Jinshan He

Open access Aug 2026

NAT10 is critical to block RNA sensing-induced IFN-β transactivation in viral infection

ABSTRACT Cells detect invading viruses and produce type I interferons (IFNs) to stimulate an innate antiviral effector response. However, IFN levels must be fine-tuned to achieve antiviral efficacy while limiting hyperinflammatory and tissue-damaging effects. Here, we report that NAT10, a histone and cytidine acetyltransferase, regulates the production of type I IFNs and RNA virus infections. Depletion of NAT10 increased the expression of IFN-β and IFN-stimulated genes, and correspondingly impaired viral replication. Mechanistically, NAT10 dynamically associated with the IFN-β promoter and also negatively regulated IRF3’s chromatin associations through modulation of long noncoding RNAs that inhibit IRF3. Treatment of cells with Remodelin, a NAT10 inhibitor, similarly increased IFN-β expression and inhibited viral infections. Overall, our findings reveal NAT10 is a potential host-directed target for antiviral treatment via regulation of type I IFN. IMPORTANCE Type I interferons (IFNs) signaling pathway is critical to cellular defense and innate immunity against evading pathogens, including viruses. However, induction of type I IFNs is fine-tuned to achieve the antiviral consequence while maintaining host cellular homeostasis. This paper presents a novel mechanism for the NAT10 protein to silence IFN-β induction through modulation of IRF3 activity at the promoter of IFN-β, and further demonstrates the therapeutic potential of the NAT10 inhibitor Remodelin to restrict viral infection while inducing IFN-β. Type I interferons (IFNs) signaling pathway is critical to cellular defense and innate immunity against evading pathogens, including viruses. However, induction of type I IFNs is fine-tuned to achieve the antiviral consequence while maintaining host cellular homeostasis. This paper presents a novel mechanism for the NAT10 protein to silence IFN-β induction through modulation of IRF3 activity at the promoter of IFN-β, and further demonstrates the therapeutic potential of the NAT10 inhibitor Remodelin to restrict viral infection while inducing IFN-β.

Youngmin Park, Yan Liu, Jinshan He et al. · mBio · 0 citations

Jul 2026

Levosimendan inhibits HIV-1 infection in myeloid cells via counteracting RIOK1.

Despite the highly potent antiretroviral therapies, HIV-1 establishes persistent infection and causes chronic inflammation in people living with HIV-1 (PLWH). Beyond CD4+ T cells, HIV-1 infects myeloid cells, including circulating monocytes and tissue-resident macrophages, and integrates with host genomes to form stable viral reservoirs. To achieve a functional HIV cure, latency-promoting agents (LPAs) have been developed for the "block-and-lock" strategy to reinforce deep HIV-1 latency and permanently silence proviruses. However, most LPAs have been tested mainly in CD4+ T cells, and their efficacy in myeloid cells remains unclear. In this study, we reported that levosimendan (LSM), a drug approved for clinic use to treat heart failures, is able to inhibit HIV lytic infection and reactivation in myeloid cells. LSM blocked viral lytic reactivation in HIV-1 latently infected monocytic cells (TH89GFP, U1) and microglial cells (HC69). LSM also inhibited HIV infection in human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) derived microglia (iMG), primary human resident liver macrophages (Kupffer cells) as well as human monocyte-derived macrophages (MDMs). Furthermore, we demonstrated that overexpression of a predicted drug target of LSM, the conserved serine/threonine kinase RIOK1 (RIO kinase 1), overcomes LSM's anti-HIV effect. Overall, our studies concluded that LSM is a promising LPA to inhibit HIV-1 infection in myeloid cells via counteracting RIOK1.

Jinshan He, Jie Ma, Youngmin Park et al. · Antiviral Research · 0 citations