Role of G2-S16 Polyanionic Carbosilane Dendrimer in the Prevention of Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infection In Vitro and In Vivo in Mice

Rodriguez-Izquierdo, Ignacio; Ceña-Diez, Rafael; Serramia, Maria Jesús; Rodriguez-Fernández, Rosa; Martínez, Isidoro; Muñoz-Fernández, Mariángeles

The respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) causes respiratory infection and bronchiolitis, requiring hospitalization mainly in infants. The interaction between RSV, envelope glycoproteins G and F, and cell surface heparan sulfate proteoglycans (HSPG) is required for binding and entry into the host cells. A G2-S16 polyanionic carbosilane dendrimer was identified as a possible RSV inhibitor. We speculated that the G2-S16 dendrimer adheres to the host cell-surface HSPG, acts through binding to HS receptors, and prevents further RSV infection. The G2-S16 dendrimer was non-toxic when applied intranasally to Balb/c mice, and interestingly enough, this G2-S16 dendrimer inhibits 85% RSV. Therefore, our G2-S16 dendrimer could be a candidate for developing a new possible therapy against RSV infection.