In a study published in Virologica Sinica, a team of researchers established a chikungunya virus (CHIKV) replicon particle (VRP)-based screening platform and identified three candidate antiviral compounds that interfere with different stages of the viral life cycle.

3D_renderings_of_and_Chikungunya_Virus_Capsids_and_an_Aedes_mosquito_photo_-_2

Source: NIAID

3D renderings of chikungunya virus-like particles (VLPs) alongside an Aedes mosquito.

The study provides a framework for the identification and characterization of anti-CHIKV compound and highlights the potential of combining biosafe screening approaches with mechanistic analyses to explore new antiviral strategies against emerging viral pathogens.

Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) is a re-emerging mosquito-borne alphavirus that can cause severe joint pain and prolonged inflammatory symptoms. Despite its increasing global spread, including a large outbreak in Foshan, Guangdong Province, China, in 2025, no specific antiviral therapy is currently available.

Antiviral identification

“We established a biosafe CHIKV VRP-based screening platform using the predominant strain from the Foshan outbreak and applied it to identify potential antiviral compounds,” shares senior and co-corresponding author Rong Zhang, a professor in School of Basic Medical Sciences at Fudan University. “High-throughput screening of a small-molecule library led to the identification of three candidates: MDL-12330A, bazedoxifene acetate, and anidulafungin.”

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To investigate how these compounds affect CHIKV infection, the researchers combined multiple complementary experimental systems to examine different stages of the viral life cycle, including viral entry, replication-associated processes, and viral particle production. “We found that distinct antiviral profiles among the three compounds, suggesting that CHIKV infection can be inhibited through different mechanisms involving both viral life cycle and host cellular functions,” says Zhang.

“By integrating a VRP-based screening platform with functional evaluation systems, we were able to identify candidate compounds with different antiviral profiles and better understand how host–virus interactions influence CHIKV infection,” says lead author Yang Gao.

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