Anti-inflammatory compounds reduce equine herpesvirus type 1 replication and cell-to-cell spread.
Authors: Black Jeanette B, Frampton Arthur R
Journal: Frontiers in veterinary science
Summary
# Editorial Summary Equine herpesvirus type 1 (EHV-1) infection can progress to a devastating neurological syndrome—equine herpesvirus myeloencephalopathy (EHM)—characterised by fever, ataxia, incontinence and paralysis, often necessitating euthanasia. Black and Frampton investigated whether anti-inflammatory compounds could suppress viral replication and transmission by testing four NSAIDs, dexamethasone, a ROCK inhibitor, and the JAK/STAT inhibitor AG490 against both neurologic and non-neurologic EHV-1 strains in endothelial and epithelial cell cultures. Flunixin meglumine and AG490 emerged as the most promising candidates, both significantly reducing viral yield across all tested cell types and strains, whilst additionally suppressing cell-to-cell lateral spread—a critical determinant of systemic dissemination and neuroinvasion. The other NSAIDs and dexamethasone showed minimal benefit in this in vitro model. These findings suggest that JAK/STAT pathway inhibition and selective NSAID use warrant further investigation as adjunctive therapeutics in EHM, potentially offering a mechanism to limit viral spread during the critical early phases of infection before neurological involvement becomes established.
Read the full abstract on PubMed
Practical Takeaways
- •Flunixin meglumine may have dual benefits in EHV-1 management—reducing inflammation while potentially limiting viral replication and spread, warranting clinical investigation in naturally infected horses
- •JAK/STAT pathway inhibition shows promise as a targeted therapeutic approach for EHM, though further development and safety testing in vivo are needed before clinical application
- •These in vitro findings suggest that anti-inflammatory therapy choice matters; not all NSAIDs or anti-inflammatory agents equally suppress EHV-1, so targeted selection may optimize outcomes
Key Findings
- •Flunixin meglumine (NSAID) significantly reduced EHV-1 virus yields in endothelial and epithelial cell lines across neurologic and non-neurologic strains
- •JAK/STAT inhibitor AG490 significantly reduced virus yields and cell-to-cell spread in both endothelial and epithelial cell lines
- •Both flunixin meglumine and AG490 demonstrated comparable inhibition across multiple EHV-1 strains, suggesting broad therapeutic potential
- •Dexamethasone, ROCK inhibitor, and other NSAIDs tested did not show comparable antiviral effects to flunixin meglumine and AG490