Abstract
The Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) is a mosquito-borne, enveloped flavivirus that causes acute encephalitis. Although JEV is increasingly recognized as a global threat, there is currently no FDA-approved treatment available for JEV. 25-hydroxycholesterol (25-HC) is an oxysterol produced through the oxidation of cholesterol, a process catalyzed by cholesterol 25-hydroxylase (CH25H), which is an interferon-stimulated gene that is upregulated during viral infections. In this study, we report for the first time that 25-HC effectively prevents JEV infection in cells. Our results show that 25-HC inhibits JEV infection in Vero cells with an IC50 of ∼ 3.7 μM, while displaying no cell toxicity (CC50 > 50 μM). Given the antiviral effects of 25HC against Zika and Dengue viruses, our findings suggest that 25-HC could be a promising candidate for the development of broad-spectrum anti-flaviviral therapeutics.
Competing Interest Statement
The authors have declared no competing interest.
