Harmine, a small molecule derived from natural sources, inhibits enterovirus 71 replication by targeting NF-κB pathway.
Enterovirus 71 (EV71) infection of young children can cause neurological manifestations, which is mainly responsible for the fatality. Although a vaccine is recently available for preventing enterovirus 71 infection, its efficacy remains to be seen. Therefore, there is a pressing need for anti-viral agents for the treatment of EV71 infection. By screening a natural compound library for inhibitory activity of EV71 replication, we identified a small molecule, harmine, that inhibited EV71 replication by targeting NF-κB signaling pathway. Harmine is a β-carboline alkaloid found in the medicinal plant Peganum harmala, which is used as a folk antitumor medicine in China and other parts of the Asia. The estimated EC