Development of Covalent Inhibitors of Chikungunya Virus nsP2 Cysteine Protease Enabled by Direct-to-Biology Synthesis and Screening
Chikungunya virus (CHIKV), an arthropod-borne alphavirus, has emerged as a global health threat due to its rapid transmission and the lack of effective antiviral therapies. The cysteine protease activity of the virus-encoded nonstructural protein 2 (nsP2) is critical for CHIKV replication, as it processes viral polyproteins and counteracts host antiviral defenses, establishing it as a highly attractive target for therapeutic intervention. In this study, we present a rapid drug development platform that integrates covalent docking with direct-to-biology (D2B) synthesis and screening to identify nsP2 inhibitors. Candidates prioritized by in silico docking were synthesized and directly tested in FRET enzymatic assays without purification. This approach led to the identification of several nsP2 inhibitors with diverse chemical scaffolds, potent enzymatic inhibition, and antiviral activity. Together, these findings establish a streamlined strategy for covalent inhibitor development and provide promising leads for CHIKV antiviral development.