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Background Brincidofovir (BCV) is a novel nucleoside phosphonate analogue with unique dual antiviral and anti-tumor properties. Methods The activity of BCV was evaluated in 44 cell-line models, including T/NK-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma (T/NK-NHL, n  = 25) and B-cell lymphoma (BCL, n  = 19), and their respective NOD/SCID mice xenograft models. The potential immunogenic effects were examined in a syngeneic EL4-C57BL/6 murine lymphoma model. Results BCV demonstrated potent anti-tumor activity across the majority of cell lines regardless of EBV positivity, with IC50 values within clinically achievable human plasma concentrations (2 µg/ml) in 17 of 25 (68.0%) T/NK-NHL and in 13 of 19 (68.4%) BCL. In vivo treatment significantly inhibited tumor growth in all xenograft models compared to vehicle control. Notably, RNAseq analysis demonstrated BCV downregulated MYC-target pathways in T/NK-NHL models. BCV evoked S-phase cell cycle arrest, replication stress, DNA damage, and apoptosis while triggering STING pathway-mediated interferon responses, PD-L1 expression, and immunogenic cell death. In the EL4-C57BL/6 model, BCV in combination with anti-PD1 significantly inhibited tumor growth and triggered an immune reaction characterized by the highest scores for adaptive immune response, cytokines/chemokines and receptors, cytotoxic cells, dendritic cells, NK CD56dim cells, and neutrophils (NanoString Immunology Panel). Conclusions Taken together, these results demonstrate a novel role for BCV in lymphoma therapy and suggest potential for combination with checkpoint immunotherapy.

Widespread in the human population and able to persist asymptomatically for the life of an individual, polyomavirus infections cause a significant disease burden in the immunocompromised. Individuals undergoing immune suppression, such as kidney transplant patients or those treated for autoimmune diseases, are particularly at high risk for polyomavirus-associated diseases. Because no antiviral agent exists for treating polyomavirus infections, management of polyomavirus-associated diseases typically involves reducing or discontinuing immunomodulatory therapy. This can be perilous due to the risk of transplant rejection and the potential development of adverse immune reactions. Thus, there is a pressing need for the development of antivirals targeting polyomaviruses. Here, we investigate the effects of brincidofovir, an FDA-approved antiviral, on polyomavirus infection in vivo using mouse polyomavirus. We show that the drug is well-tolerated in mice, reduces infectious viral titers, and limits viral pathology, indicating the potential of brincidofovir as an anti-polyomavirus therapeutic.

Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is of growing interest for its potential role in neurodegenerative diseases such as multiple sclerosis (MS) and its possible utility as a therapeutic target in herpesvirus-associated chronic diseases. The effects of brincidofovir (BCV) on EBV reactivation were evaluated in vitro using EBV-infected spontaneous lymphoblastoid cell lines (SLCLs) and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) derived from patients with MS and healthy controls. In addition, a B lymphoblastoid cell line and PBMCs from common marmosets ( Callithrix jacchus ) naturally infected with an EBV-related gammaherpesvirus (Callitrichine herpesvirus 3, CalHV-3) were used to measure BCV efficacy in a nonhuman primate model. BCV significantly inhibited gammaherpesvirus reactivation, with decreased lytic and latent viral transcript expression. These results suggest that BCV may be a useful antiviral for inhibiting EBV activity in patients with MS. Additionally, this work further validates the utility of CalHV-3 in marmosets as a translational model for the investigation of successful EBV-targeting therapeutics.

Fibrosis of the lung constitutes a major clinical challenge and novel therapies are required to alleviate the associated morbidity and mortality. Investigating the antifibrotic efficacy of drugs that are already in clinical practice offers an efficient strategy to identify new therapies. The phosphodiesterase 4 (PDE4) inhibitors, approved for the treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, harbor therapeutic potential for pulmonary fibrosis by augmenting the activity of endogenous antifibrotic mediators that signal through cyclic AMP. In this study, we tested the efficacy of several PDE4 inhibitors including a novel compound (Compound 1) in a murine model of lung fibrosis that results from a targeted type II alveolar epithelial cell injury. We also compared the antifibrotic activity of PDE4 inhibition to the two therapies that are FDA‐approved for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (pirfenidone and nintedanib). We found that both preventative (day 0–21) and therapeutic (day 11–21) dosing regimens of the PDE4 inhibitors significantly ameliorated the weight loss and lung collagen accumulation that are the sequelae of targeted epithelial cell damage. In a therapeutic protocol, the reduction in lung fibrosis with PDE4 inhibitor administration was equivalent to pirfenidone and nintedanib. Treatment with this class of drugs also resulted in a decrease in plasma surfactant protein D concentration, a reduction in the plasma levels of several chemokines implicated in lung fibrosis, and an in vitro inhibition of fibroblast profibrotic gene expression. These results motivate further investigation of PDE4 inhibition as a treatment for patients with fibrotic lung disease. We demonstrate that prophylactic and therapeutic inhibition of phosphodiesterase 4 with several different antagonists reduces lung fibrosis induced by a targeted injury to the type II alveolar epithelium. In conjunction with the reduction in lung collagen content, phosphodiesterase inhibition also reduced serum surfactant protein C levels and the expression of profibrotic genes by lung fibroblasts.

Previous studies demonstrated that the adjuvant-free form of a fusion protein consisting of a truncated herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) glycoprotein D and human interleukin-2 (tgD-IL- 2) elicited superior protective immunity in mice. In this study, the immunotherapeutic efficacy of tgD-IL-2 against vaginal HSV-2 infection was investigated using a guinea pig model. Footpad injections of tgD-IL-2 (12.5 µgjdose) after the onset of primary lesions strongly suppressed recurrence in the chronic phase of infection; consequently, the number of days with lesions was reduced 65%. Continuous medication with 100 mg/kgjday acyclovir for 5 days failed to suppress recurrent infection. In a UV radiation-induced recurrence model, prophylactic tgD-IL- 2 significantly suppressed both duration and severity of disease. A single injection of tgD-IL2 plus acyclovir produced an additive effect on the suppression of the disease in the acute phase. These results suggest that tgD-IL-2 is a promising immunotherapeutic agent against HSV-2 genital infections.