Josefina María Vegara-Meseguer

Dr. Josefina María Vegara-Meseguer


Research Focus & Metrics

Academic Career Length

12Years (2015-Present)

(Calculated once Scilit publication data is synced: current year − year of first publication + 1)

Representative Publications

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DHDavid Zaragoza Huesca
David Zaragoza Huesca
CCCarlos Cortes-Martínez
Carlos Cortes-Martínez
Antonio Jesús Banegas-LunaAntonio Jesús Banegas-Luna
Antonio Jesús Banegas-Luna
APAlfonso Pérez-Garrido
Alfonso Pérez-Garrido
JVJosefina María Vegara-Meseguer
Josefina María Vegara-Meseguer
IMIrene Martínez-Martínez
Irene Martínez-Martínez
The endogenous protease furin is a key protein in many different diseases, such as cancer and infections. For this reason, a wide range of studies has focused on targeting furin from a therapeutic point of view. Our main objective consisted of identifying new compounds that could enlarge the furin inhibitor arsenal; secondarily, we assayed their adjuvant effect in combination with a known furin inhibitor, CMK, which avoids the SARS-CoV-2 S protein cleavage by means of that inhibition. Virtual screening was carried out to identify potential furin inhibitors. The inhibition of physiological and purified recombinant furin by screening selected compounds, Clexane, and these drugs in combination with CMK was assayed in fluorogenic tests by using a specific furin substrate. The effects of the selected inhibitors from virtual screening on cell viability (293T HEK cell line) were assayed by means of flow cytometry. Through virtual screening, Zeaxanthin and Kukoamine A were selected as the main potential furin inhibitors. In fluorogenic assays, these two compounds and Clexane inhibited both physiological and recombinant furin in a dose-dependent way. In addition, these compounds increased physiological furin inhibition by CMK, showing an adjuvant effect. In conclusion, we identified Kukoamine A, Zeaxanthin, and Clexane as new furin inhibitors. In addition, these drugs were able to increase furin inhibition by CMK, so they could also increase its efficiency when avoiding S protein proteolysis, which is essential for SARS-CoV-2 cell infection.

10 February 2015 in The Journal of Membrane Biology
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JVJosefina María Vegara-Meseguer
Josefina María Vegara-Meseguer
HPHoracio Perez-Sanchez
Horacio Perez-Sanchez
RARaquel Araujo
Raquel Araujo
FMFranz Martín
Franz Martín
BSBernat Soria
Bernat Soria