TY - JOUR T1 - Ionophore antibiotic X-206 is a potent and selective inhibitor of SARS-CoV-2 infection <em>in vitro</em> JF - bioRxiv DO - 10.1101/2020.06.14.149153 SP - 2020.06.14.149153 AU - Esben B. Svenningsen AU - Jacob Thyrsted AU - Julia Blay-Cadanet AU - Han Liu AU - Shaoquan Lin AU - Jaime Moyano Villameriel AU - David Olagnier AU - Manja Idorn AU - Søren R. Paludan AU - Christian K. Holm AU - Thomas B. Poulsen Y1 - 2020/01/01 UR - http://biorxiv.org/content/early/2020/06/25/2020.06.14.149153.abstract N2 - Pandemic spread of emerging human pathogenic viruses such as the current SARS-CoV-2, poses both an immediate and future challenge to human health and society. Currently, effective treatment of infection with SARS-CoV-2 is limited and broad spectrum antiviral therapies to meet other emerging pandemics are absent leaving the World population largely unprotected. Here, we have identified distinct members of the family of polyether ionophore antibiotics with potent ability to inhibit SARS-CoV-2 replication and cytopathogenicity in cells. Several compounds from this class displayed more than 100-fold selectivity between viral-induced cytopathogenicity and inhibition of cell viability, however the compound X-206 displayed &gt;500-fold selectivity and was furthermore able to inhibit viral replication even at sub-nM levels. The antiviral mechanism of the polyether ionophores is currently not understood in detail. We demonstrate, through unbiased bioactivity profiling, that their effects on the host cells differ from those of cationic amphiphiles such as hydroxychloroquine. Collectively, our data suggest that polyether ionophore antibiotics should be subject to further investigations as potential broad-spectrum antiviral agents.Competing Interest StatementThe authors have declared no competing interest. ER -