Ribavirin

1-β-D-ribofuranosyl-1H-1,2,4-triazole-3-carboxamide

spinqualitylabelsall models Caption for this structure Show:Asymmetric Unit Biological Assembly Drag the structure with the mouse to rotate   Export Animated Image   Print3D TextToBeDisplayed Overview Ribavirin was first synthesized in 1970 by ICN Pharmaceuticals (now “Valent International Pharmaceuticals”). In 1986, its first major use was the treatment of RSV (respiratory syncitial virus) infections in pediatric patients, but since its FDA approval in 1998, it has primarily been used as a component in treating Hepatitis C. The treatment was modified and approved in 2002 by the FDA by combining it with interferon alfa2b . Structure & Function While the main function of Ribavirin is to treat Hepatitis C and RSV, Ribavirin alone is not enough to treat these diseases and is commonly combined with interferon alfa2b. Ribavirin contains antiviral activity which inhibits DNA/RNA synthesis.The structure of Ribavirin resembles the structure of the nucleoside guanosine. Like guanosine, ribavirin is also water soluble and is able to mimic other purines as well. However, a key difference between the structure of ribavirin and the purine nucleosides is that it’s heterocyclic base contains only one ring, as opposed to purines which have two. Despite this, it is able to go through similar mechanisms as that of nucleosides such as phosphorylating into a triphosphate. It’s structural similarity to the common nucleoside guanosine may suggest how the drug can inhibit DNA/RNA synthesis through purine mimicry. Disease Hepatitis C Hepatitis C is an infectious disease that affects the liver due to the Hepatitis C virus (HCV). This disease can be acute or chronic and can even lead to death. By binding to the gC1qR receptor, HCV proteins are able to effectively inhibit the differentiation of helper T cells. In addition, HCV core proteins work by preventing the synthesis of the antiviral interferon IFN-γ. Thus, weakening the body’s immunity and making it susceptible to infection. Ribavirin is used in combination with peginterferon to treat Hepatitis C. By adding pegylated interferon-alpha to ribavirin, the drug had a longer half life, which required only single weekly dosing for Hepatitis C treatment. Pneumonia Respiratory syncytial virus is responsible for viral pneumonia. This infection causes the air sacs in one or both of the lungs to become inflamed and potentially filled with fluid or pus. In infants, children, and adults over the age of 65, pneumonia can be deadly. It has been shown that Ribavirin can treat viral pneumonia by preventing transcription of respiratory syncytial virus. Mechanism This is a sample scene created with SAT to color by Group, and another to make a transparent representation of the protein. You can make your own scenes on SAT starting from scratch or loading and editing one of these sample scenes.

References

1. Gish, R. G. (2005, November 17). Treating HCV with ribavirin analogue and ribavirin-like molecules. Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy, 1-6. doi:10.1093/jac/dki405
2. Chung, R.T., Gale, M.J., Polyak, S.J., Lemon, S.M., Liang, T.J., & Hoofnagle, J.H. (2008). Mechanisms of action of interferon and ribavirin in chronic hepatitis C: Summary of a workshop. Hepatology, 47 (1), 306-320. doi: 10.1002/hep.22070
4. National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute. (2016, September 26). Pneumonia. Retrieved from https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/health-topics/topics/pnu

Proteopedia Page Contributors and Editors (what is this?)

Jamie Costa, Edmond R Atalla, Taylor H. Derby, Katherine Reynolds, Shannon Shaughnessy, Alexander Berchansky