Dermcidin has antiviral activity and protects against influenza
Abstract
Despite the high incidence of influenza virus infections, one-fifth of people infected with influenza remain asymptomatic. The mechanisms associated with this immune resilience are, however, unknown. Here, we show that the human antimicrobial peptide dermcidin has antiviral activity against influenza viruses through binding to hemagglutinin and extends its effect to taxonomically unrelated respiratory viruses such as measles virus and human coronavirus OC43. We show that dermcidin is present in all anatomical regions associated with the entry routes of respiratory viruses, that its levels increase during viral respiratory infections, and that it protects mice against influenza disease. Notably, dermcidin levels were higher in asymptomatic individuals than in susceptible peers, suggesting a role in the onset of disease symptoms. Thus, we show that dermcidin inhibits influenza virus infection in vitro and in vivo, with potential as a human-derived product for the prevention and treatment of respiratory viral infections.
Article Details
Journal Info
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
National Academy of Sciences
Authors (21)
Paula Corell-Escuin
Genomics and Health Unit, Fundació per al Foment de la Investigació Sanitària i Biomèdica de la Comunitat Valenciana - Salut Pública
Sonia Belmonte-Ballester
Macromolecular Crystallography Unit, Institute of Biomedicine of Valencia, Spanish National Research Council and Biomedical Research Networking Center for Rare Diseases, Instituto de Salud Carlos III
Anmol Adhav
Macromolecular Crystallography Unit, Institute of Biomedicine of Valencia, Spanish National Research Council and Biomedical Research Networking Center for Rare Diseases, Instituto de Salud Carlos III
Alberto Marina
Macromolecular Crystallography Unit, Institute of Biomedicine of Valencia, Spanish National Research Council and Biomedical Research Networking Center for Rare Diseases, Instituto de Salud Carlos III
Laura Gadea-Salom
Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Universitat de València
Luis Martinez-Gil
Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Universitat de València
Elnaz Aledavood
Group of Translational Medicinal and Biological Chemistry, Margarita Salas Centre for Biological Research, Spanish National Research Council
Ana María Fernández-Escamilla
Antiviral Strategies Unit, Instituto de Investigación, Desarrollo e Innovación en Biotecnología
Ana Gómez Sáez
Department of Molecular Cell Biology and Immunology, Amsterdam University Medical Center
Nadine Gougeard
Macromolecular Crystallography Unit, Institute of Biomedicine of Valencia, Spanish National Research Council and Biomedical Research Networking Center for Rare Diseases, Instituto de Salud Carlos III
Kieran Dee
Medical Research Council-University of Glasgow Centre for Virus Research, Institute of Infection, Immunity and Inflammation, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Science, University of Glasgow
Pablo R. Murcia
Medical Research Council-University of Glasgow Centre for Virus Research, Institute of Infection, Immunity and Inflammation, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Science, University of Glasgow
Eliza Adriana Magos
Department of Health of Castellón, Castellón Provincial Hospital Consortium
Carmen Llena
Department of Stomatology, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Universitat de València
Cristina Peris-Martínez
Unit of Cornea and Anterior Eye Diseases, Fundación de Oftalmología Medica
Giuseppe D’Auria
Sequencing and Bioinformatics Service, Fundació per al Foment de la Investigació Sanitària i Biomèdica de la Comunitat Valenciana - Salut Pública
Alejandro Artacho
Genomics and Health Unit, Fundació per al Foment de la Investigació Sanitària i Biomèdica de la Comunitat Valenciana - Salut Pública
Beatriz Mengual-Chuliá
Genomics and Health Unit, Fundació per al Foment de la Investigació Sanitària i Biomèdica de la Comunitat Valenciana - Salut Pública
F. Xavier López-Labrador
Genomics and Health Unit, Fundació per al Foment de la Investigació Sanitària i Biomèdica de la Comunitat Valenciana - Salut Pública
Alex Mira
Genomics and Health Unit, Fundació per al Foment de la Investigació Sanitària i Biomèdica de la Comunitat Valenciana - Salut Pública
María Desamparados Ferrer
Genomics and Health Unit, Fundació per al Foment de la Investigació Sanitària i Biomèdica de la Comunitat Valenciana - Salut Pública