Khalid Hasan Raj

Mr. Khalid Hasan Raj

orcid

Research Focus & Metrics

Academic Career Length

1Year (2026-Present)

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

Representative Publications

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Journal Article
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MAMohammad Mamun Alam
Mohammad Mamun Alam
Mohibur RahmanMohibur Rahman
Mohibur Rahman
KRKhalid Hasan Raj
Khalid Hasan Raj
ANAbdul Hadi Hadi Nahid
Abdul Hadi Hadi Nahid
PSPoulomi Saha
Poulomi Saha
MRMohammad Ziaur Rahman
Mohammad Ziaur Rahman
Nipah virus (NiV) is a zoonotic virus that causes severe encephalitis and respiratory disease with a mortality rate often exceeding 70%. Currently, there are no licensed vaccines or therapeutics for NiV disease. This study aimed to identify and experimentally evaluate small-molecule inhibitors targeting the NiV-G (attachment) glycoprotein using integrated in silico and in vitro approaches. A high-throughput virtual screening of >215,000 compounds was conducted against the NiV-G glycoprotein, using docking and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. The next potential candidates were evaluated using an established, BSL-2-compatible recombinant Cedar virus (rCedV)-based green fluorescent protein (GFP) reporter virus expressing the NiV-F (fusion) and G glycoproteins (rCedV-NiV-B-GFP). During MD simulations, quercetin demonstrated the most stable binding, maintaining a consistent RMSD (3.25 ± 0.3 Å). In vitro testing showed dose-dependent inhibition of rCedV-NiV-B-GFP infection. Although quercetin alone was less potent (IC50 = 24 µM; 95% CI: 7.6–93.6 µM) than a reference NiV-neutralizing monoclonal antibody mAb-7B7 (IC50 = 0.027 μg/mL; approximately 0.00018 μM; 95% CI: 0.0108 to 0.0735), combination with ascorbic acid enhanced neutralization (IC50 = 4.4 µM; 95% CI: 2.9–6.8 µM). Quercetin demonstrated a high Selectivity Index of >20.8. The study identifies quercetin as a promising small-molecule inhibitor of NiV cellular infection, potentially through a stable interaction with NiV-G at the ephrin-B2/B3 binding interface identified computationally. These findings highlight the importance of combining computational screening with BSL-2 cell-based bioassays to accelerate NiV countermeasure discovery.