS-CoV-2 and influenza virusRongbo Luo0Beilei Shen1Bingshuo Qian2Lingjun Fan3Junkui Zhang4Xiuwen Deng5Yan Sun6Shijun Zhang7Tiecheng Wang8Yuanguo Li9Weiyang Sun10Xiaobin Pang11Wu Zhong12Yuwei Gao13Changchun Veterinary Research Institute, State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Key Laboratory of Jilin Province for Zoonosis Prevention and Control, Chinese Academy of Agricultural SciencesChangchun Veterinary Research Institute, State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Key Laboratory of Jilin Province for Zoonosis Prevention and Control, Chinese Academy of Agricultural SciencesChangchun Veterinary Research Institute, State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Key Laboratory of Jilin Province for Zoonosis Prevention and Control, Chinese Academy of Agricultural SciencesChangchun Veterinary Research Institute, State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Key Laboratory of Jilin Province for Zoonosis Prevention and Control, Chinese Academy of Agricultural SciencesChangchun Veterinary Research Institute, State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Key Laboratory of Jilin Province for Zoonosis Prevention and Control, Chinese Academy of Agricultural SciencesChangchun Veterinary Research Institute, State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Key Laboratory of Jilin Province for Zoonosis Prevention and Control, Chinese Academy of Agricultural SciencesChangchun Veterinary Research Institute, State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Key Laboratory of Jilin Province for Zoonosis Prevention and Control, Chinese Academy of Agricultural SciencesChangchun Veterinary Research Institute, State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Key Laboratory of Jilin Province for Zoonosis Prevention and Control, Chinese Academy of Agricultural SciencesChangchun Veterinary Research Institute, State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Key Laboratory of Jilin Province for Zoonosis Prevention and Control, Chinese Academy of Agricultural SciencesChangchun Veterinary Research Institute, State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Key Laboratory of Jilin Province for Zoonosis Prevention and Control, Chinese Academy of Agricultural SciencesChangchun Veterinary Research Institute, State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Key Laboratory of Jilin Province for Zoonosis Prevention and Control, Chinese Academy of Agricultural SciencesSchool of Pharmacy, Henan UniversityNational Engineering Research Center for the Emergency Drug, Beijing Institute of Pharmacology and ToxicologyChangchun Veterinary Research Institute, State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Key Laboratory of Jilin Province for Zoonosis Prevention and Control, Chinese Academy of Agricultural SciencesAbstract Background SARS-CoV-2 and influenza virus are highly contagious respiratory viruses that continuously pose major threats to human and public health. The high frequency of viral mutations led to the emergence of resistant isolates and caused virus epidemics repeatedly, emphasizing the urgent need to develop new antivirals. Taurultam is a metabolite of taurolidine. Moreover, taurolidine has been shown to have potent antiviral activities against multiple viruses and to have antiviral effects through its metabolites. Results In this study, we sought to determine the antiviral activities of taurultam against SARS-CoV-2 and influenza virus in Vero-E6, Huh7, 293T-ACE2, and MDCK cell lines and mouse infection models. The results showed that taurultam exhibited potent antiviral activity against multiple SARS-CoV-2 variants, influenza A (H1N1, H3N2) virus and influenza B virus, in vitro. Moreover, in influenza A (H1N1) virus, influenza B virus and SARS-CoV-2 infection models, taurultam significantly reduced viral loads, increased survival, improved mouse body weight and lung injury. Surprisingly, taurultam treatment not only inhibited the influenza A virus and SARS-CoV-2, but also benefited for therapy of mixed infection of these two viruses in vitro, demonstrating the great antiviral potential of taurultam for the treatment of SARS-CoV-2 and influenza virus infections. Conclusions Together, our findings identify taurultam as a new candidate for the treatment of SARS-CoV-2 and influenza virus infections, especially virus-induced lung pathology. Clinical trial number Not applicable.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12866-025-03847-2SARS-CoV-2Influenza virusAntiviralLung injuryTaurultamTaurolidine metabolite
spellingShingle Rongbo Luo
Beilei Shen
Bingshuo Qian
Lingjun Fan
Junkui Zhang
Xiuwen Deng
Yan Sun
Shijun Zhang
Tiecheng Wang
Yuanguo Li
Weiyang Sun
Xiaobin Pang
Wu Zhong
Yuwei Gao
Taurultam shows antiviral activity against SARS-CoV-2 and influenza virus
BMC Microbiology
SARS-CoV-2
Influenza virus
Antiviral
Lung injury
Taurultam
Taurolidine metabolite
title Taurultam shows antiviral activity against SARS-CoV-2 and influenza virus
title_full Taurultam shows antiviral activity against SARS-CoV-2 and influenza virus
title_fullStr Taurultam shows antiviral activity against SARS-CoV-2 and influenza virus
title_full_unstemmed Taurultam shows antiviral activity against SARS-CoV-2 and influenza virus
title_short Taurultam shows antiviral activity against SARS-CoV-2 and influenza virus
title_sort taurultam shows antiviral activity against sars cov 2 and influenza virus
topic SARS-CoV-2
Influenza virus
Antiviral
Lung injury
Taurultam
Taurolidine metabolite
url https://doi.org/10.1186/s12866-025-03847-2
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