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Benzimidazole Derivatives as Novel Zika Virus Inhibitors.

We synthesized 50 benzimidazole (BMZ) derivatives with 1,2-phenylenediamines and aromatic aldehydes under mild oxidation conditions utilizing inexpensive, non-toxic inorganic salt sodium metabisulfite by one-pot condensation reaction and screened their ability to interfere with Zika virus (ZIKV) infection utilizing a cell-based phenotypic assay. Seven BMZs inhibited an African ZIKV strain with a selectivity index (SI=CC 50 /EC 50 ) of 9-37. Structure-activity relationship analysis demonstrated substitution at the C-2, N-1, and C-5 positions of the BMZ ring were important for anti-ZIKV activity. The hybrid structure of BMZ and naphthalene rings was a structural feature responsible for high anti-ZIKV activity. Importantly, BMZs inhibited ZIKV in human neural stem cells, a physiologically relevant system considering the severe congenital anomalies, like microcephaly, caused by ZIKV infection. Compound 39 displayed the highest antiviral efficacy against the African ZIKV strain in Huh-7 (SI >37) and neural stem cells (SI=12). Compound 35 possessed the highest activity in Vero cells (SI=115). Together, our data indicate that BMZs derivatives have to be considered for the development of ZIKV therapeutic interventions.