New antiviral agents called aglains to fight mosquito-borne viruses like dengue
Official title: Novel Aglains as Therapeutic Agents for Mosquito-borne Arboviruses
Funded at Boston University (Charles River Campus) · NIH-11416322 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A team at Boston University is developing new host-targeted antiviral compounds called aglains to help protect people from dengue and other mosquito-borne viruses.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Boston University (Charles River Campus) NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Boston, United States) |
| Project start | September 18, 2025 |
| Project end | August 31, 2030 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $643,359 |
| NIH project number | 5R01AI189900-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11416322 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are people at risk of dengue or related arboviral infections or patients who may participate in future therapeutic development studies sharing biological samples or data.
✕Less likely to help
Early-stage laboratory work may not directly benefit individual patients in the near term; clinical application will depend on later testing and approvals.
What this research studies
This project aims to optimize a class of compounds known as aglains to prevent how dengue virus and related arboviruses infect people. Researchers will study how aglains interact with a human protein target (VAT-1) and how inhibiting it affects viral infections, using lab studies and structure-activity relationships to refine the molecules. The ultimate goal is to create a new antiviral approach that reduces illness and transmission by targeting the host rather than the virus itself. The work is a collaborative effort combining organic synthesis, virology, and pharmacology to translate early findings into potent, safe antiviral candidates. The grant supports a multi-year program planned at Boston University under a principal investigator team led by John A. Porco.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, patients could gain new antiviral options that reduce dengue illness and the burden of related arboviral infections.
How similar studies have gone: Previous work on host-targeted antivirals has shown proof-of-concept in reducing viral infections in preclinical models, supporting potential translation to humans.
Where this research is happening
-
Boston University (Charles River Campus)
Boston, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Porco, John a. — Boston University (Charles River Campus)
- Study coordinator: Porco, John a.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.