Anti-zika virus activity of polyoxometalates.

Zika virus (ZIKV) is an emerging infectious viral pathogen associated with severe fetal cerebral anomalies and the paralytic Guillain-Barrè syndrome in adults. It was the cause of a recent global health crisis following its entrance into a naïve population in the Americas. Nowadays, no vaccine or specific antiviral against ZIKV is available. In this study, we identified three polyoxometalates (POMs), the Anderson-Evans type [TeWO] (TeW), and the Keggin-type [TiWCoO]_ (TiWCo), and [TiPWO] (TiPW), that inhibit ZIKV infection with ECs in the low micromolar range. TiPW, the POM with the greatest selectivity index (SI), was selected and the step of ZIKV replicative cycle putatively inhibited was investigated by specific antiviral assays. We demonstrated that TiPW targets the entry process of ZIKV infection and it is able to significantly reduce ZIKV progeny production. These results suggest that the polyanion TiPW could be a good starting point to develop an effective therapeutic to treat ZIKV infection.