EICAR (antiviral) explained

EICAR (antiviral) should not be confused with AICA ribonucleotide.

EICAR (5-Ethynyl-1-beta-D-ribofuranosylImidazole-4-CARboxamide) is a nucleoside analogue which has both anti-cancer and antiviral effects, and was originally developed for the treatment of leukemia,^{[1] [2]} but was unsuccessful in human clinical trials. It has broad spectrum antiviral effects with activity against pox viruses, Semliki forest virus, Junin virus, reovirus, influenza, measles virus and respiratory syncytial virus among others,^{[3] [4] [5]} although it is not active against coronaviridae such as SARS-CoV-1.^[6] This useful spectrum of activity means that EICAR and related derivatives continue to be investigated for the treatment of viral diseases.^{[7] [8] [9]}

EICAR was originally discovered as a potent inhibitor of the human enzyme IMP dehydrogenase, part of the guanylate biosynthesis pathway.^{[10] [11]} This activity is responsible for its known anticancer^[10] and antiviral^{[12] [13]} effects.

Notes and References

1. Matsuda A, Minakawa N, Sasaki T, Ueda T . The design, synthesis and antileukemic activity of 5-alkynyl-1-beta-D-ribofuranosylimidazole-4-carboxamides . Chemical & Pharmaceutical Bulletin . 36 . 7 . 2730–2733 . July 1988 . 3272143 . 10.1248/cpb.36.2730 . free .
2. Minakawa N, Takeda T, Sasaki T, Matsuda A, Ueda T . Nucleosides and nucleotides. 96. Synthesis and antitumor activity of 5-ethynyl-1-beta-D-ribofuranosylimidazole-4-carboxamide (EICAR) and its derivatives . Journal of Medicinal Chemistry . 34 . 2 . 778–786 . February 1991 . 1995901 . 10.1021/jm00106a045 .
3. De Clercq E, Cools M, Balzarini J, Snoeck R, Andrei G, Hosoya M, Shigeta S, Ueda T, Minakawa N, Matsuda A . Antiviral activities of 5-ethynyl-1-beta-D-ribofuranosylimidazole-4- carboxamide and related compounds . Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy . 35 . 4 . 679–684 . April 1991 . 2069373 . 245078 . 10.1128/aac.35.4.679 .
4. Jashés M, González M, López-Lastra M, De Clercq E, Sandino A . Inhibitors of infectious pancreatic necrosis virus (IPNV) replication . Antiviral Research . 29 . 2–3 . 309–312 . March 1996 . 8739609 . 10.1016/0166-3542(96)80226-9 .
5. Dal Pozzo F, Galligioni V, Vaccari F, Gallina L, Battilani M, Scagliarini A . Antiviral efficacy of EICAR against canine distemper virus (CDV) in vitro . Research in Veterinary Science . 88 . 2 . 339–344 . April 2010 . 19781726 . 10.1016/j.rvsc.2009.08.010 .
6. Barnard DL, Day CW, Bailey K, Heiner M, Montgomery R, Lauridsen L, Winslow S, Hoopes J, Li JK, Lee J, Carson DA, Cottam HB, Sidwell RW . Enhancement of the infectivity of SARS-CoV in BALB/c mice by IMP dehydrogenase inhibitors, including ribavirin . Antiviral Research . 71 . 1 . 53–63 . August 2006 . 16621037 . 7114261 . 10.1016/j.antiviral.2006.03.001 . free .
7. De Clercq E . Curious (Old and New) Antiviral Nucleoside Analogues with Intriguing Therapeutic Potential . Current Medicinal Chemistry . 22 . 34 . 3866–3880 . 2015 . 26112146 . 10.2174/0929867322666150625094705 .
8. Okano Y, Saito-Tarashima N, Kurosawa M, Iwabu A, Ota M, Watanabe T, Kato F, Hishiki T, Fujimuro M, Minakawa N . Synthesis and biological evaluation of novel imidazole nucleosides as potential anti-dengue virus agents . Bioorganic & Medicinal Chemistry . 27 . 11 . 2181–2186 . June 2019 . 31003866 . 10.1016/j.bmc.2019.04.015 . 124129370 .
9. De Clercq E . New Nucleoside Analogues for the Treatment of Hemorrhagic Fever Virus Infections . Chemistry: An Asian Journal . 14 . 22 . 3962–3968 . November 2019 . 31389664 . 7159701 . 10.1002/asia.201900841 .
10. Balzarini J, Karlsson A, Wang L, Bohman C, Horská K, Votruba I, Fridland A, Van Aerschot A, Herdewijn P, De Clercq E . Eicar (5-ethynyl-1-beta-D-ribofuranosylimidazole-4-carboxamide). A novel potent inhibitor of inosinate dehydrogenase activity and guanylate biosynthesis . The Journal of Biological Chemistry . 268 . 33 . 24591–24598 . November 1993 . 7901217 . 10.1016/S0021-9258(19)74507-4 . free .
11. Qian X, Liu H, Xu D, Xu L, Huang F, He W, Qi J, Zhu Y, Xu D . Functional outcomes and complications following B-TURP versus HoLEP for the treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia: a review of the literature and Meta-analysis . The Aging Male . 20 . 3 . 184–191 . September 2017 . 28368238 . 10.1080/13685538.2017.1295436 . 25963580 .
12. Jashés M, Mlynarz G, De Clercq E, Sandino AM . Inhibitory effects of EICAR on infectious pancreatic necrosis virus replication . Antiviral Research . 45 . 1 . 9–17 . January 2000 . 10774586 . 10.1016/S0166-3542(99)00071-6 .
13. Dal Pozzo F, Galligioni V, Vaccari F, Gallina L, Battilani M, Scagliarini A . Antiviral efficacy of EICAR against canine distemper virus (CDV) in vitro . Research in Veterinary Science . 88 . 2 . 339–344 . April 2010 . 19781726 . 10.1016/j.rvsc.2009.08.010 .